Mark Strickland wins 36th PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship in a playoff
Seneca, Ore. – Mark Strickland of Mukilteo, Wash. fired rounds of 73-70-68 and made birdie on the first playoff hole to win the 36th PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The 54-hole stroke-play championship was held this week, Sept. 14-16 at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca, Ore. Round one was played on the resort’s Craddock Course, round two on the Hankins Course, and today’s final round was contested on the Craddock Course.
Championship links:
In today’s final round, Strickland made just one bogey and five birdies which propelled him up the leaderboard and placed him in a tie for first with Harrison Moir of Portland, Ore. after the conclusion of play. He defeated Moir the first playoff hole (Hole #18) with a birdie to capture the title.
Strickland entered today’s final round in solo fifth, five shots back, and had to climb over four other players to reach the top of the leaderboard.
“It feels great to win,” said Strickland, “I played solid and the competition was great. It’s not a gimme out here, you’ve gotta earn it.”
Strickland had never been to Silvies Valley Ranch before, and he didn’t play a practice round. When asked about his game plan during the first two rounds, Strickland said, “I tried to play on the more conservative side. I figured I’d see what’s gettable and then be aggressive today.”
Watch Strickland’s post-round interview.
This is the first PNGA title for the 29-year-old Strickland. Strickland played college golf at Western Washington University and he qualified for the 2014 U.S. Amateur and 2018 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
Daniel Campbell of Bellingham, Wash. and Hunter Wescott of Portland, Ore. finished in a tie for third and Colten Kleis of Seattle, Wash. finished in fifth. Cody Roth of Bellingham, Wash., who entered today’s round with the lead, fired a 5-over 77 to finish in solo sixth.
To be eligible for this championship, players must be 25 years of age or older by September 16, 2021 and have a USGA Handicap Index or Golf Canada Handicap Factor of 8.4 or lower.
The PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship is one of 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
About Silvies Valley Ranch
The two courses – Hankins and Craddock – at The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch were designed by Dan Hixson, a native of Portland, Ore. who has designed other top Northwest courses. The uniqueness of the Hankins and Craddock courses is that they are reversible – among the 36 holes, there are just 27 greens and 16 fairways. Silvies Valley Ranch is a 140,000-acre working cattle ranch. Dr. Scott Campbell, a native of nearby Burns, Ore. who made his mark as a veterinarian and CEO and former owner of Banfield Pet Hospital, purchased the property in 2007, and has performed extensive renovations to it, with the Retreat & Links now being the most public. Along with the two full-length golf courses, there is 9-hole par-3 course called Chief Egan, and a 7-hole extreme golf experience called McVeigh’s Gauntlet, which will open in July 2018 and come complete with goat caddies.
