Humphreys heads to U.S. Amateur Championship

Brian Humphreys dropped 11 birdies and an eagle on his way to winning the U.S. Amateur Qualifier Monday.

The Washougal golfer shot 11-under par on the Centennial Golf Course, in Medford, Oregon. His rounds of 66 and 67 won the qualifier by two strokes.

The U.S. Amateur Championship takes place Aug. 14-20, at the Riviera Golf Club and the Bel-Air County Club in Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles, California.

Humphreys also had an excellent view of his golf ball rolling on to the greens from the beautiful tee boxes and open fairways at Chambers Bay last week, during the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

“The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful and sunny,” Humphreys said. “If you take what the course gives you, you can score well. I just tried to use those big slopes to the greens whenever I could.”

Humphreys tied for 21st place at the Pacific Coast Amateur , held July 18-21, with a combined score of 286. The 2016 Camas High School graduate, who plays golf for Boise State University, finished just five strokes out of the top 10 in a crowded field.

“I hit bad shots at inopportune times, but making 16 birdies and an eagle on a tough course like that is something I can be proud of,” Humphreys said.

After shooting 4-over in the first round, Humphreys came back strong with a 4-under par 71 the second day. This helped Humphreys’ Oregon GA team move up to fifth place in the Morse Cup.

“It was a good time to play well, obviously,” Humphreys said. “That’s just how golf goes. I felt like I was hitting the ball good enough to score well, and I did that on the second day.”

Humphreys made six birdies during the round. He played bogey-free golf on the back nine, had three birdies and finished the day with a 67. Oregon GA teammate Will Snow shot a 70 and Cole Madey added a 73 to improve their team score by 11 strokes over the previous day. Humphreys and Madey faced each other in the final round at the Oregon Amateur Championship earlier in the summer.

“He’s an awesome golfer, and we’re good friends,” Humphreys said of Madey. “I knew we would have a chance to win, if we both played well.”

Southern California GA won the Morse Cup with a 279. Northern California took second place with a 282. The Idaho and Pacific Northwest teams tied for third place with a 284. Oregon GA followed in fifth place with a 285, which was two strokes better than sixth-place Southern Nevada.

The next two days, Humphreys still had a singles title to contend for. After a double bogey to start the third round, Humphreys birdied the fourth, 10th and 11th holes, made eagle on 12 and another birdie on 16 to finish the day at even par. He dropped four more birdies the next day, but settled for 2-over in the final round.

Humphreys birdied the 550-foot fourth hole in all four of his rounds. He also earned three birdied and an eagle on the 304-foot 12th hole. Humphreys said his eagle opportunity came off a perfect drive that hit a down hill slope to the green. His golf ball stopped about eight feet from the hole and he made the putt.

“It’s an awesome golf course,” Humphreys said. “So many avenues to attack. Every day, you just get a better feel for the course.”