Hinton Wins Willamette Valley Cup at 6-under-par, as Bearcats Earn Team Title
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Sam Hinton (Sr., Seaside, OR/Seaside HS) of Willamette University shot a 4-under-par 68 in the second round of the Willamette Valley Cup to win the individual championship with a 36-hole score of 6-under-par 138, as the tournament concluded at Creekside Golf Club on Sunday March 17. Hinton's excellent round on Sunday included two eagles.
Led by Hinton, four Willamette golfers finished in the top five and the fifth golfer tied for eighth, as the Bearcats won the team title at 3-under-par 573. After recording a team score of even-par 288 in the first round, Willamette followed up with a score of 285 in the second round.
Hinton's strong second round included the two eagles, plus two birdies, with only two bogeys. He started on the back nine and immediately recorded an eagle on the 10th hole, as he reached the green with his tee shot and sank the ball with his second shot on the par-4 hole. Later, he earned his second eagle by shooting a three on the par-5 fourth hole. His birdies were on par-5s at the 13th and 16th holes.
Austin Davis (Fr., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS) of Willamette was second at 142, as he achieved rounds of 72 and 70 to finish at 2-under par. Mason Koch of George Fox University, who began the day tied with Hinton for the lead, took third place at 143 (70-73). Kenneth Sheldon (Sr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) of WU followed in fourth place at 147 (73-74). Willamette's Trent Jones (Sr., Kenmore, WA/Shorecrest HS) was fifth at 148 (75-73).
Sixth place went to Clayton Rajewich of George Fox with a score of 149 (75-74). Caleb An of GFU was seventh at 150 (75-75). Tied for eighth at 153 were Andrew Kibbee (Fr., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) of Willamette and Ben Bohanon from Linfield College. Kibbee shot 73-80 and Bohanon registered 75-78.
Willamette's score of 573 won the team championship for the Bearcats by 28 strokes. George Fox placed second at 601 (300-301). Linfield was third at 618 (307-311), Lewis & Clark College was fourth at 637 (314-323), Pacific University placed fifth at 645 (321-324), and Johnson & Wales College (Colo.) was sixth at 652 (323-329).
The Bearcats will be back in action on Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26 at the prestigious West Cup in La Verne, California. The 54-hole event will be hled at the Sierra La Verne Country Club.
Big Moment of the Day for Willamette
Sam Hinton shot a 4-under-par 68 on the second day of
the Willamette Valley Cup to win the individual championship
with a 36-hole total of 138. He shot a 2-under-par 70 on
Saturday. Hinton's round on Sunday included two eagles,
two birdies and just one bogey. His efforts also helped the
Bearcats win the team title by 28 strokes.