FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (June 5, 2013) — In the West qualifier, held on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. for the 87th Washington State Men’s Amateur Championship, Mike Rutledge of Fall City, Wash. shot a 4-under par 68 to take medalist honors in leading 46 competitors who advance from this qualifier to the championship proper, which will be held June 18-20, 2013, at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash. The championship is conducted by the Washington State Golf Association.
Rutledge, 21, had an astonishing eight birdies in his round, and was the only player in the field of 102 who broke par on the day.
Two qualifiers are being held for those vying for a spot in the championship. The East qualifier will be held Thursday, June 6, at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash. For final results, including live scoring for tomorrow’s East qualifier, visit www.thewsga.org.
The size of the field in the championship proper will be 120 players, 43 of which have earned exemption into the championship based on criteria previously set forth. The remainder of the field will be filled with players qualifying at the West and East qualifying sites.
The state’s premier amateur championship traditionally attracts the region’s finest players. Last year’s champion was Chris Williams, who dominated the field in winning by 10 strokes on the Eagles Pride Golf Course at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Williams, from Moscow, Idaho and who just finished his senior on the University of Washington men’s golf team, is currently the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world, according the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He is the 2012 WSGA Men’s Player of the Year, a title he also won in 2011.
Past champions of the Washington State Men’s Amateur include Fred Couples, Alex Prugh, Brock Mackenzie, Kermit Zarley, John Bodenhamer, and PNGA Hall of Famers Al Mengert, Bud Ward, Jack Westland and Harry Givan.
Fresh off hosting the U.S. Amateur in 2010, Chambers Bay will serve as the venue for the 115th U.S. Open from June 18-21, 2015, marking the first time the U.S. Open will be held in the Pacific Northwest. The Washington State Men’s Amateur will be the first WSGA championship held at Chambers Bay.
“What’s unique about Chambers Bay is that it will do as good a job as any course of identifying the best players,” said Matt Allen, general manager at Chambers Bay. “It’s imminently fair and playable, because there are no forced carries or trees, and yet the layout is such that it can be set up to host a U.S. Amateur and a U.S. Open.”
Designed by Robert Trent Jones II and opened for play in 2007, Chambers Bay provides unparalleled views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and an unrivaled, Scottish-style environment that tests the player’s imagination and shot-making. The 7,585 yard, par 72 layout, located just outside Tacoma and only 35 minutes from Seattle, sits among windswept dunes and native fescue grasses, demanding creativity and strategy, as each player must play to his or her strengths.
“With all the new changes in preparation for the Open, Chambers Bay was really excited to host this championship and see what the golf course can do,” said Scotty Crouthamel, WSGA Senior Director of Rules and Competition.
The 87th edition of the Washington State Men’s Amateur will be experiencing changes of its own, as the WSGA Championship Committee voted to modify the championship’s format. The new format calls for 54-holes of stroke play, with a cut to the top 60 and ties after 36 holes. Another change to the championship’s format relates to the field size, which will be decreased to 120 players.
“This is the premier amateur championship in the state and we are thrilled to have Chambers Bay host in 2013,” said Crouthamel. “The change in format coupled with the caliber of Chambers Bay should attract the top amateurs and make for an extremely exciting championship.”
For more information about this championship, or any of the 14 WSGA championships held each year, visit www.thewsga.org.
Since 1922, the WSGA has been conducting the state’s amateur golf championships. Today, it is one of the largest amateur golf associations in the United States. Serving over 68,000 individual members at more than 550 member golf clubs and 270 golf courses throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, the WSGA works to continually expand the game of golf to people of all backgrounds. The WSGA is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers.
The 25-person WSGA Board of Directors employs a full-time staff of 14 individuals. WSGA members pay an annual membership fee, through their golf club, to belong to the Association. The WSGA also serves as a statewide representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.
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