WSGA SELECTS TEAM TO COMPETE IN PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR

Federal Way, Wash. – The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) today announced the players that will represent the WSGA in the Morse Cup Team competition of the 42nd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship August 5-8 at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia.

The team will consist of Richard Lee of Bellevue, Jarin Todd of Woodinville, and Dan Whitaker of Cle Elum. Each of these selections were voted to be on the WSGA Team by the WSGA Board of Directors based on their accomplishments. The WSGA Team will try and pull off a victory, which is something that has only been done twice and it was done in back to back years in 2004 and 2005.

Richard Lee, 21, of Bellevue will be transferring to University of Washington as a junior after using two years of eligibility at Bellevue Community College. Lee just recently won the 2008 Washington State Men’s Amateur and then followed that win up with another victory at the Seattle City Amateur, successfully defending his title.

Jarin Todd, 21, of Woodinville will be entering his senior season at Sonoma State University. While at Sonoma State, Todd is a two-time NCAA DII Player of the Year and he has compiled seven collegiate tournament victories. He has also competed very well on the amateur circuit placing 13th at the 2008 Sahalee Players Championship and finishing runner-up to fellow WSGA Morse Cup teammate, Richard Lee, at the 2008 Washington State Men’s Amateur.

Dan Whitaker, 27, of Cle Elum will be competing on his second WSGA State Team. He competed in the Mexican Amateur last year as a part of the Washington State Golf Association Team. Whitaker was the 2007 US Mid-Amateur Runner-Up and just recently competed in the US Amateur Public Links, but lost in the Round of 32.

Royal Colwood was founded in 1913 and was designed by A.V. Macan, who at the time was the reigning BC Amateur champion. Royal Colwood has not only hosted many amateur events, but it has also hosted a T.P.S. Tour event, which is the tour that was the precursor to the Nationwide Tour. Currently Royal Colwood is one of four courses that hosts the Canadian Tour’s Victoria Open. The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship will be the biggest amateur event that Royal Colwood has hosted in its almost 100 year history.

The Pacific Coast Amateur Championship is one of the nation's premiere amateur golf championships. The championship is an individual competition conducted from Tuesday, August 5th through Friday, August 8th, with practice rounds on Sunday and Monday. A field limited to 84 players, participate Tuesday through Friday completing 18-hole rounds on all four days. There is no cut. The low 72-hole scorer wins a gold medal emblematic of the PCGA Individual Champion. Players finishing second through 10th also receive medals.

The Morse Cup Team Competition is held in conjunction with the individual competition as part of the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship since the tournament's rebirth in 1967. Each association that belongs to the Pacific Coast Golf Association designates three players as its Morse Cup team. The best two of three scores each day during the first two days of the 72-hole championship count for the team score. The Morse Cup team trophy was donated by Samuel F. B. Morse, founder and developer of Pebble Beach Company and Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Although its present history dates only from 1967, the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship’s roots make it one of the oldest amateur golf championships in American history. The first tournament was held on the links of San Francisco Golf Club at The Presidio, April 24-27, 1901. Championships were held annually through 1911, all being conducted in California except for the 1909 championship, which was held at Seattle Golf Club in Washington.

The Pacific Coast Amateur then ceased to exist, only to be reconstituted at Seattle Golf Club on August 10-12, 1967. The modern era of the PCGA occurred following a meeting of representatives of several golf associations throughout the western United States at Pebble Beach in November, 1965.

The objective of this meeting was to start a golf championship with the stature that would attract the attention of the USGA and display the ability of amateur golfers in the western United States for possible Walker Cup Team selection. Dr. Ed Updegraff of Tucson, Ariz., was the only western player who had recently participated (1963 and 1965) in the Walker Cup matches.

The Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Oregon and Arizona golf associations participated in the inaugural PCA Championship at Seattle Golf Club in 1967. Today, 18 member Pacific Rim golf associations comprise the Pacific Coast Golf Association.

For more information, including a list of players, teams, accomplishments and news, visit www.pacificcoastamateur.com.