(Photo courtesy of PNGA)
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — For the third time in Northwest golf
history, the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) and the
Pacific Northwest Section PGA (PNWPGA) will conduct a joint
Hall of Fame ceremony to honor inductees from each
organization. This combined Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony will be held at Inglewood Golf Club on April
24.
Being inducted this year for the PNGA are Hilda (McAuslan)
Beck of Seattle, Wash. (who is being inducted posthumously);
Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash.; and Chris Maletis of Portland,
Ore. The PNWPGA will be inducting Pat Huffer of Crooked River
Ranch, Ore. and Steve Prugh of Spokane, Wash.
For information on attending the Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony on April 24, contact the PNGA office at 206-526-1238.
The two associations began discussions in 2009 about the
possibility of unifying their two induction ceremonies, and have
agreed upon one combined ceremony every two years to honor
inductees from both organizations. Their respective Halls of
Fame recognize those who have distinguished themselves
through outstanding playing accomplishments as well as
contributions to the game in the region.
“Every two years we recognize those individuals who have
distinguished themselves by their achievements, dedication and
selfless giving to golf in the Pacific Northwest,” said Ed Burke,
PNGA President. “This year’s inductees have brought recognition
to the Pacific Northwest through excellence in championship
play or outstanding contributions of their time and effort in the
advancement of the game. A partnership of amateurs and
professionals is the essence of making golf the wonderful game
that it is. This joint induction dinner and ceremony exemplifies
that positive relationship in the Pacific Northwest.”
Said Bryan Tunstill, PGA Head Professional at Columbia
Edgewater Country Club and PNWPGA President, “The Pacific
Northwest Section PGA values our great relationship with the
Pacific Northwest Golf Association, as together we promote this
wonderful game of golf. In 2011, our ties grew even stronger
when we united our Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. This
year, the Pacific Northwest Section PGA will be inducting two
outstanding members of our Association. They represent all that
is good about the game and the profession of golf, as they have
consistently kept the best interest of their facilities, their
customers, and the entire community of the Pacific Northwest at
the forefront. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with
our amateur counterparts to showcase two of our best and to
uphold the great tradition and legacy of golf in the Pacific
Northwest.”
Hilda (McAuslan) Beck played competitive golf from
1928 to 1957, winning her first state amateur title in 1929, and
her last in 1957. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., she moved to Tacoma as
a little girl. Her introduction to golf occurred when her father
took her to an indoor driving range in the old Calhoun Hotel in
Seattle, run by golf professional Curly Hueston. While a student
at Seattle’s Queen Anne High School, her father entered her in
the 1928 City Sweepstakes, first at Seattle Golf Club and then at
Earlington and Glendale country clubs. The next year, she
entered her first Washington State Women’s Golf Association
(WSWGA) Amateur, and won that tournament, too. From that
point on, Hilda developed a knack for gathering championship
cups.
Hilda won two Seattle City Women’s Amateur titles. While her
husband was stationed in Norfolk, Va. and San Diego, she won
those city championships as well. In all, she won five WSWGA
state titles. She served as a member of the U.S. Girl’s Junior
Committee, and helped create the PNGA Junior Girls’ Amateur
Championship.
Tom Brandes walked onto the golf team at Seattle
University, tried it for a couple weeks, decided he didn’t want to
play, and got on with his life for the next 15 years. Since
picking up the game again in the late 1980s, Brandes has
amassed an almost unmatched record of accomplishments. He’s
qualified for and played in three U.S. Mid-Amateurs, two U.S.
Senior Amateurs, four U.S. Senior Opens, and three USGA
Men’s State Teams. He’s played on 11 Hudson Cup teams and 10
PNGA Cup teams. He’s a two-time PNGA Mid-Amateur
champion, a two-time PNGA Senior Amateur champion, a four-
time Washington State Senior Amateur champion, and finished
runner-up in the 2013 British Senior Amateur. He was selected
as the PNGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year in 2012, and the
PNGA Senior Player of the Year each year from 2011-2014. He
was also named the WSGA Senior Player of the Year each year
from 2010-2014.
A natural athlete who played third base in baseball and
quarterback in football while in high school, Chris Maletis didn’t
own a set of golf clubs until his mid-20s, and didn’t start playing
competitively until his early 40s. As the club champion at
Portland Golf Club in 1993, he gained entry into the 1993 OGA
Tournament of Champions, and promptly won it for his first
significant victory. He would go on to play in two U.S.
Amateurs, two U.S. Mid-Amateurs, the 2002 U.S. Senior Open;
and play in 14 Hudson Cups, four PNGA Cups, six Pacific Coast
Amateur Morse Cups, and three USGA Men’s State Team
championships. Maletis is a three-time PNGA Senior Amateur
champion, four-time Trans-Mississippi Senior champion, and
four-time Oregon Senior Amateur Stroke Play champion. He
was named the OGA Player of the Year in 2004, and the PNGA
Senior Player of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2010.
Pat Huffer has been the PGA Head Professional at
Crooked River Ranch in Central Oregon since 2006. Prior to this,
he was a fixture for 25 years in Roseburg, Ore., first at
Roseburg Country Club and then at Stewart Park Golf Course.
Huffer spent over 20 years in the governance of the PNWPGA
and Oregon Chapter, serving on the Board of Directors and
culminating as president of the Section in 2007-2008.
Huffer has been instrumental in the Central Oregon Golf Forum
which connects industry stakeholders enhancing the golf
experiences available in the region. He has been honored by his
peers on numerous occasions, including receiving the Bill
Strausbaugh Award six times for service to his fellow
professionals in the area of employment. A fixture on the
national scene, he has served on the PGA of America
Employment Committee and numerous Task Forces.
Huffer is a graduate of Chelan (Wash.) High School and the
University of Washington, playing on the golf teams at both
schools.
Steve Prugh has served his entire 36-year PGA
professional career at Manito Golf and Country Club in Spokane,
Wash. His first three years were under the mentorship of
PNWPGA Hall of Fame member Jim Shriver and the last 33
years as the club’s PGA Head Professional. Prugh has previously
been honored by the PNWPGA as Teacher of the Year, Junior
Golf Leader and Golf Professional of the Year.
Prugh played for the University of Oregon before turning
professional. He has competed on four Hudson Cup teams, five
Senior Hudson Cup teams, played in the 2006 U.S. Senior Open,
and competed in five PGA Professional National Championships.
A long-serving member of the PNWPGA Board of Directors,
Prugh also served as the Section president from 2011-2012. For
23 years Prugh was a District Director for the Washington Junior
Golf Association and has developed and maintained a strong
junior program at Manito G&CC.
Prugh’s wife Susan has served as a USGA Rules Official,
daughter Hillary played golf at Montana State, son Corey is a
PGA Teaching Professional at Manito G&CC and son Alex a PGA
Tour player. Not only did Prugh win the 1972 Washington State
High School Golf Championship while at Ferris High School, but
sons Corey (1999) and Alex (2003) accomplished the same feat,
also while attending Ferris.
The PNGA and PNWPGA each have their own respective Halls of
Fame that already include many of the Northwest’s finest
golfers, with the PNGA honoring the amateurs and the PNWPGA
honoring the PGA professionals. The PNGA established their Hall
of Fame in 1978, and it currently has 60 amateur golfers as
members. Click here to view a complete list of inductees and a
full list of their accomplishments. The PNWPGA established their
Hall of Fame in 1981, and it currently has 50 members. Visit
www.pnwpga.com to view a complete list of inductees and their
bios.
The PNGA and PNWPGA will continue to have a separate
selection process for inductees into their respective Halls.
However, members of both Halls will someday be showcased
together as one combined display at the future Northwest Golf
House, which will be located at The Home Course in DuPont,
Wash.