- photo courtesy PNGA

The PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur is unlike most junior golf championships. In order to win the championship, you have to play 36 holes of stroke play qualifying, win two matches a day for two days, and then win a 36-hole final match. That adds up to 144 holes of golf in 5 days, which averages to about 28-holes a day of golf. Eric Grimberg of Portland, Ore was up for that challenge this week and went the distance to win.

In the morning 18-holes of the match, Grimberg, 17 years old, took charge and lead the match 4-up through 18 holes of play. Both players showed a great deal of fatigue in the afternoon, halving some of the holes for bogie on the second 18-holes. Jonson, only 13 years old, had a few chances to come back in the match, but never took advantage of those opportunities. Grimberg stayed strong and won the match on the 31st hole, 5 and 4. This was Grimberg’s last junior event, he will not be eligible next year. However, Jonson has four more years to win the championship. I am sure we will see his name in the finals again in the near future. Grimberg is coming off a great Summer, he just recently represented Oregon at the 38th Eddie Hogan Cup Team Matches at Riverside Country Club in Portland, Ore. He looks forward to competing in the 2007 PNGA Men's Amateur Championship next year.

To view complete match play results, click the name of the tournament at the top of the page, and follow the "results" tab (amateurgolf.com Premium Membership requested).