Washington Amateur: Dane Huddleston gets hot in the final round to win
Dane Huddleston (Washington Golf Association Photo)
Dane Huddleston shot rounds of 69-67-66 to shoot 14-under and win the 103rd Washington Men’s Amateur Championship. The three-day 54-hole championship was contested this week, June 25-27, at The Links at Moses Pointe in Moses Lake.
Huddleston entered the final round two shots behind second-round leader
Jackson Suh from Bellevue. He lit up the scorecard in the final round with eight birdies against just two bogeys. Huddleston’s final round of 6-under 66 was good enough to give him a three-shot victory over second-place finisher
Max Herendeen from Bellevue.
“It feels great to get the win,” said Huddleston. “Getting my name on the trophy with some pretty big names like Joel Dahmen feels great.”
Huddleston is currently ranked No. 803 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com U.S. Rankings.
Huddleston credited his driver and his game off the tee as the keys to his success this week. “I hit a lot of fairways, and when you’re hitting fairways, it makes golf easier,” said Huddleston. “I got to attack pins, and things went well.”
For the first time this year, the Washington Men’s Amateur was recognized as an official USGA Exemption Event, and the winner received an invitation to the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
“I’m pumped for the U.S. Amateur,” said Huddleston. “I played in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball this year and got a taste of a USGA event, so I’m really excited.”
Huddleston, 19, finished T2 in the Washington Men’s Amateur last year. He is a rising sophomore on the Utah Valley University men’s golf team.
In addition to the 2024 U.S. Amateur exemption, the top three finishers in this championship—Huddleston, Herendeen, and Benjamin Borgida from Shoreline—have all received exemptions into final qualifying for the 2025 U.S. Amateur.
Defending champion Christian “Pono” Yanagi made the cut and finished T9 at 5-under par for the week.
The Washington Men’s Amateur is the longest-running continuously-held golf championship in the state. Its illustrious history traces the arc and the growth of the state’s golf community.
Past champions include Fred Couples, Joel Dahmen, Alex Prugh, Brock Mackenzie, Kermit Zarley and John Bodenhamer, among many others. Complete information and full list of past champions can be found here.
The Men’s Amateur is one of 14 championships conducted annually by WA Golf.
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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