Insight as never before into the prestigious, one-of-a-kind invitational featuring the Pacific Northwest’s best amateurs representing teams from British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. NW Golf Report’s Sean Packer is not only reporting on this year’s event from Blue Lakes Country Club in Twin Falls, Idaho but also playing as a Washington mid-amateur.
About PNGA Lamey Cup
Team History
Host Course – Blue Lakes CC
Rosters
NW Golf Report’s Experience
Matchups
Live Scoring
Final Standings
About PNGA Lamey Cup
2023 is the 16th playing
48 (12 players per team)
PLAYER SELECTION PER ASSOCIATION (12 PLAYERS)
4 – Men Mid-Amateurs (25+)
2 – Men Master-40 (40+)
2 – Senior Men (55+)
2 – Women Mid-Amateurs (25+)
2 – Senior Women (50+)
The PNGA has a formula to allow each Association to compete against one another on an equitable rotational basis.
Each Association will play a total of 24 matches. A full point will be awarded for each match won, and a half point for each match that ends in a tie. The team with the most points at the conclusion of play wins.
Thursday, May 4: Four-Ball Matches (A.M.)
Thursday, May 4: Foursome Matches (P.M.)
Friday, May 5: Singles Matches (A.M.)
Team History
Team Titles
OGA 7
WA GOLF 4
BC GOLF 3
IGA 1
Oregon Golf Association has the most PNGA Lamey Cup team titles winning the cup seven times.
Host Course – Blue Lakes CC
Blue Lakes Country Club
Twin Falls, Idaho
Rosters
NW Golf Report’s Experience
Sean Packer, the Owner and Operator of NW Golf Report, is playing in the 2023 PNGA Lamey Cup for Team Washington and providing details on the experience.
Pre-Tournament Notes
May 2, 2023
This is my seventh PNGA Lamey Cup appearance. I previously played in the event:
2011 – Eugene CC in Oregon
2013 – Crane Creek CC in Idaho
2015 – Columbia Edgewater CC in Oregon
2016 – Richmond CC in B.C.Â
2017 – TimberStone GC in IdahoÂ
2018 – Seattle GC in Washington
Always a fun event to track the matches. Even better to play. Strong tournament courses, match play formats with alternate shot, best ball and singles matches and competition with the best amateurs in the region.
I’ve played in the event the last two times it was staged in Idaho, which both produced memorable endings. In 2013 at Crane Creek CC, the matches went to a dramatic three-team playoff after a tie in the standings. British Columbia went on to win the playoff but not before the overtime sessions altered many players’ travel arrangements and changed tournament rules forever. There are no more team playoffs, instead a tiebreaker of head-to-head records is used to settle team ties for the title. In 2017 at TimberStone GC, Team Idaho won its first and only PNGA Lamey Cup title.
In addition to checking here for PNGA Lamey Cup information, be sure to follow at nwgolfreport on Instagram for more insight into Sean Packer’s experience at the 2023 PNGA Lamey Cup.
Travel and Practice Round Notes
May 3, 2023
(Photo Credit: NW Golf Report)
A 1 a.m. wake-up and 10 hour drive to Twin Falls, Idaho was the most important task of the day. Arrived right on time about 40 minutes before practice round tee time at Blue Lakes Country Club. Played the course today with senior players Tom Brandes representing Washington, Nate Hair representing Washington and Brad Kerns representing Oregon.
Tom Brandes
Nate Hair
Brad Karns
Blue Lakes Country Club is so picturesque. There are a handful of beautiful holes that felt lifted from Golden Tee. The course has a fun layout with a strong mix of dogleg holes and par 3’s littered with hazards. The greens are extremely sloping with every green featuring big obvious slopes and more subtle slopes inside the sections of the greens.
Play begins Thursday in the morning with the Four-Ball format. NW Golf Report and Lead Tape Chronicles (Andrew Von Lossow) as partners versus the Oregon mid-amateur team of Austin Spicer and Robbie Ziegler. An afternoon session of Foursomes follows and a formal banquet in the evening. This event has a truly special feel. Honored to be a part of the festivities again after 5 long years away.
Approach into par 4, 3rd hole
Par 3, 6th hole
Approach into par 4, 11th hole
Par 3, 15th hole
Four-Ball and Foursomes Notes
May 4, 2023
In the morning, myself and Andrew Von Lossow teamed in Four-Ball for a match against the Oregon team of Austin Spicer and Robbie Ziegler. Hole 9 a long putt from Spicer, hole 10 a mid-range putt from Spicer, hole 11 a birdie for Ziegler and on the 13th hole another long putt from Spicer. Pure domination from the Oregon team. On the matches 14th when I stuck an approach to make just my second birdie of the round, Ziegler added his only birdie. Morning tally: Spicer and Ziegler of Oregon with a 5&3 win over Packer and Von Lossow of Washington.
In the afternoon, myself and Andrew Von Lossow were paired together again. The afternoon session is played in Foursomes (alternate shot). We used the time between matches to dry off from a fierce rain squall that blasted the course during Four-Ball. Von Lossow and I fell behind on the front nine and my putter was cold in the match against Jeffrey Anderson and Nate Smith of Idaho. On the 10th hole my cold putter missed a par putt putting us 3 holes down. On the 13th hole, Von Lossow and I were still 3 down. I made some adjustments with the putter and Von Lossow found the fairway with some booming drives. On the 16th hole, Von Lossow and I stood 2 down. A big drive on the 16th and a strong approach to the 17th put our match back at tied standing on the 18th tee. After I struck my worst iron shot of the day on the 18th hole, Von Lossow chipped us to the fringe about 35 feet away for par. Team Idaho lagged a birdie putt from 50 feet to gimme range and were in with par. From the fringe I struck my putt which needed to go in for the match to end in a tie. The long putt surfed across the green and found the bottom of the cup! A tied match with a thrilling final shot. Half a point for the team from Idaho and half a point for the team from Washington.
A memorable day of matches at Blue Lakes CC with all four teams close in points with one session remaining.
The day concluded with a formal banquet culminating in the announcement of Friday’s singles matches.
Singles Match Notes
May 5, 2023
Singles featured 24 matches in play. My match was against Mike Aizawa of Richmond, B.C. I recognized Aizawa’s name from playing on the Vancouver Golf Tour and more events in B.C. Aizawa and I were tied for 12 holes. On the 13th, he made a long 30 foot putt for birdie to win the hole. On the 14th, I was a bit sloppy with a wedge and Aizawa moved to 2 up. On the 16th hole, Aizawa struck an approach (from about 125 yards) to two feet from the cup to seal the victory.
Oregon Golf Association claimed the 16th PNGA Lamey Cup on the strength of 7.5 points out of a possible 12 in the singles matches.
It was an honor to play in the PNGA Lamey Cup again. A huge thank you to the PNGA, WA Golf and Blue Lakes Country Club. Truly one of the best events in the Pacific Northwest!
Matchups
Thursday A.M. – Four-Ball Matches (Best Ball)
Thursday P.M. – Foursome Matches (Alternate Shot)
Friday – Singles Matches
Live Scoring
Team Standings After Foursomes and Four-Ball
Oregon – 7 points
Washington – 7 points
B.C. – 5 points
Idaho – 5 points
Final Standings
Team Results
Oregon – 14.5 points
Washington – 12.5 points
B.C. – 11.5 points
Idaho – 9.5 points
Oregon Golf Association won the 16th PNGA Lamey Cup
Link to Final Standings and Full Results from Every Match
(Photos: PNGA, Blue Lakes CC)