PORT ORCHARD — One of four Knight golfers in action at Monday’s Olympic League golf championships at McCormick Woods Golf Course, Bremerton senior Doug Tran shot a 6-over-par 82, nearly qualifying for 3A subdistricts.
Shooting an even 36 on the back nine, Tran rebounded from a front nine 42 to force a three-way playoff with two spots to subdistricts on the line.
But after scoring a par on the playoff hole, Tran was eliminated when his opponent made birdie on the same hole.
“It was intense,” Tran said of the final hole, determining the seventh- and eighth-place finishers and final two berths to subdistricts.
While he fell one stroke short of advancing, Tran walked away from Monday’s round feeling good about his game.
“My driver and wedges were working great for me,” he said. “It was a solid round (and) I had nothing to struggle with.”
The highlight of the round came on the 16th hole. After leaving his second stroke of the Par 4 about 110 yards shy of the green, Tran pulled out his pitching wedge and stuck his third shot for a birdie.
“He drained it,” coach Chuck Huhta said of the shot, complimenting Tran’s entire round. “He did well.”
Accustomed to hitting at Gold Mountain Golf Complex, where the Knights play their home matches, Tran embraced the challenge of a not-so-familiar course.
“McCormick Woods is a challenging course,” he explained. “Comparing this course to the other courses I play… McCormick is (at) the top in difficulty.”
And though Tran’s 2008 season is over, his golf career is only beginning.
“Golf is a game that I will play for the rest of my life,” he said, looking to the future. “Competitively, I want to make it on Olympic College’s golf team. That is my next goal in mind.”
A four-year member of the BHS golf squad, Tran will bring an understanding of the game to his next golf stop, wherever that may be.
“I learned that (golf) is not (about) how hard you hit the ball, it’s all technique,” he said. “A clean, smooth stroke will get (the ball) just as far.”
On the girls side seniors Aimee Connolly and Hannah Crawford were both in action, playing out all 18 holes.
Neither finished in the top eight to qualify for subdistricts — Connolly shot a 148 and Crawford scored a 156 — but both played a solid round, especially on the front nine.
“Both girls played a similar game, with great drives, consistent chip shots and excellent two-putts,” coach Emily Crawford said, explaining that both girls lost some energy on the back nine.
“The first nine (holes) I feel were probably the best both girls have played all season,” she said, “but after the turn for the back nine, they began to get tired and their games’ started to fall apart.”
Citing the tournament format, requiring players to shoot 18 holes instead of nine, Crawford said her players made a strong tournament debut.
“This was both Aimee and Hannah’s first taste of a golf tournament,” she said. “I think it’s important to realize that an 18-hole tournament sounds easy, but when it comes down to actually participating and putting forth the energy, it turns into a whole different ball game.”
An avid golfer, Crawford said she continues to learn about herself and the game from her players, the 2008 season being no exception.
“I’ve been around golf my whole life and have been helping this team for a couple years now and I’m still amazed at the different things you take away each season,” she explained. “The most important lesson I learned this year was (that) the energy you put into coaching your players is the same energy you’re going to receive back from your players out on the course.”
Looking to next year, Crawford has reason to be optimistic as three of the team’s five players are set to return.
“We started the season with two seniors who had played golf for their entire high school career and three freshman who weren’t sure how to tee a golf ball up,” she said. “Each player has excelled far past my own expectations. Every match, they came prepared to the best of their abilities and, each time, beat their previous match score. You can’t ask for more than that.”
