Haack Makes Run at Second Mid-Am Title

Bellevue’s Mike Haack has been “oh so close” all summer. At the West Qualifier last month for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, Haack stumbled on the last couple holes to lose his chance at one of the two available spots, and then stumbled again in the playoff for the first alternate spot.

But he’s making his case this week at the Pacific Northwest Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, being held at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash.

After firing a solid 1-under par 71 in the first round, he followed it with the best round of field in the second round, a 3-under par 69, and now sits in first place by himself with a two stroke lead over second place holder, Tyler Matthews, who is also from Bellevue.

It was Matthews who beat Haack in the playoff at the U.S. Mid-Am qualifier.

Matthews had shot a 4-under par 68 in the first round (the low round of the championship, so far), and had started the second round with a two stroke lead.

After a 90-minute fog delay, play began in the second round.

Darren Kuhn, of Pocatello, Idaho, shot a 2-under par 70 in the first round, but stumbled to a 76 in the second round.

The leaderboard going into the third and final round is top-heavy with past champions. Along with Haack (who won this championship in 2009), Kirkland’s Erik Hanson (2002) and Seattle’s Tom Brandes (2006 and 2012) are both within four strokes of the lead. Bjorn Bjorke of Port Orchard, Wash. is also just four strokes behind Haack – last month Bjorke won the Washington State Mid-Amateur Championship.

Hole-in-One for Bracht

Bob Bracht of Lake Forest Park, Wash. aced the 189-yard par-3 sixth hole in yesterday’s first round. It was the first hole-in-one of his career. We dug around in our files, and it turns out that his son, Jens Bracht, recorded the first ace of his young career in a previous PNGA championship, the 2007 Pacific Northwest Junior Boys’ Amateur, held that year in Burley, Idaho. Young Jens would go on to win the championship that year, and would later have a nice collegiate career playing on the University of Washington men’s golf team.

Like son, like father, yes?