Uihlein Victorious at 17th Sahalee Players Championship
DuPont, Wash. (July 9, 2010) – Peter Uihlein of Orlando, Florida captured the 17th Sahalee Players Championship firing a final round of 4-under par 68. Uihlein, a junior on the Oklahoma State golf team, shot a tournament record 17-under par 271 to beat Andrew Putnam by seven shots. Uihlein was under par in each of his four rounds this week and his final round included five birdies, a lone bogey, and the rest pars.
Uihlein began the day with a two shot lead, but his lead was cut to one stroke after Putnam made birdie on the third hole. That was as close as it would get as Uihlein continued the solid play he’s had all week. Throughout the four rounds he only made four bogeys and one double bogey. His 17-under par 271 total broke Ryan Moore’s record of 16-under par 272 set in 2004.
The champion of the Sahalee Players Championship has a history of winning the Hogan Award, with three of the past seven awards going to the winner of that year’s Sahalee Players Championship. The Hogan Award is given annually in late May and is awarded to the individual with the best college and amateur record from the past 12 months. Uihlein’s victory this week along with his performance at the NCAA Championship and Sunnehanna Amateur in June puts him right in the mix as an early contender.
Defending champion Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. used a 4-under par 68 to jump from 9th place to 3rd place. Taylor won this year’s Hogan Award and spent most of the year as the world’s top ranked amateur.
Uihlein joins an impressive list of past championships that includes Nick Taylor, Trent Whitekiller, Daniel Summerhays, Kyle Stanley, Ryan Moore, Arron Oberholser, Jason Gore, and Casey Martin. The Home Course in DuPont, Washington played host to this year’s championship due to Sahalee Country Club hosting this summer’s U.S. Senior Open. The Home Course is the Assisting Course for the 2010 U.S. Amateur this to be played at Chambers Bay in Tacoma, Wash.
The Pacific Northwest Golf Association joined with Sahalee Country Club 10 years ago to create the “Western Swing” with the PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship. The Sahalee Players Championship is the first leg of the swing, with the PNGA Men’s Amateur being played the week after.
