Paul Mitzel (Pacific Northwest Golf Association photo)
Paul Mitzel of Quincy, Wash. won the 120th Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship with a 3&2 victory over
Colt Sherrell of Maple Valley, Wash. in Saturday's 36-hole final match.
The championship was held at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. Both the Olympic and Cascade courses were used for the championship, with the final match being held on the Olympic course.
The championship began with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying on July 25-26, followed by 18-hole single elimination match play July 27-29, concluding with a 36-hole final match on Saturday, July 30.
In this morning’s round, Mitzel got off to a hot start, winning three of the first six holes to get out to an early lead. Sherrell crept back in it and eventually tied the match on the 15th hole, but Mitzel came back with a birdie on No. 17 to take a 1-up lead heading into the afternoon round.
In the afternoon round, Mitzel showed no signs of letting up. After he and Sherrell tied holes 19-24, Mitzel won two of the next three to regain his 3-up advantage. Sherrell fired back, winning 28 and 29 to get back within one, and Mitzel responded by winning the next three holes to go 4 up with four to play. Sherrell then birdied the 33rd hole to stay alive before Mitzel closed him out on the 34th hole.
“I’m speechless,” said Mitzel, “I don’t know what to say or how to feel, and I think eventually it will hit me. It was really nice having my brother, my fiancé and my family out here because they made it all easy. I never felt pressure.”
At 32 years old, Mitzel, is one of the oldest champions in the recent history of the PNGA Men’s Amateur. The championship has been dominated by college-aged players over the past 20-plus years.
“Colt has a really bright future ahead of him,” said Mitzel when asked about today’s final match. “If you look at our scorecard, we were up and down the entire day. It could have gone both ways today.”
Mitzel is a former collegiate player who played at Washington State University. This victory furthers his impressive summer of golf. Last week he finished second at the Washington Men’s Mid-Amateur and in May he and partner Johnny Carey won the Washington Men’s Four-Ball Championship.
Runner-up Colt Sherrell is a rising fifth-year senior on the University of Idaho men’s golf team. Earlier this year he played in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship after qualifying with partner Nathan Cogswell last fall. In 2017, Sherrell was runner-up at the PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur.
The PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship is one of 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
ABOUT THE PNGA Amateur
First held in 1899, the Pacific Northwest Men’s
Amateur
is one of the country’s longest running amateur
championships. Held annually at world-class courses
throughout the Pacific Northwest, this championship
is
played in the same format as the U.S. Amateur and
features an impressive list of past champions that
include; Nick Flanagan, Ben Crane, Jeff Quinney, Bill
Sander, and Tiger Woods. Eligibility is open to
members
of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and top
amateurs throughout the world invited via
Presidential
Invitation. Each year’s champion earns a hosted
exemption in to the Pacific Coast Amateur and
Sahalee
Players Championship.
The Championship will be conducted in two stages:
Stroke Play – All players must complete the 36-hole
stroke play qualifying in order to determine the 64
players who will advance to match play. In the event
of a tie for the final qualifying spot(s), a sudden-
death playoff will be used to determine the qualifiers.
In the event of a tie for the Qualifying Medalist, a
sudden-death playoff will commence.
Match Play – The General Numerical Draw will be in
effect. Single elimination match play. 36-hole
Championship Final Match. All other matches are 18
holes.
View Complete Tournament Information