Final-hole birdie lifts Coston to Washington Open championship

Jeff Coston, the director of instruction at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Wash. certainly didn’t have any shortage of dramatics at the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Championship, which was held at Kent’s Meridian Valley Country Club.

Jeff Coston knows all about being in the spotlight. He has played on the PGA Tour, the Champions Tour, and has played in some of the USGA’s major championships.

So when he stood over a birdie putt on the 54th and final hole of the Washington Open. He knew what he had to do. Coston rolled in the putt and won the tournament by one shot over amateur Darren Black of Rainier Golf and Country Club and amateur and former Major League Baseball pitcher Erik Hanson.
Coston was rolling, leading by three with nine holes left but went four-over-par in five-hole span to bring the field back into play. With Coston, Hanson and Black all tied at 6-under with one hole left, Coston birdied the par-5 finishing hole to win the tournament for the fifth time.

Coston led by two shots after a second-round 65 put him into the lead.