Brian Barhanovich (left) won the 37th Bellingham Amateur at Lake Padden yesterday, completing the competition's 54 holes on seven-under-par 209. The 21-year-old from Everett, about to begin his senior year at Western Washington University, beat Issaquah's Jake Webb by a single shot despite starting the final round seven clear of his Viking teammate. Webb, a junior who hasn't played collegiate golf since the 2009-10 season, shot a closing seven-under 65, the lowest score of the tournament by three strokes. Barhanovich began the tournament with a four-under 68 on Saturday and followed with a second round 70 on Sunday. His final round 71 was made up of 15 pars, two birdes and a bogey.
Bob Shannon was third on 212.
Q&A with Brian Barhanovich
How confident were you prior to the event?
Coming into the tournament I didn't really have any expectations. Actually I was debating whether or not I was going to play at all the week before, but I'm obviously glad I did. I was confident in my abilities but didn't play great in my last couple of tournaments this summer. I just wanted to play the Bellingham Amateur to see where my game was at and to get a competitive tournament under my belt before the Western golf season started.
How much golf had you played over the summer?
I had played a lot of golf on my own at the Everett Golf and Country Club, but I kind of took it easy as far as competitive tournaments. I did a lot of practicing and playing which I feel has prepared me very well for the upcoming season.
I actually had no idea Jake was making a run at me during the final round. The tournament was set up so that the leaders went off first in the final round. Jake started the day seven strokes behind me so I wasn't really thinking about him at any point. I was most concerned with my playing partners Bob Shannon and Jack Kelly who both played well and put pressure on me to keep my lead. Although Jake came up one shot back, I am proud of his play (because he is a friend and fellow teammate) and congratulate him on such an impressive round of golf.
What were the pivotal holes during the final round?
A very important hole for me was number 14. I left my birdie putt about ten feet short and Jack, who was only two strokes back at the time, had about a 12-foot putt for birdie. But I made my par putt and Jack ended up three-putting which really eased my mind and allowed me to relax a little. It gave me a three-stroke lead with four to play. I made four pars on the way in.
How well does your victory bode for the upcoming season do you think?
This victory gives me tons of confidence going into the season at WWU. I shot three consecutive rounds under par, led after each day of the tournament, and broke par in the final round while holding the lead. I'm very happy with how steady I was and how well I handled the pressure of playing with the lead during the final round. Hopefully this win will propel me to a very successful final year of golf at WWU. I'm really looking forward to it.
