67th PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur and 66th PNGA Junior Girls’ being held at Wildhorse
Pendleton, Ore. – The 67th PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur and 66th PNGA Junior Girls’ Amateur championships are being held this week at Wildhorse Golf Course in Pendleton, Ore. The region’s premier championships for junior golfers traditionally attract the strongest fields of the season from throughout the Northwest.
Championship Links:
Junior Boys’:
Junior Girls’:
The two championships are being held concurrently August 15-19, and are being conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA). Both championships are considered as counting events for the World Amateur Golf Ranking, as well as AJGA Performance Based Entry.
Both championships consist of 36-holes of stroke play qualifying (August 15-16) to determine seeding for the match play portion of the championships. For the Boys’ championship, 32 players will advance to match play; and for the Girls’, 16 players will advance.
All matches will be contested over 18-holes in a single-elimination format, with the exception of the two final matches, which will both be played over 36-holes on Friday, August 19th.
Players to watch in the Junior Boys’:
- Max Herendeen (Bellevue, Wash.) – Won the 2022 Boys Junior PGA Championship. Finished second in the 2022 Washington Men’s Amateur.
- Jake Rodgers (Mulino, Ore.) – Finished runner-up at the 2022 Bob Norquist Oregon Junior Amateur
- Alexander Cooke (Spokane, Wash.) – Finished T2 at 2022 WIAA Boys 4A State High School golf championship
- James Bordeaux (University Place, Wash.) – Finished T2 at 2022 WIAA Boys 4A State High School golf championship
The rich history of the PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur Championship includes past champions such as World Golf Hall of Fame member Fred Couples, Korn Ferry Tour players Alex Prugh and Andrew Yun, and John Bodenhamer, the former CEO and executive director of the PNGA who now is a senior director of championships the USGA.
Players to watch in the Junior Girls’:
- Jade Gruher (Camas, Wash.) – Won the 2022 WIAA Girls 4A State High School golf championship; advanced to quarterfinals at 2021 PNGA Junior Girls’ Amateur
- Erin Lee (Langley, B.C.) – Finished 3rd at the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship
- Jillian Hui (Kennewick, Wash.) – Finished 2nd at 2022 WIAA Girls 3A State High School golf championship
- Amy Seung Hyun Lee (Langley, B.C.) – Finished 2nd at British Columbia Junior Championship; finished 4th at Canadian Junior Girls Championship
The storied history of the PNGA Junior Girls’ Amateur includes past champions Jo Ann Washam, Peggy Conley, Joan Edwards-Powell, Mary Budke, and JoAnne Gunderson Carner, all of whom would later be inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame after storied amateur and professional careers. Other past champions include current LPGA Tour players Paige Mackenzie and Jimin Kang.
To be eligible for the PNGA Junior Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur Championships, contestants must have not reached their 19th birthday by midnight of August 19, 2022, and must have a Handicap Index or Factor not exceeding 8.4 for Boys’ or 12.4 for Girls’.
These championships are two of 11 regional championships conducted annually by the PNGA.
About Wildhorse Golf Course
Wildhorse Golf Course is an amenity of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino, which is owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The golf course was designed by John Steidel, and opened in 1997. Centrally located between Boise, Spokane and Portland, Wildhorse Resort & Casino is a premier destination for family getaways, business meetings and large conventions. Visit wildhorseresort.com for more information.
