LYNNWOOD — Never underestimate the bonding power of a game.
For Mike Olson and his father, Skip, golf was much more than a way to pass time.
“It was something that we both really enjoyed,” said Mike Olson, a senior at Lynnwood High School, “and it was a good connection between us.”
Olson didn’t start playing golf until he was a freshman at Lynnwood, but he and his father quickly developed a passion for the sport. Almost every Sunday they enjoyed an evening of drives, putts and laughs at Lynnwood Municipal Golf Course.
Skip Olson was a longtime golf buff. He often told Mike stories about his favorite PGA stars and how they overcame pressure or shrugged off bad days. Mike soaked up his dad’s mental lessons, combined them with his naturally sweet, powerful swing and with stunning swiftness raised his game to an impressive level.
Today Mike, the captain of Lynnwood High’s boys golf team, has a sparkling 1.9 handicap, which means on average he shoots an enviable 2-over-par score for 18 holes (For example: 74 strokes on a par-72 course). Last season he won four tournaments and placed 16th at the Class 3A state tournament.
It didn’t take Mike long to surpass Skip, whose golfing proficiency peaked at a 12 handicap. But it wasn’t about who was better. It was about sharing the journey.
“You could see it in his eyes,” Ben Sarb, Mike Olson’s friend, said of how much Skip loved watching Mike excel on the golf course. “He was really proud of what (Mike) was doing. … He kind of lived through Mike a little bit.”
And up until the very end, Skip Olson watched his son every chance he got. When the lung cancer that eventually took his life last May prevented him from walking the course, Skip would ask Mike for a shot-by-shot rundown of Mike’s competitions.
Skip Olson’s death jolted Mike, but the sorrowful teenager soon found a way to pay tribute to his father and raise cancer awareness all while keeping golf in the forefront. For his senior class project, Mike Olson is presenting a charity golf tournament — the Skip Olson Memorial Golf Scramble – April 9 at Eaglemont Golf Course in Mount Vernon. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the American Cancer Society.
The organizational challenges (course selection, fundraising, searching for sponsors, etc.) have been daunting, but Mike Olson said the experience has comforted him: “It helped me cope with (Skip’s death) a lot and helped me get over it, knowing that I’m doing something he would be proud of.”
Mike Olson said this event isn’t just for hardcore golfers. It’s for anyone who has been touched by cancer and who wants to make a difference.
“Not everybody golfs,” he said, “but cancer touches everybody. Even if you can’t play, you can donate.”
Olson almost certainly will exceed the 60 hours required for his senior project by the time everything’s done. Jeff Jermulowske, Olson’s project mentor who has organized Lynnwood High Booster Club golf tourneys, said the mature youngster has been extremely dedicated.
“So far, it looks like he’s doing real well with it,” Jermulowske said. “He’s got it under control. … I think it’s a great learning experience for him, and he’s going to be able to utilize it (later) in his life.”
Olson plans to pursue a career that combines his golf and business interests — possibly course management or a job working for an equipment manufacturer.
Sarb, Olson’s friend and a freshman at Edmonds Community College, has assisted Olson on the project. He befriended Olson a few years ago when they played golf together at Lynnwood High, but a hatred of cancer also unites them. Sarb’s mother has battled lung cancer on and off for years and she was diagnosed with the disease for the third time just a few weeks before Skip Olson passed away.
The charity tournament, Sarb said, is a perfect chance to raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer: “If we can help one person out … and get the word out, then this is all worth it.”
As Mike Olson wraps up the final details of his extremely personal project, Sarb said the Lynnwood senior continues to prove that he can handle the loftiest challenges with poise, both on the golf course and in life.
“You can throw him into any situation,” Sarb said, “and he will come out on top.”
Mike Cane writes for The Herald in Everett.
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