Friday, July 20, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the most famous golf courses in the United States and four past and present GNAC golfers will be there in August for one of the country’s premier tournaments.

Simon Fraser junior Sy Lovan and recent graduate Chris Crisologo, along with Western Washington alumni Jake Koppenberg and Chris Hatch, have qualified to play in the 2018 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship. The tournament takes place Aug. 13-19 on both the Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California.

This will be the fourth U.S. Amateur Championship for Koppenberg, a volunteer coach for the Vikings who played at Western Washington from 2008 to 2009. It is the second invitation for Crisologo, who is the reigning GNAC Men’s Golf Player of the Year. Both Koppenberg and Crisologo played in the 2017 U.S. Amateur Championship. Lovan and Hatch will be playing in their first U.S. Amateur.

Crisologo and Lovan both earned their invitations with top-two finishes at a qualifying tournament held at the Pitt Meadows Golf Course in British Columbia on July 16. Lovan shot two under-par rounds, carding a 70 in the opening round and a 66 on the final 18 holes to win with a score of 8-under-par 136.

Crisologo, meanwhile, engaged Zaahidali Nathu in a five-hole individual playoff to earn the second qualifying spot. Both golfers shot 6-under-par 138 and matched each other over the first of four sudden-death playoff holes before Crisologo sank an eagle on the par-5 first hole to secure the spot.

Koppenberg had an easier route to his fourth U.S. Amateur Championship qualifying berth, taking a five-stroke victory in a July 16 qualifier at the Lake Spanaway Golf Course in Spanaway, Washington. He carded back-to-back rounds of 66 to finish with at 8-under-par 132 and a five-stroke win over Ian Siebers of Bellevue.

Hatch received his U.S. Amateur invitation by taking second at a qualifying tournament held July 18 at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Washington. He also carded a pair of under-par rounds, finishing the qualifier with a 5-under-par 139. Hatch finished one stroke behind Washington State’s Derek Bayley, who won with a 6-under-par 138.

At the 2017 U.S. Amateur, held in Los Angeles, Crisologo became the first golfer with GNAC connections to advance beyond the tournament’s stroke play round. Earning the 64th and final spot in the match-play round in a playoff round, Crisologo held his own against the No. 1 seed in match play, Hayden Wood, before eventually falling in the duel 4 and 3.

All four players to qualify for the U.S. Amateur rank among the top men’s golfers in GNAC history. Crisologo finished his career as the three-time GNAC Men’s Golf Player of the Year and a three-time All-American, receiving third-team honors in 2018. He is the conference’s career stroke average leader at 71.24 in 109 career rounds.

Koppenberg was the conference’s career stroke average leader before Crisologo, compiling a 71.40 average in 67 rounds for the Vikings in 2008 and 2009. He was the GNAC Men’s Golf Player of the Year in the conference’s first two years sponsoring golf and was twice named an All-American. Koppenberg was also named to the Golf Coaches Association of America’s All-Nicklaus Team in 2009.

Hatch, a four-year standout for Western Washington from 2014-17, ranks 10th in GNAC career stroke average at 73.79 in 116 rounds. A three-year First Team All-GNAC selection (2014, 2016 and 2017), Hatch earned GCAA All-West Region honors in 2017.

Lovan, who will be a junior on Simon Fraser’s team in 2018-19, enters the season ranked 16th on the GNAC career list with a stroke average of 74.31 in 44 rounds. In 2017-18, Lovan finished third in the GNAC with 73.3 stroke average and was one of SFU players to earn First Team All-GNAC honors. He finished fourth at the GNAC Championships in April, carding a 2-over-par 214 in 54 holes.

The 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship returns to Pebble Beach for the first time and the first time since 1999. Spyglass Hill Golf Course will co-host the championship during medal play. The field of 312 players will play two rounds in stroke play, with the field paired down to 64 players for match play, which will begin on Wed., August 15.