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Defending Champion and Medalist to Meet in Final at 59th Pacific Northwest Junior Boys’ Amateur

In a dream match-up, defending champion Kevin Vigna of Coquitlam, B.C. and No. 1 seed Frank Garber of Kirkland, Wash. will meet tomorrow in the Final match of the 59th Pacific Northwest Junior Boys’ Amateur Championship. The 36-hole Final will be contested on the Valley course at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa in Victoria, B.C. The tee time for the morning round is set for 7:30 a.m.

Vigna, who last year defeated friend and fellow Vancouver (B.C.) Golf Club junior member Lucas Gatto in the Final match, made it through today’s Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches fairly easily. He defeated Zach Evens of Mercer Island, Wash. 4 and 3 in the Quarterfinal, and then dispatched Logan Yanick of Courtenay, B.C. 2 and 1 in the afternoon Semifinal match.

Vigna is continuing his strong play this summer, last week having earned individual medalist honors at the 45th Hogan Cup Team Matches, held at Portland’s Riverside Golf and Country Club, in leading Team BC to the title in the team match competition.

Garber, the reigning WSGA Junior Boys’ Player of the Year, also made it through today’s matches without too much trouble, defeating Hunter Ostrom of Eagle, Idaho 4 and 2 in the Quarterfinal, and Aubrey MacKenzie of Poulsbo, Wash. 4 and 3 and in the Semifinal.

Garber made it to the Round of 16 in last year’s championship. He was the 2012 AAA Washington State High School individual champion, and finished seventh in the 2012 Junior America’s Cup.

This championship is being conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA). This is one of 16 regional championships conducted annually by the PNGA.

The rich history of the PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur Championship has included past champions World Golf Hall of Fame member Fred Couples, Web.com Tour player Alex Prugh, and Andrew Yun, who earlier this summer won the prestigious Sahalee Players Championship. When asked for his advice to junior golfers, Couples once said, “To any youngster, I would say hang in there. You are playing the toughest sport there is. The highs and lows of golf are so great because it is an individual sport. Let the good times roll with the bad times.”

Both courses at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa – the Valley and the Mountain – were designed by Nicklaus Design.