Hanson and Larson win PNGA Men’s Senior Team; Wozow and Brandvold victorious in Super Senior
At the 34th Pacific Northwest Senior Team Championship, Erik Hanson of Kirkland, Wash. and Craig Larson of Tacoma won the Men’s Senior Team title; Charlie Wozow and Toat Brandvold, both of Snohomish, Wash. won the inaugural Men’s Super Senior title.
Each championship consisted of two-person teams, and were contested over 54 holes. The first and third round of each championship was contested in Four-Ball stroke play format, while the second round was held in the Chapman format. To be eligible, entrants must be 50 years of age or older prior to start of play in the first round.
Hanson and Larson had started today’s final round with a 2-shot lead, and poured it on in today’s Four-Ball format, shooting a bogey-free 6-under par 66. They charged from the gate, shooting 4-under on the front nine and coasting in from there. They finished at 15-under par for the championship, five shots ahead of second-place finishers Larry Gilhuly and Jim McNelis, both of Gig Harbor, Wash.
Of the win, Hanson said it feels great. “I was glad Craig called me this year to partner with him,” he said. “I couldn’t make it last year, but it’s great to be here at Gold Mountain. We played solid, we’re a good team, and it paid off for us.” Larson had to inform Hanson of the format for the championship the week before play started. “That is true,” Hanson said with a laugh. “I wasn’t familiar with this particular championship, and was happy to be eligible for it. It’s a fun event, I really enjoyed it, and it’s great playing with Craig. The Chapman format was different for me, but the key to it really is just to keep the ball in play, stay out of trouble for your partner.”
This is the fifth PNGA title for Hanson, having won the PNGA Master-40 three times and the Mid-Amateur once, but it is the first PNGA title for Larson. “It’s really an honor,” Larson said, of seeing his name on a championship trophy.
Wozow and Brandvold came from behind in today’s final round to capture the Men’s Super Senior title, carding a 1-under par 71 for a championship total of 2-under par. They finished one shot better than second-place finishers Mick and Jeff Remington, who were at the top of the leaderboard with a seemingly comfortable 3-shot lead to start the day but couldn’t get anything going, shooting a 3-over par 75 which enabled Wozow and Brandvold to grab the title.
“It’s exciting,” said Brandvold, of being the champions of the inaugural playing of the Men’s Super Senior. “Thanks, really, to everyone who put this event together, all the volunteers. We had a great time, and we’ll be back next year.
“We struggled in the second round, in the Chapman format,” said Wozow. “We just kind of scraped it around, but played much better today.” .
To compete in these championships this week, players came from all parts of the region, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, Alberta, as well as from California and Arizona.
Click here for more information on the Men’s, including final hole-by-hole scoring and a list of past champions.
