Walking the final day of the 2017 Royal Oaks Invitational as a spectator, Owen Huntington didn’t need to be motivated to play in the men’s amateur held annually at the country club where he and his family are members.
The motivation came right in front of him.
“Seeing the quality of golf here.” Huntington said. “I thought, ‘I have to get into this.’”
Huntington, a Camas High School freshman, is one of a trio of high school freshmen in this year’s field. The three-day event, which teed off Friday, fields some of the college talent and top amateurs from around the northwest.
Golfers are awarded spots into the Royal Oaks Invitational by invitation or admissions, and Huntington, Mountain View’s Graham Moody and Ridgefield’s Cade Bringhurst are the top crop of local teen talent.
Huntington fired a 1-over 73 and sank a 20-foot put on the 18th hole to save par on what was a rain-soaked day of golf for many competitors. Moody and Bringhurst also pared the 18th hole to end a day to a three-day event that Moody and Huntington already describe as one of their highlights in what’s set to be a busy summer of golf.
“I knew this course is amazing and in great shape,” Moody said after his round. “The field size is tougher and I knew the tournament would be tougher than the other ones we go to.”
Not much has changed for Moody since winning the Class 3A state title two weeks ago. If anything, he’s been preparing to participate in what he hopes is an annual event and on a course he’s still getting familiar with. Last weekend, he tied for fourth at the PGA Junior Northwest Championship in Woodburn, Ore.
Friday, Moody shot an 80 after a 3-over-par on the front nine and Bringhurst shot a 78. Aware of the course’s length and what challenges the course brings for golfers, Moody said mentally you have to be dialed in at all times.
“You have to stay so focused throughout the hole,” Moody said. “If you’re not on your game, you make some big numbers.”
At 14, Moody not only is this year’s youngest golfer in the field, but the youngest to ever play in the ROIT, which began in 1957. Bob Britt, a ROIT committee member in charge of recruiting the field of golfers, said the event doesn’t have a minimum age limit the field of golfers, but based on performance and skill level. That gained entrance for Huntington, Moody and Bringhurst, who were part of a foursome with Boise State club team golfer Carson Brinkley.
“We felt these gentlemen were worthy of that,” Britt said, “and to be able to come out and play based on their high school success and some of their summer success this past year.”
While the course can be everything a competitive golfer is looking for, competing on a challenging course such as Royal Oaks can be a great way to see how they stack up against some of the northwest’s top amateurs, Britt said.
And competing at an event like Royal Oaks is one the teens see as having an advantage on their age-group competition, too, moving forward.
“This is nothing like the field sizes we play in,” Moody said.
Five golfers finished Friday under par, led by leader Tom Brandes’ 4-under-68. Defending champion Robbie Ziegler and 2016 champion Spencer Tibbits, winner of three prep state titles for Fort Vancouver who wrapped up his first season at Oregon State, are tied for fourth at 1-under 71.
