SNOHOMISH — Dylan Stensland’s last appearance in the Snohomish County Amateur golf tournament was one to forget.
Stensland tried to play in the tournament a few years ago while suffering from mononucleosis, and he ended up withdrawing after the second of three rounds. “I didn’t really have a good experience,” he said with a wry smile.
On Saturday the 23-year-old Stensland took a big step toward erasing that memory with a round of 3-under-par 69 at Snohomish Golf Course. That total has him atop the leaderboard of the 85th annual County Am, one stroke ahead of both Kevin Beavers and five-time champion Alex Stamey, the only other players to crack par in the opening round.
Two over after eight holes, Stensland birdied Nos. 9 and 10, and then closed his round with consecutive birdies on the final three holes. Playing on his home course, he had birdie putts of about 20 and 13 feet on the 16th and 17th holes, and then used two shots to reach the back of the par-5 18th hole before two-putting to cap a round of six birdies and three bogeys.
“It was a great way (to finish),” said Stensland, a 2009 graduate of Snohomish High School where he was a four-year golf team letterman. After “a roller coaster front nine,” his putter caught fire on the back side “and (the putts) finally started dropping,” he added.
Stamey, meanwhile, is chasing what would be a record sixth County Am victory. He is tied with Bob Whisman for the most tournament wins with five.
The 51-year-old Stamey is coming off elbow surgery in December, and only started hitting golf balls again in early April. His game has been sporadic of late, which left him unsure what to expect when he teed off on Saturday.
“On the first tee,” he said, “you’re thinking, ‘What’s going to show up?’ But I felt good on the first couple of shots and I birdied No. 1, so right away I said, ‘Well, here we go. Let’s see what we can do today.’”
After the opening birdie, Stamey added other birdies on Nos. 4 and 9 to go with a bogey on the fifth hole. A birdie on No. 15 dropped Stamey to 3 under, though he gave a stroke back with a disappointing three-putt bogey on the 18th green.
Still, considering his long layoff after surgery, “I’m more than pleased,” said Stamey, who represents Everett Golf and Country Club. “After returning to golf, I haven’t been able to put together a round where I’ve hit it well and putted well. I’ve had a bunch of rounds where I just couldn’t get anything to click, but today I did everything well. I hit the ball very well, and I chipped and putted very well.
“To be under par the first round is fantastic,” he added. “It’s all I could’ve hoped for.”
Beavers, who plays out of Mukilteo’s Harbour Pointe Golf Club, also reached 3 under after four birdies and one bogey over the first 13 holes, but he dropped a stroke with a bogey at No. 17.
This year’s tournament has a smaller starting field compared to recent years, and two likely contenders never made it through the opening round. Four-time champ Todd Tibke of Snohomish, who was bidding to tie Stamey and Bob Whisman with five tournament titles, had to withdraw after a few holes because of a recurring medical issue. And Mark Strickland of Harbour Pointe, who just finished his senior season at Western Washington University, was disqualified after missing his starting time.
The second division (handicaps from 5.1-9.9) and third division (10.0-20.3) also played their first rounds at Snohomish. The second-division leader is Mark Hyung Park from Mill Creek Country Club with a net 66. Leading the third division are Steve Hobson from Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course and Kyung wook Oh from Harbour Pointe, both with net 64s.
The County Am moves to Harbour Pointe for today’s second round, and will wrap up Monday with a final round at Everett’s Legion Memorial Golf Course.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
