Jake Koppenberg gave rival Alex Stamey an opening with some front-nine miscues during the final round of the 78th-annual Snohomish County Amateur golf tournament.
Stamey never returned the favor.
In a dandy 18-hole showdown between perhaps the county’s two best amateur players of the moment, the 44-year-old Stamey took the lead for good midway through the round and held off the 21-year-old Koppenberg for a two-stroke victory on a balmy afternoon May 26 at the Everett Golf and Country Club.
It was Stamey’s fourth County Am win, following victories in 2000, 2004 and 2007. He has tied Jeff Knudson and Todd Tibke for career wins, and needs one more to match Bob Whisman for the most in tournament history.
“I played very solid golf today,” said Stamey, who finished with a 3-under-par 69 for a three-round total of 5-under-par 209. “The course was tough with the (long) rough and the (fast) greens, so shooting 3-under was more than I expected.”
“(Stamey) didn’t make any mistakes,” said Koppenberg, who shot 1-over 73 for a 3-under total of 211. “You have to give (credit) to him. He got done what he needed to do. He definitely won the tournament.”
Though other golfers were within striking distance to start the round, this quickly became a head-to-head tussle between Koppenberg, a strapping college star — he was an NCAA Division II second-team All-American this season at Western Washington University — and Stamey, the smooth, steady veteran. The two matched pars on five of the first seven holes, and Koppenberg still led by two strokes as they stepped to the par-3, 122-yard eighth hole.
At that point, the momentum began to swing. Both men put their tee shots on the green, but Stamey rolled in a birdie putt and Koppenberg three-putted — including a missed 3 1/2-foot par attempt — and the match was tied.
Stamey went on top to stay with a birdie on the downhill par-4, 353-yard 10th hole, and stretched his lead to three strokes when he birdied the uphill par-4, 313-yard 11th hole while Koppenberg was taking a bogey.
But just when it looked like Koppenberg might fade, he ran off consecutive birdies on the par-4, 373-yard No. 12, par-5, 534-yard No. 13 and par-5, 474-yard No. 14. Stamey birdied No. 14 as well — he left a long eagle putt from the fringe about an inch shy of the cup — to preserve a one-stroke lead.
Over the next three holes Stamey and Koppenberg collected matching pars, and the lead was still one shot as they went to the 18th tee.
Stamey found the fairway with his drive, but Koppenberg lost his tee shot into the trees right of the par-4, 391-yard hole. He punched a shot out, chipped onto the green and two-putted for a bogey. Stamey, meanwhile, was on the green in two and two-putted for a par and the victory.
In his 18 holes, Stamey was on the green in regulation 16 times. One of his misses came on the par-4, 386-yard fifth hole, when he chipped on from just off the green and left the ball only an inch from the hole for a tap-in par, and at No. 16, when his approach ended on the fringe a few inches from the green, leading to a two-putt par.
“Alex just stayed steady,” said Koppenberg, who represents Everett G&CC. “He didn’t ever put himself in trouble to make par. He was on the green every time, two-putting, and that’s what you have to do out here.”
“Jake didn’t play great,” said Stamey, also from Everett G&CC. “He didn’t play bad, but he made a few mistakes. He handed me a couple of shots that I needed to have.”
Still, this tournament could have gone either way over the final seven holes. And that drama seemed to bring out the best in Stamey.
“I’m calm (by appearances), but on the inside my stomach is turning around and I’m nervous,” Stamey said. “And that’s why I play the game. I want to get that way. I like being nervous in competition. Even though you have a knot in your stomach and it doesn’t feel good, I love being in that situation. I love that kind of pressure atmosphere.”
Another plus for Stamey was caddy Jack Kelly, a former Everett G&CC member and a two-time County Am winner. Throughout the day, he was quick with advice and quips as needed.
“It was fun having Jack on the bag,” Stamey said. “He was giving me a lot of ribbing and that was keeping me relaxed. It helped me a lot, it really did.”
Even in the aftermath of Monday’s victory, Stamey was already looking ahead to next year and the chance for a Whisman-tying fifth County Am win. He will also be attempting to win three in a row, which has only been done once in County Am history — by Bob Burton in 1972-74.
“If I could tie Bob Whisman, that’d be great,” he said. “But I also have a chance to tie Bob Burton for three in a row, so there’ll be two records up for grabs next year which will make me even more motivated.”
Kelly Denessen of Mill Creek Country Club finished third after shooting 73 on Monday for a three-round total of 2-over 216. Fourth place went to Steve Lee of Everett G&CC, who shot a 70 and finished at 3-over 217.
Bill Harman of Marysville’s Cedarcrest Golf Course was the low-net winner of the second division (for players with handicaps of 5.7 to 11.9) after an even-par 72 at Everett’s Legion Memorial Golf Course for a three-day score of 4-under 210.
Ron Sisko of Everett’s Walter E. Hall Golf Course was the low-net winner of the third division (for golfers with handicaps of 12.0 and higher) after a 12-under 60 at Legion Memorial for a 12-under 202 total
Rich Myhre writes for The Herald in Everett.
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