Ho wins 69th PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur; Lee wins 68th PNGA Junior Girls’
Corvallis, Ore. – Mason Ho from Portland, Ore. defeated Benjamin Barrett from Spokane, Wash. by a score of 1 up to win the 69th Pacific Northwest Junior Boys’ Amateur Championship. Meanwhile, Amy Seung Hyun Lee from Langley, B.C. defeated Alyssa Rigby from Vancouver, Wash. by a score of 5 & 4 to claim the 68th Pacific Northwest Junior Girls’ Amateur title.
The two championships were held concurrently at Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis, Ore. Both are recognized as counting events for the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and the AJGA Performance Based Entry.
The championships began on Monday, August 12th, with 36 holes of stroke play qualifying to determine seeding for match play. All subsequent matches were contested over 18 holes in a single-elimination format, with the exception of today’s two final matches, which were both scheduled as 36-hole contests.
Championship Links:
Junior Boys’:
Junior Girls’:
The final match in the Boys’ championship got off to a tight start, with Ho grabbing a 1 up lead after the opening nine holes. He then caught fire on the second nine, winning six of the final nine holes to build a 6 up lead after the morning 18.
In the afternoon round, Barrett made a valiant effort at a comeback. He won five holes on the front nine to cut the lead to 3 up, and by the 14th hole, he managed to reduce the deficit to just one. Ho then birdied the par-5 34th hole to go 2 up with three to play, and although Barrett won the 35th hole, Ho sealed the victory with a tie on the final hole, winning the match 1 up.
Earlier this summer, Ho reached the quarterfinals at the Oregon Junior Amateur. He is a rising high school senior and finished T3 in the 2024 OSAA High School State Championship.
Barrett, a rising high school junior, has won two Washington Junior Golf Association titles this year: the District 5 Championship and the WJGA Cup.
Ho now adds his name to the rich history of the PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur Championship, which 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 is now the Chief Championships Officer with the USGA.
In the Junior Girls’ Amateur, Lee, the medalist and No. 1 seed in the match play bracket, faced off against No. 2 seed Rigby. The two players went back and forth in the early stages of the match, and the score was tied after the opening nine. Lee then caught fire on the back nine, winning four holes to take a 4 up lead heading into the afternoon round.
In the afternoon 18, Lee won the opening hole to go 5 up. While Rigby cut the deficit to three at one point, she couldn’t overcome it and ultimately lost the match 5 & 4.
Earlier this summer, Lee won both the B.C. Junior Girls’ Championship and the B.C. Women’s Amateur.
Rigby, just 14 years old, finished in 4th place at the 2024 SCGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship with her partner, Tracy Rigby.
Lee’s name now goes on the trophy of the PNGA Junior Girls’ Amateur, which includes past champions such as Jo Ann Washam, Peggy Conley, Joan Edwards-Powell, Mary Budke, and JoAnne Gunderson Carner, all of whom were later inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame after storied amateur and professional careers. Other past champions include LPGA Tour players Paige Mackenzie and Jimin Kang.
To be eligible for the PNGA Junior Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur Championships, contestants must not have reached their 19th birthday by midnight of August 16, 2024, 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 major regional amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
