Hanson wins Northwest men's golf title

Ephrata's Molitor reaches semifinals of Moses Lake match play event

MOSES LAKE - Top-seeded Erik Hanson of Kirkland, Wash., defeated No. 2 seed Tom Brandes of Bellevue, Wash., 3 and 2 last Friday in the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men's Master-40 Championship at Moses Lake Golf and Country Club.

Hanson, a former pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, took the lead early on by holding a 4-up lead through the first nine holes. Brandes put up a fight in the second nine holes, but was never able to get closer than 3-down. Hanson closed out the match with a five-foot par putt on the 16th hole.

Hanson was three under through 16 holes and Brandes was even par for the day on the 6,537-yard, par-71 course.

"I knew it would take at least a 68 to beat Erik - unfortunately I only had a 71 in me today," Brandes said.

Hanson won his second career PNGA title. He also took the PNGA Men's Mid-Amateur Championship in 2002 at Canterwood CC in Gig Harbor, Wash.

"It's been five years since my last PNGA title," Hanson said. "They aren't easy to come by and Tom made this one real tough."

The PNGA Men's Master-40 is one of 15 regional championships conducted annually by the PNGA.

Ephrata resident John Molitor finished out the event in the first flight semifinal, knocking off Wenatchee's Gary Mullen 1 up.

Other semifinal winners included Tom Rippon of North Vancouver, B.C., who defeated Kirkland's Peter Guay 4 and 2; and Mukilteo, Wash., resident Mike Palmer, who earned a sudden-death hole victory over Spokane's Karl Ota.

- Staff report