Area Sports by Michael Dashiell

Amateur golfers in Washington, Oregon, and areas of Montana and Idaho, are beginning the path to a national championship berth by registering their teams online for local qualifying events in the third McGladrey Team Championship.

On June 20, The Cedars at Dungeness hosts such a tournament.

Amateurs can register to play online at PGA.com/teamchampionship.

The event is part of the nationwide grassroots best-ball amateur championship conducted by The PGA of America.

Local qualifying events started in February and go through September. Events with 18 teams or more advance two teams to their section championship, also held through September. If fewer than 18 teams compete at the local qualifying event, one team will advance to the section championship.

Teams that advance through local and section qualifying events have the opportunity to participate in the national championship, featuring 41 four-member PGA Section champion teams, set for Oct. 26-28 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

A portion of the proceeds from all local and section qualifying events, along with proceeds from a silent auction during the national

championship, support the Special Olympics golf program, which boasts 17,000 athletes.

The McGladrey Team Championship is the result of a partnership between The PGA of America and RSM McGladrey, the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America.

The 41-team, 164-player field in the national championship competes for a $200,000 purse, with amateurs receiving gift certificates. The field competes on three of Pinehurst's premier layouts, opening at No. 8, and concluding the final two days on courses No. 2 and No. 4.

Amateur players receive 75 percent of their course handicap allowance, based on the course and tees being played, and local qualifying events again will use the one best net ball of the three amateur players and each player's score must be used on a minimum of three holes.

The section championships and national championship feature the host PGA professional who will complete each winning team's foursome and use two best net balls of each hole.

Pacific Northwest qualifiers have included Avalon Golf Links in Burlington on April 26 and Spokane's Manito Golf & Country Club on May 13. Three Washington courses (Bellingham, Snoqualmie and Renton) host qualifiers on June 27. Wing Point Golf & Country Club on Bainbridge Island hosts a qualifier on July 25.