SEQUIM — A well-timed summer vacation and a cousin connection let Alex LemMon, a rising sophomore on the men’s golf team at NCAA Division II Chico State University, know about the 2024 Clallam County Amateur Championship.
He did all the rest himself in raising the trophy awarded to the best amateur golfer on the North Olympic Peninsula, winning the event by 12 strokes at 10 under par (206 strokes) and shooting his lowest competitive round in the process.
“My wedge play and approach-shot play was good this week,” LemMon said. “I had a lot of shots close to the hole, and that took some stress off.”
LemMon’s stellar play throughout the three-day, 54-hole event drained much of the drama from the final 18 Sunday at The Cedars at Dungeness, and LemMon made sure there was no Sunday stumble — firing a nice round of 3-under-par 69.
On vacation visiting family in Sequim, LemMon found out about the tournament from his cousin Sean O’Mera, who also played in the event. O’Mera, a Sequim High School teacher, was a Sequim golfing standout and recently coached the boys golf team.
LemMon opened with a 71 at Sunland Golf Club on Friday, sinking four birdies but also experiencing his toughest stretch of play with three back-nine bogies.
That score was only topped by his 7-under 65 at Peninsula Golf Club on Saturday. LemMon feasted on the course’s four par-5s, shooting 3 under on those holes. He also opened the back nine by draining birdies on three of the first four holes and four of the first six to open up separation.
“Maybe I’m biased, but Peninsula Golf Club is a pretty great course,” LemMon said.
“That was my lowest round in competition ever.”
Up by 13 strokes heading into the final round, LemMon said he focused on attacking the course.
“It was good,” LemMon said of playing with the lead. “I tried not to think about it too much, just thought about making some more birdies and trying to keep playing aggressively. The first two rounds I played pretty aggressively, and I didn’t want to change anything.”
Why mess with success?
Scores
Tim Kelly claimed the overall low net title with a three-day total of 208 strokes.
Clallam County Amateur Championship
Overall Gross
1. Alex LemMon -10
2. Justin Johnson +2
3. Jeff Jones +7 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
T4. Ron Grant +12 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
T4. Joshua Milam +12
T6. Nick Van +16
T6. Jeff Anderson +16
8. Adam Columbia +17
T9. Tom Nelson +18
T9. Dean LemMon +18
T11. Sean O’Mera +22
T11. Tim Trosin +22
13. Zach Matthews +25
14. Richard Clendening Jr. +27
Tommy Post +30
Roger Olsen +31
Brian Scheibner +32
Jay Tomlin +33 (Sunland)
Justin Ewing +34 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
Anthony Bubenas +35 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
Brian Sleight +35
Morgan McGowan +36
Frank Martin +36 (Sunland)
John Dmohowski +38
Greg Mullikin +40 (Sunland)
David Stein +41
Gordon Nishimoto +42
Barbara Foster +42
Yoon Park +43
Greg Simanson +43
Cole Smithson +43 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
Alex Gaschk +44 (Peninsula Golf Club)
Curtis Rose +46
Richard Clendening Sr. +46 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
Tim Kelly +47
Bob Dutrow +48 (Peninsula Golf Club)
Cale Wentz +48
Ed Klein +48
Adrian Aragon +51 (Cedars at Dungeness)
Todd Irwin +52
Robert Mares +53
Bobby Kelly +54
Gary Peterson +54 (Sunland)
Mimi Shin +55 (Cedars at Dungeness Women’s Golf Association)
Robb Reese +55
Marine Hirschfeld +55 (Cedars at Dungeness Women’s Golf Association)
Adam Shantz +56 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
Brian Van +56
Linda Hash +57 (Cedars at Dungeness Women’s Golf Association)
Mark Nelson +57
Bobbie Piety +65 (Cedars at Dungeness Women’s Golf Association)
Scott Hendricks +65 (Peninsula Golf Club)
Jan Clendening +70 (Cedars at Dungeness)
Jose Nava +76
Tom Flack +77 (Cedars at Dungeness Men’s Club)
Steve Uvila +83
David Forhan +87
________
Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at sports@peninsuladailynews.com.
