Two-time Junior Tour of Northern California Player of the Year Jaden Dumdamaya captured one of the biggest amateur prizes in the nation.
Dumdumaya, now a sophomore at USC, shot rounds of 73-71-66-68 to claim victory at the 58th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship in late July at Eugene Country Club.
Self-nicknamed the Lil’ Dragon, Dumdamaya was eight shots behind the lead after the first round. He began his final day just two back of leaders Dylan Ma and Sam Renner, after having shot a 5-under par 66 in the third round. Closing the gap, a final round 68 was enough for him to counteract a 71 from Ma and a 79 from Renner, with an up and down par save on his 18th hole granting Dumdumaya a spot for his name to be engraved on the trophy.
“Going into this summer, I wasn’t too sure if I’d get into this,” Dumdamaya said of his presence in Eugene. “Me and my dad worked really hard to try and get me into this event and other [Elite Amateur Golf Series] events.”
He also confessed to having altered a few in-place plans to make the trek up from Northern California:
“I was supposed to go to Disneyland with my girlfriend this week, but we got in here,” he said with a smile. “I had to sacrifice a lot to come here, and if it wasn't for my parents, my family and all the people supporting me back home...I’m really grateful for the support.”
During the final round, Dumdumaya played steadily. He posted his only bogey of the day on the fourth hole and sank four more birdies after that to overtake Ma by the fifteenth. Leading Ma by one heading into the 72nd hole, Dumdumaya went on to seal the championship with an up-and-down par save from a fairway bunker, finishing at 6-under par. Ma finished second alone one shot back, ahead of third-place Mahanth Chirravuri (Chandler, Ariz., -4).
Dumdumaya joins PGA Tour members and fellow NorCal natives Isaiah Salinda (2018) and Will Zalatoris (2016) as winners of the Pac Coast Am.
In the Morse Cup team competition, the NCGA finished in third place at 2-under 282 after back-to-back rounds of 141. Team NCGA consisted of Willy Walsh, Brady Siravo and 2025 California Amateur champion Jacob Goode. Goode had a birdie chance on the 18th hole, but his 10-foot putt just missed.
The teams of Arizona Golf and the Oregon Golf Association finished in a tie for first at 3-under, marking the first time in 30 years the championship has been shared.
The NCGA has won three of the last six Morse Cup crowns (2024, 2022, 2019).