Washington Am: Minni holds off Herendeen in wild final round

June 30, 2022 | by Washington Golf

Jace Minni (Credit: Washington Golf)

Gonzaga's Jace Minni and future Illini Max Herendeen had a final-round battle that included twin full-shot hole outs on the 2nd

Gonzaga golfer Jace Minni of Delta, B.C. shot rounds of 73-73-68 to win the 101st Washington Men’s Amateur Championship by one shot over Max Herendeen of Bellevue.

The championship was held this week at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland, Wash. The three-day championship was conducted by Washington Golf (WA Golf).

Minni and Herendeen were paired in the same group and entered the day in a tie for third, two shots back of leader Jordan Brajcich of Everett. Both players got off to a hot start, Herendeen going birdie-eagle and Minni going par-eagle in their first two holes respectively.

“The second hole was pretty special, 124-yards and it dropped for me, and my group member Max (Herendeen) followed it up right on top of me,” said Minni.

A bogey on the fifth hole put Minni two shots back of Herendeen, and he later made up for it with a birdie on the 11th to move back to within one.

The difference-maker came on the 167-yard par-3 14th hole. Minni made birdie while Herendeen made bogey, this two-shot swing put Minni on top of the leader board and in the driver’s seat. The two players then matched birdies on 16 and went par-par to finish.

“I knew where I stood, I was looking at the leader board a little bit,” said Minni, “I knew that birdie (on 16) was very crucial because he (Herendeen) was going to make his tap-in.”

Minni and Herendeen were the only two players to finish under par after 54 holes on the 6,900 yard layout at Meadow Springs.

“It feels amazing (to win), it’s a really great tournament to win and it’s giving me a lot of confidence going into my summer,” said Minni, “I’m very proud of what I’ve just done.”

Minni is a rising junior on the Gonzaga University men’s golf team. In 2018 he won the BC Juvenile Boys’ Championship and in 2020 he was selected for the Canadian National Junior Squad. Minni’s dad Scott is a noted PGA of BC golf instructor and his older sister Amanda played college golf at Oregon State University.

Herendeen, is a rising high school senior. He has committed to play college golf at the University of Illinois. Earlier this year he won the WIAA 3A Boys State Golf Championship, and qualified for U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying. He also qualified for the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur.

Andrew Von Lossow of Spokane and 2019 champion Reid Hatley of Hayden Lake, Idaho both finished in a tie for third place, two shots back.

2006 champion, and Meadow Springs member, Zach Bixler of Richland finished in a tie for fifth place.

The state’s premier men’s amateur championship, which is a counting event toward the World Amateur Golf Ranking, traditionally attracts the region’s finest players.

Results: Washington Men's Amateur Golf Tournament

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Jace Minni	, Canada	200	73-73-68=214
2	Max Herendeen	Bellevue, WA	100	75-71-69=215
T3	Andrew Von Lossow	Spokane, WA	50	72-77-67=216
T3	Reid Hatley	Hayden Lake, ID	50	75-73-68=216
T5	Aidan Thain	Bellevue, WA	50	77-70-70=217