Rising to the top at the PNGA Senior and Super Senior Men’s Amateurs

There is no lack for quality at the top of the PNGA Senior Men’s Amateur leader board. With Pat O’Donnell of Happy Valley, Ore. and John Bracken of Seattle both firing rounds of 3-under 69, they share the top spot after the first round of the 53rd Pacific Northwest Senior Men’s Amateur. Today’s round was played at Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash.

The full fields played in ideal weather conditions.

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O’Donnell was named the 2016 PNGA Senior Men’s Player of the Year, after winning the 2016 Oregon Senior Amateur and Oregon Senior Stroke Play. And Bracken won this Senior Men’s title in 2015.

On their heels is Robert Conroy of Yakima, Wash. at 1-under 71, and Bob Burton of Everett at even-par. Burton won the 2015 Washington State Senior Amateur.

Bellevue’s Tom Brandes is looking for his fourth title in this championship. He is the defending champion, and also took the title in 2012 and 2013. He is still easily within reach, after shooting a 1-over 73 today. Last week he won the Washington Senior Open, playing against the pros.

Six players are tied for sixth at 2-over. Among them is Duane Diede of Everett, who is a two-time winner of the Washington State Senior Men’s Best-Ball (with partner John Von Lossow).

In the Super Senior Amateur, low scores were not easy to come by, as John Gallacher of Burnaby, B.C. and Gudmund Lindbjerg of Port Moody, B.C. battled it out for the top spot, each being the last two with chances to break par on the 6165-yard par-72 layout.

Tomorrow, the two championships, which are being conducted concurrently by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association, will play the second round at nearby Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club. The final round, to be held on Thursday, June 8, will be played at Loomis Trail.