Jacob Koppenberg of Bellingham, Wash. shot rounds of 66-66 to earn medalist honors in leading the field of 71 players who competed today in 36-hole U.S. Amateur Sectional qualifying at the par-70 Lake Spanaway Golf Course in Tacoma, Wash.
Along with Koppenberg, the other player to advance from this qualifier is Ian Siebers of Bellevue, Wash., who shot rounds of 71-66.
Koppenberg and Siebers will now advance to the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship, which will be held August 13-19 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.
This is the fourth U.S. Amateur that Koppenberg has qualified for, having previously made it in 2008, 2015 and 2017. He played collegiately at Western Washington University in Bellingham. As a college player, he was the 2008 and 2009 GNAC Player of the Year and a two-time All-American after transferring from the University of Idaho. In 23 tournaments with WWU, Koppenberg recorded four wins and still holds the school record with a 71.40 career scoring average. He is now a volunteer assistant coach for the school’s men’s golf team, helping them to back-to-back GNAC championships in 2016 and 2017.
Siebers, just 16, was a member of the four-person Team Washington that won the 2016 Junior Americas Cup, held that year in Mexico. Earlier this year he won the WJGA Eastern Open, and won a WJGA Sub-District qualifier by shooting an 8-under-par 64.
The two alternates from this qualifier are Chase Carlson of Tacoma (first) and Cole Madey of West Linn, Ore. (second).
These were the only four players in today’s field to finish the 36 holes under par.
The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducted this Sectional qualifier for the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Click here for hole-by-hole scoring of this Sectional qualifier.
Founded in 1922, the WSGA is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers. Serving over 68,000 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 USGA and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.
