RJ Manke wins Washington Amateur for second time
RJ Manke of Lakewood, Wash. shot rounds of 66-67-68 to win the historic 100th Washington Men’s Amateur Championship in commanding fashion, finishing seven shots clear of the rest of the field.
Manke also won this championship in 2018. He is the first multiple champion in 52 years. Not since Don Scott won back-to-back titles in 1968-1969 had any player won this championship more than once.
The championship was held this week on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. The three-day championship was conducted by Washington Golf (WA Golf).
After the first round, Manke was tied for the lead with
John Sand of Hoquiam. Manke took a solo lead after the second round, carrying a 4-shot lead into today’s final round.
“My goal before we started (today’s final round) was to get to 15-under,” he said after his round. “On 18 I had a choice to go for (the green) or lay up, and I needed a birdie to reach my goal, so luckily I worked it out.”
In drawing from his experience in winning this title in 2018, Manke said, “Having that ‘final group’ experience is pretty big. To go down the stretch with
Brian Mogg and
Michael Almonte back in 2018 just gave me more experience to go out there today.”
After the win, when told how rare it is to win this championship more than once, Manke took a moment to take in what he had just accomplished. “To be back in my home state, for this to be my second title and have it be the 100th at that, to have my name on the trophy two times with some of the greatest players in Washington feels pretty awesome.”
Manke attended Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, then played four years on the Pepperdine University men’s golf team which recently won the 2021 NCAA National Championship. He has just transferred to the University of Washington, where he will play for the men’s golf team in the fall in his final year of eligibility.
Finishing second, seven shots back of Manke, was
Jordan Lee of Auburn. Lee vaulted up the leaderboard in today’s final round by shooting a 9-under-par 63, the low round of the championship and a new course record on the Olympic Course. Lee, a rising junior on the Western Washington University men’s golf team, shot a 6-under-par 30 on today’s back nine, which included a bogey on the par-4 13th and an eagle on the par-4 18th.
Sand finished in third place, nine shots back of Manke. Sand was runner-up in the 2019 Washington Men’s Amateur, losing in a playoff to champion Reid Hatley.
Finishing fourth, 11 shots back of Manke, was Chuan-Tai “Teddy” Lin. Manke and Lin were paired together all three rounds of the championship, and will be teammates in the fall at the University of Washington.
Only six players finished under par after 54 holes on the 6,939-yard par-72 Olympic Course.
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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