They earned a trip to Winged Foot Country Club.
That was their reward. That was their victory.
Even if Will Snow and Phil Bagdade did not play their best there, well, they got there.
Snow, from Vancouver, and Bagdade, who now lives in Portland, were one of 128 teams to qualify for the United States Golf Association’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. (The format is best-ball for a two-man team.)
Snow and Bagdade are not teammates this weekend. Both are playing in the 60th Royal Oaks Invitational Tournament.
Last fall, though, they joined forces for a 9-under par 63 at Riverside Country Club in Portland to qualify for the national championship, which was played last month at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
“We had a great time. An unforgettable experience,” said Snow, who graduated from Evergreen High School in 2003.
“For a tournament I didn’t play well, I had the most fun I’ve ever had,” said Bagdade, who grew up in Eugene, Ore. “It would have just been more fun to play better.”
They took pictures of the course, the clubhouse, the place that has held 12 USGA championships in its history, including five U.S. Opens.
They grew matching mustaches, you know, as a uniform.
On they day they earned a trip to Winged Foot, they recorded 11 birdies and counted 10 of them. Meaning, they only doubled-up on birdies once. In best ball, the team’s score is the best score of the two players on each hole.
However, the duo struggled on the first of the two days of stroke play.
“The odds of us playing that poorly on the same day are not good,” Bagdade said. “Unfortunately, it bit us in the butt that day.”
They played the West course that day, the more challenging of the two courses at Winged Foot.
“If you make a mistakes, you’re not going to be able to save yourself,” Snow said.
They responded the next day with a 68, but did not crack the top 32 teams to advance to match play.
Still, they got there.
“Playing in a USGA golf event provides all the motivation needed to improve your game so you can get back to another one,” Snow said. “It’s first-class all the way.”
“They make you feel elite just by being there, which is really cool,” Bagdade added.
This was Bagdade’s first USGA championship, Snow’s second. Snow played in the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year.
“Going somewhere to experience something like this with a good friend is incredible,” Snow said. “We kept saying, ‘How great is this? How cool is this?’ ”
Together.
The two met through mutual friends in the golf community. Bagdade played college golf at Arizona. Snow played for Concordia in Portland.
This weekend, they will compete against one another, but as close friends.
Bagdade said he has not played the ROIT for a few years, but not by choice. Work commitments have conflicted with the tournament schedule.
Snow first played in the ROIT in 2003. He has a half-dozen or so appearances.
He described the tournament as “perfection.”
“From the golf course being at its absolute best, to the players in the field, to the staff. You get here and you feel a vibe,” Snow said. “You’re at a high-quality event, and it’s in our backyard.”
