Bill Winter, PSU Women's Coach Makes Run At USGA Senior Amateur Championship

Bill Winter, Head Coach of the Portland State Vikings women’s golf team reached the round of 64 at the USGA Senior Amateur Championship.

Winter's run at the USGA Senior Amateur Championship ended on August 26 after the first day of match play.

Winter was one of 64 players to qualify for match play at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, TN. The Senior Amateur, a national championship for players 50 years of age and older, began with 156 of the best players in the country competing in stroke play on Saturday, August 24 and 25.

Winter qualified by tying for 39th place by shooting a 75 and 80 (155) over qualifying. He had to battle back after shooting a 40 on the front nine on Sunday of qualifying, which he did by converting three birdies on the back nine to advance.

“I knew I was still within the cut line or close to it. I made some crazy long putts, a couple of birdies coming in on 16 and 17, which took a little pressure off going into 18,” Winter said. “I made par to make the cut line by two strokes. Played with some nice guys, who were former Mid-Amateur champ and a Senior Amateur champ.”

In match play, Winter faced Patrick Carter of Huntington, West Virginia. Each player won two of the opening four holes before a deadlock through most of the match. The match was tied for eight consecutive holes before Winter won the 13th with a par on the 381-yard par four to go one up. But Carter won the next four holes in a row, including two with birdies, to close out the match 3-and-1.

Winter was playing his best round of the week and was even-par through 14 holes but made bogeys on the next three.

“In the match, I played pretty darn good. I played a seasoned player he was steady and made putts when he needed to make putts,” Winter said. “I played pretty darn good, and probably would have beaten a lot of people that day just not him. So overall it was a good trip and happy I qualified and represented well.”

A native of Portland, Winter was the medalist in local qualifying for the USGA Senior Amateur on July 22. He shot an even-par 72 at the OGA Course in Woodburn, OR.

Winter, who has been the Vikings Head Coach since 2021, has been a prominent local amateur player for several years. He also qualified for the Senior Amateur in 2021. Winter shot 73-79=152 to miss the cut by four strokes that year.

Previously the coach of the University of Portland’s men’s golf team from 2000-2011, Winter also qualified for the 2006 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He also made the final qualifying for the 2004 and 2005 U.S. Open.

“I kept my eyes and ears open for when something opened up. I jumped on it when the Portland State job opened up,” Winter said. “Portland State has been great, it has taken a couple of years to get my recruits here. We’ve gotten better every year and going in the right direction. They're all great in the classroom, all over 3.5 GPA.”

Winter went to college at the University of Portland where he played baseball. A La Salle High School alumni, he grew up in Southeast Portland.

“Being at a school like Portland State you’re not going to land blue-chip recruits,” Winter said. “You have to find the diamond in the rough, someone who is going to get better. Everyone develops at different levels, so I try to find kids that want to get better and I see their potential.”

Three of the five members of the PSU Women’s Golf team are from Oregon including Bayler Brundage, Tannica Porter, and Momo Udom.

PSU will host the Portland Invitational at Columbia Edgewater Country Club on October 14 and 15 which will feature northwest teams including teams from the Big Sky Conference.