Northwest Notes Sept. 19, 2025
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 6 months, 2 weeks AGO
Grove qualifies for 2026 PGA Professional Championship
MISSOULA, Mont. — Former North Idaho College golf coach Russell Grove qualified for the 2026 PGA Professional Championship after finishing tied for third at the Pacific Northwest PGA Professional Championship, which concluded Thursday.
Grove, a Coeur d’Alene High grad and now head men’s golf coach at Eastern Washington University, shot a 68-67-69—204, 12 under par, at Canyon River Golf Club. The top eight advanced.
PGA Professional Austin Hurt of Wing Point Golf and Country Club in Bainbridge Island, Wash., won the event for the second time in three years, shooting a 63-64-70—197, 19 under par, good for a six-shot victory.
In addition to Grove and Hurt, Kyle Kelly of The Creek at Qualchan, Bryce Fisher of Arrowhead Golf Course, Brad Elzie of Meadow Springs Country Club, Derek Berg of Pacific Northwest Golf Academy, Sabrina Bonanno of Sahalee Country Club and Jason Aichele of Meadow Springs all earned spots directly to the 2026 PGA Professional Championship, scheduled for April 26-29, 2026, at Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore.
Jeff Gove of Sandpoint, director of instruction at The Idaho Club, tied for eighth at 9-under, shooting a 69-72-66—207. As a life member of the Pacific Northwest PGA, Gove was ineligible to advance to the PGA Professional Championship. Aichele, who also finished at 9-under, won a two-man playoff for the eighth spot.
The low 20 scores at the 2026 PGA Professional Championship will earn a place in the 108th PGA Championship to be held at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa., in May 2026.
WSU to host New Mexico in men's basketball open exhibition
PULLMAN — The Washington State men’s basketball team will host the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Beasley Coliseum for an exhibition game, the programs announced Thursday.
The Cougars and Lobos are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. PDT, following the Cougar home football game vs. Toledo, scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff.
Admission to the preseason basketball game will be free and give Coug fans their first glimpse at the 2025-26 team. Under second-year head coach David Riley the Cougars feature five returnees, five incoming transfers, and four freshmen.
The Lobos, led by first-year head coach Eric Olsen, reached the NCAA Tournament last season. New Mexico won the Mountain West regular-season title.
The game will mark WSU’s first public preseason game since hosting New Hope Christian in an exhibition game prior to the 2018-19 season. This season marks the first season Division-I teams are permitted to face another D-I team in a public exhibition.