All-Region boys golf: Brian Humphreys

Eddie Abellar, Sr., Union

Diego De La Torre, Sr., Hockinson

Ben Gruher, So., Union

Spencer Long, So., Columbia River

Trent Standard, Sr., Fort Vancouver

Spencer Tibbits, So., Fort Vancouver

Camas’ Brian Humphreys couldn’t have started his career any better. Taking advantage of it being on his home course Camas Meadows, Humphreys took home the boys state title with a 70 and a 74 two years ago.

“I shot better scores this year at state than I did my freshman year at state,” Humphreys said. “69, 71.”

Humphreys didn’t add the 2015 4A state title to his resume — which includes a 2013 4A state title, multiple victories at the Oregon 5A-6A Preview Tournament (2014 Emerald Valley, 2015 Quail Valley) — because he missed a four-player playoff in the tournament by one stroke.

He called a two-stroke penalty on himself on the second hole of the final round.

“As I am setting my putter down I tap the ball marginally, just a little bit forward maybe a quarter of an inch,” he remembers. “Enough that I noticed it, then I continue and tap it in. At that point you’re kind of thinking, yeah, something is wrong there.”

He would birdie the next six holes to stay close.

According to his coach Ed Givens, Humphreys just blamed himself for missing some 4-foot putts.

When he remembers the moment now, it’s like he’s still watching it unfold.

“You sit there and you watch what he did, it’s just an outstanding thing he did,” Givens said.

It sounds like one of the final scenes in the movie “Legend of Bagger Vance,” where the character played by Matt Damon calls a penalty on himself on the final hole.

But this is the “The Real Brian Humphreys.”

“True it cost him some strokes but he recognized what he did,” Givens said. “But he called himself for the penalty and he was just real.”

The rules official was surprised as well.

“She was very, not surprised but just very proud of the way I handled it,” Humphreys said. “She didn’t think most of the kids would have done that.”

A quarter of an inch stood between Humphreys and another championship.

“It’s just in life you can’t cheat yourself like that,” he said. “It just doesn’t — it discredits what you’ve done. I don’t think that’s right.”

Humphreys will compete in several summer tournaments in hopes of qualifying to play in events such as the IMG Academy Junior World Championships at the famous Torrey Pines like he did last season.

This summer he hopes to take a long look at potential opportunities to continue his golf career after high school. His knowledge of the game runs deep, and he even took a trip to The Masters this spring.

“We were driving up to the state tournament talking about prior winners, playing at this same golf course. And I didn’t have a clue that there were kids who had won 10 years ago and turned pro,” Givens said.

Humphreys told of Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor who had a tour victory at the Phoenix Open in 2012. Or Humphreys says he could have been talking about Kevin Penner who won state in 2009 and now plays on the Web.com tour.

No matter the changes, Humphreys remains a leader by example both on and off the golf course.

“He’s the real deal,” Givens said.

Humphreys’ golf career is already decorated.

He wasn’t able to etch his names in the state record books once again.

But for everyone — the ones there that day in Spokane, those around him — he gave them a memory, and a lesson, that won’t soon be forgotten.