StarBulletin.com

Pacific's Bonk piles up wins


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POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010

Max Bonk had to go to sudden death to remain perfect at the Northwest Conference Spring Classic.

The Pacific (Ore.) junior defeated Whitworth's Cameron White on the second playoff hole to claim his third Spring Classic title in as many years on Sunday.

Bonk finished with a two-day total of 1-under 143 at The Links at Moses Pointe in Moses Lake, Wash.

The 2007 Hawaii Prep graduate has rewritten the record books with the Boxers. The victory was Bonk's second of the spring season. As a sophomore, Bonk went on an unparalleled run, winning seven straight spring tournaments, including last year's NWC Spring Classic, in which he set the course record at Seattle's Chambers Bay Golf Course with a 7-under 65.

Bonk, who also competed in cross country in high school, had two top-10 finishes in the high school state golf tournament while competing for Ka Makani.

; He was selected as the GCAA/PING Division III West Region freshman of the year in 2008 and was a finalist for the Phil Mickelson Award, honoring the top Division III freshman golfer in the country.

He continued to shine as a sophomore, earning third-team All-America honors. He finished the season with a 72.55 stroke average.

As a junior, Bonk opened the fall season with consecutive second-place finishes, but didn't win a tournament until spring rolled around.

After shooting a 3-under 69 in a dual-match win over Willamette, Bonk won the Pacific Invitational, finishing as the only golfer under par.

He shot an uncharacteristic 86 on the second day of the Lewis & Clark Invitational in March, but bounced back with a second-place showing at the PLU Invitational in Tumwater, Wash., to end the month.

Bonk will compete in the Whitman Invitational in Kennewick, Wash., on Saturday before the NWC Championships begins April 24 at Heron Lakes Golf Course in Portland, Ore.

Bonk's victory in the Spring Classic guarantees him All-NWC honors for the third consecutive season.