WALLA WALLA, Wash. (July 12, 2012) -– Eight players withstood the stiff competition and blazing heat at Wine Valley Golf Club to advance to the Quarterfinals of the 111th Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship, conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).
In the Round of 32 this morning, Medalist and No. 1 seed Carl Jonson of Bainbridge Island, Wash. continued to roll through the bracket, defeating Gaston De La Torre of Brush Prairie, Wash. De La Torre made a strong run going 4-up through the first six holes, but solid play from Jonson brought the match to all-square through 15, and a clutch birdie on the 17th gave him his first lead of the day. A par was all Jonson needed on 18 to take the 1-up victory. Riley Fleming of Airdrie, AB defeated Jake Wagner of Portland, Ore., 2&1 to set up his Round of 16 match with Jonson.
Jonson’s opponent tomorrow morning will be Blake Snyder of Seattle, Wash., who defeated Hans Reimers of Albany, Ore. 1-up in the Round of 32 and Corey Gard of Villa Park, Calif. in the Round of 16. Snyder dropped a 10-foot, sliding birdie putt on the 17th hole to close the match 2&1.
Mason Casper of Mapleton, Utah needed 22 holes in his Round of 32 match to defeat Greg Gildea of Vashon, Wash. but needed only 15 holes to close out Charlie Mroz of Woodinville, Wash. after making birdies on 10, 13, 14, and 15 to win 4&3. His opponent in tomorrow’s Quarterfinal match is Nick Chianello of Gresham, Ore., who recently took home the title at the Oregon Amateur Championship. Chianello won by injury default setting up his Round of 16 matchup with Ian Dahl of Longview, Wash. Chianello birdied the first hole and kept the pressure on eventually winning the match 4&3.
Jarred Bossio of Olympia, Wash. used six birdies in 13 holes to defeat Eric Grimberg of Portland, Ore. 6&5 in the Round of 32 setting up his match with the No. 2 seeded Tanner Higham of Shelley, Idaho. Higham controlled the match leading 1-up heading into the 18th hole when Bossio turned it on making birdie to go all-square and another birdie to finish the match on the 19th. Bossio’s opponent tomorrow will be Shotaro Ban of San Jose, Calif. Ban, a member of the University of California, Berkeley golf team, defeated Gregg LaVoie of Kennewick, Wash. 2&1 in the Round of 32 and closed out Scott Rubzin of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. with a birdie on the 15th hole to win his Round of 16 match 4&3.
Rak Cho of Eugene, Ore., advanced to the Quarterfinals by defeating David Nuhn of Moscow, Idaho 3&2 in the Round of 32 and Jacob Webb of Issaquah, Wash. in the Round of 16. Cho, a rising star on the University of Oregon golf team, used seven birdies in 15 holes to win 4&3. Cho’s opponent tomorrow will be Ryan Books of Seattle, Wash. who claimed his Quarterfinal appearance by defeating Kent Hagen of Covington, Wash., in 19 holes in the Round of 32 and Andrew Whalen of Ephrata, Wash. with a 3&2 victory in the Round of 16.
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