Amateur Andrew Von Lossow claims Rosauers Open title with birdie on 18th hole

Spokane’s Andrew Von Lossow played great golf for 16 holes, seemingly building a comfortable lead at the 37th Rosauers Open Invitational.

But longtime followers of the tournament, a major on the PGA’s Pacific Northwest Section, know Indian Canyon’s final two holes – a drivable par-4 and a shortish par-5 – often produce fireworks and dramatic swings on the leaderboard.

That’s exactly what happened Sunday when Von Lossow spent his lead with a double bogey on No. 17 before responding with a birdie on the par-5 18th to take home all the Rosauers Open trophies as low amateur and tournament champion.

“To win this, for me, this is my major because it’s my hometown,” Von Lossow said. “I love this course, I know (Indian Canyon pro) Doug Phares and all my friends were here, my girlfriend. This was a true home-game win.”

It was a popular victory with a sizable number of the back-nine spectators pulling for the affable Von Lossow and cheering him on as he made three key birdies. He’s just the third amateur champion, joining Derek Bayley (2016 and 2018) and Cody Upham (2007).

Von Lossow’s birdie on No. 18 finished off a 4-under 67 and 54-hole total of 13-under 200, but it didn’t settle the outcome. One group behind, North Idaho College golf coach Russell Grove, battling shoulder discomfort throughout the tournament, didn’t have his ‘A’ game, but he birdied Nos. 15 and 17 to reach 12 under.

Grove put his drive in the middle of the 18th fairway before pushing his approach from 155 yards into the right green-side sand trap. Grove, needing an up-and-down to tie Von Lossow, didn’t have much room for error with the pin tucked on the right and he left his first shot in the trap.

“Knowing how good he is and knowing he has that magic 62-degree wedge, you have to expect anything,” said Von Lossow, who played in the same group with Grove the first two rounds. “So I was thinking he’s going to hole it or if not he’ll get it close. It looked like he went under it.”

Grove’s second attempt settled 15 feet from the pin – clinching Von Lossow’s win – and he two-putted for bogey. That proved costly as it left Community Colleges of Spokane golf coach Corey Prugh and Bryce Fisher of Arrowhead G.C. (Molalla, Oregon) alone in a first-place tie among pros at 12 under 201. Both earned approximately $7,500.

Grove finished in a five-way tie for fourth with amateur Nate Plaster (Gonzaga Prep and Washington State), 2022 Rosauers champion Daniel Campbell, 2012 champ David Phay and Derek Berg of the Pacific Northwest Golf Academy.

The 36-year-old Von Lossow wasn’t eligible for the $10,000 first-place check as an amateur.

“Ironically I need to make more sales in my job because I could really use that money right now,” cracked Von Lossow, who runs a business specializing in golf apparel and other items. “So pro shop golf balls and gloves it is.”

Prugh, the only four-time Rosaeurs Open champion, climbed up the leaderboard with five birdies in the first 11 holes. He bogeyed Nos. 12, 13 and 14 but rebounded with a birdies at 15 and 17 and an eagle on 18.

Fisher made eight birdies in his closing 64.

“Out here, hitting it past pin high is so expensive,” said Fisher, whose family owns Arrowhead. “I was able to control my distances and get it pin high and make the putts I was supposed to make.”

Von Lossow took the lead with four birdies in the first seven holes. He reached 14 under after a birdie on the par-5 12th, a 5-foot par-saving putt on 14 after his drive found the trees and a 15-foot birdie putt on 16.

“I hit wedge to 5 feet (on 14), I was like, ‘Ah, it’s above the hole,” Von Lossow said of the slippery, hard-breaking putt. “That was probably the best putt I made all tournament.”

He was on cruise control until his approach on No. 17 bounced over the green. His chip was too firm and rolled over a ridge and off the front of the green, leading to a messy double bogey.

Von Lossow quickly regrouped, thanks in part to his dad/caddie, Jim, who had a stint on the PGA Tour in 1979-80.

“He was huge, always reminding me to stay in the moment,” Von Lossow said. “All week, we were working on never being too high or too low.”

Von Lossow smoked his drive 330 yards on the closing hole – “I focused on good tempo because I knew the adrenaline and gas was going to be there,” he said – and a wedge from the right rough landed 20 feet above the pin for a routine two-putt birdie.

“It’s hard to live all the (golf) cliches that you hear all the time,” he said. “When you do it, it actually works out really well.”

Tournament officials presented a $160,000 check to Vanessa Behan, which provides a safe haven for children in need and helps strengthens families, bringing the 37-year total to roughly $3.8 million.