Pacific Northwest Golf Association and Pacific Northwest Section PGA to Induct Five at Joint Hall of Fame Ceremony
For the third time in Northwest golf history, the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) and the Pacific Northwest Section PGA (PNWPGA) will conduct a joint Hall of Fame ceremony to honor inductees from each organization. This combined Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held at Inglewood Golf Club on April 24.
Being inducted this year for the PNGA are Hilda (McAuslan) Beck of Seattle, Wash. (who is being inducted posthumously); Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash.; and Chris Maletis of Portland, Ore. The PNWPGA will be inducting Pat Huffer of Crooked River Ranch, Ore. and Steve Prugh of Spokane, Wash.
For information on attending the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 24, contact the PNGA office at 206-526-1238.
The two associations began discussions in 2009 about the possibility of unifying their two induction ceremonies, and have agreed upon one combined ceremony every two years to honor inductees from both organizations. Their respective Halls of Fame recognize those who have distinguished themselves through outstanding playing accomplishments as well as contributions to the game in the region.
“Every two years we recognize those individuals who have distinguished themselves by their achievements, dedication and selfless giving to golf in the Pacific Northwest,” said Ed Burke, PNGA President. “This year’s inductees have brought recognition to the Pacific Northwest through excellence in championship play or outstanding contributions of their time and effort in the advancement of the game. A partnership of amateurs and professionals is the essence of making golf the wonderful game that it is. This joint induction dinner and ceremony exemplifies that positive relationship in the Pacific Northwest.”
Said Bryan Tunstill, PGA Head Professional at Columbia Edgewater Country Club and PNWPGA President, “The Pacific Northwest Section PGA values our great relationship with the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, as together we promote this wonderful game of golf. In 2011, our ties grew even stronger when we united our Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. This year, the Pacific Northwest Section PGA will be inducting two outstanding members of our Association. They represent all that is good about the game and the profession of golf, as they have consistently kept the best interest of their facilities, their customers, and the entire community of the Pacific Northwest at the forefront. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our amateur counterparts to showcase two of our best and to uphold the great tradition and legacy of golf in the Pacific Northwest.”
Hilda (McAuslan) Beck played competitive golf from 1928 to 1957, winning her first state amateur title in 1929, and her last in 1957. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., she moved to Tacoma as a little girl. Her introduction to golf occurred when her father took her to an indoor driving range in the old Calhoun Hotel in Seattle, run by golf professional Curly Hueston. While a student at Seattle’s Queen Anne High School, her father entered her in the 1928 City Sweepstakes, first at Seattle Golf Club and then at Earlington and Glendale country clubs. The next year, she entered her first Washington State Women’s Golf Association (WSWGA) Amateur, and won that tournament, too. From that point on, Hilda developed a knack for gathering championship cups.
Hilda won two Seattle City Women’s Amateur titles. While her husband was stationed in Norfolk, Va. and San Diego, she won those city championships as well. In all, she won five WSWGA state titles. She served as a member of the U.S. Girl’s Junior Committee, and helped create the PNGA Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship.
Tom Brandes walked onto the golf team at Seattle University, tried it for a couple weeks, decided he didn’t want to play, and got on with his life for the next 15 years. Since picking up the game again in the late 1980s, Brandes has amassed an almost unmatched record of accomplishments. He’s qualified for and played in three U.S. Mid-Amateurs, two U.S. Senior Amateurs, four U.S. Senior Opens, and three USGA Men’s State Teams. He’s played on 11 Hudson Cup teams and 10 PNGA Cup teams. He’s a two-time PNGA Mid-Amateur champion, a two-time PNGA Senior Amateur champion, a four-time Washington State Senior Amateur champion, and finished runner-up in the 2013 British Senior Amateur. He was selected as the PNGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year in 2012, and the PNGA Senior Player of the Year each year from 2011-2014. He was also named the WSGA Senior Player of the Year each year from 2010-2014.
A natural athlete who played third base in baseball and quarterback in football while in high school, Chris Maletis didn’t own a set of golf clubs until his mid-20s, and didn’t start playing competitively until his early 40s. As the club champion at Portland Golf Club in 1993, he gained entry into the 1993 OGA Tournament of Champions, and promptly won it for his first significant victory. He would go on to play in two U.S. Amateurs, two U.S. Mid-Amateurs, the 2002 U.S. Senior Open; and play in 14 Hudson Cups, four PNGA Cups, six Pacific Coast Amateur Morse Cups, and three USGA Men’s State Team championships. Maletis is a three-time PNGA Senior Amateur champion, four-time Trans-Mississippi Senior champion, and four-time Oregon Senior Amateur Stroke Play champion. He was named the OGA Player of the Year in 2004, and the PNGA Senior Player of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2010.
Pat Huffer has been the PGA Head Professional at Crooked River Ranch in Central Oregon since 2006. Prior to this, he was a fixture for 25 years in Roseburg, Ore., first at Roseburg Country Club and then at Stewart Park Golf Course. Huffer spent over 20 years in the governance of the PNWPGA and Oregon Chapter, serving on the Board of Directors and culminating as president of the Section in 2007-2008.
Huffer has been instrumental in the Central Oregon Golf Forum which connects industry stakeholders enhancing the golf experiences available in the region. He has been honored by his peers on numerous occasions, including receiving the Bill Strausbaugh Award six times for service to his fellow professionals in the area of employment. A fixture on the national scene, he has served on the PGA of America Employment Committee and numerous Task Forces.
Huffer is a graduate of Chelan (Wash.) High School and the University of Washington, playing on the golf teams at both schools.
Steve Prugh has served his entire 36-year PGA professional career at Manito Golf and Country Club in Spokane, Wash. His first three years were under the mentorship of PNWPGA Hall of Fame member Jim Shriver and the last 33 years as the club’s PGA Head Professional. Prugh has previously been honored by the PNWPGA as Teacher of the Year, Junior Golf Leader and Golf Professional of the Year.
Prugh played for the University of Oregon before turning professional. He has competed on four Hudson Cup teams, five Senior Hudson Cup teams, played in the 2006 U.S. Senior Open, and competed in five PGA Professional National Championships.
A long-serving member of the PNWPGA Board of Directors, Prugh also served as the Section president from 2011-2012. For 23 years Prugh was a District Director for the Washington Junior Golf Association and has developed and maintained a strong junior program at Manito G&CC.
Prugh’s wife Susan has served as a USGA Rules Official, daughter Hillary played golf at Montana State, son Corey is a PGA Teaching Professional at Manito G&CC and son Alex a PGA Tour player. Not only did Prugh win the 1972 Washington State High School Golf Championship while at Ferris High School, but sons Corey (1999) and Alex (2003) accomplished the same feat, also while attending Ferris.
The PNGA and PNWPGA each have their own respective Halls of Fame that already include many of the Northwest’s finest golfers, with the PNGA honoring the amateurs and the PNWPGA honoring the PGA professionals. The PNGA established their Hall of Fame in 1978, and it currently has 60 amateur golfers as members. Click here to view a complete list of inductees and a full list of their
accomplishments. The PNWPGA established their Hall of Fame in 1981, and it currently has 50 members. Visit www.pnwpga.com to view a complete list of inductees and their bios.
The PNGA and PNWPGA will continue to have a separate selection process for inductees into their respective Halls. However, members of both Halls will someday be showcased together as one combined display at the future Northwest Golf House, which will be located at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash.
