Owen Huntington has trouble explaining one aspect of golf to his friends who play other sports, especially team sports.
“When you’re having a bad day in golf, it’s all right there on the scorecard,” Huntington said. “That’s one thing my friends who play team sports don’t get. There isn’t someone else who is going to pick you up. There’s no bench where you can sit and regroup. It’s all on you, and you just have to keep battling.
“Actually, that’s one part about golf that I really like.”
It’s also one reason Huntington works so hard to make sure bad days are not plentiful.
The sophomore at Camas High School has been spending more of his summer days working on his game at Royal Oaks Country Club.
“I’m usually out here by 10 a.m., and then I’m here all day,” he said. “I’ll come out and work on putting, my chipping. I might go over to the range and work on things there. And then, the rest of the time is just playing golf.”
That work ethic helped Huntington make a splash in high school with a standout freshman year.
Huntington’s rough first day at the 4A district title led to a fifth-place overall finish, placing behind four seniors.
It meant he had to qualify to state through the bi-district tournament, where he shot a 4-under 68 and won the event.
That sent him to state with some momentum, where he placed fifth overall at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick.
Like any good golfer, the only thing Huntington remembered about state were the shots that got away.
“I guess the thing I was happiest about state is that I gave myself a shot to do really well,” Huntington said. “But there were some shots that put me in a hole the first day and kept me from finishing higher.
“But, the good part is I get three more shots at it.”
After his top-5 finish at state, Huntington launched into a busy summer of golf.
In July, Huntington placed second in the Southern Oregon Junior Championship at the Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford after losing a three-hole playoff.
The next week, Huntington placed third at the Central Oregon Junior Championship at Eagle Crest Ridge Course in Redmond.
Those two finishes got him enough points to earn a spot on one of the Oregon teams for the Hogan Cup, a multi-state team competition at Riverside Golf and Country Club in Portland. There, he finished tied for 16th in the individual standings with a 6-over 150 for 36 holes.
Now, he turns his attention to the high school season, which Huntington says is more relaxed.
“We’re going to have a good team this year at Camas,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good golfers who will be moving up from the JV team.”
Season storylines
Sophomores galore: The story for 2017 was the number of outstanding debut seasons by freshmen golfers, in addition to Camas’ Owen Huntington. Mountain View’s Graham Moody won the Class 3A individual state title. Following Fort Vancouver’s Spencer Tibbits, Moody gave Vancouver four of the past five 3A state champions. Moody’s teammate Willie Yeh won the Prairie Invitational and the 3A district title. He made the cut at state. Ridgefield’s Cade Bringhurst won the 2A district championship and finished 13th at state.
Teams to State: The 2018-19 season will be the first season in which full teams will be allowed to qualify for the state tournament, at least at 4A and 3A levels. Previously, players qualified for state as individuals, and team scores at state were determined by the individuals who advanced. This year, the best 16 teams from districts around the state will advance to state. Teams will consist of five players. The top eight teams will make the Day 1 cut at state. Individuals from non-qualifying teams will also have the opportunity to qualify as individuals. The tournament formats for 2A, 1A and B schools will remain unchanged.
Loaded Spudders: Ridgefield looks to have a solid team. In addition to Cade Bringhurst, all-leaguers Kellen Bringhurt and Kale Suomi return for their senior years. Caden Whitsitt, who made the cut at state, is back for his sophomore season.
Big Events: The Jeff Hudson Invitational is the first big tournament of the season. It will be Sept. 11 at Tri-Mountain. The Titan Cup, a Ryder Cup-style team competition is set for Sept. 17 at Camas Meadows. The Prairie Invitational, another 18-hole tournament, will be Sept. 26 at The Cedars.
