Fourth time a charm

Published 4:00 pm Saturday, May 20, 2006

Feelings of disappointment and sadness overtook Matt Holmly after his junior golf season.

After two straight years of making the second round of the 4A District 1 tournament, he anticipated his junior year would mark his first trip to state.

Instead, Holmly put forth one of his most heart-wrenching performances in the first round of the 2005 district tournament, shooting a 14-over par 86 at Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham. His score left him out of the second round of districts for the first time in his high school career and a long way from his vision of state.

“I didn’t want to talk to anybody afterwards, I was really mad,” Holmly said.

To his credit, Holmly quickly turned that negative energy into a positive. He hit the golf course harder than ever the ensuing summer.

“It definitely made me a little angry,” he said. “It made me want to play more, I had a more competitive edge after that.”

Holmly worked with a golf pro in July and competed in Washington Junior Golf Association tournaments nearly every week last summer.

“Over the summer I was probably playing the best I ever had,” Holmly said.

His sharp play didn’t come without fault, however.

While competing in the WJGA district tournament, Holmly was forced to disqualify himself for signing a false score card. He was one of the leaders after the first day of the tournament and in prime position to make the WJGA state tournament.

“That made things twice as bad,” Holmly said.

Instead of going into a downward spiral, Holmly continued to work at his game and target his senior season.

And that focus and hard work recently came to an apex.

Holmly finished third overall at last week’s 4A District with a 3-over par, 147 for 36 holes at the Gallery Golf Course and easily made the state cut.

“I haven’t had anybody that’s worked harder at golf than what Matt has,” Oak Harbor coach John Matzen said. “He really deserved this.”

Holmly said he felt a calm at the tournament he hadn’t in his previous attempts, but admitted bad thoughts still lurked.

“In the back of my mind I had the feeling of last year…but I kept it together,” he said.

Now, with the district demons behind him, Holmly thinks he will be able to focus just fine during the state tournament, May 23-24 at the Creek at Qualchan Golf Course in Spokane.

“My first goal would be to make the cut and after that I’d like to build on it,” he said. “I just want to do as good as I can.”

Matzen believes Holmly will have a great chance of reaching his goals.

“From what I understand this will be a course that will suit Matt because there are some holes where you have to play irons and some holes where you have to play position,” he said. “He can play golf courses like that. I think he will play really well.”

Regardless of what happens in his state appearance, Holmly’s golf career isn’t done. He recently agreed to play golf for Glendale Community College in Arizona and has hopes of eventually transferring to Arizona State University where he would also like to play golf.

“I guess a dream of mine would be playing for them,” Holmly said.

Oak Harbor freshman Phil Reedy will join Holmly at the state tournament after finishing 10th at the district tournament. Sophomore Brittany Loveng made the girls state tournament, also taking 10th at districts. She will play at Hangman Valley Golf Course in Spokane.