Tom Brandes Earnes Medalist Honors at PNGA Men’s Master-40

Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash. posted a round of five-under-par 67 to earn Medalist Honors in stroke-play qualifying in the 40th Pacific Northwest Men’s Master-40 Amateur Championship being held at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland, Wash.

Brandes made five birdies and kept his card bogey-free to post the lowest score of the day, outplaying Erik Hanson of Kirkland, Wash, who tied for second place with John Molitor of Soap Lake, Wash. with scores of two-under-par 70.

Hanson, winner of the championship in 2007 and 2010 recently won the Seattle Amateur, and will face Bret Bloom of Spokane, Wash. in the Round of 32 tomorrow.

The day started with 78 players looking to claim one of 32 spots in the Championship Flight. Six players finished at five-over-par 77, and entered a sudden death playoff of the final four places in the Championship Flight.

2014 PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion Jeff Ward of Bend, Ore. made it through to the Championship Flight from the playoff and will face Brandes in the Round of 32 tomorrow.

The rest of the field is divided into six flights of eight players each, who will compete in match play over the next three days. The Championship Flight players will play morning and afternoon matches on Tuesday and Wednesday should they continue to advance.

Starting times for tomorrow can be found here, and live match status updates will be posted here.

Follow along on www.thepnga.org for updates and news following each round, and use the hashtag #PNGAMensMaster40 to participate on Twitter.

Tee times run on Tuesday, July 14th from 7:30 a.m. to 11:35 a.m., with afternoon Championship Flight matches running from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.