50th Pacific Coast Amateur Set for Seattle Golf Club

Arnold Palmer layout acts as host for historic event; 87-player field all seeking the opportunity to raise Dr. Ed Updegraff Trophy as champion after 72 holes of stroke play 

PACIFIC COAST GOLF ASSOCIATION (Seattle, Wash)– The 50th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, hosted by the Washington State and Pacific Northwest golf associations, will take place at historic Seattle Golf Club from July 26-29, 2016.

Founded in 1900 with a 1996 redesign by Arnold Palmer, Seattle Golf Club has a history well deserving of hosting the Pacific Coast Amateur’s 50th installment, including the 1952 U.S. Amateur, 1961 Walker Cup, 1981 U.S. Senior Amateur and three Pacific Coast Amateurs (1967, 1987, 1999).

A world-class roster of amateur competitors will be taking part in the 72-hole, four-day stroke play competition in the hopes of raising the Dr. Ed Updegraff Trophy as champion. Without a defending champion, following Aaron Wise’s departure to the professional ranks, the trophy and accolades coupled with victory are up for grabs.

“Seattle Golf Club is going to be a fantastic venue for our 50th year,” stated Troy Andrew, executive director of the Pacific Coast Golf Association, the organizing body for the championship.

“The club has been preparing with vigor over the last number of months before we arrive. The generosity of their membership and the professionalism of their staff have been truly first class throughout the planning stages of the event. Not only are we excited to see the 50th event in our history get underway but I think the club is just as excited to see their picturesque club hold up against the world’s best amateurs.”

The field is headlined by 2015 Trans-Miss champion Collin Morikawa of La Canada-Flintridge, Calif., the World No. 1-ranked amateur according to Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking. Morikawa, a sophomore at UC-Berkeley, has quickly shot up the world rankings since finishing T27 at the Pacific Coast Amateur in Eugene one year ago.

Not to be forgotten as an early favorite is two-time Trans-Miss and U.S. Junior champion Will Zalatoris of Plano, Tex. Playing in the Pacific Coast Amateur for the second consecutive year, the Wake Forest standout ranked 13th by Scratch Players is hoping to build off an impressive T4 showing in last year’s championship to add another title to his growing résumé.

Past champion Corey Pereira of Cameron Park, Calif.; Rico Hoey of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho; and Woodlands, Texas native Frederick Wedel round out the early top-100 North American favorites.

Differing from years past, the 50th Pacific Coast Amateur has an incredibly strong international presence, with representation from seven different countries outside of North America, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England, the Philippines, Thailand and the Republic of South Korea. Many players with international backgrounds sit within the top-100 in the world.

Leading the way for the international contingent is a familiar face in KK Limbhasut of Bangkok, Thailand. Limbhasut held his own on a jam-packed leaderboard of talent at last year’s event, finishing 19th and is sure to be a favorite come Friday afternoon.

Other international players of note with accomplishments garnering Presidential Invitations into the field are a quartet of Australians including 2015 PNGA Men’s Amateur champion Anthony Quayle of the Gold Coast, 2015 Australian Amateur champion Cameron Davis of Sydney, Brett Coletta of Melbourne and Ferntree Gully’s Cameron John. There are a total of 10 players from Australia in the field.

Eight Washington residents will be competing in the field, including Andrew Whalen of Ephrata, Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Frank Garber of Kirkland, Eric Ansett of Spokane, Alistair Docherty of Vancouver, and a trio of Seattleites in Chris Babcock, Mike Wagner and Shawn McEachern. A Seattle Golf Club member, McEachern gained entry to the field by way of winning the Seattle Golf Club host qualifying spot.

All players will be vying for the individual Ed Updegraff Trophy, named after the longtime volunteer and standout amateur golfer who played on three Walker Cup teams (1963, 1965, 1969), won the inaugural Pacific Coast Amateur title at Seattle Golf Club in 1967 and was the 1999 Bob Jones Award recipient from the USGA.

Taking place concurrently with the first and second rounds will be the battle for the Morse Cup, a 36-hole stroke play team competition using predetermined rosters representing the 15 member associations of the Pacific Coast Golf Association. The defending champions of the Morse Cup are the contingent from the Northern California Golf Association.

Play for the 72-hole stroke play championship will begin on Tuesday, July 26 at 7:30 a.m. with practice rounds and a players’ banquet being held on Monday, July 25. Play will conclude with the individual champion being crowned on Friday, July 29.

The last player to win at Seattle Golf Club was Ryan LaVoie in 1999.

Spectators and media are welcome to attend with entrance being free of charge.