Joe Highsmith, the 2017 Washington State Amateur champion
(WSGA photo)
CLE ELUM, WA (August 10, 2017) - Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Wash. shot 1-under 70 in today's final round to win the 91st Washington State Men's Amateur, held at the par-71 Tumble Creek Club.
Related: Course Record Propels Highsmith to Washington Amateur Lead
For Highsmith, today's victory was something of sweet revenge. In last year's championship, he began the final round with a 4-stroke lead but missed out of a playoff by one shot when he bogeyed the 18th hole.
This year, the Bellarmine Prep rising senior began the final round with a 3-stroke lead, and played a steady round in 101-degree heat to hold on for the win.
"Yeah, last year I had a 4-shot lead and lost," he said. "But coming into this year, I just thought to keep that out of my head but also use it as motivation this week."
Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho, playing in the final group with Highsmith, had cut Joe's lead to one stroke after 15 holes.
"I made a good par on 17, a tough par-3, while Derek bogeyed it, and gave myself a two-shot cushion," Highsmith said. Both players then birdied the final hole.
Highsmith, who was named the 2016 WSGA Junior Boys' Player of the Year, has had a great season so far this year. Along with today's title, he has won the individual (and team) WIAA 4A High School State Championship in the spring, and then qualified for last month's U.S. Junior Amateur, making it to the Round of 32 before bowing to eventual champion Noah Goodwin. He has verbally committed to attend Pepperdine University in southern California in 2018.
Bayley finished second, two shots behind Highsmith. It was Bayley who made it to the playoff in last year's championship, but eventually fell in a marathon 6-hole playoff.
He now has finished second in this championship for the second year in a row. Last month, the rising senior at Washington State University finished runner-up in the PNGA Men's Amateur.
Finishing third is Tyler Salsbury of Enumclaw, Wash. A recent graduate of the University of Washington where he played on the men's golf team, Salsbury won this championship in 2014.
The round of the day came from Andrew Whalen of Ephrata, Wash. The recent Northwestern University graduate shot a course and tournament record 7-under 64, breaking the record of 6-under that Highsmith had set just 24 hours previously, in yesterday's second round.
View results for Washington Amateur
ABOUT THE
Washington Amateur
54-hole Individual Stroke Play (Gross only). Cut to
low
60 players and ties after 36 holes. Must be a
member
of a WSGA member club.
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