Several local entries playing in Oregon Amateur in Portland
PORTLAND — Some Clark County athletes have returned to competition.
They had to travel across the bridge, but they found a place to play.
The 111th Oregon Amateur golf tournament, presented by the Oregon Golf Association, started Monday at Columbia Edgewater Golf Course in Portland with more than a dozen golfers from Clark County in the field.
Clark County Today met up with a couple players, former high school state champions in Washington, who are hoping to have an extended run this week.
Graham Moody, who won the Class 3A state title as a freshman from Mountain View in 2018 and finished third last year, was looking forward to another state tournament this year. Nope. Didn’t happen.
Instead, his focus has turned to the summer tournaments.
Brian Humphreys, former state champion from Camas High School who now plays at Boise State, said Monday after his round that this is the first tournament he has played since the college golf season was cancelled.
Both players finished the opening round at 1-over par. A similar round on Tuesday would likely advance both beyond the cut and into match play.
Regardless of how they fare, though, they are just happy to be playing again.
“I was home. I put the clubs up for probably a month,” Moody said after schools were shut down, initially for six weeks and then for the rest of the academic year.
“I’d never done that in my golf career, take that long of a break,” he said. “Coming out of it, a little rust to knock off. In the long run, I think it was good. Definitely a whole new perspective on competing and being about to interact with other people.”
Mountain View’s golf team had an excellent chance at winning a team title this spring. Moody, as a former champion, had his sights set on an individual title as well.
Boys golfers in Southwest Washington had their regular season back in the fall. Moody spent all winter playing just about every day, preparing for spring championship season. Even in tough weather conditions.
“We kind of take pride. We go out in whatever is given to us. If it’s raining, we’ll bear down and play through it most of the time,” Moody said.
Then the pandemic hit.
“Very sad when we found out,” Moody said, noting specifically senior Jack Campbell. “It was tough having to say goodbye to him.”
After staying at home for that month or so, Moody went back to practice. Now, with summer tournaments under way, he’s out there. This is what he does. He started with a best-ball tournament in Eugene, partnering with Cade Bringhurst of Ridgefield. Then Moody had to qualify for the Oregon Am. This week, he wants to stick around as long as he can, put himself in position to win.
“Having to take that time off, I’m very excited to compete under some pressure,” Moody said.
And he has hope for a senior high school season as well at Mountain View.
“The school is unbelievable. Everybody there is so nice,” Moody said. “It’s going to be really sad to have to leave that next year. A lot of great memories.”
After high school, Moody will be off to the University of Wisconsin to golf for the Badgers.
Humphreys, a 2016 graduate from Camas who won the 4A state title in 2014, was playing a college tournament with his Boise State squad at Bandon Dunes in Oregon this past spring when college sports were shut down.
“We were totally in competitive mode, and then we got the rug ripped out from under us,” Humphreys said.
Months later, he is competing again.
“It’s just good to be back out here, seeing everybody again, and getting a chance to play for something that matters,” Humphreys said.
If he makes it to match play, he said he has as good of a chance to win as anyone.
“It’s fun to play head to head against good players, and there are a lot of good players playing because people miss playing golf,” he said.
The Oregon Amateur will finish its stroke play Tuesday then enter into match play Wednesday. The championships will be Saturday.
There are 17 golfers in the field who list Clark County as their homes. Braeden Campbell of Washougal was at even par after Monday’s opening round, tied for 16th.
