September 7, 2010 - Cle Elum, Wash. - Thirty-nine mid-amateurs are competing for three spots into the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at the Prospector Course at Suncadia in Cle Elum, Wash.  The U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship will be September 25-30 at Atlantic GC in Bridgehampton, NY.

In the Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Lisa Smego of Olympia, Wash. came from 2-strokes behind at the beginning of the round and finished it with a very impressive 11 stroke victory. Smego who is just coming back to competitive golf after a back surgery did not even expect to be playing golf yet, let alone winning championships.

Denise Kieffer from University Place, Wash. leads the Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship heading into tomorrow’s final round after an opening score of 5-over par 77. Kieffer, who won the Inaugural WSGA Champion of Champions last fall had three birdies on her card today but was offset with two doubles and four bogeys. In second place, two strokes back is Lisa Smego of Olympia, Wash. who fired a 7-over par 79 today. Ginny Burkey sits alone in third place and will round out the final group tomorrow after a round of 9-over par 81 today.

Pullman, Wash. (Tuesday, August 3, 2010) – Nick Ellis from East Wenatchee, Wash. took medalist honors in today’s 36-hole qualifier after rounds of 68-67 for a total of 9-under par 135 at Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Wash.

The Home Course - August 3-4

Palouse Ridge GC - August 3

Jerry Fehr is one of those rare golfers. Like the Energizer Bunny, the 76-year-old just keeps going and going and going . . . The longtime amateur doesn’t compete in big tournaments anymore, but he certainly keeps playing.

Jeff Thomsen a very accomplished player/instructor from Boise, Idaho led the field with a 2-under par 70 on the 6903 yard, par 72 layout. On a day where scores seemed unusually high, Thomsen made it look easy with a single bogey on the par-4 2nd hole and three birdies coming on holes 1,2 and 11. Thomsen is a Boise native who was a 2-time All-American at Arizona State University before turning professional in 1976. After stints on the Australian/New Zealand, European PGA, and Asian PGA Tours, Thomsen found his home on the PGA Tour from 1979-1982 where he played 55 events. In his career, Thomsen has played in four Major Championships including the ’78 British Open, ’83 U.S. Open, and the ’90 and ’98 (Sahalee Country Club) PGA Championships.

Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash. was the low amateur in the field and claimed the second qualifying spot after a solid round of even par 72 which included three birdies on holes 1, 13 and 16 and three bogeys on holes 3, 6, and 18. Brandes who has been a career amateur is becoming a very familiar face around this championship qualifier as he lost in a playoff for first alternate in 2007, lost in a playoff for the final qualifying spot in 2008, was then medalist in 2009 and went on to play the U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana and now qualified for the 2010 Championship as well.

In the Senior Amateur Championship, Alison Murdoch of Victoria, B.C. and a member of Homestead Farms Golf Resort finished off a wire-to-wire win after a final round of 1-over par 73 giving her a 54-hole total of even par 216 and a three stroke victory. Murdoch was very steady all day making just two bogeys at holes 5 and 18 with a lone birdie on hole 7 and the rest pars.

Jeff Coston, a golf professional from Blaine, Wash. took Medalist honors after leading the field with a 4-under par 67 which included five birdies and just one bogey. Coston will now advance to Sectional Qualifying where he will try and punch a ticket to the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, which happens to be the location of his only other U.S. Open Championship appearance in 2000 where he made the cut and finished in 53rd place.

The good news for junior golfers today is that there are many opportunities for them to hone their games by competing against other junior golfers on tours devoted to junior golfers or in local, state and national competitions limited to junior golfers. The bad news is that it can be very expensive to travel around the country to participate in several competitions. Fortunately, the USGA Rules of Amateur Status allow junior golfers to receive help with these costs.