Hard course, bad back challenge Bonney Lake golfer Sean Packer
Since 1999, Bonney Lake’s Sean Packer had been trying to qualify for United States Golf Association national championships.
The former Auburn Riverside High and Western Washington University standout tried a variety of qualifiers – for U.S. Opens, U.S. Amateurs, U.S Junior Amateurs, U.S. Mid-Amateurs and U.S. Amateur Public Links.
The 27-year-old had fallen short in 35 to 40 of them.
So when Packer walked into the clubhouse at Gold Mountain Golf Complex last month after 36 grueling holes to get into the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links, he thought the same song and dance would play out after firing a 6-over-par 150 total.