Bainbridge Island’s Carl Jonson knows the list of Pacific Northwest Men’s Amateur champions – particularly the year of 1974.
It was when his father, Ed, won the title.
Nothing would mean more than joining a list that includes not only his father, but also Tiger Woods (first men’s amateur title in 1994), Jim McLean, Rick Fehr, Ben Crane and others.
On Saturday, the UNLV sophomore-to-be will have that opportunity. The top-seeded Jonson meets Shotaro Ban, a California-Berkeley golfer from San Jose, Calif., in the 36-hole championship match at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla.
“It will be a lot of fun,” Jonson said. “I am playing great. I have a great perspective on my game, and I am going to be patient. I love this golf course, and I can’t stop raving about it.”
After dispatching of Seattle’s Blake Snyder, 4 and 3, in the quarterfinals, Jonson had a more difficult time against Nicholas Chianello, the reigning Oregon Men’s Amateur champion who plays at Oregon State.
Jonson saw his 3-up advantage reduced to a 1-up lead entering the final hole, a long par 5 at Wine Valley Golf Club.
Chianello got in trouble off the tee, landing his drive in the high grass on the right side – but escaped by getting his approach near the front of the green.
Jonson hit a monster drive, and an even better approach shot – landing a 7-iron from 184 yards within 7 feet of the hole for eagle.
“I absolutely hit it perfect,” Jonson said.
Chianello lagged a 40-foot putt up close, and Jonson easily two-putted for the victory.
“Nick is a great player, but I played pretty solid. I never really made a mistake,” Jonson said. “I told myself, ‘Do not make mistakes, put it in play.’ If somebody was going to beat me, they had to beat me. I wasn’t going to give it to him.”
Ban ended the tournament title hopes of Olympia’s Jarred Bossio in the quarterfinals, 4 and 3. He went 4-up with an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole.
And in the semifinals, Ban never trailed against favored Rak Cho, the University of Oregon standout – and all but clinched the match when Cho made double bogey on the 15th hole to give Ban a 2-up lead.
MAGGERT GAINS STEAM
Troy Matteson shot a 3-under-par 68 for a one-stroke lead over Jeff Maggert and Brian Harman after two rounds of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill.
Maggert’s bogey-free round of 9-under 62 moved him from 39th place after the first round to a tie for second. He birdied half the holes at TPC Deere Run, including five of his last nine.
CHIP SHOTS
Lance Ten Broeck, a full-time caddie for Tim Herron and part-time player, shot a 68, putting him at 6-under 134 and one-shot ahead of first-round leader Tom Kite at the U.S. Senior Open in Lake Orion, Mich. … Phil Mickelson broke out of his slump with an 8-under 64 at the Scottish Open in Inverness, leaving him five shots off the second-round lead shared by Alexander Noren and Francesco Molinari.
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