Sam Renner captures 122nd PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship
Walla Walla, Wash. – Sam Renner from Bend, Ore., won the 122nd Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur Championship with a 2-up victory over Bryden Brown from Moscow, Idaho, in the 36-hole final match. The championship was held this week, July 8-13, at Wine Valley Golf Club.
The championship began with 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying on July 8 and 9, followed by 18-hole single-elimination match play on July 10-12, concluding today, July 13, with a 36-hole final match.
Championship Links:
In the morning 18, Renner, the medalist and No. 1 seed in the bracket, jumped out to an early lead, winning four of the first seven holes, and had a 3-up lead after the first nine. He then won two of the first three holes on the back nine and ultimately built a 6-up lead after a birdie on the par-5 15th hole. Brown, the No. 11 seed, managed to get one back on the 18th, trailing five down after the morning round.
Renner won the 19th hole to go 6-up, and the two players matched scores on the next two holes. Brown caught fire on the 22nd hole and mounted an epic comeback effort. He won four straight holes to cut the deficit to two after 25 holes.
Renner won the 27th hole and the two matched scores on the next three holes before Brown caught fire again, winning three holes in a row to tie the match after 33 holes. The two players matched bogeys on the 34th hole before Renner made par on the long par-4 35th hole to regain a 1-up lead. He then birdied the 18th hole to seal a 2-up win.
“I played really good in the stroke play and made a lot of putts,” said Renner. “I came out today and had an early lead, and kind of lost it a little, but I grinded it out.”
Renner had his mom as his caddie for the entire week, and he was grateful to have her out there.
“It means a lot; she’s a trooper. She walked 63 miles this week, and I love her so much,” said Renner. “I couldn’t ask for a better caddie.”
Click here to watch the post round interview with Renner.
Meet the Men’s Amateur Finalists:
- Sam Renner (Bend, Ore.) – 20 years old. Rising junior on the Washington State University men’s golf team, where he currently holds the program’s best career scoring average, at 71.97. He helped the Cougars win the 2024 National Golf Invitational, the program’s first postseason tournament win, by finishing second individually, at 14-under.
- Bryden Brown (Moscow, Idaho) – 20 years old. Won three tournaments during last season as a member of the Lewis-Clark State College Golf team and was named Cascade Conference Golfer of the Week four times.
First held in 1899, the PNGA Men’s Amateur is one of the oldest amateur golf championships in the world. Players will compete for the Macan Cup, which is named after legendary golf course designer A.V. Macan, a member of the Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Fame and winner of this championship in 1913.
Past champions include names such as Tiger Woods, Jeff Quinney, Ben Crane, Jeff Coston, Nick Flanagan, Jim McLean and Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Famers Chandler Egan, Harry Givan, Jack Westland, Bud Ward and George Holland, among many others.
The PNGA Men’s Amateur is one of 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors and senior conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.
About Wine Valley Golf Club
Opened in 2009, Wine Valley was designed by Northwest native Dan Hixson, and is owned by Dan Pliska, who also owns Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Ore. Wine Valley has already been the site of numerous regional championships, including the Northwest Open Invitational every year from 2010-2021, and previously hosted the PNGA Men’s Amateur in 2012 and 2016, and the PNGA Women’s Amateur in 2013. Visit winevalleygolfclub.com for more information.
