Banks goes wire-to-wire to win PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur
Walla Walla, Wash. – Landon Banks of Tualatin, Ore. shot rounds of 67-65-70 to finish at 14-under par, good for a two shot victory at the 37th PNGA Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The 54-hole stroke-play championship was held this week, August 9-11 at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash.
Championship links:
Banks was in a tie for the lead after round one, and his 65 yesterday gave him a three shot lead entering today’s final round over Jonathan Romano of Vancouver, Wash. Banks was able to put it in cruise control for most of today’s round after Romano made a double-bogey on the second hole.
Romano made a valiant effort to claw back in it when he made an albatross on the par-5 15th hole, but his late charge wasn’t quite enough.
“He (Romano) put a little heat on me,” said Banks, “I felt pretty comfortable for the first 14-holes until he made that deuce on fifteen. I felt a little bit of heat, but I brought it home.”
Banks went 1-under on the front and 1-under on the back in today’s final round to coast to a fairly comfortable two shot victory.
“I played solid for three days straight,” said Banks, “I had the putter going yesterday and just kept it in play and made a few putts. It was a pretty stress-free three days. It was kind of nice.”
Click here to watch Banks’ post-round interview.
This is the first PNGA Championship. Last week he qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship after winning a playoff. He played college golf for the University of Oregon.
Jonathan Romano finished in second place at 12-under par. Brian Barton of Pasco, Wash., Eli Zackheim of Seattle, Wash. and Kevin Tucker of Pullman, Wash. all finished in a tie for third at 9-under par.
To be eligible for this championship, players must be 25 years of age or older by August 9, 2022 and have a USGA Handicap Index or Golf Canada Handicap Factor of 8.4 or lower. The field of 90 was filled by the lowest USGA Handicap Indexes and Golf Canada Handicap Factors in addition to exempt players and Presidential Invitees.
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 Wine Valley Golf Club
Opened in 2009, Wine Valley Golf Club was designed by Dan Hixson, a native of Portland, Ore. who has designed other top Northwest courses. The course has hosted numerous local and regional championships, including the 2021 PNGA Senior & Super Senior Amateur Championships and Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open Championship in 2019.