Prugh’s poise leads to victory at State Am

MOSES LAKE – Displaying a magical touch with his short irons, Alex Prugh kept his few mistakes from becoming disasters and won the 79th Washington State Men’s Amateur Championship by two strokes on Friday.

Prugh, a Ferris graduate who just finished his sophomore season at the University of Washington, tamed The Links at Moses Pointe with a solid 3-under-par 69. The only competitor to break par all four rounds, Prugh finished at 10-under 278, two strokes better than UW teammate Zach Bixler of Richland.

Josh Immordino of Auburn and former Seattle Mariners pitcher Erik Hanson were five back.

“It was just a real constant week,” said Prugh, the only golfer to shoot under par in all four rounds on the challenging 7,278-yard immaculate course. “I never had any real hiccups or any scares.”

Well, there was that OB drive on No. 6 that led to his only bogey, a drive in the drink on No. 11 and a one-club-too-many 8-iron on the 170-yard 17th. But each time he rolled a chip shot tight for short putts to keep the pressure on his pursuers.

“I hit it out of bounds on the fifth hole, but that was the only thing that was bad,” the 2003 high school champion said. “I definitely think that par save on 11 helped a lot, then the chip-in on 17 closed the deal. The holes I got in trouble I ended up not making big numbers.”

On No. 6 Prugh pulled his drive left as he tried cutting the corner on the 542-yard par 5 – for a two-stroke penalty – but made birdie with his second ball. Immordino, who just finished up a stellar three-time All-American career at Western Washington, birdied to close within one. Bixler, the 2004 state champ, was two back after three birdies and a bogey in the first five holes.

Prugh got some breathing room when his 130-yard approach on No. 9 hit the pin, leaving a short birdie putt.

Prugh and Bixler, who helped UW finish third in the recent NCAA Championships, birdied No. 10.

Then the Huskies, both trying to cut the corner on No. 11, went in the water. Prugh hammered a fairway wood to the side of the green, rolled the chip close and escaped with a par. Meanwhile, Bixler’s second shot found the deep rough, leading to a bogey.

Immordino dropped back with double bogeys on the next two holes, hitting a fat 7-iron on the 205-yard 12th into the water and pushing his driver out of bounds on the 13th.

Prugh closed the deal on 17 despite flying the green and leaving his comebacker short of the fringe. That’s when he rolled in the chip – on another one of the treacherous greens that featured more levels than a video game – while Bixler was sitting close for what would be a birdie.

“That’s the thing about Alex – you think he’s going to do something stupid, get a double or a triple, and he comes back,” Bixler said.

Bixler, who was set to use an 8-iron on 17 before Prugh shot, also finished with a birdie. Playing into the wind, he reached the green on the 531-yard 18th in two.

Immordino also sank a birdie putt to tie Hanson, who started the day six back. Prugh finished with a par.

“I was grinding, trying to throw out a good number,” said Hanson, who was at 3-under after six holes. “But Alex was solid. He won the tournament on Wednesday (when there were only three sub-par rounds in the howling winds).”

Hanson closed with a 68, as did Derek Berg of Duvall, Wash., the only other golfer to break par for the tournament.

Craig Leslie, a Ferris grad who just finished his freshman year at UCLA, tied for 16th at 7-over 295. Nick Grigsby, who just won the State 4A title for Central Valley High, tied for 19th, another stroke back.