Calvin Green and Cade Stubbs came painfully close to qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship during their first attempt in the fall of 2024. The two former Bushnell University golfers shot a 6-under par 65 at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Ore. to finish two shots out a trip to the 2025 national championship.
“Finished two shots back, something close enough on the 18th hole when it mattered,” Green recalled.
One year later, the two were in a similar position heading down the stretch during a qualifier at Willamette Valley Country Club in Canby, Ore. on Sept. 8.
“We were in a pretty good spot after Calvin parred No. 16,” Stubbs said. “The group we were playing with was one shot ahead of us so I told Calvin on the 17th tee that we probably needed to go birdie-birdie because while you can look at the live scoring, we were one of the first groups off so you are guessing where they will finish.”
Stubbs birdied the 17th hole to accomplish half of the goal.
“Heading to No. 18 we were in a good spot, but if we got one more we felt like we might be locked in,” Green said.
After Stubbs missed the green left on the final hole, Green hit his approach shot to within one foot of the cup.
“I got a good number and hit my knockdown shot,” Green recalled. “It was a relief that I didn’t have to knock in a 10-footer. Nice to have a tap in.”
Green’s birdie gave the twosome a score of 9-under-par 63 that won the qualifier by a stroke over Austin Spicer of Vancouver, Wash. and Jonah Pemberton of Tigard, Ore., who also qualified for the 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, which will be held at Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., on May 16-20.
“I haven’t played in a USGA event so there were definitely some nerves wanting to make it after doing U.S. Amateur qualifiers and U.S. Open qualifiers forever,” Stubbs said. “I always wanted to play in a USGA event.”
Green qualified for the 2017 U.S. Amateur at The Riviera Country Club in Southern California, but did not advance to match play.
“This was nice to get back in the saddle and know I am going to play in a national event again,” he said. “It was an amazing experience the first time but now to do it as a team will make it more fun that we get to do it together.”
The 35-year old Green, who prepped at Thurston High School in Springfield, Ore. before playing at Bushnell in Eugene, returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach when the 25-year-old Stubbs – who played high school golf at Sheldon High School in Eugene, Ore. – was playing for the Beacons.
The two began working together at L.A.B. Golf in Creswell, Ore. just over three years ago in the fitting department where Green is the director and Stubbs is the manager.
“The people at L.A.B. are always pushing us as long – as we get our work done – to get out and practice and play whenever we can,” Green said. “They have been super generous to us for flexibility.”
L.A.B. is located on site at Emerald Valley Golf Club.
“When we started working at L.A.B., we knew each other from before and, both being avid golfers, we started playing golf every day,” Stubbs said. “I play more golf with him than anyone else so we thought, ‘Hey, we should do some Four-Ball together.’”
After the two barely missed in the USGA qualifier last year, they lost in the championship match of the Oregon Golf Association Four-Ball Championship in August.
Less than one month later, they earned medalist honors in the qualifier for the 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball to be held in May.
“The timing works out nicely because the qualifier was toward the end of the season so it will be nice to reset for the USGA event,” Green said. “We will gear up for a few tournaments beforehand to make sure we are sharp and ready to go because that is going to be a different part of the season than when we usually play tournaments.”
The Four-Ball is a relatively new USGA event, launching in 2015 and featuring both players playing their own ball with the lowest score on a hole becoming the team’s score.
“I think our dynamic is unique because a lot of teams go out and each player is trying to make the best score they can and that is the same for us, but the way I play is erratic and aggressive and go for everything while Calvin is much more conservative,” Stubbs said. “If you look at our scorecards from Four-Ball, I will have six holes that I don’t even finish and six or seven birdies, and Calvin will finish every hole with a par and then have two or three birdies. He’s the perfect partner for me because he frees me up to go for everything and be super aggressive and make as many birdies as I can. When we played in the Oregon Four-Ball Championships there was one round where I had nothing and Calvin was playing great so I was sitting back and trying to score, but also thinking, ‘I’m not really needed today.’ Two days later, I birdied the first four holes and Calvin was thinking, ‘I’m just kind of out here today.’”
Green said their different styles play well in Four-Ball competitions.
“You have to make a bunch of birdies in Four-Ball,” he said. “If you have two guys who go out and both shoot 69 but both made birdies on the same holes, that doesn’t do anything for you. For me, having somebody that has the natural inclination to fire at everything and then if he’s out of position, I make sure to steady the ship so the way we mentally approach golf really balances each other out.”
Stubbs shot 4-under par 138 to win the OGA Mid-Amateur in May during his first year of eligibility.
“In Four-Ball, when you have a putt to tie or win the hole there is more pressure than if you are playing by yourself because you are not just possibly letting yourself down, but your partner down as well,” he said. “But it goes both ways because parts of the round are more nerve-wracking than playing by yourself, but other parts you play more freely.”
Neither Stubbs nor Green have played Desert Mountain before, but the two will take a scouting trip to the course during the next few months.
“We will head down there to get out of the rain and get a feel for the course,” Green said. “We will get a couple rounds in before the practice rounds. We do practice rounds a little differently because we want to feel the golf course out. We don’t really want to go and shoot a good score, we want to get a feel for the course, especially where not to be. The way we play, he goes first and goes pedal to the metal and I base my game on what he does. We will figure out what holes we want to keep that strategy and when we both want to play aggressive, depending on the layout.”
Stubbs and Green will be joined by a few other Northwest golfers at the 2026 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, including Spicer and Pemberton. Taylor Klopp of Vancouver, Wash. and Nigel Lett of Tualatin, Ore. won the qualifier at McCormick Woods Golf Club in Port Orchard, Wash. while Tyler Kanda and Zach Strong of Olympia, Wash. placed second to also reach the national championship.
Connor Kampala of Albany, Ore. teamed with Calum Hill of Scotland to win the qualifier at BanBury Golf Course in Eagle, Idaho. Nate Smith of Tetonia, Idaho teamed with Amory Davis of Santa Fe, N.M. to win the qualifier at Spirit Hollow Golf Club in Burlington, Iowa.
Zach Foushee of Lake Oswego, Ore. and Robbie Ziegler of Tualatin, Ore., are exempted into the 2026 event after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2025 championship.