Team IGA Wins PNGA Cup; BC Golf Runner-Up With WSGA
The Host Association, Team IGA, Won Their First PNGA Cup With A Stirring Final Day Performance In The Singles Matches - Image Courtesy PNGA
Federal Way, Wash. - Serving as the host golf association in the 12th Annual PNGA Cup held this past week at TimberStone Golf Course in Caldwell, Idaho, Team IGA ran away in the final day's Singles matches to seal their first victory in the history of the competition.
Team IGA (Idaho Golf Association) took a slim half-point lead going into the final Singles matches, after earning three points in the first round morning Four-Ball matches and 3.5 points in the afternoon's Foursomes matches.
Teams WSGA (Washington State Golf Association) and BC Golf (British Columbia Golf) were tied for second after Day One, at six points each, and Team OGA (Oregon Golf Association) was one point behind the leader.
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Team IGA won an astonishing 8.5 points in the final day Singles matches for a combined tally of 15 points, and pulled away from second-place finishers Team OGA and Team BC Golf, who both finished with 11.5 points, while Team WSGA compiled 10 points over the two days of competition.
Early in the final day's matches, Team IGA started to lose some ground, but when Jeff Anderson and Rod Skyles, who were the fifth and sixth matches out on the course, both won their matches for the IGA by margins of 4 and 3 each, the momentum swung back in favour of the home team. The team closed out the competition by winning three of the last five matches, with Kareen Markle sealing a 4 and 3 victory over Team WSGA's Leslie Folsom.
Each of the other teams had won the PNGA Cup at least once, so for Team IGA to win their first Cup on their home soil, it was especially gratifying for the team members.
The PNGA Cup was created in 2006 by past PNGA President Dr. Jack Lamey as a way of continuing the friendship and partnership of the region's allied associations under the PNGA umbrella - British Columbia Golf, Idaho Golf Association, Oregon Golf Association and Washington State Golf Association.
The annual Ryder Cup-style competition is held on a rotating basis throughout the four Associations under the PNGA umbrella, with this year's event being held in Idaho and hosted by the Idaho Golf Association. This was the third PNGA Cup held in Idaho.
Each association selects a 12-person team consisting of eight men and four women. The representation includes four mid-amateur men of 25 years of age or older, two men of 40 years or older, two senior men of 55 years or older, two mid-amateur women of 25 years or older and two senior women of 50 years or older.
The two-day competition includes four-ball and foursome matches the first day and singles matches on the second and final day. With three matches for each player, the championship allows each competitor to compete against players from each of the other associations. With both men's and women's scores used to determine the team result, it is the only known event of its kind in the U.S.
For a complete roster of this year's PNGA Cup for all four associations, please click here.
Opened in 2011, TimberStone Golf Course has already been the site of numerous statewide championships, and in 2017 will host, besides the PNGA Cup, the IGA Match Play State Championship and IGA Mid-Amateur State Championship.
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.