Simon Hovdal from Sweden shot a 7-under par 64 to take the lead after the opening round of the 57th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, held this week, July 23-26, at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.

Hovdal started the day strong with a birdie on the first hole and finished the opening nine at 3-under par. After a bogey on the 13th hole, he caught fire, holing out for an eagle from the fairway on 14 and then carding three birdies in his final four holes to finish the round at 7-under 64.

The 19-year-old Hovdal is committed to playing college golf at Texas Tech University as part of the class of 2025. Earlier this summer, Hovdal finished 4th at the St. Andrews Links Trophy. The Pacific Coast Amateur is the first Elite Amateur Golf Series event that he has participated in.

In the Morse Cup competition, the team from the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association leads at 4-under par. The team from Washington Golf is one shot back at 3-under par.

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

Notable:

- Zac Jones from Highland, Utah, opened with a 5-under 66 and sits one shot back. He is currently ranked 3rd in the Elite Amateur Cup standings.
- Hunter Thomson from Canada, the 5th-ranked player in the Elite Amateur Cup standings, is tied for 3rd, three shots off the pace, along with Clark Sonnenberg from Albuquerque, N.M.
- Max Herendeen from Bellevue, Wash., the highest-ranked player in the field (WAGR No. 44), opened with a 1-under 70. He sits seven shots off the lead.
- The 488-yard par-4 5th hole played as the toughest hole in round one, yielding just six birdies against 43 bogeys or worse.
- Hole number four, a 545-yard par-5, played as the easiest hole in the first round, with six eagles, 36 birdies, and just seven bogeys.

Up next:

Round two gets underway tomorrow, Wednesday, July 24th, at Chambers Bay. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. local time.

About Chambers Bay

Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 2007, Chambers Bay is a links-style layout along the shores of Puget Sound. The venue made history by hosting the first U.S. Open ever held in the Pacific Northwest in 2015. It has also been the site of multiple other USGA championships, including the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur. Chambers Bay is a municipal facility owned by Pierce County and is open to the public. The facility has been designated by Audubon International as a Silver Signature Sanctuary, the first golf course in the Pacific Northwest to receive this certification. More information can be found at chambersbaygolf.com.

About the Pacific Coast Golf Association

The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the oldest and most prestigious amateur golf championships in North America. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The Presidio in 1901. After being played until 1911, the Pacific Coast Amateur then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at Seattle Golf Club in 1967. Today, 15 member Pacific Rim golf associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association.

About the Elite Amateur Golf Series

Launched in 2022 to challenge the best of the best in amateur golf, the Elite Amateur Golf Series brings together the top amateur championships in a collective series of competition, the Elite Amateur Cup. In addition to hosting the best players, Elite Amateur Cup events are contested at the best sites and have the longest history of successful champions. The Elite Amateur Golf Series maintains a proven track record that prepares elite players for the toughest competitive tests, making the championships the majors of amateur golf. For more information visit eliteamateurgolfseries.org.