South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Clipper Men’s Golf has qualified for the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) Golf Championships for the first time in program history with their fourth-place finish in the Olympic College league match.
“Having this team qualify isn’t just a win on the scorecard; it’s a definitive moment for the Clipper Golf program,” said Head Coach Russ Olsen. “When we started this journey, we weren’t just looking to compete — we were looking to create a winning culture. I couldn’t be prouder to support a team of athletes that has officially put Clipper Golf on the map.”
Teams are awarded one point for each head-to-head win over an NWAC opponent at league matches and the top five teams qualify for the championships. Clipper Men’s Golf finished the year with 13.5 points for the season, which saw them finish in the final qualifying spot along with Bellevue College, Skagit Valley College, Spokane Colleges, and Columbia Basin College (CBC).
The season started in October of last year with a trip to Oakbrook Golf Club, and it was rough sailing for the men’s team as they finished in 7th place with a +76 total to par gross score. However, the winter break gave the team some time to hone their craft and lock in on clinching a team spot in the NWAC Championships.
The team did well in their first league match of the spring in Bandon, Ore. with a 6th place finish (+78) and followed that up with a 5th place finish in their home course in Tumwater (+52), which saw them sitting on the last team qualifying spot with one league match to go.
A trip to Bremerton to play the Olympic College league match was all that was left to determine who punched their ticket to the championships. The Clippers needed at least a fifth-place finish (and to finish above Olympic College and Southwestern Oregon Community College). The Clippers had their best match of the season as they finished with a +45 total to par gross score and tied for fourth place with CBC.
Although this achievement is truly a team effort, there have been some Clipper golfers who have really stood out this season. Sophomore Braeden Salme has been the rock for the team as he participated in all of the league matches and invitationals for the season. Salme finished in the top 30 in all but one of the league matches and shot +23, +16, +16, and +12 in the matches.
Also, two freshmen came out and established their spots in the top six of the team with Phoenix Flores and Weston Potter breaking out this season. Potter struggled early but found his groove in the last two league matches, finishing as the best Clipper in both tournaments with a +8 performance in the SPSCC league match and +4 in the Olympic match, where he finished tied for 9th and tied for 5th respectively.
Flores missed the cut for the first league match, but solidified himself as a stalwart starter in the spring matches. He finished in the top three of the Clipper golfers in every tournament he played and finished as high as tied for 11th place in the SPSCC league match, where he shot a +9.
Additionally, the Clipper Women’s Golf team did not qualify for a team spot for the NWAC Championships, but all four golfers — Emilee Anderson, Jillian Jeffries, Jenna Kalar, and Gwenyth Smith — qualified as individuals for the championships.
The NWAC Golf Championships will be held in Yakima, Wash. from May 17 to 18 at Apple Tree Golf Course. Sunday, May 17 tee time will be a 12 p.m. shotgun start and Monday, May 18 will be an 8 a.m. split start.