Soap Lake, Wash. – The opening rounds of both the 69th Washington Men’s and 32nd Senior Men’s Four-Ball championships were completed today at Lakeview Golf and Country Club in Soap Lake, Wash. This marks the first time Lakeview has hosted either championship.
Championship Links:
In the Men’s Four-Ball, the teams of Andrew Von Lossow (Spokane) / Reid Hatley (Hayden Lake, Idaho) and Benjamin Barrett / Teagan Brill (both Spokane) are tied for the lead after opening rounds of 65, 7-under par. Hatley has won this championship twice since 2023, including last year when paired with Nate Plaster. Von Lossow is a three-time WA Golf Men’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year. Brill, a high school senior, won the 2023 PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur and is committed to Seattle University. Barrett, also wrapping up his high school career, is set to begin playing at Northwest Nazarene University this year.
In the Senior Men’s Four-Ball, Michael Swingle (Carnation) and Ted Himka (Bellevue) lead after a 65 of their own. Swingle won the 1988 PNGA Men’s Amateur and had a fine career at the University of Washington, and more recently won the PNW PGA Senior Players’ Championship as an amateur in 2021. Himka also has a 1980’s title to his name – the 1984 Washington Men’s Amateur – and could be in position to get a new title 42 years later.
One shot behind Swingle and Himka is the team of Erik Hanson (Kirkland) and Tom Brandes (Bellevue), who both are PNGA Hall-of-Famers and won the Senior Men’s Four-Ball in 2022.
The Washington Men’s and Senior Men’s Four-Balls are two of 14 championships held annually by WA Golf.
