Colt Sherrell and Paul Mitzel to square off in final match at PNGA Men’s Amateur
Bremerton, Wash. – Colt Sherrell of Maple Valley, Wash. will face Paul Mitzel of Quincy, Wash. in the final match of the 120th PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship.
The 36-hole final match will be held tomorrow (Saturday) beginning at 7:00am and will be contested on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. Today’s matches we’re held on the Cascade Course.
Championship Links:
In this morning’s quarterfinal match, Sherrell defeated Peter Jung of Honolulu, Hawaii 1 up. It was a tightly contested match between the two players, but a key birdie on the par-4 16th hole put Sherrell two up with three to play, and he never gave back the lead.
In the semifinal match this afternoon, Sherrell downed Christian (Pono) Yanagi of Pullman, Wash. 2 up after a back-and-forth match where both players saw the lead. Yanagi won the first two holes to go two up before Sherrell clawed back to take the lead. Sherrell was one up going into the 18th hole and he sealed the deal with a birdie after Yanagi pulled his drive left off the tee and had to punch out of the trees.
“Match play is so much fun,” said Sherrell, “all you’ve gotta do is survive and get through. I’ve been doing well, and I’m just going to go out tomorrow and see what I can do.”
Click here to watch Sherrell’s post-round interview.
Sherrell is a rising senior on the University of Idaho men’s golf team. Earlier this year he played in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball championship after qualifying with partner Nathan Cogswell last fall. In 2017, Sherrell was runner-up at the PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur.
Mitzel won his morning quarterfinal match over Tyler Fitchett of Yakima, Wash. Mitzel was down one at the turn, but won four holes on the back nine to earn a 2&1 victory.
In this afternoon’s semifinal match, Mitzel downed Johnny Carey of Seattle, Wash. by a score of 3&2. It was an emotional match as Mitzel and Carey have been great friends since their junior golf days, and they even played together on the Washington State University men’s golf team.
“I’m almost going to tear up right now because I hate doing that. Johnny’s one of my best buds. I can’t even be happy right now,” said Mitzel.
Click here to watch Mitzel’s post-round interview.
Mitzel, a former collegiate player at Washington State University, is looking to continue his impressive summer of golf. Last week he finished second at the Washington Men’s Mid-Amateur and in May he and partner Johnny Carey won the Washington Men’s Four-Ball Championship.
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.
To stay connected, follow the PNGA on social media and use the hashtag #PNGAMensAm.
About Gold Mountain Golf Club
A municipal facility owned by the city of Bremerton, Gold Mountain Golf Club consists of two 18-hole championship courses, the Olympic and the Cascade. The Olympic Course has been the site of numerous local, regional and national championships, including the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links and 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur (won by Jordan Spieth). It has also been the site of several USGA national championship qualifiers, and hosted the Washington Men’s Amateur in 2007 and 2021. Visit goldmountaingolf.com for information.
