(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, October 12, 2019)
Allen County-Scottsville High School senior Owen Stamper (74-70-144) has
placed third in the Leachman Buick-GMC-Cadillac/Kentucky High School Athletic
Association State Golf Championship. Marshall County junior Jay Nimmo (69-72-141)
shot an even par round of 72 to finish at -3 Saturday to earn individual medalist
honors. John Michael Butler (73-70-143), a senior from Louisville Trinity, birdied
two of the final three holes to place second (-1) in the event. Stamper was a
stroke back at even par for the 36-hole tournament.
Stamper
carded a two-under par round of 70 Saturday---joining Butler as the only
golfers in the 106-final round field to go below par on the final day of play
at the Bowling Green Country Club.
On the
front nine, Stamper recorded back-to-back birdies on the par-four fourth and
the par-five fifth holes to pull even for the tournament. On the back nine,
Stamper birdied the par-four 12th hole to pull to within two shots of the lead.
However, a bogey on the par-four 15th left Stamper at even par for the
tournament. Stamper completed his round with pars on the final three holes to
take the clubhouse lead at near the same time as the day-one leaders were
starting their rounds.
Stamper---who has verbally committed to play college golf at Middle Tennessee State University--- began the final 18 holes of his high school career five strokes off the lead and tied for 11th overall in the tournament. Nimmo held the lead at -3, one of two golfers under par after the tournament’s first round. Two golfers shot even par on Friday. Six players were at +1 with Stamper in a pack of seven golfers standing at +2.
Friday’s round of a two-over par 74 included several key moments on a windy afternoon. Stamper birdied the par-5 third hole after blasting a tee shot over 250 yards. The AC-S senior finished the front nine with a par putt on the par-four ninth, despite missing the fairway off the tee and hitting a tree on his second shot. The eighth, 10th and 12th holes saw Stamper record bogeys. However, Stamper closed his opening round with pars on the final six holes to finish with a 74 and earn the opportunity to play for the championship on Saturday.
Stamper’s third-place finish comes on the heels of a ninth place finish in the 2018 state golf championship at the Bowling Green Country Club.