Finals set: Nguyen vs. Arora in PNGA Women’s Amateur; Johnson vs. Jacobs in Mid-Amateur
Gleneden Beach, Ore. – Lauryn Nguyen of Seattle, Wash. will square off against Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. in the final match of the 120th PNGA Women’s Amateur, and Gretchen Johnson of Portland, Ore. will face Amanda Jacobs of Portland, Ore. in the final match of the 20th PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur.
The final matches of both championships will be held Friday, July 15th at Salishan Golf Links in Gleneden Beach, Ore. The Women’s Amateur final will be contested over 36 holes, beginning at 7:30am. The Women’s Mid-Amateur final will be contested over 18 holes and will tee off at 7:45am.
Championship links
Women’s Amateur:
Women’s Mid-Amateur:
Nguyen, the No. 1 seed, won this morning’s quarterfinal match in the Women’s Amateur 2&1 over Sonja Tang of Vancouver, B.C. Nguyen had a 1 up lead after 11 before Tang won two straight holes to go 1 up thru 13. Nguyen then won three of the next four holes to seal the win.
Nguyen then beat Ellie Slama of Salem, Ore. 3&2 in this afternoon’s semifinal match. Down one at the turn, Nguyen caught fire on the back-nine to cruise to victory. Slama is a three-time PNGA Player of the Year and three-time Oregon Amateur champion.
Arora earned a spot in the final match after two victories today that each lasted a full 18-holes. In this morning’s quarterfinal match she defeated Montgomery Ferreira of Tacoma, Wash. 2 up, never trailing in the match. In the afternoon semifinal, Arora downed Andrea Gomez of Aptos, Calif. in a tightly contested match that was won with a birdie on the final hole.
In this morning’s quarterfinals in the Mid-Amateur, Johnson the No. 1 seed defeated Ginny Burkey of Eugene, Ore. 4&2. Then in this afternoon’s semifinal, Johnson defeated 2021 PNGA Senior Women’s Amateur champion Rosie Cook 4&2.
Jacobs, the No. 2 seed and defending champion, knocked off Leilani Norman of Eugene, Ore. 2&1 in this morning’s quarterfinal. In the afternoon’s semifinal match, Jacobs defeated Jacqueline Bendrick of Mercer Island, Wash. 4&2 in a rematch of last year’s championship match.
Johnson and Jacobs will square off in a rematch of the 2019 championship match, which Johnson won.
Meet the Women’s Amateur Finalists
- Lauryn Nguyen of Seattle, Wash. – A rising sophomore on the Northwestern University women’s golf team. Was named 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and in 2020 she was named the WA Golf Junior Girls’ Player of the Year.
- Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. – Was medalist in the 2021 PNGA Women’s Amateur and advanced to the quarterfinals. She is member of Golf Canada’s National Junior Squad and finished T3 at the 2021 Canadian Women’s Amateur.
Meet the Women’s Mid-Amateur Finalists
- Gretchen Johnson of Portland, Ore. – 2019 PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur champion and a two-time PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year (2018, 2019).
- Amanda Jacobs of Portland, Ore. – Four-time winner of this championship (2014, 2016, 2018, 2021) and four-time PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year (2015, 2016, 2017, 2021).
First held in 1899, the PNGA Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the oldest amateur golf championships in the world. Past champions include Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Famers who made up the Golden Age of female golfers in the Northwest such as JoAnne Carner, Jo Ann Washam, Pat Lesser Harbottle, Edean Ihlanfeldt, Violet Pooly Sweeney, Marcia Fisher, and Betty Jean Hulteng, among others. Past champions also include many others who would later go on to the LPGA Tour, such as Jimin Kang, Peggy Conley, Ruth Jessen and Shirley Englehorn.
The PNGA Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur are two of 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
About the Pacific Northwest Golf Association
The PNGA was founded on February 4, 1899. It is a 501c3 charitable, international, amateur golf association dedicated to preserving the true spirit of golf by supporting its member associations, conducting quality championships, and promoting activities beneficial to golfers in the Pacific Northwest. For more than a century, the Association has been a pioneer in developing competitions and services and its mission has grown and evolved. Today, the PNGA remains committed to being a truly regional organization providing benefits and services to its members and member clubs throughout the Northwest.
