Golf: McMenamin eyes another top state finish

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Alex McMenamin counts it as good fortune that she found the sport of golf.

“I have asthma, so any running sport was kind of out,” says the Sequim High School senior.

Good thing for McMenamin and the Wolves, who have left foes quite breathless with their play the past four years.

In her first three seasons at Sequim High, the Sequim teen racked up three Olympic League MVPs and led the Wolves to a perfect 24-0 league mark.

Along the way she earned three top-10 finishes at the state 2A tournament, placing third as a freshman in 2014, ninth as a sophomore and fifth last season.

This season, the Wolves dropped their only first league match in early April — a four-stroke defeat to Olympic — but won eight others to run Sequim’s record with McMenamin to 32-1.

McMenamin also won her third consecutive Olympic League tourney title, edging teammate Sarah Shea by a single shot.

Now the pair are headed back to the state 2A finals, set for May 23-24 at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane.

McMenamin says concentration is key to earning a good couple of rounds at state.

“You’ve got to focus on every shot. If you get a double bogey, you’ve got to move on.

“(Also), putting is a big key. The greens are a lot different from Western Washington greens.”

McMenamin and Shea were ready for the big stage in 2016. Shea tied for 15th and combined with McMenamin’s top-five finish, the pair took fourth place as a team, tops in school history.

McMenamin said she enjoys playing with Shea, the Sequim High junior who has kept up with McMenamin at most Olympic League matches.

“She’s definitely helped me,” McMenamin says. “It’s nice to have someone at my level to practice with. It’s good for my game.”

The Sequim duo traveled to Spokane over spring break to play a few holes at Indian Canyon, but the course was closed; they had to settle for walking the course.

They’ll get a practice round or two at Indian Canyon before state, McMenamin says.

Developing her gain, setting her sights

McMenamin says she was introduced to the game at the age of 6 when her family moved into a home in the Sunland Golf &Country Club neighborhood.

“It just kind of came naturally,” she says. “My dad (Richard) said it was a great game for life.”

McMenamin’s game developed quickly but not with some bumps along the way, she says, particularly with making changes to her swing.

“That was probably my biggest struggle,” McMenamin says. “Your natural swing (that one starts with) isn’t going to cut it.”

Chipping, she found, was also not one of her strong suits.

“I tend to have a butcher’s touch.”

But playing at Sunland, which features relatively tight fairways, forced McMenamin to keep her drives straight.

When she tees it up, McMenamin doesn’t waste any time getting down the fairway.

“I have a really quick routine. If I take too long, I tend to over-think everything and usually my shot is worse.”

She says her biggest influences are close to home.

“Number one: My dad,” she says. “He always takes me to the course and helps me try to improve.”

McMenamin also credits Sequim High coach Gary Kettel for helping with new techniques and approaches, and swing coach Jeff Coston.

“He helped me hit the ball more solidly,” McMenamin says.

With three seasons to play (taking winter off to train), McMenamin developed her game during prep matches and various Washington State Junior Golf Association tournaments.

In her senior season, McMenamin found she was able to improve her scores away from SHS’s home course, The Cedars at Dungeness.

“I really improved on my away courses,” she says.

The Sequim High senior already has her eyes set on the next level, committing to play and study at George Fox University, in Newberg, Ore. While not on the course, McMenamin plans to get into the school’s pre-med program.

“I’m really excited.”