Prep Golfers Tame Canyon Fong Leads Mead To Record Low Score In I.E. Tournament

Good, better and best.

It was hard to tell which was which, but that sums up the way Greater Spokane League golfers scored Indian Canyon on Monday during the 24-team Inland Empire High School Tournament.

Mead junior Brian Fong, a year after being disqualified in the tournament, fired a 3-under-par 69 to win medalist honors by two strokes.

As a team, the Panthers finished at 1-under 287, the first time a team ever finished in the red.

And with the tournament doubling as the first round of the 36-hole District 8 Tournament, it took a 77 to advance to Wednesday afternoon’s second round at Hangman Valley. Never before had a GSL golfer shot an 80 and not been among the top 24 to move on.

Fong took it all in stride.

“Actually, the course was playing pretty easy,” he said after his best-ever round. “I hit a lot of greens and fairways and putted well; nothing really special. I just didn’t make any mistakes.”

Considering how his sophomore year finished, though, it was pretty special. Fong, who was ninth at state as a freshman, had no chance to make the cut last year and quit out of frustration on the 18th green.

“At the time I figured I’d be the throw-out score and it wouldn’t matter,” he said. (A team is six members with the best five scores counted.) “Now I realize it’s better to finish out. The coach gave me a pretty tough time. I had to apologize. I had a year off to think about it.”

Actually, it wasn’t a year away from golf, just golf as a team sport.

He blamed part of it on a full-time job that cut into his golf time. Now he’s working part time at the Onion and he’s thankful for the freedom to work on his game and play tournaments. He still got off to a slow start this spring.

“Putting killed me earlier in the year,” he said. “I got a new putter, that helped. I’ve been playing pretty good the last couple of weeks. I’m starting to play smarter and I’m starting to hit the ball better. I don’t have to scramble around as much.”

Considering how long Fong has been playing, his accomplishments are pretty remarkable.

He only took up the game five or six years ago, buying a season pass at Wandermere.

“There was nothing else to do so I pretty much golfed every day,” he said.

Now he’s back on the right track, which he hopes will finish with a college scholarship.

“Hopefully, I’ll keep hitting the ball good and keep putting good and keep this thing going right through state,” he said. “I think I just got lucky as a freshman. I peaked at the right time. Hopefully, I’ll do the same this year.”

Chip shots

The counting scorers for Mead’s record-breaking team were Fong, junior Josh Sicilia (71) and seniors Keith Ross (72), Brandon Simchuck (73) and Jason Vedadi (75). Sophomore Royal Stumph, who played No. 1 for Mead most of the season, was the Panthers’ throw-out score after shooting a 79. … Just five years ago, a GSL golfer qualified for state shooting 80-80. This year one 78, two 79’s and five 80’s didn’t make it to the final qualifying round. … The top eight after Wednesday’s round at Hangman advance to state.

Ferris and Central Valley tied for second at 8-over 296… . The other two golfers below par were Sicilia and Jason Wolf of CV at 71… . Robert Murray of West Valley was the only non-GSL golfer in the top 10. … GSL teams took the top five spots with Gonzaga Prep and University finishing ahead of Richland and West Valley-Yakima, which tied for sixth. … Ferris and Mead advanced five golfers, CV four, G-Prep three, University, Shadle Park and LC two and Rogers one.

The second round of the girls District 8 Tournament is this afternoon at MeadowWood. Britney Holt of Mead led the first-round qualifying with a 78, 4 over par, last Friday at Liberty Lake… . The next three golfers were from Ferris, Bridget Johnson (80), Laura Hicks (81) and Hilary Prugh (84), leading the Saxons to the team title with a 430… . CV and Mead tied for second at 493… . Ferris, CV, LC and Shadle advanced four golfers to the second round.

The state tournaments are in Yakima on May 27-28. The boys play both rounds at Apple Tree Golf Course. The girls play their first round at Yakima Country Club before moving to Apple Tree.

, DataTimes