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- Gretchen Johnson Wins Third Straight Oregon Coast Invitational
Gretchen Johnson Wins Third Straight Oregon Coast Invitational
Caelan Wobbrock won the Men's Grand Championship

Photo of Gretchen Johnson. Photo credit: Makerr Media.
ASTORIA, Oregon - The 114th Oregon Coast Invitational at Astoria Golf and Country Club saw Gretchen Johnson win her third straight Women’s Grand Championship.
Johnson, took control early in her rematch with Cappy Mack in the final this year, as she was 6 up through 8 holes. Johnson was 8 up through 18 holes and ended up winning 13 and 12. The two battled in last years 36-hole match play Women’s Final, in which Johson won over Mack 9 and 8 and in 2023 over Lara Tennant 11 and 9. It was Johnson’s fourth overall Women’s Grand Championship at the Oregon Coast Invitational.
Johnson had six birdies in the 24 hole match.
“Links golf is different than the typical parkland course see play in the region,” Johnson said. “The ball bounces. You can play the ground game or the aerial game. The wind is a factor. Astoria GCC is a quirky course and the challenge is different every time you play it depending on the conditions.
“The courses sets up for match play and no lead is safe because momentum can swing quickly. Max, the superindendent, and his team presented the course beautifully. Jared, the head pro, and his team made sure everyone felt welcome and the matches ran smoothly.”
The Oregon Coast Invitational has become a long running tradition as the second oldest golf tournament behind the Oregon Amateur Championship.
“The Oregon Coast Invitational is really special because it’s a big friends and family week,” Johnson said. “Big social week. The golf is what ties everything together. We are all competitive and want to play well but when it’s over, grabbing a drink and hanging on the patio with old friends and new friends is what is most important. I’ve said it before - golf is a passport to friendship.”
Caelan Wobbrock’s, family have been members for decades at Astoria GCC and he turned 18 on the day of qualifying to be able to participate in the Men’s Grand Championship division.

Photo of Calean Wobbrock with his family. Photo Credit: Makerr Media.
Wobrrock would go on to have a great week and taking home the championship where his family was able enjoy and see.
Wobbrock was 4 up after 18 holes after Richard Moore took an early 2 up lead after two holes. Moore would cut Wobbrock’s lead to 1 up through 22 holes after winning three straight holes.
But Wobbrock would battle back to win four of the next five holes to go 5 up through 27 holes. Wobbrock is from Seattle, Washington and went to Rosevelt High School, won 5 & 4 over Moore.
“I turned 18, during the day of qualifying, you have to be 18,” Wobbrock said. “There is a photo from me when I was 3, in the Centennial book from 2010 for the Oregon Coast Invitational. I have been down here, at Astoria, my uncle, my dad, my grandpa, being my first year I got to play, it was a dream. I started playing my best golf as the event went on. It’s amazing, just incredible. It was perfect timing, if I was younger wouldn’t have been able to play, but it worked out and had a great week.”
He’s going to be playing golf as a freshman at Whitman College this fall.
“I played with a Whitman alum, at a tournament at Astoria, he told the coach, and the coach called me and had me out for a visit, I got to meet the team and verbally committed,” Wobbrock said. “I’m just really excited to play in college, the biggest thing is just being able to play.”
The Men’s Grand Championship division played 5 rounds of match play with a 36 hole final. Every other division had 4 rounds of match play after one round of stroke play qualifying.
In total 380 players competed at this year’s “Coast” as it’s called by those who have come to enjoy the camaraderie, the friendships, and the links style course.
“As far as I know it’s the largest event held on the same 18-hole layout,” AGCC PGA Head Golf Professional Jared Lambert said.
“The only way we get away with it, is alternating day on qualifying rounds. We have matches going all week. The whole event is gross, you play your qualifying and get flighted. The men’s grand championship is the only flight that is broken into 32, the rest are 16 flights. If you lose your first round match, you drop to a drop flight, so your playing gross matches. There is no handicapping at all. Everyone is guaranteed three tournament rounds.”
The Oregon Coast Invitational has nine divisions including the men’s grand championship, women’s grand champion, senior women’s division 55 and up, men’s junior senior 45 and up, men’s senior 55 and up, men’s super senior 65 and up, legends 75 and up, juniors 9 holes (8-12 age), and juniors 18 holes (13-17 age).

Photo of Jared Lambert at the Awards Ceremony.
Lambert joined AGCC in 2022 and grew up in Central Oregon and plays on the Oregon Chapter PGA professional series. This is his fourth OCI. He was at Salishan Golf Links in Newport, Oregon previously and worked as an assistant for one summer at Eagle Crest, at Meadow Lakes for three years as an assistant pro and teaching pro. He also worked at Avondale Country Club for a couple years in California.
Johnson also won in 2019, 1 up over Lara Tennant. While Tennant won the Invitational in 2018 and 2017, beating Johnson 3 & 2.
Tennant has 11 titles at the Oregon Coast Invitational as Women’s Grand Champion.
Mack won the Women’s Championship in 2022 1 up over Charisse Spada, and in 2021 as she beat Lisa Poritz 3 and 2.
The OCI began in 1910 at Gearhart Golf Links and moved to AGCC in 1951 and has been hosted there ever since.
There are four former champions of the Invitational that went on to play on the PGA Tour, including John Schlee and John Fought who won on tour.
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