Past Champions/Oregon Open/2018
Inglis Wins First Major at 2018 Oregon Open Invitational
By Nathan Pajutee, PNW PGA Tournament Intern
Situated brilliantly between the snow-capped mountains of Central Oregon, Aspen Lakes Golf Course played host to the 2018 Oregon Open Invitational. With its beautiful scenery and signature red cinder bunkers, the 7087-yard Par 72 course provided a fantastic venue for what became a conclusively dramatic tournament. Coming from behind, PGA Professional Colin Inglis of Emerald Valley GC birdied two of his final three holes to emerge victorious and claim his first PNW section major.
The first day of the tournament featured perfect weather and a plethora of low scores. David Ganz, an amateur from Gonzaga University, shot 5-under par 67 to take the first round lead. The leaderboard would be tremendously altered after round 2 however, as strong winds created a challenge for much of the field. Despite the conditions, PGA Professional Corey Prugh of Community Colleges of Spokane shot an exceptional 6-under par 66 and held a two-shot lead over Colin Inglis, who had impressively shot two straight rounds of 3-under par 69.
Weather conditions for the final round also featured blustery winds, creating more challenges for our leaders. Scores remained tight until the final few holes, where Inglis astonishingly birdied 16 and 17 to take a two-shot lead.
On this finish, Inglis said, “I started to get a little down on myself early on the back nine as I really wasn’t making any putts. I just knew if I kept giving myself chances eventually they were going to fall, and they finally did on 16 and 17. It was hard not to press but I did a good job staying patient. I knew if I could make par [Prugh] would have to make eagle to tie, and the 18th is a really hard hole to eagle with the dogleg.”
A par was exactly what Inglis needed on 18, as he claimed the 2018 Oregon Open Invitational and his first PNW Section major. Inglis, who has won two Oregon Chapter Championships said, “It is always a great feeling to win any golf tournament, however this is far beyond my other wins to be quite honest. There are just so many great PGA Professionals and amateurs in the Northwest, to win one of these you really have to play some good golf and stay sharp mentally.”
With this win, Inglis moves forward as a real contender going into the remaining tournaments of the summer. “I think this win just gives me more confidence going forward. Now I know I can win and play with the best players in our section, and that will help me in the future.”
We’d like to thank Aspen Lakes GC, our great sponsors, the volunteers, and all of our players for making the 2018 Oregon Open Invitational such a fantastic event. With their help, we were able to raise $3,030 for the Kids Center, a local charity that assists struggling youth in abusive situations. We’d also like to thank host professional Howie Pruitt, Superintendent Josh Knapp and his grounds crew, Rob Malone, and the Cyrus family for their help in providing an outstanding tournament experience.
As for the competitors, we look forward to seeing you all again at the next Oregon Open Invitational at Pronghorn Golf Club on June 18-20, 2019.