Frank Garber of Kirkland, Wash. and Spencer Weiss of Sammamish, Wash. teamed together to take medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball qualifier held today at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Wash. They combined for a score of 11-under par 61. The championship proper will be held May 21-25 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducted this qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
Garber and Weiss are both sophomores and teammates on the men's golf team at the University of Washington. Garber was a two-time recipient of the WSGA Junior Boys' Player of the Year award (2012, 2013), and won the 2013 PNGA Junior Boys' Amateur as well as the Washington Junior Golf Association state title four times (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011).
Along with Garber and Weiss, also advancing from this qualifier are the duo of Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho and Aaron Whalen of Ephrata, Wash., who are teammates on the men's golf team at Washington State University, where Bayley is a sophomore and Whalen is a freshman. Whalen sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to earn the second qualifying spot for the duo.
Last spring Whalen had won the Washington 2A High School Championship, and made it to the Round of 32 in the 2015 PNGA Men's Amateur. Bayley won the 2012 PNGA Amateur Public Links, and played in the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur and qualified for the 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links.
The U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship marks its second playing in 2016, and is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
