At the end of day one, Stefan Richardson and Joel Dahmen were tied for first at 4-under-par.

By Jamerika Haynes Evergreen contributor The Palouse Ridge Golf Club is hosting the 83rd Washington State Golf Association Men’s Amateur Championship. The championship will have 147 players and competition will run through Friday.

This is the first time Palouse Ridge is hosting this event and General Manger Bruce Perisho said he’s excited.

“It’s quite an honor to be asked to host this championship without the club even being open a year,” Perisho said. “It shows how good the course is.” Golfers Stefan Richardson and Joel Dahmen tied for first place on Tuesday, coming in at 4-under-par with 68 strokes.

An awards ceremony will be held at the Palouse Ridge on Friday for the winners. Since the players are amateurs, they cannot receive cash prizes. Instead, winners will be awarded merchandise credit which they can use to purchase items from the club’s pro shop.

Sandy Vaughan of Seattle finished the first round on Tuesday’s with a 7-over-par 79.

“I have been playing golf since I was ten-years-old,” Vaughan said.

He said he was aiming for a score of 65 for Wednesday’s round.

“I always think I can win,” Vaughan said. “I’m glad about playing in the morning today. It’s gonna be hot.” Since the start of the championship the weather at Palouse Ridge has been sunny, with winds blowing from 5 to 10 mph.

One caddy, J.P. Mischkot of Boise, came to help and watch his brother, Ted Mischkot play.

“I came to hang out with my brother not knowing I needed to be a mountain lion,” Mischkot said, referring to Pullman’s elevation. Ted shot a 6-over-par 78 on Tuesday. “We just hope he’s playing on Thursday and Friday,” said J.P.

Construction for the Palouse Ridge Golf Club was completed in two years and opened Aug. 29, 2008. It is an 18-hole golf course spread across 315 acres on the east end of campus. It features a pro shop, restaurant and club memberships. In addition, the club is home to the WSU’s men’s and women’s golf teams.

For scores and information about the championship, log on to www.thewsga.org.