(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, December 6, 2019)
Allen County-Scottsville senior Owen Stamper will play collegiate golf
at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro. In front of
family, friends, and teammates, Stamper verified his commitment in a signing
ceremony Friday, December 6, at the high school library.
“It a great day because I have been working for this for a long time,” Stamper said. “Middle Tennessee is a great fit for me. I’m excited to get down there next fall. MTSU is very welcoming and the guys are really great. They have great facilities. Their coach is amazing.”
Stamper has played golf since early childhood, developing his skills as
he followed his father---AC-S golf coach Scott Stamper---around the golf
course. To sharpen his game, Stamper has played for years on the Kentucky
Junior PGA Tour, polishing his skills against the best golfers in the state.
His development led to Stamper making the AC-S team early on and playing
varsity golf since middle school.
As a junior in 2018, Stamper qualified for the Leachman-Buick-GMC-Cadillac/KHSAA
state golf tournament for a second consecutive year. After shooting a first
round score of 77, Stamper fired a 70 during the final round to finish ninth
overall.
This year, Stamper struggled in region tournament play but still qualified for the state tournament. After firing a two-over par 74 on the first day, Stamper carded a two-under 70 on the second day to finish at even par and third overall in the tournament. Stamper’s finish is the highest an AC-SH golfer has placed in the state tournament since Dustin Stovall tied for third in 2004.
Looking ahead to the Blue Raider golf program, Stamper added that MTSU coach Mark McEntire is “stats driven,” a fact that Stamper likes given his career ambition to play at the professional level.
“Coach McEntire wants to pick apart your round on the statistical side of things,” Stamper noted. “That is what I need in my corner. I don’t need somebody who will says just hit it over here but someone who can say this is why you should hit it over here. I think it is a perfect set-up for me at Middle.”
Already on the MTSU radar from previous contacts, Stamper’s play last summer began to attract the eye of several additional NCAA Division I programs. Stamper participated in summer events---in Kentucky, Alabama, and Missouri---with the highlight coming in the Kentucky Boys Junior Amateur. In the opening round, Stamper carded a 63---the lowest scoring round in the history of the event. Stamper’s 18 holes included seven birdies, an eagle, and no bogeys. Stamper struggled on the second day but finished third in the prestigious event. His play caught the attention of other programs, however, Stamper ended his recruitment with his verbal commitment to MTSU in September.
Before launching his college
career, Stamper---the 18-year old son of Scott and Tasha Stamper---will
continue his high school athletic career as a member of the Patriot basketball
and baseball teams this season.