Gavin Cohen takes early lead at Pacific Coast Amateur

July 20, 2021 | by Pacific Coast Golf Association

Gavin Cohen is the first round leader at the Pacific Coast Amateur

Loyola Marymount senior opens with a 5-under 66 at Chambers Bay

Gavin Cohen of Phoenix, Ariz. fired a 5-under par 66 to take the lead after the first round of the 54th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, being held this week at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.

Cohen, a rising senior on the Loyola Marymount University men’s golf team, carded six birdies in his opening round against just one bogey.

“I kept the ball in the fairway and gave myself a lot of birdie looks,” said Cohen, “I just need to keep doing that the rest of the way and it should be a pretty good week.”

Three players sit just one shot back of Cohen and are well within striking distance after the opening round, Brad Reeves of Woodbridge, Calif., Jackson Lake of Clovis, Calif. and Aidric Jose Chan of the Philippines.

In the Morse Cup competition, the teams from Washington Golf and the Pacific Northwest Golf Association sit in a tie for first at 2-under par. The team from the Northern California Golf Association sits one-shot back at 1-under par.

The Morse Cup team competition takes place concurrently during the first two days of the 72-hole Pacific Coast Amateur. There are 15 member Pacific Rim golf associations that comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association, and each golf association selects three players to represent them in this team competition. Two of the top three scores from each team in rounds one and two will count for the Morse Cup portion of the event.

Notable

Sam Bennett of Madisonville, Tex., the highest ranked player in the field (WAGR No. 6), opened with a 3-under par 68 and sits T5.

Three players on the reigning national champion Pepperdine men’s golf team sit within six of the lead; Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Wash., Dylan Menante of La Costa, Calif., and Joey Vrzich of La Jolla, Calif.

28 players sit at even-par or better after round one.

The 501-yard par-4 first hole played as the toughest hole in round one, the hole saw just four birdies and had a scoring average of 4.63.

Three players from Washington finished under-par in round one; Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, Ian Siebers of Bellevue and RJ Manke of Lakewood.

Results: Pacific Coast Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Devon Bling	Ridgecrest, CA	1200	71-66-62-73=272
T2	Dylan Menante	Carlsbad, CA	900	69-64-74-65=272
T2	Joe Highsmith	Lakewood, WA	900	69-70-65-68=272
T2	Sam Choi	Anaheim, CA	900	73-64-66-69=272
T2	Walker Lee	Houston, TX	900	69-70-63-70=272

View full results for Pacific Coast Amateur

About the Pacific Coast Amateur

Gavin Cohen takes early lead at Pacific Coast Amateur

Although its present history only dates from 1967, the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship's roots make it one of the oldest amateur golf championships in American history. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The P...