Moses Lake, Wash. – The 103rd Washington Men’s Amateur Championship is set to take place this week, June 25-27 at The Links at Moses Pointe in Moses Lake, Wash.
The championship will consist of 54 holes of stroke play, with the field of 120 cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes.
Championship Links:
The state’s premier men’s amateur championship, which is a counting event toward the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), traditionally attracts the region’s finest players. This year, the championship has been designated as an official USGA Exemption Event, and the winner will receive an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship.
This year’s championship received nearly 400 entries from those vying for a spot in the field of 120. There were 24 players who had accepted an exemption into the championship based on criteria previously set forth, and five 18-hole qualifiers were held around the state – at Lake Spanaway Golf Course in Tacoma, Latah Creek Golf Course in Spokane, The Home Course in DuPont, Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick and North Bellingham Golf Course in Bellingham – to fill out the remainder of the final field of 120.
Some of the players to watch in the Men’s Amateur include:
- Christian “Pono” Yanagi of Pullman: Won the 2023 Washington Men’s Amateur. Qualified and played in the 2023 U.S. Amateur. Played five years on the Washington State University Men’s Golf Team.
- Max Herendeen of Bellevue: 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and unanimous First Team All-Big Ten. Runner-up at the 2023 Sahalee Players Championship. Ranked No. 64 in WAGR.
- Johnny Carey of Seattle: Finished T-2 and won low amateur at the 2024 Washington Open. Won the 2024 Snohomish County Amateur. Top-10 finish at the 2024 Washington Men’s Champion of Champions.
- Mitch Baldridge of Fircrest: Won the 2024 Washington Men’s Champion of Champions by five shots. Won the 2018 PNGA Men’s Amateur.
The Washington Men’s Amateur is the longest-running continuously-held golf championship in the state. Its illustrious history traces the arc and the growth of the state’s golf community. Past champions include Fred Couples, Joel Dahmen, Alex Prugh, Brock Mackenzie, Kermit Zarley and John Bodenhamer, among many others. Complete information and full list of past champions can be found here.
The Men’s Amateur is one of 14 championships conducted annually by WA Golf.