Sammamish Totems senior golfer Matt Marrese is looking forward to defending a coveted championship on the links this May.

Marrese, who won the Class 4A state title in 2013, captured first place at districts on Oct. 25. The high school golf season is unique in the fact the regular season, league and district tournaments are played during the fall, but the state competition takes place the following spring.

“It’s a good feeling. I put in a lot of hard work to get there. It’s nice to know that I can go back this spring and try to win the state title two years in a row,” Marrese said.

With the state tournament taking place in six months, the 17-year-old Marrese already has one of his most important life decisions out of the way. He will continue his golf career for the University of Washington men’s golf team.

“The UW head coach Matt Thurmond is a great guy. I’m really excited to learn from a guy like him. He has a great knowledge of the sport,” Marrese said.

Marrese is relatively new to the world of chipping, putting, driving ranges and clubhouses. Growing up he thoroughly enjoyed playing baseball, but that changed when he took a trip to the driving range with his father, Tony, in 2010.

“When my dad asked me to go with him to the driving range, I knew nothing of the game and never played before,” he said. “After that I just kind of fell in love with golf. It was a lot of fun playing baseball but I don’t miss it. I think having that baseball background helped me a lot with golf. There are some differences but there are some similarities between the two sports.”

It didn’t take long for Marrese to eclipse his father’s skills on the links once he got the hang of the sport in 2010.

“It only took a couple of months for me to beat him,” Marrese said with a smile.

The myriad challenges associated with golf is something Marrese feeds off of. Most players fear seeing their ball land in the sand, but not Marrese.

“I really like the bunkers. I like the bunkers more than being in the rough. I think it’s easier to get it out and get closer to the hole,” he said. “I drive the ball really well and I have a pretty good short game. That helps me a lot.”

Marrese, who has a goal of one day playing on the PGA Tour, said he wouldn’t be where he is today without the unwavering support of his family.

“My parents support me in a huge way. They fund me when I travel to other states and are there for me with anything I needed. They are there to support me, but they also let me make my own decisions,” he said.