BC’s Wilson Comes From Behind To Win Pacific Northwest Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship
Brent Wilson Of Cobble Hill On Vancouver Island, BC Was The Come-From-Behind Winner In The PNGA Men's Mid-Am At Bear Mountain, Making It Basically A Home-Town Victory - Image Courtesy PNGA
courtesy PNGA
Victoria, B.C. – Brent Wilson of Cobble Hill, B.C. shot a final round 1-under-par 70 to come from behind and win the 31st Pacific Northwest Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
The 54-hole stroke-play championship was held on the Valley Course at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C., and was conducted by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA).
Wilson, 33, had started the day a shot behind co-leaders Erik Hanson of Kirkland, Wash. and Rob Olson of Victoria, B.C.
With all three players paired together in the last group in the day's final round, Wilson had his work cut out for him, with Hanson already having won the 2015 Pacific Northwest Master-40 Championship, and Olson perhaps having an edge, being the current club champion at Bear Mountain.
Wilson had stumbled in the championship’s opening round, shooting a 5-over-par 76. “I was just thinking, get back into red numbers and maybe I can get into one of the last couple of groups for the last round,” he said. He did that and more in the second round when he started eagle-birdie-birdie and never looked back, blistering the course for a 6-under-par 65 to vault into contention, setting up the stellar final round.
“It means a lot to me, personally,” he said, when asked what this win means to him. “This is the biggest event I’ve ever won. And to do it in my home town and in front of friends and family, it’s a great feeling. I was definitely hitting the ball well all week, hitting a lot of fairways and greens. I thought I was going to have to go a little lower today (to win), but when I saw Erik and Rob struggling on the front nine, and I knew I just needed to make pars and I’d be okay.”
Hanson and Olson both struggled in the final round, and Wilson took command of the championship. He was the only player in the field to finish under par, finishing four shots ahead of Olson, who came in second.
Watch Wilson’s post-round interview here.
A member at Victoria’s Gorge Vale Golf Club, Wilson has been a consistent contender in the region’s amateur championships, qualifying for Team BC in the 2012 PNGA Cup and representing British Columbia in the 2014 International Amateur Championship in Lima, Peru.
Last week he competed in the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship in Nova Scotia. This is the first PNGA championship that Wilson has competed in as an individual.
The PNGA was founded on February 4, 1899. It is a 501c3 charitable, international, amateur golf association dedicated to preserving the true spirit of golf by supporting its allied associations, conducting quality championships, and promoting activities beneficial to golfers in the Pacific Northwest. For more than a century, the Association has been a pioneer in developing competitions and services and its mission has grown and evolved. Today, the PNGA remains committed to being a truly regional organization providing benefits and services to its members and member clubs throughout the Northwest.
For complete final results, visit www.thepnga.org. To stay connected on social media, follow @PNGALIVE on Twitter and use the hashtag #PNGAMensMidAm.
31st Pacific Northwest Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship
Westin Bear Mountain Resort – Valley Course
Victoria, B.C., 6487 yards, Par 71
1. Brent Wilson, Cobble Hill, BC, 76-65-70--211
2. Rob Olson, Victoria, BC, 71-69-75--215
T3. Michael Kloenne, West Linn, Ore., 71-73-72--216
T3. Bjorn Bjorke, Port Orchard, Wash., 72-76-68--216
T3. Reid Hatley, Hayden Lake, Idaho, 76-72-68--216
T6. Sean Packer, Seattle, Wash., 73-73-71--217
T6. Kevin Carrigan, Victoria, BC, 74-70-73--217
T6. Michael McAleer, Vancouver, BC, 68-74-75--217
9. Tyler Matthews, Bellevue, Wash., 73-73-73--219
T10. Erik Hanson, Kirkland, Wash., 69-71-80--220
T10. Zach Belitsky, Victoria, BC, 72-73-75--220