(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, September 23, 2019)
The Allen County-Scottsville Patriot golf team concluded their regular season with a match win last week at Monroe County. On Tuesday, September 17, AC-S defeated Monroe County by eight strokes in play at Tompkinsville.
Scores for the Patriots included a 36 for Owen Stamper, a 40 for Tyler Ford, 42’s for Tanner McPeak, Rafe Blankenship, and Joshua Sikes, a 43 by Peyton Cline, a 46 by Bryson Bonds, and a 53 by Eli Stamper.
The Patriots had hoped to qualify as a team for last week’s Kentucky Golf Coaches Association All-State Invitational in Lexington. The tournament was based on points accumulated throughout the season. The top 15 teams along with the top 20 individuals not on a qualifying team received invitations. Team wise, AC-S finished 21st in the standings. However, Owen Stamper did receive an individual invitation.
Stamper opened play in the 36-hole event on Saturday. The Middle Tennessee State University commit carded a one-over-par round. His day included consistent play with pars on 13 of the 18 holes. Stamper registered two birdies and three bogey’s to finish in a tie for 12th after the first day.
Sunday, Stamper struggled. Starting on the course’s back nine, Stamper birdied the first hole to bring him level par. However, the round spired downward following double bogeys on the 12th and 16th holes and a bogey on the 17th. Two bogeys and a double bogey on three of the next four holes spelled disaster. Stamper rebounded with an eagle on the par-5 fifth but dropped strokes on three of the final four holes. The senior finished at +10 and in a 37th place tie among the 96 golfers to complete play.
For Stamper and the Patriot golf team, attention shifts to Tuesday, October 1. AC-S will open play in the Region 3 tournament at the Hidden Hills Country Club in Tompkinsville. Under new Kentucky High School Athletic Association guidelines, only the region champion team advances to the state golf championship in two weeks in Bowling Green. The region’s top seven individuals not on the championship team will also advance to the state championship tournament. Region pairings and tee times will be announced later in the week.