“My name is Kyle Neilan, and I’m a native of Shawnee, KS, a suburb of Kansas City. Currently, I attend New Mexico State University as a business major, and I’m enjoying my third year in the PGA Golf Management Program. I plan to graduate in May of 2013, and receive membership as a Class A PGA Professional soon after. I’m excited for the opportunity to have a summer internship at the Pacific Northwest section, and hope it leads me to my career goal of someday working for the PGA Tour. Looking forward to a great summer!”

CLICK HERE for the Oregon Open Invitational Team Entry

~Tournament Format~

Entry into the championship will be four-man teams comprised of two professionals and two amateurs.  You will need to make your own team.

Teams will play together for the first 36 holes.  Over those 36 holes there will be two team competitions: best 2 net of the 4, and each professional will play a net four-ball with one of his amateurs.

The championship will still be 54 holes stroke play with professional and amateur purses as in the past.   After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 70 PLAYERS and ties.

~History of the Oregon Open Invitational~

This championship dates back to 1905 when George Smith was the first to win the title. Over the years a number of fantastic players have won the championship such as Tommy Armour, Chuck Congdon, Al Zimmerman, Bob Duden, Rick Acton, and PGA Tour Player Peter Jacobsen. It was considered a PGA Tour event in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

~Broken Top Club~

Broken Top Club situated a little over a mile from downtown Bend opened in 1993, designed by the architectural duo of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish.  Situated at 3,600 feet in elevation its course offers players varying textures and elevation changes.  Holes weave their way through dense woods, across open meadow, desert floor as well as on top of exposed rock.

Broken Top has been recognized and nominated by Golf Digest for numerous awards which included “Best in the State”, Best “New in the Nation” and ranked by Golfweek magazine among “Americas 100 Best Modern” courses.

CLICK HERE to view past champions of the Oregon Open Invitational

Hope to see you all at Broken Top Club in June!

This summer we are returning to the Camp and are asking golf professionals in the Pacific Northwest Section to give back to this wonderful organization. Please consider volunteering four hours of YOUR time to visit the Camp and introduce golf to campers, ages 7-16, using SNAG and conventional golf equipment.

Three (3) instructors are needed on the following Monday afternoons from 12:30 to 4:30:

• June 25
• July 2
• July 9
• July 16
• July 23
• July 30
• August 6

Instructors can expect a maximum 4:1 child/teacher ratio. Most campers have physical limitations but are assisted by one or two chaperone/assistants at all times. Golf Professionals that assist will receive a $100 teaching stipend from the Western Washington Chapter – PGA as part of its Golf In-Schools program.

Please show your support of this week’s tournament and give back to this wonderful organization. Please contact Dan Harrington at undrpar1@yahoo.com or (253) 473-3033 to sign-up for one of these dates.

Thank You!!

Dan Harrington, PGA
Western Washington Chapter – PGA Secretary

For more information on Camp Korey go to www.campkorey.org.

Monte grew up in golf during high school in Beaverton, OR, Koch and he began working as a greenskeeper at Heron Lakes GC in Portland, OR in 1991. After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration/Marketing and PGA PGM degree from New Mexico State University, Monte joined the professional side of the business. He has served in a variety of facilities including private, semi-private, daily fee facilities and a regional management company.

In service to the Association as a Board member, a committee chairman and a Section Officer, Koch is a two-time Section award winner, including the Bill Strasbaugh Award (for service to his Association,) and the Golf Professional of the Year Award.

As the first “field rep” for the PGA of America in the PNW Section, Koch takes his role very seriously and sees it as an opportunity to make a difference for the PGA members in the Section. Monte’s focus will be on helping Section members and apprentices expand their outreach to women, minorities and junior golfers, while underscoring golf as a game for everyone. In short, Koch’s central goal is to “localize” Golf 2.0 effectively and positively, all in the business of driving new players, retaining core players and bringing back lapsed players to the great game of golf…Golf is Fun, Play More Golf!

Monte presently resides in Kent, WA with his wife, Karen, and four beautiful children, Mitchell, Mason, Madeline and Miller.

Monte can be reached at 206-335-5260 or via email at mkoch@pgahq.com

CLICK HERE for the Rosauers Open Invitational professional entry

CLICK HERE for the Rosauers Open Invitational amateur entry

~History of the Rosauers Open Invitational~

The Rosauers Open Invitational has been on a part of the PNW PGA tournament program since 1988.  The famed golf tournament has been hosted at one of Washington’s most desired places to play, Indian Canyon GC.  Gary Lindeblad has been the PGA Professional at Indian Canyon since 1984.  He surprised his hometown fans with a victory back in 1990, which is a rarity to golf tournaments played on your home golf course.

We have had some amazing champions since the event started.  Jeff Coston holds the record for the most wins (1997, 2006, and 2008).  Other notable past champions are Rob Gibbons (1991), Bill Porter (1999), Todd Erwin (2000), Casey McCoy (2001), and our 2009 Rosauers champion Corey Prugh who set the tournament record of 192.  The record was previously held at 193 by Scott Johnson (2004) and Ryan Benzel (2005).  We’ll see who gets to add their name to a long list of amazing champions this July.

Last year, PGA Professional Corey Prugh of Manito G&CC won his second Rosauers Open title in three years thanks to an eagle on the par 5 18^th  hole to cap off a final round 63.  Prugh’s eagle finish allowed him to overtake PGA Professional Tim Feenstra of Broadmoor GC on the final hole to claim his victory.

~Indian Canyon GC~

Indian Canyon was built in 1935 for $200,000.  H. Chandler Egan, a member of the PNGA Hall of Fame, crafted the Canyon’s layout over the well treed hillside southwest of theSpokane River.

Indian Canyon hosted the 1941 and 1984 Public Links Championships.  When Bill Welch was victorious in 1941, he concluded “After I played Indian Canyon, I never wanted to go back to Texas again.  I never saw a golf course that beautiful in my whole life…. I did return toTexas, but only to pack my bags and move toSpokane.”

This municipal track has been annually rated among Golf Digest’s “Best Public Courses”, “Best Affordable Courses”, “Best Golf Courses You Can Play”, “Best in State” and taken individually, some holes rank with the best holes found on any course – public or private – in the region. Indian Canyon’s lofty acclaim is well deserved.

CLICK HERE to view past champions of the Rosauers Open Invitational.

• Keating Wins Senior Players’ Championship
• New Faces in the Section Office
• The Candidates for Section Secretary on Golf 2.0
• Get ready for the Rosauers Open Invitational
• Meet Monte Koch
• Are You a Digger or a Picker?
• Senior Points Standings
• On Road Trips and Retirement

Cruise Specialists and Holland America Line (Proud Title Sponsors of the 2012 WWC PGA Pro-Member Series) are pleased to present the 2012 Destination Cruise for the PNW PGA Section.
Click here for entry form

The beautiful 5 Star ms Nieuw Amsterdam (Holland America Line’s newest — built in 2010) will be the host Cruise Ship for the Western Caribbean cruise, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday November 11, 2012.

The cruise features 4 ports of call, and two relaxing days at sea during the 7 day cruise.  The first stop is at Holland America Line’s private island paradise, Half Moon Cay, followed by a day at sea.

The first golf outing (optional — but will include an event/tournament) is in Ocho Rios, Jamaica on November 14, 2012.  The guests who are golfing will be transferred from the ship to Upton Golf Club, one of the finest golf clubs in the Caribbean.  This outstanding golf facility features sweeping views of the sea and mountains.

The next day, it’s “North Sound Golf Club” in Georgetown, Grand Cayman.  Again, panoramic vistas of the Caribbean sea are prevalent throughout this first class golf club.  North Sound features “links style” golf for those that choose to play golf on this cruise.

A stop in Mahogany Bay, Honduras is followed by another wonderful day at sea before the ship returns to Fort Lauderdale on November 18, 2012.

Participants will receive a tee prize package from TaylorMade.

This trip is an incredible value, hope you will join us this November! Click here for entry form.

PGA Professional Jeff Coston of Semiahmoo G&CC and PGA Professional Jeff Fought of Black Butte Ranch GC tied for third place at 145.

Winning the Four-Ball competition is PGA Professional Jeff Fought of Black Butte Ranch and his amateur Randy Fisher of Shadow Hills CC.  They fired 65-134 to win by four strokes.

There were three different competitions taking place at the Senior Players’ Championship.   There was an individual professional, individual amateur and four-ball competition.  All competitions are based on gross scores.

Consistently ranked among the best-conditioned courses in the state, Indian Summer Golf & Country Club has hosted the 1995 Washington Open Invitational, the 1996 Washington State Amateur Open, and 1996 and 1997 Nike Tour events.  Nike players voted it “Best of Nike Tour” and Golf Digest consistently names it one of the “Top Ten Courses in Washington.”  The course opened in April of 1992 and continues to be one of the Northwest’s premier private clubs.  Much of the credit for the highly rated course belongs to internationally acclaimed architect, Peter L.H. Thompson.  His ability to create a sense of “place” and to subtly remind golfers that they are part of a special environment is apparent throughout Indian Summer G&CC.  Head PGA Professional Steven Borror and the OKI Golf management team are excited to be hosting this week.

CLICK HERE to view the final results of the Senior Players’ Championship.

CLICK HERE for the Washington Open Championship team entry.

The format for the Washington Open Invitational includes a team competition – the popular Net Four-Ball.  Professionals and amateurs will use 70% of their adjusted handicap.  With this format and the separate amateur tees, there will be no individual amateur competition.  Professionals will play at approximately 6,525 yards; male amateurs at approximately 6,257 yards; and ladies at 5,678 yards.

Players will receive continental breakfast and lunch the first two days of the championship at Glendale CC and also a tee prize package from Callaway Golf.

~The Korey at the Washington Open Invitational~

The official beneficiary of the The Korey at the Washington Open Invitational is CampKorey, a special place dedicated to kids who are dealing with life-threatening illnesses.  Through the pro-am sponsorships and teams, our 2011 event alone helped raise over $580,000.  Our goal is to raise more than $500,000 annually to support the work of this great organization.  For more information on CampKorey, go to http://www.campkorey.com/.

~History of the Washington Open Invitational~

The Washington Open Invitational dates back to 1922.  In that year, young Al Espinosa captured the crown at Yakima CC.  Some big names have won this event over the years including the Zimmerman brothers, Al and Emery, along with Chuck Congdon, Al Mengert, Senior Tour Player Rick Acton and PGA Tour Player Fred Couples.

There have been some amazing champions since the event started.  Chuck Congdon holds the record for the most wins (39, 47, 50, 52, and 62) while Al Mengert holds the record for the most consecutive wins (63, 64, and 65).

Last year, PGA Professional Tim Feenstra of Broadmoor GC won the 85th Washington Open Invitational at Glendale CC.  Feenstra previously won the Washington Open in 2007.  His score of 200 set a new tournament record for the Washington Open Invitational which was set back in 1976 by PGA Professional Chuck Milne at Meridian Valley CC.

Tim Feenstra and his amateur partner Greg Stark of Broadmoor GC won the team competition last year after posting rounds of 65-59-65-189.  They won by five strokes over PGA Professional Tom Staskus and Brian Patton of Capital City GC.  

~History of Glendale CC~

Glendale CC opened its doors in 1956 and was designed by local architect Al Smith. There have been several design improvements over the years and the newer designs come from renowned golf course architect John Harbottle III. Glendale CC is the site of twelve previous Washington Open Championships and offers an excellent test for the amateur and professional alike. The course has tough tree-lined fairways and two creeks that come in and out of play on a few holes. 

CLICK HERE to view Past Champions of the Washington Open Invitational

Sign Up Now for this Popular Event!

Our 38th annual destination event will take place on January 10-January 17, 2013.  We are returning to Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island for 7 days of surf, sun and golf.

Sign up now and reserve your spot!

The entry fee includes: round trip economy air fare, seven nights stay at Mauna Lani Bay Resort (Ocean View), a couple of welcome reception and awards dinners, three rounds of golf and carts at Mauna Lani Resort (North and South courses), payouts and shuttle service to and from the airport (for group air participants).

Click here for a flier that you can print & share.