Brian Mogg of Issaquah, Wash., fired a 5-under-par 65 in today’s second round of the 92nd Washington State Amateur to break through a logjam at the top of the leaderboard, and will take a 2-shot lead over four players heading into tomorrow’s final round.
The three-day 54-hole championship is being held this week at the par-70 Gamble Sands course in Brewster, Wash., and is conducted by the Washington State Golf Association (WSGA).
Championship links:
After shooting 6-under 64 in yesterday’s first round, Mogg had started the day tied for the lead with Michael Butler of Bellingham, Wash. and Michael Almonte of Fircrest, Wash. Both Almonte and Butler shot 3-under 67s in today’s second round, and sit two shots back of Mogg. Also tied for second are Ryan Maine of Spokane and RJ Manke of Lakewood, Wash.
There are 18 players within six shots of the lead, heading into tomorrow’s final round.
Playing in one of today’s final groups in the heat of the afternoon, Mogg again got his round off to a hot start, with birdies on his first three holes, and then bookended it with birdies on holes 15, 16 and 17.
“Yes, it definitely was toasty out there today,” Mogg said afterward, about the playing conditions. “Very different, but I had one of my best friends on my bag today, Dakota (who played football for Washington State University), so we had a good time out there.”
About the warm weather, Mogg said the ball was going further than normal. “Yes, the heat really made a difference in club selection. I hit some shots that ended up 20-30 yards further than normal, so we were trying to take that into account all day.”
Mogg is a recent graduate of Washington State University where he starred four years on the men’s golf team, and his stellar play in 2018 has so far got him invitations to play in the Sahalee Players Championship and Pacific Coast Amateur earlier this summer, and last month made it to the Round of 32 in the PNGA Men’s Amateur.
After today’s second round, the 120-player field has been cut to the low 60 scores and ties for tomorrow’s final round. The first tee time tomorrow is 7:00 a.m., with the leaders teeing off at 10:10 a.m.
Temperatures at Gamble Sands reached 104 degrees today, and tomorrow is forecasted to reach 108 degrees.
The course normally plays to a par 72, but for this championship the fifth and 18 holes are being played as par 4s, rather than par 5s, with the fifth hole is playing as a 517-yard par 4, and the 18th hole as a 536-yard par 4.
Click here for full details on the championship.
Click here to watch course architect David McLay Kidd discuss how competitors can best play Gamble Sands in this year’s championship. And click here to watch Gamble Sands’ General Manager Brady Hatfield discuss this year’s championship.
The state’s premier men’s amateur championship, which is a counting event toward the World Amateur Golf Ranking, traditionally attracts the region’s finest players.
Past champions of the Washington State Amateur include Fred Couples, Alex Prugh, Brock Mackenzie, Chris Williams, Kermit Zarley, John Bodenhamer, and Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Famers Al Mengert, Bud Ward, Jack Westland and Harry Givan, among many others.
Opened in 2014 and designed by David McLay Kidd, Gamble Sands was immediately tagged as the No. 1 “Best New Course” by both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine, and is currently No. 37 on Golf Digest’s “Top 100 Public Courses.” Gamble Sands is managed by OB Sports Golf Management.
Founded in 1922, the WSGA is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers. Serving over 69,000 individual members at more than 550 member golf clubs and 270 golf courses throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, the WSGA works to continually expand the game of golf to people of all backgrounds.
The WSGA also serves as a statewide representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.
To join the conversation on social media, follow WSGA Championships on Twitter @WSGAChampions and use the hashtag #WSGAMensAm for live tweets and updates.
M⛳️: Another good day for @WWUMGolf at the @WSGAChampions Men's Amateur, with Michael Butler tied for 2nd heading into Thursday's final round.
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) August 9, 2018
Results: https://t.co/wiJgRtf0zi pic.twitter.com/B1v1EjhOoL
Good luck to all former and current Zags in the final round of the Washington State Men’s Am @gamblesands tomorrow! #gozags pic.twitter.com/etL1N0i4wp
— Gonzaga Men's Golf (@gu_mgolf) August 9, 2018
.@Ewhagen16 and @johnsand99 both make the cut at the Washington State Am. Looking to make a push up the board on the final round! #letsDUit
— University of Denver Men’s Golf (@DU_MGolf) August 9, 2018
