PomArleau Wins PNGA Men’s Master-40 Amateur Championship
East Wenatchee, Wash. (August 19, 2011) – Kevin PomArleau of Wenatchee, Wash. captured the 36th Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men’s Master-40 Amateur Championship title at Wenatchee Golf and Country Club in East Wenatchee, Wash. with a 2 and 1 victory over Dana Christianson of Tacoma, Wash.
Christianson would gain an early lead by making par on the par 4, 5th hole to go 1-up, but the match would go back and forth as the two traded holes to go all square at the turn. PomArleau would get up and down from 20 yards for birdie on the par 5, 10th hole to go 1-up. The turning point in the match came on the par 4, 12th hole where PomArleau would drain a 30 foot birdie putt and Christianson would miss his attempt to push PomArleau’s lead to 2-up. Christianson would battle back winning the next hole to close the gap, but PomArleau’s length on the short par 4, 15th hole lead to another birdie and a 2-up lead with 3 holes to play. Both players made pars on 16 and 17 where the match ended.
The championship match saw two different styles of play from each player, PomArleau with the power game hitting driver on every par 4 and par 5 while Christianson played more of a finesse game with precise iron play. The match came down to putting where PomArleau used his course knowledge to gain the edge he needed to win.
When asked about the win PomArleau said, “It was great; we had a lot of fun out there. I hit driver all day and made a couple of putts. It was a great match and the course was in great shape.”
This is PomArleau’s first PNGA Championship title and second amateur victory this year after winning the Royal Oaks Invitational in June.
The flight championship matches included Brent Christensen of Spokane, Wash. defeating Tom Rippon of North Vancouver, B.C. in the Flight 1 championship 3 and 1, Mike Palmer of Manson, Wash. defeating Bret Bloom of Spokane, Wash. in the Flight 2 championship 3 and 1, and David Stein of Silverdale, Wash. defeated Dan Harmon of West Linn, Ore. in the Flight 3 championship 5 and 4.
Some of the top competitors in the Pacific Northwest, 40 years of age and older competed on the classic design at Wenatchee Golf and Country Club, established in 1923. The Club boasts one of the state’s top courses, which has played host to many USGA and PNGA events over the years.
