BLACK BUTTE RANCH, ORE. ­­– The 2nd Oregon Amateur Four-Ball Championship, the OGA’s newest event featuring teams of two in a best-ball format, will begin this weekend and take place August 26-29 at Black Butte Ranch – Big Meadow in Black Butte Ranch, Ore.

This will be the second-annual event, as last year’s Inaugural Championship was held at Eagle Crest Resort – Ridge Course in Redmond. There will be three divisions – Open, Women, and Senior Men’s.

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All three defending champions are in this year’s field. Trevor Harding/BrentMcKee (Portland, Ore.) in the Open Division; Amanda Jacobs/Gretchen Johnson (Portland, Ore.) in the Women’s Division, and Stein Swenson/Carey Watson (Bend, Ore.) in the Senior Men’s Division.

Last year’s runners-up to Harding/McKee in the Open Division, Jim Dunlap/Jay Poletiek (Beaverton/Happy Valley, Ore.), will be looking to take it one step further this year. The two qualified for the Inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball back in 2015.

Also in the Open field is the side of Calum Hill/Trevor Yu (Corvallis, Ore.) – Yu is a rising junior on the Oregon State Men’s Golf Team, while Hill recently finished his collegiate career at Oregon State. The 2016 semifinal squad of Chris Dukeminier/Will Snow (Portland, Ore./Vancouver, Wash.) are back, as well as the squad of Blake Seabaugh/JC Riter (Tigard/Portland, Ore.). Seabaugh, the 2009 Oregon Amateur champion, advanced to the semifinals of this year’s Oregon Amateur, while Riter advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s Oregon Amateur Four-Ball with playing partner Chris Polski.

In the Women’s Division, the Jacobs/Johnson tandem have had a successful 2017 individually. Johnson won this year’s OGA Tournament of Champions and was runner-up at the PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. She also qualified this week for the 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Jacobs finished runner-up at the 2017 Oregon Women’s Amateur, was a semifinalist at the PNGA Women’s Mid-Amateur, and finished either third or T3 at two more OGA events this year – the Oregon Women’s Mid-Amateur and OGA Tournament of Champions.

Last year’s runner-up in the Women’s Division, Ginny Burkey (Eugene, Ore.), will be playing with a new partner this year in Leilani Norman (Eugene, Ore.). Burkey recently finished runner-up in last week’s Oregon Senior Women’s Stroke Play, while Norman is a two-time champion of the Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Also playing is last year’s pairing of Debbie Friede/Katy Wright (Washougal/Camas, Wash.), and Amy Anderson/Kailin Downs (Oregon City/Bend, Ore.). Downs is the Women’s Golf Coach at Portland State and the 2002 Oregon Women’s Amateur champion.

The Senior Men’s Division will feature the two finalists from last year’s final – along with defending champions Swenson/Watson, the side of David Lydell/Mark Bowler (Beaverton/Portland, Ore.) will be searching for a title this year.

Scott Hval/Randy Mahar (Portland, Ore.) is an impressive duo looking to make noise in their first Oregon Four-Ball Championship. Hval is a three-time Oregon Senior Amateur champion, while Mahar has won the Oregon Senior Men’s Stroke Play twice. Also in the field is the side of Mike Kloenne/Terry Paresi (West Linn/Oregon City, Ore.), who advanced to the semifinals in last year’s competition.