PNW Senior PGA Championship/2024

Malby Wins PNW PGA Senior Professional Championship

By PNW PGA staff

PGA Professional Ryan Malby of Kalispell, Montana, triumphed at the Pacific Northwest PGA Senior Professional Championship, presented by Cadillac, held at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Oregon. Malby shot rounds of 70-66—136 to win by one stroke over Mitch Lowe of Glendoveer Golf Course. This marks his second win of the season after his Senior Oregon Open Invitational victory last month.

“It truly feels amazing,” Malby shared. “The whole goal was to finish in the top seven. That was actually all that really mattered.” Heading into the final round, Malby wasn’t even considering a win, as Birk Nelson had built a strong lead after the first round. “Winning was truly never on the radar,” Malby admitted.

Situated on 135 acres of lush landscape in the heart of the Willamette Valley, Arrowhead Golf Club is a hidden jewel, offering players a scenic yet challenging test. The 18-hole private championship course meanders through old-growth forests, across rolling hills, and along the Molalla River and Wrights Creek, creating a strategic layout that tests every aspect of a player’s game. The already demanding course was made even tougher by the intense heat, with temperatures soaring into the high 90s throughout the tournament, peaking at 101 degrees on September 5th.

Malby’s final round began shakily, but he soon settled into a groove. “My first few holes of round two were a little sketchy, but I kinda settled in and made some nice putts in the middle of my round,” he said. His focus was on survival rather than victory. “My only goal was to give myself a little breathing room for the difficult five-hole finish at Arrowhead,” he explained.

However, everything changed with a pivotal moment on the 15th hole. “It wasn’t until a fantastic chip-in birdie on the 15th hole that the idea of winning even crossed my mind,” Malby recounted. With his wife Lisa on the bag as his caddie, who kept him updated on the scores, Malby found himself in contention. “Somehow, I had enough offense to cross the finish line in first over some very, very strong players,” he said.

Reflecting on the difference between this win and his recent Senior Oregon Open victory, Malby noted, “This event is completely different from the Senior Oregon Open. This is more about playing smart, making pars, and not forcing things. BE PATIENT! Kinda the mentality of ‘Don’t mess this up.’ The pressure is just different when you’re trying to qualify for a national championship.”

Malby and the other top seven finishers earned their spots in the 2024 Senior PGA Professional Championship, set for September 26-29 at Sunriver Resort in Oregon. Alongside Malby, Mitch Lowe, Jeff Gove of The Idaho Club, Birk Nelson of Orange Whip, David Lebeck of Portland Golf Club, Christopher Smith of Eugene Country Club, Brent Murray of Oswego Lake Country Club, and Jeff Marsh of Vancouver, WA will represent the Pacific Northwest Section. Jeff Coston, already exempt, will also join them.

“I am so excited to be one of the seven professionals representing our spectacular Section in the Senior National Championship at Sunriver in two weeks,” Malby said. “The proximity of the national event makes it even more special. The fact that it is in our backyard basically, and that it is so close to this event, is unique. No time to take a break. Getting right back on it and being in a familiar setting with PNW grasses is fantastic.”

As the PNW players prepare for the national stage, the top performers at Sunriver will earn the opportunity to compete in the 2025 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

In the Senior Division, Ted Westling of Stone Creek Golf Club took home the title, capping off an intense competition under the Oregon sun.

We would like to thank Cadillac as our presenting sponsor, as well as the Golf Channel and the PGA Tour for being supporting sponsors of this event. We also extend our gratitude to host professionals Bryce Fisher, Robert Fisher, David Brown and Rob Gibbons.

For full results, visit: https://2024secseniorpga.golfgenius.com.