Allen County-Scottsville senior golfer Owen Stamper has verbally
committed to play collegiate golf at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
in Murfreesboro.
“MTSU is very welcoming and the guys are really great,” Stamper said. “MTSU has great facilities, they are top of the line. Their coach is amazing.”
Stamper added that Blue Raider 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.”
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.
Last year, Stamper stepped up his game. Not only did Stamper qualify for
the Leachman Buick GMC Cadillac/KHSAA state golf tournament for a second
consecutive year but also made a run at the state title. After shooting a first
round score of 77, Stamper fired a 70 during the final round---the second
lowest second round score in the entire field. Stamper finished ninth overall.
Already on the MTSU radar from previous contacts, Stamper’s play this 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 performance in the summer months also brought reassurance to the
senior. Last spring, days before the start of baseball for the multi-sport AC-S
athlete, Stamper sustained a broken wrist while playing basketball with
friends. He missed most of the Patriot baseball season and entered the summer
wondering if his injury would affect his golf.
“Coming off my wrist injury, I didn’t know how it was going to be,” Stamper admitted. “I had scary thoughts all through the baseball season wondering if I could swing the golf club the same way. Thankfully, I was able to. I did have a slow start to the summer but on July 2 it all clicked at the Junior Am. That was really special.”
Stamper adds that summer tournament play has helped him to develop his
skills tremendously.
“Experience comes in the summer tournaments when you are in contention,” Stamper said. “You can’t match that. The experience and the exposure you get from summer tournaments, from going different places and playing different courses, is unmatched. Junior golf is one of the best experiences you can have.”
His play led to other college golf programs---including Kentucky and
Western Kentucky University---to begin looking at Stamper. As the summer passed
and the high school golf season started, Stamper weighed all of his options, made
the 90-minute drive to visit MTSU and tour the facilities, and reached a decision
last week.
Stamper realizes that his future as a college student-athlete will
involve countless hours striving to help the Blue Raider golf program build
upon their recent success. MTSU is coming off back-to-back Conference USA
championships. The Blue Raider golf program has appeared in the NCAA tournament
nine times in the past 12 seasons.
“College golf will be like a full-time job,” Stamper said. “I think we’ll have two to three 6 a.m. lifts (weightlifting) a week, then go to classes, and then you go work on your game. That will be your day, you’ll sleep, and do it again.”
With his college choice made, Stamper notes, it’s time to focus on helping AC-S reach the state tournament.
“We have a great opportunity to reach the state tournament as a team,” Stamper added. “We just have to get better every day and be at our best on October 1 at the region.”
Stamper will lead AC-S into a tough final month of the regular season. The Patriots will continue to tone their skills in weekday matches and prestigious tournaments---including play this weekend in the Bowling Green Invitational Tournament (BGIT). The BGIT is played at the Bowling Green Country Club---the site of next month’s state championship.