NW briefs: Huskies' Prugh captures golf title

BANDON, Ore. — University of Washington golfer Alex Prugh came from behind to win the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship yesterday with a 3-under par 69 in the final round.

Prugh, a junior-to-be who earlier this summer won the Washington State Amateur, finished with a four-round total of 281. He was five strokes under par for the tournament and three strokes ahead of runner-up Andres D. Gonzales of Olympia, who plays for UNLV. Golfers played Bandon Dunes yesterday after playing Pacific Dunes Thursday.

Prugh's brother, Corey, a former Husky, won the Pacific Coast Amateur in 2001. The Spokane duo are the only brothers to win the 39-year-old event that is considered among the most prestigious amateur tournaments in the West.

Clay Ogden, the BYU golfer who is the reigning U.S. Public Links champion, had led after every round but took himself out of contention with back-to-back double-bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes yesterday. He finished with a 75, putting him in third place with a 285.

Prugh's round included four birdies, one bogey and 13 pars.

"It was kind of a mediocre round," he said. "I didn't hit the ball all that well but I didn't get into trouble and made a lot of 6- to 7-foot putts."

Husky James Lepp, who won the tournament in 2003, staggered home with a back-nine 43 and tied for 26th.

Notes

• No. 1 seeds Story Tweedie-Yates of Redmond and Michael Kogan of New Orleans advanced to the semifinals of women's and men's open singles, respectively, in the Washington State Open at the Seattle Tennis Club. Tweedie-Yates beat unseeded Zeljka Vidic of Moscow, Idaho, 6-0, 6-1. Kogan defeated seventh-seeded John Patrick Nallon of Garland, Texas, 6-0, 6-1. Among quarterfinal losers were Allison Rainey of Mercer Island in women's singles and Jesse Walter of Seattle in men's singles.

• Jesse Johnson of Mercer Island and Kari Stenbakken of Sammamish's Eastlake High School helped their U.S. crews reach the finals of the World Junior Rowing Championships in Brandenberg, Germany. Johnson, who rows for Seattle's Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center, qualified in men's eight. Stenbakken, of the Sammamish Rowing Association, qualified in women's pair. Others who have qualified for the finals include Jennifer Cromwell (Sammamish High), Erin Knox (Snohomish) and Annie Gayman (Garfield High) in women's eight, and Adrienne Mecham (Lake Stevens) and Sarah Gribler (Marysville-Pilchuck High) in women's four.

• Assistant coach John Becanic has been promoted to associate head coach of the Western Hockey League's Everett Silvertips.

• Marysville will play Gilroy, Calif., at 11 a.m. today in the semifinals of the Major Little League West Regionals softball tournament at Central Park in Vancouver, Wash. Marysville was unbeaten in pool play. The championship game is tomorrow at 2 p.m.

• Defending national champion Linfield College, with 15 starters including All-America quarterback Brett Elliott returning, is heavily favored to claim its sixth straight Northwest Conference football title, according to a preseason poll of coaches.

• Bellingham will host the USA Triathlon national championships for elites, under-23, youth (13-15) and juniors (16-19) tomorrow.