TWO CANADIANS LEAD PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER FIRST ROUND

James Allenby of BC (above) shares the lead with Jordan Irwin of Calgary, AB in the first round of the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship.

VICTORIA, B.C., CANADA, August 4 — James Allenby of Langley, BC, and Jordan Irwin of Calgary, AB, each fired rounds of 5-under-par 65 and share a two-shot lead after the first round of the 42nd Pacific Coast Amateur Championship at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria.

Defending champion Mike Knight of Calgary and recently crowned BC Amateur champion Eugene Wong of North Vancouver head a quartet who finished at 3-under-par 67 over the 6,683-yard parkland layout, which was designed in 1913 by Vernon Macan.

Allenby and Wong led the way as the Pacific Northwest Golf Association took a five-shot lead after the first round of the Morse Cup team competition. With the best two of three scores from a pre-selected trio counting for the team total, the PNGA — which is seeking its third consecutive Morse Cup title — finished at 8 under par, five shots ahead of the Washington State GA. Alberta is in third place, another shot back.

The 23-year-old Allenby, who was all-Pac 10 last year at Oregon State, opened with consecutive birdies today and ended with five birdies and no bogies for his round. Irwin, also 23, who has won five tournaments at the University of Houston, made five birdies in six holes on the front nine (his second today). He ended with seven birdies and two bogeys, shooting 30 on the front nine.

The 21-year-old Knight, who is bidding to become the first repeat champion since Billy Mayfair won in 1987 and 1988, also had five birdies today; only a double-bogey 6 on the 446-yard 12th hole kept him from sharing the lead.

Kevin Carrigan, who belongs to Royal Colwood, had the shot of the round when he holed an 8 iron from 175 yards on the par-3 seventh hole for his first career hole in one. “There’s a little rise in front of the green,” said Carrigan. “Someone said, ‘It’s either in the hole or over the green.’ Then there was a lot of cheering.” Carrigan finished at 1-over-par 71.

For complete round 1 results, click HERE.

For a photo gallery of the first round, click HERE.