Chan Kim, a sophomore at Arizona State and the 2008 Arizona Amateur champion, birdied his final hole to win the 43rd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at The Gallery Golf Club in Tucson, Ariz.

Kim's 17-under-par 271 total was one stroke better than Zack Sucher, of Mobile, Ala., who held at least a share of the lead in each of first three rounds before losing it late to Kim.

Tacoma's Andrew Yun shot the day's best round – 7-under 65 – tying the course record, and finishing tied for fifth at 275.

In the three-play team competition, the Washington State Golf Association (Richard Lee, Jarin Todd and Dan Whitaker) won with a total of 281, edging the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (Andrew Putnam, Cameron Peck and Darren Wallce) by one stroke.

Next year's tournament will be held at Eugene Country Club.

T.J. Vogel, of Cooper City, Fla., shot a final-round 66 to win the 34th Junior PGA Championship at TPC River's Bend. His 16-under 272 total was two strokes better than Jordan Spieth, of Dallas.

University Place's James Feutz finished up his third round Friday morning and shot 78 to miss the cut.

This week: PGA Tour's Buick Open, Thursday through Sunday, Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich.

Moore's second-round score: 1-over-par 73.

Kelly's second-round score: 1-under 71.

Position: Moore (142) and Kelly (143) missed the cut. John Senden leads at 14-under 130.

Recap: Moore, of Puyallup, quickly got to 6-under for the tournament with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 12 through 14 before an untimely bogey at the par-4 15th started a four-bogey, no-birdie run the rest of the way. … Kelly had it worse on the 15th hole. He was 3-under and one stroke away from making the cut before driving in the right rough. He had to punch out and ended up with a double bogey.

Next: Kelly is in at the Reno-Tahoe Open starting Thursday at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nev. Moore is off next week, but will play in the PGA Championship starting Aug. 13 in Minnesota

This week: PGA Tour's Buick Open, Thursday through Sunday, Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich.

Moore's first-round score: 3-under-par 69.

Kelly's score: Even-par 72.

Position: Moore is tied for 44th, and Kelly is in a group in 116th. Steve Lowery leads after his opening 63.

Recap: This is a course to make birdies on. Only 25 of the 156 golfers didn't break par, so that was the good news for the Pierce County products. Moore, the Puyallup golfer, opened with a par-5 bogey, then made four birdies the rest of the way, including three on par-5 holes. … Kelly, a Tacoma native, was headed for an over-par round after bogeys at Nos. 2 and 6, but made up for it when he made a 52-foot birdie putt for eagle on the par-5 seventh.

Moore's tee time Friday: 5:12 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee.

Kelly's tee time Friday: 5:48 a.m. PDT off the first tee.

University Place's James Feutz needed to get off to a fast start Thursday at the 34th Junior PGA Championship, but didn't. He is 7-over through nine holes, and sits tied for 62nd.

The top 30 at TPC River's Bend make the cut.

Starting on the 10th tee, he again had his difficulty with the par-5 11th where he made one of his three double bogeys on the day. He has played the hole 7-over this week.

He'll finish up his third round, and likely his tournament, Friday morning.

This week: PGA Tour's Buick Open, Thursday through Sunday, Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club, Grand Blanc, Mich.

World rankings: Moore is 115th; Kelly 1,256th.

Moore's 2009 earnings: $997,727 (58th on the PGA Tour).

Kelly's 2009 earnings: $18,538 (238th on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: Moore played in four consecutive tournaments, and made the cut in all of them – capped by his tied-for-34th showing at the John Deere Classic in mid-July (8-under 276). And Puyallup golfer has been on fire, posting scores of par or better in 11 of his past 12 rounds. The UNLV All-American would crack the $1 million barrier for the fourth consecutive season if he makes the cut this week. … Kelly, a Tacoma resident, would like nothing more than to celebrate his 31st birthday Sunday with a huge paycheck. He missed the cut at last week's Canadian Open (even-par 144).

Moore's tee time Thursday: 10:12 a.m. PDT off the first tee with J.J. Henry and Dicky Pride.

Kelly's tee time Thursday: 10:48 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Jamie Lovemark and Roland Thatcher.

University Place's James Feutz knocked a few strokes off his score in the second round of the 34th Junior PGA Championship, but knows he'll have to make one huge jump to survive by day's end Thursday.

"A 65," he said.

As it stands, after his 4-over-par 76, Feutz, the sophomore at Bellarmine Prep, is tied for 56th at 13-over 157 – 23 strokes behind leader T.J. Vogel, of Florida.

The top 30 after Thursday's third round at TPC River's Bend in Ohio will make the cut. Feutz is seven strokes behind that right now.

"I felt like I hit shots well enough (Wednesday) to shoot a 65. Then I had a triple bogey on my 11th hole," he said.

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Nothing appeared wrong when University Place's James Feutz took the 10th tee to start the 34th Junior PGA Championship in Maineville, Ohio.

Soon, sweltering conditions caused him a bit of trouble Tuesday as he shot an opening 9-over-par 81 at TPC River's Bend.

The Bellarmine Prep sophomore is tied for 65th, and has some ground to make up to make the cut after the third round Thursday. But his father, Pat, gave him two encouraging words after the opener.

"Austin Hurt," said Feutz, referring to the Bainbridge Island golfer who opened with an 81 at the Washington State Amateur before rallying to win the championship last month.

Temperatures were already in the mid-90s when Feutz teed off. By the second hole, he said he was "sweating a bunch … and felt light-headed" – signs of dehydration.

"I played terrible the next six holes," he said.

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For a year, University Place's James Feutz has known he'd be in Cincinnati, Ohio this upcoming weekend for a family reunion.

Qualifying for the 34th Junior PGA Championship – one of junior golf's few major championships – down the road in the small town of Maineville was Feutz's stroke of good fortune.

Before 65 members starting showing up mid-week for the family gathering in Cincinnati, a few are planning on making a detour to TPC River's Bend in Maineville, some 15 miles away, to watch Feutz compete in his first major tournament.

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This week: PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open, Thursday through Sunday, Glen Abbey Golf Course, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Kelly's second-round score: 1-over-par 73.

Position: Kelly (even-par 144) missed the cut by four strokes. Jason Dufner (13-under 131) leads as players will play 36 holes Sunday.

Recap: After two days of weather-interrupted action, scoring conditions were fare Saturday, but Kelly did not take advantage of them (four bogeys, three birdies). He made bogeys at Nos. 4 and 5 to immediately go to 2-over, and never made a serious move thereafter.

Other scores: Olympia's Andres Gonzales (4-under 140) made the cut, and is tied for 47th. University of Washington golfer Nick Taylor missed the cut at 152 after his second-round 73.

Next: Buick Open starting Thursday at Warwick Hills G&CC in Grand Rapids, Mich. Puyallup's Ryan Moore is in the field, too.

Kyle Stanley's stay in Sweden was short-lived.

Stanley, the Bellarmine Prep product from Gig Harbor, shot a second-round, 1-over-par 73 at the European Tour's SAS Masters, tying for 91st and missing the cut.

His two-round total was 4-over 150 at Barseback Golf and Country Club.

This week: PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open, Thursday through Sunday, Glen Abbey Golf Course, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Kelly's first-round score: 1-under-par 71.

Position: Kelly is tied for 37th, eight strokes behind leader Kevin Na (63).

Recap: The Tacoma resident hit only six of 14 fairways, two-thirds of the greens in regulation but scraped it around in soggy conditions for his fourth score of par or better in his past seven rounds. He was 2-under after his birdie on the par-5 16th, eventually fell to 1-over after back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7 but finished strong with two birdies, the last coming on a 26-foot putt on the par-4 ninth hole.

Tee time Friday: 10:45 a.m. PDT off the first tee.

Other scores: UW golfer Nick Taylor is 3-over through 14 holes, and Olympia's Andres Gonzales won't tee off until Friday at 5:10 a.m. PDT.

Puyallup's PGA Tour golfer Ryan Moore wants to hold another version of his BMW Northwest Charity Skins Game at Chambers Bay Golf Course. So do organizers, primarily his family-run management team.

But with each passing day, the reality of a third installment dwindles.

The self-imposed deadline for the Moore Management Group passed last week, but Jeremy Moore, a co-founder, said until he exhausts every possibility to pull the event together, he's not calling it dead just yet.

"Just not likely," he said, adding the first week of August should be the definitive period whether it's on or off.

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Gig Harbor's Kyle Stanley is trying to get in as much golf as he can as a professional, including a one-week stint at the European Tour's SAS Masters in Sweden.

And it didn't get off to a stellar start Thursday: a 5-over-par 77 Barseback Golf and Country Club.

He birdied two par-5 holes, but finished up with back-to-back bogeys on the par-4 17th and 18th holes. Currently, he is tied for 112th, and would need something in the 60s Friday to make the cut.

This week: PGA Tour's RBC Canadian Open, Thursday through Sunday, Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

World ranking: 1,253rd.

2009 earnings: $18,538 (238th on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: Kelly, a Tacoma resident, earned his first paycheck ($7,360) since January in finishing tied-for-76th at last week's U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee (4-over 214), even though he did not make the Sunday final-round cut. Two of his past four rounds have been 69s, and the longer the summer wears on, the more opportunities he should get to play, especially after the PGA Tour playoffs. The former University of Washington's 297.1-yard driving average ranks 22nd on tour.

Kelly's tee time Thursday: 5:30 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Tyler Aldridge and David Peoples.

Nick Taylor's tee time Thursday: 6 a.m. PDT.

Andres Gonzales' tee time Thursday: 11:15 a.m. PDT

Fresh off making his third consecutive cut as a professional on the PGA Tour, Gig Harbor's Kyle Stanley will try and find the same kind of success across the pond.

Stanley, the Bellarmine Prep product, is one of seven golfers to accept a sponsor's exemptions to play in this week's European Tour stop – the SAS Masters at Barseback Golf and Country Club in Sweden – and among three Americans to be granted the invitation, along with Will Mackenzie and James Driscoll, both PGA Tour regulars.

Apparently, two-time SAS Masters champion Jesper Parnevik was the one who mediated the invitation for Stanley.

Stanley finished tied for 65th at last week's U.S. Bank Championship of Milwaukee, and jumped on an airplane Monday to play.

Also, because of his All-American status from Clemson University last season, Stanley will be in the field for the Nationwide Tour's Children's Hospital Invitational starting July 30 in Ohio.

This week: PGA Tour's U.S. Bank Championship of Milwaukee, Thursday through Sunday, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wis.

Stanley's fourth-round score: 2-over-par 70.

Position: Stanley (even-par 280) tied for 65th, 13 strokes behind Bo Van Pelt and John Mallinger (267). Van Pelt won the title in a sudden-death playoff.

Recap: Chalk up this event as a learning experience for the Gig Harbor resident, who fired his third over-par score in four rounds on a tight, tree-lined course. On Sunday, he made five bogeys in a round for the third time in the tournament, and fell more than 30 spots on the leaderboard over the weekend.

Next: Wyndham Championship starting Aug. 20 in Greensboro, N.C.

In a few words – class act.

Those were the comments made by Fircrest's Ken Still on Saturday afternoon, when asked about his impressions about playing with Tom Watson, the 59-year-old who leads the British Open after 54 holes at Turnberry in Scotland.

Still said he played with Watson "about eight times" in the latter stages of his PGA Tour career, when Watson was a 20-something out of Kansas City who attended Stanford University.

The longtime pro from Tacoma said after the completion of the third round, he phoned Jack Nicklaus at his home in Florida to talk about the tournament. Nicklaus said he normally doesn't watch golf on television, but rather plays a "couple of sets" of tennis instead.

But Nicklaus said he stayed tuned into the action Saturday, and would see if Watson can complete the impossible, becoming the oldest golfer in history to win a major championship.

University of Washington senior Nick Taylor came in to the 2009 as the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world.

And he then proceeded to take the No. 1 seed from stroke play all the way to the 36-hole championship finals Saturday against left-hander Brad Benjamin.

From there, Benjamin did the rest, rocking Taylor, 7-and-6, in the finals at the Jimmmie Austion OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla.

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This week: PGA Tour's U.S. Bank Championship of Milwaukee, Thursday through Sunday, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wis.

Kelly's third-round score: 3-over-par 73.

Stanley's third-round score: 1-over 71.

Position: Stanley (2-under 208) is tied for 50th, and Kelly (4-over 214) missed the cut after the third round. Frank Lickliter II leads at 199.

Recap: "Moving day" was "Sinking Day" for the Pierce County golfers. Stanley, of Gig Harbor, had three bogeys in his first 10 holes to start 3-over. He did rally with four back-nine birdies. … Kelly, a Tacoma resident, actually got to even-par for the tournament after making a 17-foot birdie putt on the par-3 third hole. But five bogeys came thereafter.

Stanley's tee time Sunday: 7:59 a.m. PDT with Tim Herron.

Nick Taylor, 21, of Canada and Brad Benjamin, 22, of Rockford, Ill. won their semifinal matches on Friday and will meet in the scheduled 36-hole final on Saturday at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship being conducted at the 7,289-yard, par-71 Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.

Nick Taylor is looking to become the first Canadian to win the U.S. Amateur Public Links.

Taylor defeated Phillip Bryan, 23, of Norman, Okla., 3 and 2, in the first semifinal. Benjamin birdied the 18th hole to defeat Brandon Crick, 21, of McCook, Neb., 1 up, in the second semifinal.

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This week: PGA Tour's U.S. Bank Championship of Milwaukee, Thursday through Sunday, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wis.

Kelly's second-round score: 2-over-par 72.

Stanley's second-round score: 4-under 66.

Position: Stanley (3-under 137) is tied for 23rd, and Kelly (1-over 141) is tied for 65th. Greg Chalmers leads at 131.

Recap: Stanley, the Gig Harbor product, cleaned up some stuff from his opening 71 Thursday when he had five bogeys. On Friday, he made just one – at the par-4 ninth. Three of Stanley's five birdies came on par-5 holes, including the finishing hole where he reached the green in two shots, and two-putted from 28 feet. … After three bogeys in a five-hole stretch, Kelly, the Tacoma resident, needed to make up ground to make his first cut since the opening Sony Open – and did when he canned an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 eighth, or his 17th hole.

Kelly's tee time Saturday: 6:44 am. PDT with Ryan Helminen.

Stanley's tee time Saturday: 9:53 a.m. PDT with Jerry Kelly.

This week: PGA Tour's U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, Thursday through Sunday, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wis.

Kelly's first-round score: 1-under-par 69.

Stanley's first-round score: 1-over-par 71.

Position: Kelly is tied for 29th, and Stanley is in a group in 65th. Greg Chalmers and Jeff Klauk are co-leaders (64).

Recap: Is this quite possibly a midseason surge for Kelly, a Tacoma resident? He posted his second consecutive under-par round Thursday in windy afternoon conditions. At one point, was 2-under after making a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th hole. … For the first time in two-plus tournaments, in his ninth round, Stanley posted an over-par score. The Gig Harbor product was 1-under after sinking a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first – his 10th – but made three bogeys the rest of the way.

Kelly's tee time Friday: 6:55 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee.

Stanley's tee time Friday: 6:55 a.m. PDT off the first tee.

A federal judge in Portland denied a professional, online poker player's request Tuesday to have his amateur golfer status reinstated.

Dusty Schmidt had filed a complaint seeking a preliminary restraining order that would have allowed him to keep his United States Golf Association amateur status and play in a series of events in the Pacific Northwest.

The USGA has maintained that Schmidt gave up his amateur status when he threw down a $1 million challenge to anyone who could beat him at 72 holes of golf and at poker.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman turned down the request, saying Schmidt did not meet a legal standard of having a contract with the USGA.

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This week: PGA Tour's U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, Thursday through Sunday, Brown Deer Park Golf Course, Milwaukee, Wis.

World rankings: Kelly is 1,249th; Stanley 208th.

Kelly's 2009 earnings: $11,178 (241st on the PGA Tour).

Stanley's 2009 earnings: $97,488 (197th on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: What do Paul Azinger, Tom Scherrer, Neal Lancaster and Robin Freeman have in common? They are the only full-time PGA Tour members lower on the money list than the Tacoma resident. He hasn't made the cut in 10 consecutive tournaments, including last week's John Deere Classic (2-over 144), but did shoot a second-round 69 – his first score in the 60s since January. … All Stanley, the Gig Harbor product, has done since turning professional is shoot under-par rounds and cash paychecks. He was tied for 34th at the John Deere Classic (8-under 276). If he keeps playing well, he could earn his PGA Tour card for 2010 by finishing in the top 125 of this year's money list on sponsor's exemptions. Aron Price currently holds the 125th spot at $409,968.

Kelly's tee time Thursday: 11:40 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Tim Cantwell and Bill Lunde.

Stanley's tee time Thursday: 11:40 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Kris Blanks and Scott Sterling.

First, a world-class golf course was built. Now, the Washington State Cougars have hired a widely-successful golfer to lead their women's program.

Kelli Kamimura, the former Sedro-Woolley High Star who's been an assistant at Pepperdine since 2004, was hired by WSU on Tuesday afternoon.

She replaces Walt Williams, who stays on as the men's coach.

"I am pleased to welcome Kelli Kamimura to Washington State University," Sterk said. "Kelli’s passion and knowledge of the game, her vast experience as a player and coach, and her ties to the Northwest will be a great fit for WSU and the women’s golf program."

While at Pepperdine, Kamimura helped lead the Wave to six consecutive West Coast Conference Championships (2004-09) and four top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including a third-place finish in 2006. Kamimura’s 2008 squad set an NCAA record for lowest three-round team score, shooting 41-under-par at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.

Before serving at Pepperdine, she was part of the staff at her alma mater – the University of Washington (2002-03). She played golf for the Huskies from 1999-2002, and was on the all-Pacific 10 Conference team all four years. Her four wins still stands as a career victories mark at the UW.

This week: PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, Thursday through Sunday, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

Moore's third- and fourth-round scores: Two 2-under-par 69s.

Stanley's third- and fourth-round score: 2-under 69, and a 1-under 70.

Position: Moore and Stanley (8-under 276) both finished tied for 34th, 12 strokes behind winner Steve Stricker (264).

Recap: On a day when both locals had to play 36 holes, their showings were solid. Moore, of Puyallup, had bigger thoughts, however, and needed to keep up the sizzling start to his final round when he was 4-under after eight holes before making a pair of bogeys in his next three holes. … Stanley, the Gig Harbor product, is 2-for-2 in cuts made as a professional, and has yet to record an over-par score in eight rounds.

Next: Stanley will play in the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee starting Thursday at Brown Deer Park Golf Club while Moore will take this week off after playing four consecutive tournaments.

This week: Nationwide Tour's Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, Thursday through Sunday, The Georgian Bay Club, Clarksburg, Ontario, Canada.

Fourth-round score: 3-over-par 74.

Position: Putnam (2-over 287) finished tied for 62nd, 22 strokes behind champion Roger Tambellini (265).

Recap: On two occasions, the Tacoma golfer was 1-under on his round, but a string of bogeys – six in 11 holes, including two on par-5 holes – sent him near the bottom of the leaderboard.

Next: Cox Classic starting July 23 at Champions Run Golf Club in Omaha, Neb.

108th PNGA MEN'S AMATEUR
At The Home Course, Dupont

Score: Top-seeded Tyler Matthews, of Redmond, defeated No. 26 Josh Anderson, of Murrieta, Calif., 5-and-4.

Why he won: Sometimes 40 and 50 yards behind Anderson off the tee, Matthews' long-iron approaches, and putting inside 10 feet finally wore down the 2007 California State Amateur champion.

Turning point: Matthews made a downhill and curling 57-foot birdie putt on the par-4 seventh hole (25th hole) in the afternoon to grab a 3-up lead.

Clinching moment: Facing a 220-yard approach from the right rough, Matthews laced a 4-iron to the middle of the green on the par-4 13th – the match's 33rd hole – while Anderson yanked a shorter approach left in greenside rough. Matthews made a par; Anderson a bogey. Matthews won the title on the next hole.

Quotable: "I'd been kind of teetering, asking (myself), 'Am I good enough to turn pro?' I didn't know, my confidence has been low. This win gives me a boatload of confidence to turn pro in the fall."

This week: Nationwide Tour's Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, Thursday through Sunday, The Georgian Bay Club, Clarksburg, Ontario, Canada.

Third-round score: 2-over-par 73.

Position: Putnam (1-under 213) is tied for 63rd, 17 strokes behind leader Roger Tambellini (196).

Recap: An up-and-down day on the par-5 holes featured a pair of double bogeys (No. 7 and 18) and his tour-leading 15th eagle on the 13th hole. In fact, that eagle moved him to 3-under on his round before losing five shots the rest of the way.

Tee time Sunday: 7:05 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee.

This week: PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, Thursday through Sunday, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

Second-round scores: Stanley shot a 5-under-par 66, Moore had a 67 and Kelly a 69.

Position: Stanley (5-under 137) is tied for 30th, and Moore (138) is tied for 48th. Both made the cut. Kelly (144) finished tied for 122nd. Darron Stiles leads at 13-under 129.

Recap: A slow start suddenly got hot for Stanley, the Gig Harbor product who went 4-under in four holes. The highlight was his 4-iron approach to the par-5 second, and sinking a 17-foot putt for eagle. … Moore, of Puyallup, had his own scorching stretch by going 5-under in four holes on his opening nine holes. He, too, eagled a par-5 by making a 27-foot putt. … Kelly, a Tacoma resident, had his first under-par score in the past 18 rounds – and first one in the 60s since the Bob Hope Classic. He had two birdies and no bogeys Saturday.

Tee times Sunday: Off the 10th tee, Moore at 5:48 a.m. PDT with Bart Bryant and Chris Riley, and Stanley at 4:54 a.m. PDT with Mark Calcavecchia and Pat Perez.

Except for a few family members and close friends, and the teenager he once defeated for the KingCo Conference championship in high school for his lone career victory, few had any idea who golfer Tyler Matthews was before this week.

Ask most of the top amateurs in the Pacific Northwest Golf Association about the Inglemoor High and Vanderbilt University graduate, they'd give you a blank stare and shrug of the shoulders.

His opponent – California's Josh Anderson – in the finals of the 108 PNGA Men's Amateur only knew him by his birdie-filled scorecards from previous match-play rounds.

Well, that all changed on a sunny Saturday afternoon on The Home Course in Dupont where the medalist and No. 1 seed from Redmond finished what he started by rolling to a 5-and-4 victory in the championship match.

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A CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED

California's Josh Anderson and Washington's Tyler Matthews are Saturday's 36-hole finalists in the 108th PNGA Men's Amateur at The Home Course. Here is how they match up:

JOSH ANDERSON
Hometown: Murrieta, Calif.
Age: 20.
College: Pepperdine.
World amateur ranking: 240th.
Seed in PNGA Amateur: No. 26.
Road to finals: Wins over No. 39 Cameron Peck (19 holes) in the first round; No. 58 Brian Barhanovich (4-and-3) in the second round; No. 10 James Sacheck (5-and-4) in the third round; No. 2 Chris Williams (2-and-1) in the quarterfinals; and No. 11 Darren Wallace (19 holes) in the semifinals.

TYLER MATTHEWS
Hometown: Redmond.
Age: 22.
College: Vanderbilt.
World amateur ranking: 912th.
Seed in PNGA Amateur: No. 1.
Road to finals: Wins over No. 64 Gregory Moss (5-and-4) in the first round; No. 32 Ian Dahl (19 holes) in the second round; No. 17 Patrick Bauer (2-and-1) in the third round; No. 8 Robbie Ziegler (2-up) in the quarterfinals; and No. 28 Zach MacDougall (3-and-2) in the semifinals.

Gone are the fresh legs of earlier in the week, the warm-greeting expressions of competitive golfing colleagues just starting up one of the best amateur tournaments on the West Coast.

Five grueling days into the 108th PNGA Men's Amateur at The Home Course in Dupont, two men remain standing – California's Josh Anderson and Tyler Matthews, of Redmond – for Saturday's 36-hole championship match.

Both won morning quarterfinal and afternoon semifinal matches Friday to advance to Saturday's showdown, scheduled for 7 a.m. off the first tee.

Matthews, the No. 1 seed and recent graduate of Vanderbilt, defeated Oregon's Robbie Ziegler (2-up) and Canadian Zach MacDougall (3-and-2) while Anderson, a sophomore-to-be at Pepperdine, stopped Idaho teenager Chris Williams (2-and-1) and Canadian Darren Wallace (19 holes).

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This week: Nationwide Tour's Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, Thursday through Sunday, The Georgian Bay Club, Clarksburg, Ontario, Canada.

Second-round score: 2-under-par 70 at Raven Golf Club.

Position: Putnam (3-under 140) is tied for 51st, 10 strokes behind leader Roger Tambellini (130).

Recap: It looked like during most of Friday, the Tacoma golfer's late double bogey would send him home. But the cut-line moved late in the day to 140, securing his third consecutive made cut. He's missed just four of the 36 greens in regulation so far, which is tied for fourth in the field.

Tee time Saturday: TBD.

This week: PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, Thursday through Sunday, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

First-round scores: Moore and Stanley shot even-par 71s, and Kelly had a 4-over 75.

Position: Moore and Stanley are tied for 80th, and Kelly is in a group at 140th. Lee Janzen and Darron Stiles lead after opening 7-under 64s.

Recap: A two-birdie, two-bogey showing for Moore, who never really got anything going. He final birdie came on the 561-yard, par-5 second where he two-putted from 42 feet. … After making a 16-foot putt, Stanley's birdie on the par-3 16th got him to even-par (three birdies, three bogeys). The Gig Harbor product hasn't shot an over-par score in five rounds since turning professional at the Travelers Championship … Kelly had a rough opening nine holes (Nos. 10 through 18) that included hitting a drive out-of-bounds on the par-4 14th, leading to a double bogey. He shot a 40.

Tee times Friday: Moore tees off at 10:19 a.m. PDT on the first tee; Stanley is off at 6:35 a.m. on the 10th tee; Kelly goes at 6:25 a.m. off the first tee.

The cart that took turns greeting a small gathering of press folks Wednesday, as they tried to get around tight-and-hilly Meridian Valley Country Club, was piloted by Paige Mackenzie.

It was a day to trade her LPGA Tour golfer hat in exchange for the hostess of her upcoming second Paige Mackenzie Charity Shootout, scheduled for Aug. 16-17.

Her charity auction is slated for Aug. 16 at the Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, followed by her charity "Horse Race" event, featuring a dozen LPGA Tour players Aug. 17.

All along, the stated golf for Mackenzie is to perk interest in returning the LPGA Tour, which is in the middle of a power struggle between its commissioner and players over dwindling events, to the greater Seattle area.

But as the former University of Washington standout knows, it's going to take a big financial commitment – say, $1.5 million – from a major sponsor to even start discussion about a new tournament.

"It really depends on that," Mackenzie said.

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This week: Nationwide Tour's Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic, Thursday through Sunday, The Georgian Bay Club, Clarksburg, Ontario.

World ranking: 691st.

2009 earnings: $40,053 (66th on the Nationwide Tour).

Last tournament: The Tacoma golfer registered his first top-10 finish in late June at the Nationwide Tour Players Cup (9-under 279, tied for seventh), closing with a 68. What is critical with that? His 71.13 final-round scoring average ranks him in the middle of the tour, but in his last two starts, he's posted Sunday rounds in the 60s. His 14 eagles are No. 1 on tour, and his 150 birdies rank 21st.

Tee time Thursday: 9:43 a.m. PDT off the Georgian Bay's first tee with Skip Kendall

Warning: Higher seeds at the 109th Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men's Amateur championship were in plenty of danger Wednesday.

Nine of the top-20 seeds lost Wednesday in the opening round of match play at The Home Course in Dupont, including four golfers in the top 10 – No. 5 seed Cheng-Tsung Pan, No. 6 Derek Berg, No. 7 Jacob Koppenberg and No. 9 David Bunker.

Top-seeded Tyler Matthews, of Redmond, had no such issues. He won seven holes in a row to close out the front nine, and throttled 64th-seeded Gregory Moss, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., 5-and-4.

Locals T.J. Bordeaux, of Tacoma, and Olympia's Jarred Bossio, also advanced to today's second round. Bordeaux, the No. 20 seed, walloped Cle Elum's Dan Whitaker, 4-and-2. Bossio needed 19 holes, but the 56th seed upset Bunker, the reigning Canadian Mid-Amateur champion from Woodbridge, Ontario.

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This week: PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, Thursday through Sunday, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill.

World rankings: Moore is 118th; Kelly is 1,245th and Stanley is 715th.

Moore's 2009 earnings: $975,539 (51st on the PGA Tour).

Kelly's 2009 earnings: $11,178 (241st on the PGA Tour).

Stanley's 2009 earnings: $75,300 (197th on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: Never before has Moore, the Puyallup product, had a three-week stretch on the PGA Tour that he's had the last three weeks – two top-10s, and a tied-for-11th at last week's AT&T National. A top-five finish this week likely would get him in the British Open. … Kelly, a Tacoma resident, has not cashed in his past nine events, and withdrew from the Travelers Championship in late June after an opening 76. … Stanley's professional debut was a tied-for-19th at the Travelers Championship (11-under 269), and he'll play this week and next week's U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee on sponsor's exemptions.

Moore's tee time Thursday: 5:19 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Notah Begay III and D.A. Points.

Kelly's tee time Thursday: 11:25 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Spencer Levin and Leif Olson.

Stanley's tee time Thursday: 11:35 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Derek Fathauer and Chris Stroud.

Mike Davis, the United States Golf Association's championship guru who isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers with bold setup moves, might be considering one for the age for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place.

Changing a hole's par during a tournament.

Huh?

That is what he told Associated Press reporter Doug Ferguson over the weekend in a telephone interview.

"One thing I'm absolutely positive we'll do in the future, perhaps in 2015 at Chambers Bay, is play a hole certain days as a par 4, and certain days as a par 5," Davis said.

To which the world's No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods responded: "You can't change par in the middle of a tournament."

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This summer, Hawaii's Sam Cyr will play his final circuit of major amateur tournaments before turning professional.

On Monday, he got off to a rousing start at the 108th Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men's Amateur championship at The Home Course in DuPont.

Under blustery morning conditions, Cyr, a two-time NAIA Division I men's champion from Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego, fired a 5-under-par 67 to grab a one-stroke advantage over Longview's Ian Dahl and Canadian Dave Bunker (68).

Four of Cyr's seven birdies came in the first seven holes as he started off the 10th tee. He made birdies at Nos. 10, 13, 14 and 16 before his lone bogey on the par-4 18th.

Locally, Lacey's Cameron Peck (71) is tied for ninth, Graham's Kyle Wesolowski (72), the reigning Puget Sound Amateur champion, is tied for 16th, as is Tacoma's T.J. Bordeaux. Tacoma's Brandon Moore and James Feutz, the 15-year-old from Bellarmine Prep, are tied for 51st after 73s, and University Place's Andrew Putnam (77) is in a group in 86th.

The top 64 from today's final round will advance to match play, which starts Wednesday.

Cyr is an accomplished player in windy conditions. For starters, he hails from Makawao, Hawaii. And for the first two rounds of his run to the NAIA championship last May in Illinois, he faced unpredictable gusts. He ended up as the lone finisher under-par.

As the NAIA champion, he has received invitations to play in the Western Amateur and the Porter Cup before he heads off to PGA Tour Qualifying School next fall.

This week: PGA Tour's AT&T Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

Fourth-round score: 1-over-par 71.

Position: Moore (5-under 275) is tied for 11th, eight strokes behind winner Tiger Woods (267).

Recap: It wasn't the finish the Puyallup native hoped in ending a brutal but highly successful three-week stretch, but this weekend's paycheck puts Moore just shy of $1 million this season, and has all but clinched his PGA Tour card for next season. Moore started with three bogeys on his first eight holes, but stopped the skid when he two-putted from 40 feet on the par-5 ninth. And he almost holed his 9-iron approach from 141 yards on the par-4 finishing hole, putting it 16 inches from the cup. Five of his 12 birdies this week came on par-3 holes.

Next: John Deere Classic starting Thursday at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill. A top-five finish will likely get Moore in the British Open the following week in Scotland.

It was Tiger Woods' first major amateur victory, and the championship gets underway this week on the Pacific Northwest Golf Association's valuable property.

The 108th PNGA Men's Amateur Championship will tee off Monday on The Home Course in Dupont.

Woods is one of the many storied champions of this event, winning in 1994. This is the first time the tournament has been staged in Pierce County since it was held at Oakbrook Country and Golf Club in 2004.

Defending champion Jason Kang, of Fullerton, Calif., has not returned to defend his title, but 2008 runner-up Stephen Hale, of Bakersfield, Calif. is back. He tees off at 8:06 a.m.

Other players to watch include 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Cameron Peck; West Coast Conference player of the year Andrew Putnam; and Pacific-10 Conference tournament champion Darren Wallace, of the University of Washington.

108th PNGA MEN'S AMATEUR
When: Monday through Saturday.
Where: The Home Course, Dupont
Schedule: 36 holes of stroke play Monday and Tuesday. Field is trimmed to top 64 for match play starting Wednesday. Championship match is Saturday.
Admission: Free.
Website: www.thepnga.org

This week: PGA Tour's AT&T Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

Third-round score: 1-under-par 69.

Position: Moore (6-under 204) is tied for eighth, four strokes behind co-leaders Anthony Kim and Tiger Woods (200).

Recap: A back-nine rally – three birdies – gave the Puyallup product another round in the 60s, and another chance at a top-10 finish on one of the tightest courses in the United States. And not surprisingly, he attacked the par-3s, which he continues to excel on. On the 185-yard 10th, his 6-iron stopped close, and he sank a 9-foot putt for birdie. Three holes later, he played it safe in the middle of the green with a 5-iron tee shot, and knocked in a 49-foot bomb for birdie. On the par-5 16th, he two-putted from 18 feet for his final birdie.

Tee time Sunday: 10:40 a.m. PDT with Cliff Kresge.

108th PNGA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
At The Home Course, Dupont
• Monday morning tee times

1st tee at 7:30 a.m.
Cameron Peck, Olympia
Trent Sanders, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Richard Lee, Bellevue

10th tee at 7:30 a.m.
Sam Cyr, San Diego
Cheng-Tsung Pan, Bradenton, Fla.
Derek Berg, Kenmore

1st at 7:39 am
James Sacheck, The Woodlands, Texas
Jens Bracht, Lake Forest Park
Robbie Ziegler, Canby, Ore.

10th at 7:30 a.m.
John Mahler, Edgewood
Jack Paton, Hillsborough, Calif.
Zahkai Brown, Arvada, Colo.

1st at 7:48 a.m.
Andrew Putnam, University Place
Chris Williams, Moscow, Idaho
Gunner Wiebe, Aurora, Colo.

10th at 7:48 a.m.
Austin Hurt, Bainbridge Island
Gaston Delatorre, Brush Prairie
Craig Tallen, Haverford, Pa.

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There are a few reasons Canadian Nick Taylor is No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

At the top of the list: Clutch shot-making.

Taylor, a University of Washington senior-to-be, birdied the second-hardest hole Friday in the final round of the 15th Sahalee Players Championship – the downhill 211-yard, par-3 17th over a pond – and captured the title at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish.

None of the contenders posted under-par rounds, but Taylor's 1-over-par 73 was good enough to chase down overnight leader Eddie Olson (77) and Australian Daniel Nisbet (75), whom he was tied with heading to the 17th hole.

Taylor made only the day's fourth birdie while Nisbet made a par. Taylor sank a 25-foot putt from the back plateau of the green, and Nisbet missed a 6-foot birdie attempt.

Both birdied the par-5 finishing hole.

The Husky star finished the championship at 6-under 282, one stroke ahead of Nisbet (283) and two ahead of Olson (284). Defending champion Trent Whitekiller, of Sallisaw, Okla., was in a group in fifth at 288.

Lacey's Cameron Peck (74) placed tied for 28th at 299, and University Place's Andrew Putnam (78) was alone in 54th at 309.

This week: PGA Tour's AT&T Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

Second-round score: 4-under-par 66.

Position: Moore (5-under 135) is tied for eighth, five strokes behind leader Tiger Woods (130).

Recap: Difficult greens like the ones at Congressional CC seem to bring out the best in the Puyallup golfer's putting, and for the second consecutive day, he had just 26 putts (tied for second in the field). Starting with birdie on the par-5 ninth, Moore reeled off five birdies in an eight-hole stretch – capped by his up-and-down from 30 yards out on the par-5 16th, which played as the easiest hole on the course. Moore has now posted six rounds in a row in the 60s, matching the feat he did earlier this year at the Bob Hope Classic and FBR Open.

Tee time Saturday: 10 a.m. PDT with Cameron Beckman.

Two 68s vaults Olson into Sahalee Players lead: Eddie Olson is an All-American from UNLV, so he knows a thing or two about heat.

But this kind of pressure-cooker might be a little different heading into today's final round of the 16th Sahalee Players Championship in Sammamish.

Olson shot matching 3-under-par 68s on Thursday in the second and third rounds of the championship, and sits at 9-under 207, good enough for a one-stroke advantage.

But the biggest threats behind him are way more accomplished players.

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This week: PGA Tour's AT&T Classic, Thursday through Sunday, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

First-round score: 1-under-par 69.

Position: Moore is tied for 20th, seven strokes behind leader Anthony Kim, who set the course record with a 62.

Recap: Take away Kim, or even host Tiger Woods, who shot 64, Moore's round was pretty solid. He didn't have many scoring chances, either scrambling with chips from around the greens, or facing long birdie putts of 35 feet or longer on a number of occasions. That is why he made 17 pars and one birdie – on the par-4 fourth when he hit his 144-yard, 9-iron approach close, and sank a 10-foot putt.

Tee time Friday: 9:12 a.m. PDT off the first tee.

It's another trip to the PGA Championship for Seattle's Ryan Benzel.

The Spokane native, and former club professional out of Mill Creek Country Club, shot a 2-under-par 69 on Wednesday at the 42nd PGA Professional National Championship near Albuquerque, N.M.

His third round in the 60s on the Twin Warriors Golf Club left him in a tie for fourth at 5-under 279 with Eric Lippert, Lee Rinker and Craig Thomas, two strokes behind winner Mike Small, the University of Illinois men's golf coach.

Finishing in the top 20, the 30-year-old Benzel earned his third consecutive berth to the PGA Championship on Aug. 13-16 at Hazeltine Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

"It's fantastic. It's so rewarding that my hard work has paid off," said Benzel, who made the cut at the 2007 PGA Championship in Tulsa, Okla. "I set my year up to come to this event, and do what I did. I achieved what I wanted to achieve."

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Western Washington's Jacob Koppenberg, who wrapped up his career last spring, made a final birdie on the finishing par-5 18th to grab a one-stroke lead after the first round of the 16th Sahalee Players Championship in Sammamish.

Koppenberg's 5-under 67 was bogey-free, and one shot better than Wisconsin's Dan Woltman (68), who captured the Northeast Amateur in record-setting fashion last weekend, and flew out to Sahalee Country Club this week to play.

Two strokes back is a group of four golfers, including University of Washington senior-to-be Nick Taylor, and former Husky standout Derek Berg (69).

Lacey's Cameron Peck is in a group tied for ninth at 71. Tacoma's Andrew Putnam shot a 76, and is tied for 48th.

This week: PGA Tour's AT&T National, Thursday through Sunday, Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.

World ranking: 122nd.

2009 earnings: $848,339 (61st on the PGA Tour).

Last tournament: Hear that 'cha-ching, cha-ching' sound coming from Puyallup? That is the money Ryan Moore has earned the past two weeks – a total of $402,600 for top-1o places at the U.S. Open and last week at the Travelers Championship (17-under 263, tied for fourth, season-best $248,000 paycheck). In fact, based on last year's 125th spot on the money list that secured full-time privileges on the PGA Tour – $852, 752 by Martin Laird – all Moore really needs to do this week to exceed that, and essentially clinch his tour card for 2010, is make his third consecutive cut Friday. A win would earn him a spot in the British Open later this month in Turnberry, Scotland.

Tee time Thursday: 4:22 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Jeff Klauk and Jeff Maggert.