Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash. was the only player to finish under par at the 28
th Washington State Senior Men's Amateur in winning his fourth consecutive title in the championship; while Gudmund Lindbjerg of Port Moody, B.C. cruised to an 8-shot victory in the 7
th Washington State Super Senior Men's Amateur.
Tom Brandes (L), winner of the Senior Men's Amateur, and Gudmund Lindbjerg, winner of the Super Senior Men's Amateur
Both championships were held concurrently at The Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim, Wash. and were conducted by the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA). Brandes started today's final round with a 3-shot lead and played the front nine in a solid even-par, but was being challenged by Tom Hale of Lakewood, Wash. who was 4-under par on the day after 13 holes and had cut Brandes' lead down to one shot. "I'm glad you guys had leaderboards out on the course," Brandes said. "I was playing okay and had a few nice birdie chances that didn't go in, but when I got to the 13
th tee and saw the scoreboard and Hale was one stroke behind me." Brandes would then birdie three of the next four holes to pull away. Hale, who earlier this summer had won the Washington State Men's Mid-Amateur, finished tied for second with Karl Smith of Gig Harbor, Wash., both finishing five shots behind Brandes.
Brandes, who has also been named the WSGA Senior Men's Player of the Year the past four years, is having another good season. Earlier this summer he qualified for both the U.S. Senior Amateur and the U.S. Senior Open, and finished runner-up in the Pacific Northwest Master-40 and the Pacific Northwest Senior Men's Amateur. He has also been selected to represent Washington in the upcoming USGA Men's State Team Championship. In the Super Senior Amateur, Lindbjerg had set the tone early, firing a 5-under par 67 in the first round - the low round of either championship - and building a 4-shot cushion after the second round. He was the only player in this championship to finish under par, finishing eight shots ahead of second-place finisher Shelton Washburn of Chimacum, Wash. Paired with Washburn in today's final round, Lindbjerg knew he didn't have to do too much. "My plan was just to shoot around par and not do anything stupid," he said. In
Last week Lindbjerg had won the Pacific Northwest Men's Senior Team Championship (with partner John Gallacher, who competed this week in the Senior Men's Amateur) that was held at Oregon's Sunriver Resort, then drove straight to Sequim for this championship. In explaining his two victories in the span of six days, Lindbjerg credited his new irons, "and this course seemed to suit my eye." Last year's champion, Jeff Remington of Edmonds, Wash., finished alone in third place, nine shots back of Lindbjerg.
