- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,195,455
- Reaction score
- 59
The Oregon Coast has had a long-term relationship with golf, and the Oregon Coast Invitational is a perfect example. Since its first tournament in 1910, the Oregon Coast Invitational has become a staple for West Coast golfers; only the Oregon Amateur Championship can claim a longer lifespan. The OAC held its 117th annual event on June 22 – 27 at the Riverside Golf & Country Club in Portland.
The Oregon Coast Invitational tournament is set to return on Saturday, July 18 for its 115th year at the Astoria Golf and Country Club, where it has been since 1951. The week-long tournament ends on Saturday, July 25. In a “baseball, mom and apple pie” way, the tournament creates a wholesome, family experience.
“This tournament is different because it really promotes the family aspect,” Astoria Club Professional Jared Lambert said. “It’s incredible talking to some of these families because you find out that maybe their grandfather came out here 70 years ago. It’s been a yearly thing for some of them.”
Lambert said that due to the make up of the tournament, many familiar players show up year after year. He said that can create camaraderie.
“Each of these players develop relationships,” Lambert said. “Due to how the tournament works, many golfers will end up playing each other multiple years in a row. This opens the door to friendly competition between golfers. Some guys might be trying to get revenge from a loss a couple years ago. We also have cases where golfers are looking to continue their family’s legacy of success at this tournament.”
According to Lambert, each golfer plays an opening round of golf and then will be put into a flight, based on how they shot during that round. This is what usually creates competition among the golfers, since many of the players end up in the same heat year after year, and matching up against familiar foes.
The Grand Championship bracket is the top flight and plays last on Saturday, July 25. It is the game that draws all the golfers over to watch after their rounds are done. It’s an elimination through winning situation.
“Every golfer who signs up gets to play at least one round of golf,” Lambert said. “Those who keep winning will get to play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
There will be some familiar names returning this year, Lambert said. Those familiar names include last year’s Grand Champions Caelan Wobbrock for the men and Gretchen Johnson for the women. Lambert said other names to watch include 4A Boys State Champion Xanh Quang and Warrenton standout Gavin Brown. Quang, the Seaside High School graduate, is going to be playing in the men’s Grand Championship flight, while Brown is the defending boys junior flight champion. Johnson meanwhile has been in a league of her own as she has won the girls Grand Championship flight three consecutive times. After also winning in 2019, she will be looking to win her fifth time this year.
Lambert says the golf course is set up to create challenges for the golfers.
“The course is definitely playing harder,” Lambert said. “The wind is up and we’ve had more rain in June than we are used to. So we will work hard these next couple weeks to get the course ready to go.”
The tournament has seen a consistent number of about 370 participants and Lambert said he believes it will be a similar number this year.
For those who want to watch, there are plenty of seats available outside the clubhouse. The golf course has a number of outdoor seats bordering the 11th tee, so spectators can hang out and watch golfers take on the short par-3 11th hole. Fans can also view golfers from various spots along the course.
Continue reading...
The Oregon Coast Invitational tournament is set to return on Saturday, July 18 for its 115th year at the Astoria Golf and Country Club, where it has been since 1951. The week-long tournament ends on Saturday, July 25. In a “baseball, mom and apple pie” way, the tournament creates a wholesome, family experience.
“This tournament is different because it really promotes the family aspect,” Astoria Club Professional Jared Lambert said. “It’s incredible talking to some of these families because you find out that maybe their grandfather came out here 70 years ago. It’s been a yearly thing for some of them.”
Lambert said that due to the make up of the tournament, many familiar players show up year after year. He said that can create camaraderie.
“Each of these players develop relationships,” Lambert said. “Due to how the tournament works, many golfers will end up playing each other multiple years in a row. This opens the door to friendly competition between golfers. Some guys might be trying to get revenge from a loss a couple years ago. We also have cases where golfers are looking to continue their family’s legacy of success at this tournament.”
According to Lambert, each golfer plays an opening round of golf and then will be put into a flight, based on how they shot during that round. This is what usually creates competition among the golfers, since many of the players end up in the same heat year after year, and matching up against familiar foes.
The Grand Championship bracket is the top flight and plays last on Saturday, July 25. It is the game that draws all the golfers over to watch after their rounds are done. It’s an elimination through winning situation.
“Every golfer who signs up gets to play at least one round of golf,” Lambert said. “Those who keep winning will get to play on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
There will be some familiar names returning this year, Lambert said. Those familiar names include last year’s Grand Champions Caelan Wobbrock for the men and Gretchen Johnson for the women. Lambert said other names to watch include 4A Boys State Champion Xanh Quang and Warrenton standout Gavin Brown. Quang, the Seaside High School graduate, is going to be playing in the men’s Grand Championship flight, while Brown is the defending boys junior flight champion. Johnson meanwhile has been in a league of her own as she has won the girls Grand Championship flight three consecutive times. After also winning in 2019, she will be looking to win her fifth time this year.
Lambert says the golf course is set up to create challenges for the golfers.
“The course is definitely playing harder,” Lambert said. “The wind is up and we’ve had more rain in June than we are used to. So we will work hard these next couple weeks to get the course ready to go.”
The tournament has seen a consistent number of about 370 participants and Lambert said he believes it will be a similar number this year.
For those who want to watch, there are plenty of seats available outside the clubhouse. The golf course has a number of outdoor seats bordering the 11th tee, so spectators can hang out and watch golfers take on the short par-3 11th hole. Fans can also view golfers from various spots along the course.
Continue reading...
