Joshua Koo (Pacific Northwest Golf Association Photo)
Joshua Koo of Cerritos, Calif. defeated Ben Borgida of Shoreline, Wash. 1-up in the 36-hole final match to win the 121st Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship, held this week at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
Borgida had built a commanding 4-up lead after the morning 18, and still held a 3-up lead after 27 holes. But Koo won four of the next six holes, and grabbed his first lead of the match on the 33rd hole, when Borgida couldn’t save par after missing the green on the par-3.
On the 36th hole, a 541-yard par-5, Koo hit a 242-yard 3-iron for his second shot, with the ball stopping 10 feet from the hole. His two-putt birdie clinched the match.
“In the afternoon round I felt the momentum was starting to shift,” Koo says. “Ben was starting to struggle off the tee, and I was hitting greens consistently and getting the ball close to the hole.”
A RARE DOUBLE:
Joshua Koo's sister Jasmine
won the Women's Western Amateur on the same day.
But Koo missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole of the afternoon round which would have won the hole, lost the eighth hole, then missed a 4-footer on the ninth which would have won that hole.
“I just had to keep my head down and trust the momentum would stay in my favor,” he said
When Borgida hooked his tee shot up into the sand dunes on No. 10 in the afternoon round, that was the opening that Koo had been waiting for. Koo won No. 10, won No. 11, missed a 6-foot eagle putt on No. 12 which would have won that hole, halved No. 13, then won Nos. 14 and 15, all leading up to his meteoric second shot on the 36th hole of the day to clinch the championship.
Koo, the No. 12 seed in this championship, had competed in the U.S. Junior Amateur last year, but that was his only previous match-play experience. He competed one year on the University of Washington men’s golf team, making the squad in most of the Huskies’ tournaments, but is transferring to play for Pepperdine University in the fall.
Borgida’s goal this week was to make it to match play, and he easily accomplished that by earning the No. 2 seed in this championship.
“From then on I felt I was playing with house money,” he said. “I played in this championship last year (when it was held at Gold Mountain in Bremerton, Wash.), but didn’t make it to match play, so this entire week was a great bonus. It’s been a super great experience.”
Borgida is a rising sophomore on the Washington State University men’s golf team.
ABOUT THE PNGA Amateur
First held in 1899, the Pacific Northwest Men’s
Amateur
is one of the country’s longest running amateur
championships. Held annually at world-class courses
throughout the Pacific Northwest, this championship
is
played in the same format as the U.S. Amateur and
features an impressive list of past champions that
include; Nick Flanagan, Ben Crane, Jeff Quinney, Bill
Sander, and Tiger Woods. Eligibility is open to
members
of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and top
amateurs throughout the world invited via
Presidential
Invitation. Each year’s champion earns a hosted
exemption in to the Pacific Coast Amateur and
Sahalee
Players Championship.
The Championship will be conducted in two stages:
Stroke Play – All players must complete the 36-hole
stroke play qualifying in order to determine the 64
players who will advance to match play. In the event
of a tie for the final qualifying spot(s), a sudden-
death playoff will be used to determine the qualifiers.
In the event of a tie for the Qualifying Medalist, a
sudden-death playoff will commence.
Match Play – The General Numerical Draw will be in
effect. Single elimination match play. 36-hole
Championship Final Match. All other matches are 18
holes.
View Complete Tournament Information