Erik Hanson
RICHLAND, Wash. — Erik Hanson of Kirkland, Wash. capped off an impressive week with a 3 and 2 victory over Scott Johnson of Richland, Wash. in the final match to the win the 40th Pacific Northwest Master-40 Amateur Championship, held at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland, Wash.
Hanson, the No. 2 seed, had built a quick 4-up lead after eight holes before Johnson stopped the bleeding. With birdies on holes 14 and 15, Johnson cut the lead to just a two-hole deficit with three to play. Hanson then birdied the 560-yard par-5 16th hole to close out the match.
“Meadow Springs is a great course,” Hanson said. “I’ve played it before, in the Northwest Open. It’s got a lot of tricky holes and great green complexes. The layout goes uphill and downhill, so you have to play it smart and play for par because it’s a bogey-making golf course. That was my approach in these matches; make as many pars as possible, and put pressure on opponents to have to make birdies once I got a lead.”
This is the third time Hanson has won this championship, having previously won the title in 2007 and 2010.
“Winning these championships means a whole lot to all of us amateur players,” Hanson said afterward. “We love playing in these events, and our goal is to play in as many as we can, to try to make the Hudson Cup team.” Watch his post-match interview here.
Hanson is continuing his good play this summer, having earlier qualified for the U.S. Senior Open, and two weeks ago won the Seattle Amateur after shooting a course record 62 at Jackson Park GC in that event’s first round. Hanson is a former MLB pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.
To make it into today’s final match, Johnson had defeated Tom Brandes in yesterday’s semifinal match. Brandes was the runner-up in last year’s championship and the 2014 PNGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year.
View results for PNGA Master-40 Amateur
ABOUT THE PNGA Master-40 Amateur
36-hole stroke play qualifier, single-
elimination
match play in flights of 8 (32-player
Championship Flight). Must be at least 40 years of age,
and a member
of a
PNGA member club.
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