LIBERTY LAKE — Chimacum’s third-place finish at the boys Class 1A state tournament highlighted the four area golf teams competing at state.
The Cowboys totaled 77 team points, led by Chris Bainbridge, who finished in a tie for tenth after shooting a round of 80 Wednesday at the par-70 Liberty Lake Golf Course.
King’s claimed the team championship with 90.5 points and Seattle Academy was second with 88 points.
“We were kind of hoping for second place, but the guys didn’t play their best today,” Chimacum coach Darren Posey said.
“The wind played some tricks on them. It would seem like the wind would switch on them right after they hit or right before they hit.”
He explained that Liberty Lake’s location in the Spokane Valley causes some swirling winds.
Posey said that Bainbridge’s best moment of the second round came when he birdied the par-5 12th hole, one of only two par-5s on the course.
James Porter carded an 85 and finished in a tie for 15th for Chimacum.
“James chipped in for a birdie on the first par-3 on the course,” Posey said.
Porter also earned a par on the course’s most difficult hole, the 470-yard par-4 fifth hole.
“A birdie on it yesterday and a good par today. He probably played that hole as good as anybody in the tournament,” Posey said.
Marcus Bufford improved by three strokes from his opening round and shot an 80 to finish in a tie for 18th.
“He struck the ball a lot better today than yesterday,” Posey said.
“It was a solid round for him, he just couldn’t get the birdie putts to fall to go lower.”
The Port Townsend boys finished 10th as a team.
Patrick Morton shot an 87 Wednesday to finish 27th and edge teammate Austin Khile by one stroke.
Khile carded an 89 Wednesday and finished in a tie for 28th.
Cle Elum-Roslyn junior Nick Baker won his second straight 1A individual title by four strokes.
Baker shot a 3-under-par 67 in Wednesday’s final round.
Sequim girls fourth
RICHLAND — Sequim junior Alex McMenamin picked up her third straight top-10 state finish, posting a 79 to take fifth at the Class 2A girls tournament at the par-72 Columbia Point Golf Course.
Sophomore Sarah Shea followed her career-best round of 87 in Tuesday’s opening round with a 91 Wednesday to tie for 15th place.
Despite having only two players the Wolves ended up fourth as a team with 61 points.
East Valley of Yakima won the team title with 109 points.
Morgan Baum of East Valley won the individual title, shooting a 3-under-par 69 to edge defending champion Kenadee Peters of Ephrata by one stroke.
Sequim boys ninth
RICHLAND — Senior Jack Shea and freshman Blake Wiker earned a top-10 finish for Sequim at the Class 2A state tournament at Horn Rapids Golf Course in Richland.
The duo helped the Wolves to ninth place.
Shea rebounded from an opening 82 to post a six-over-par 78 and finish in a tie for 20th in his third state appearance.
“That’s still good, but he wasn’t really happy [with his finish],” said Shea’s coach and father Bill Shea.
“He’s ready to move on to college golf and see what that brings to him.”
Shea will play golf at NCAA Division II Montana State University in Billings next year.
Wiker stayed consistent, following up an 82 in Tuesday’s first round with another 82 in the final round to finish tied for 30th.
“He shot 41 on all four nines, so that was pretty cool,” Shea said.
Bellingham’s Nick Nolan, a Gonzaga University commit, shot a round of 70 to edge day one leader Luke Hall of Liberty for the 2A title bye one stroke (145-146).
Liberty rolled to the team title with 120 points.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 57050 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
