Solid finish for Titan golfer

Hank Frame likes being last.

The University High School sophomore golfer found himself in the final grouping of the last two golf tournaments of the season – the final foursome of the District Class 4A tournament at Hangman Valley and Indian Canyon and at the state tournament earlier this week in Bellingham.

In a golf tournament, you make the final grouping by being in contention.

“I’m glad I’ve been able to put myself in that position,” Frame said. “I’m not as happy with the way I played once I got there, but it’s been good experience for the future.”

Frame finished fourth in the district tournament and, after sitting in third place after the first day of the state tournament, finished tied for 11th.

Frame shot a three-under-par 69 over the first 18 holes on the Shuksan Golf Club course, placing him two shots behind Patrick Boag of Eisenhower and one back of eventual champion Kevin Penner of Eastlake going into the final round.

The state course was impressive, Frame said, but it absorbed a weekend of rain before the state of tournament play Tuesday.

“This was the first course I’ve played where you got absolutely no roll off the tee,” he said. “The course got a lot of rain on Sunday. The ball hit and stuck off the tee.

“It’s a beautiful course. I’ve never a played a course with so much water on it – it’s in play on a lot of the holes. It’s the kind of course where you have to play your irons off the tee on just about every hole so you can set up your second shot. You have to have a plan going in and keep your ball in play.”

Day one saw Frame’s game plan work perfectly

“I had a great round on the first day,” he said. “All of my iron shots were within 15 feet of the hole and I had a chance at birdie. When I got to the back nine, it was just a question of how far under par I’d be.”

In the end, only four golfers posted back-to-back, sub-par rounds. And, of the top dozen finishers, only four turned in a lower score on the second day.

“That’s really true,” Frame said. “I think the hole placements were a little more difficult on the second day – that’s part of it. The other thing is that you have to learn to handle the pressure of the second day.

“I had some trouble with a couple tee shots. I hit one in the water. Another I hit really thin and the ball didn’t go very far. It was like my regular game just hadn’t arrived. On 16, my putter wasn’t working, so I chipped in for my only birdie.

“Five over didn’t feel like five over. On the back nine I think I just got my mental side a little more under control.”

State champion Penner backed up his opening-round 68 with 69 on Wednesday to finish with a seven-under-par 137, three strokes ahead of Ferris’ Ryan Jones, who carded 70s on both days to place second.

Central Valley sophomore Tanner Robb shot two-under 70 on Tuesday and one-over 73 Wednesday to finish tied for seventh at 143.

Frame began hitting plastic golf balls with an oversized plastic golf club when he was just at tyke and took the game up for real as a 7-year-old.

“My grandfather was a very good golfer and my dad plays the game a little bit,” Frame said. “My mom wants to take it up. Everyone else is a tennis player. I’m kind of a renegade.”

But the family makes a dedicated fan club.

“My parents are really supportive,” he said. “They always come out to watch – they were both there for the district tournament. My sister even got there for the end of the tournament. It makes me feel so good to have them there supporting me.”

Frame made a big splash in the Greater Spokane League as a freshman, placing second in the district tournament, qualifying for the state tournament and advancing to the second-day medal round – carding a 73-77-150 to place 19th.

But, he said, the best is yet to come.

“I feel as though I’m finally growing into my own body a little bit,” he said. “I was growing so fast that I was constantly having to change my swing. Now I’ve been the same size for a while and I can finally settle into using the same swing for a while. I think that will really help.”

Frame has a summer schedule filled with golf. Not only does he plan to play in multiple Washington State Junior Golf tournaments, but Idaho Junior Golf as well.