Eugene Area Players Claim Division Titles at 19th Oregon Pub Links
CRESWELL, ORE. (AUGUST 14, 2016)–In the end, it was the local talent that took control on Championship Sunday at the 19th Oregon Public Links Championship at Emerald Valley Golf Club. However, the storylines for the Men’s and Women’s Divisions could not have been more different, as one featured a runaway champion, and one saw a herd of players battling it out until the end.
In the Men’s Championship Division, former Northwest Christian University (NCU) player Calvin Green (Springfield, Ore.) and current NCU player Joshua Goins (Lebanon, Ore.) were tied at one-over par 143 at the end of regulation. Green followed up his opening round 2-under 69 with a three-over 74, while Goins paired his opening round of one-under 71 with a two-over par 73. Both players made par the first playoff hole before Green defeated Goins with a par on the second playoff hole to claim his first Oregon Public Links Championship. After the playoff, Green offered his sentiment to the win: “These people [at Emerald Valley] are my second family, so to do it here, to do it back home, it’s a treasure.” Three players tied for third place at two-over par 144, including first round leader Jake Quast (Medford, Ore.), who fell back on Sunday with a five-over par 77.
In the Men’s Open Division, Billy Anderson (Eugene, Ore.) started the day one shot behind, but surged into first place with a one-under par 71, for a two-day total of four-over par 148. This is the second year in a row that Anderson has won the Men’s Open title. Jonah Pemberton (Portland, Ore.) was one shot behind with a total of five-over par 149. Jeff Harrington and Ken Smolek (Eugene, Ore.) tied at thirteen-over par 157, good for third in the division.
San Diego State player Haleigh Krause completed a wire-to-wire victory in the Women’s Division, following up her first round four-under par 68 with a three-over par 75. Her two day total of one-under par 143 total was good enough to win her first Oregon Public Links title by seven shots. “This summer has been a little bit of a struggle,” said Krause after her round. “I haven’t been hitting the ball very well, so it was awesome to get a bunch of greens in regulation and a bunch of putts to start falling going into the fall season.” Eastern Washington University-bound Madalyn Ardueser (Eugene, Ore.) finished in second place with a six-over par 150 total, and University of Oregon player Brooke Hamilton (Mt. Roskill, NZ) claimed third place, finishing at seven-over par 151.
OGA Championship action continues August 27th with the Inaugural Oregon Four-Ball Championship at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond, Ore.
