Sam Renner Repeats at 123rd PNGA Men's Amateur Champion

SUNRIVER, Oregon - In an accomplishment not seen in 53 years, Sam Renner won back-to-back PNGA Men’s Amateur Championships on Sunday at Sunriver Resort in the 123rd edition of the event.

Renner from Bend, Oregon, defeated Nilay Naik of Lake Oswego, Oregon 4 & 3 in the final match, with the morning 18 holes taking place at the Woodlands course, and the afternoon round at the Meadow’s course.

“In stroke play my goal is to make match play, it doesn’t matter what seed I am,” Renner said. “You have a chance to win, I was just trying to not go to hard or soft, then turned on the burners once we got to match play. I was in the same zone as last year, I wore the same outfit as last year in each round. It’s a hard week, a lot of golf, it’s a grind, but it was a lot of fun, though.”

Renner had his mom, Molly, caddy for him this week and during the 2024 PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship.

“I wouldn’t want to do it any other way, to have my mom on the bag, it’s also a superstition thing, she keeps me calm,” Renner said. “We don’t talk about golf, she just lets me do my thing. She helps keep me not golf focused when were not hitting golf shots. It helps me keep my mind on something other than golf. She’s my mom, it’s amazing that she’s willing and able to walk all those miles over the six days. It’s a huge thanks to her, cause it takes some weight off my back from pushing or pulling my bag.”

Renner went to Summit High School and attends Washington State University, where he will be a senior.

Renner was told after the win that the 2026 PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship will be at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club which is the home course of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It would give him a chance to threepeat at a course he plays on each day while at WSU.

He will be heading to Eugene, Oregon, for the 2025 Pacific Coast Amateur held at Eugene Country Club July 22-25. The Morse Cup will also take place at the Pacific Coast Amateur with15 teams in the competition, one from each of the 15 golf associations that make up the Pacific Coast Golf Association. Renner is on Team Oregon.

After graduation, he plans on going to qualifying school with the PGA Tour America’s or Korn Ferry Tour.

After a quick start, Renner won six of the first nine holes to be 5 up, he would go 7 up after the first 11 holes, and was 6 up after 18 holes. After going 7 up after the 19^th hole, Naik battled back winning three holes in a row to cut the lead to 4 up through 23 holes.

Naik would cut lead to 4 up again through 32 holes but Renner was able to win after 33 holes, 4 & 3. 

Renner won the PNGA Men’s Amateur title last year when it was held at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Washington.

With the back to back wins, Renner achieved a feat not seen in the modern era. Since the championship was first held in 1899, only six players have won back-to-back titles, and none since Jim McLean did it in 1971 and 1972. Two players had three peats, while one other won back-to-back two different times.

Renner was the 22^nd seed after the 36 holes of stroke play to determine the top 64 players to advance to match play. He has run through his bracket beating his opponents 4&3, 2&1, 4&3, and then 5&4 against Matthew Miyamoto in Saturday’s quarterfinal match, and 6&4 against Ethan Flynn in Saturday’s semifinal match.

Naik transferred to the University of Michigan on July 15, adding the 2025 NCAA Division III All-American Naik to a scholarship. Naik will have sophomore standing after playing his freshman season at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

Naik made it to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Oregon Amateur Championship losing to eventual champion Zach Foushee 4 & 3. He won the 2024 Oregon Junior Amateur.

Jack Harrington, a fellow Portlander, will be joining Naik at Michigan this fall as an incoming freshman from Jesuit High School.

The PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship is among the 11 major, regional, amateur championships for men, women, juniors, and seniors conducted annually by the PNGA throughout the Northwest.

Other past champions of the PNGA Men’s Amateur include Tiger Woods, Jeff Quinney, Ben Crane, Jeff Coston, Nick Flanagan, Jim McLean and Pacific Northwest Golf Hall of Famers Chandler Egan, Harry Givan, Jack Westland, Bud Ward and George Holland, among many others.