MIKE EARLY IS the PGA professional who runs the Port Townsend Municipal Golf Club.
He has played a lot of tournaments during the 25 years of his career. Most recently he shot 65-72-71 for a three-day total of 208 in the Senior Oregon Open last week to finish in fifth place in the low-pro division.
Early is planning to take a couple of months off from playing golf to have his shoulder repaired.
He reports the golf course is in excellent shape for this time of year, and the greens are in the best shape they have ever been.
The course has been placed on some restrictions on the amount of water it can use, so the well-struck ball is getting a lot of roll on the fairways.
Port Townsend just finished its annual Youth Football Scramble Benefit Tournament with an excellent field of golfers, and the weather was wonderful.
With the help of Terry Khile and all the volunteers, Port Townsend raised more than $3,000 to purchase equipment for young athletes who would otherwise not be able to participate in this great program.
The tournament was a two-person scramble with gross, net and mixed divisions.
Four drives and four second shots were required for each player, a very popular format with Port Townsend’s members and guests.
The low gross winners were Gabe Tonan and Ben Krabill, 59. In second low gross were Mike Lux and Brian Lux with 64.
Pat Lundgren and Al West won low net with a 47.5. Second place went to Kurt Lake and Eric Nelson with 52.
Bill Schmitt and Lee Maddock teamed up for a 49.5 to win the mixed division.
The dates for Port Townsend’s 20th annual Kings and Queens tournament will be set soon.
Port Townsend Municipal was voted, for the third straight year, the best and friendliest golf course on the North Olympic Peninsula by the customers using the course.
Call Early or Vicki Handyside, the clubhouse manager, for more information on course times and activities at 360-385-4547.
First Asian-born winner
There had never been an Asian-born professional golfer win a major PGA golf tournament in this country until Sunday when Y. E. Yang of South Korea was crowned the champion of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.
That alone was enough to shock the golfing world but the real news was that he beat the No. 1 golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, in one of the most thrilling golf games in modern history.
To say that Yang is now a national hero in his home country is the understatement of the year. This was a thrilling golf tournament to watch, especially the final three holes.
Yang was quoted as saying, “This might be my last win as a golfer, but it sure is a great day.”
Discovery holes-in-one
Mike Asmundson, the head pro at Discovery Bay Golf Club in Port Townsend, sent some exciting news Tuesday.
The 16th hole, a par 3, again succumbed to two perfect golf shots.
The first ace was by Duston M. Smith, who hit a 173-yard 5-iron only to watch it disappear in the hole.
Helping him watch this marvelous golf shot was his dad, Delbert Smith.
A second ace was scored on the same hole on Sunday when Alan Rue hit his golf ball with a 6-iron from the 137-yard tee box.
His wife, Florida, witnessed the event and will probably have to live with hearing the story told over and over again.
Congratulations to both of these charmed golfers.
Junior Golf Camp
The second session of the Discovery Bay Junior Golf Camp is being offered on Aug. 24-27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The staff will give advanced instructions to the young golfers. If you have a youngster who would like to participate, call 360-385-0704 to reserve a place.
On Aug. 29 the Soroptimists Scramble for Foster Families is holding its 11th annual charity tournament.
It is a four-person open scramble with a 1 p.m. start with lunch preceding the golf plus appetizers during the raffle and awards presentation.
Call the pro shop, 800-385-8722, or drop by for entry forms.
On Sept. 18 the Jefferson County Home Builders Association will hold its annual golf tournament.
It is a four-person scramble with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. For more information, contact Jon Murdock at 360-344-4919.
The ladies club competition at Discovery Bay found Janie Marcus in first place Thursday. Marcus posted a net 25 in the Criss Cross competition.
Sheila Kilmer had 25.5 for second place, Irene Helander was third with a 26.5 and Ann Meier came in fourth with a 27.5.
Mary Pat Griswold sent in the tournament report and mentioned the beautiful course conditions and lovely weather.
Crab and Crabette
The 36th Crab and Crabette Golf Tournament at Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim on Aug. 8-9 produced some outstanding winners.
The overall low gross winners were Gary and Marcy Holt with 144. The overall low net winners were Lee and Barbara Bodker with 120.
In the first division, the low gross winners were Gary and Marcy Holt, 144. The first net winners were Ron and Laurie Brown, 122.
The second division low gross winners were Bryan Pederson and Carolyn Monan, 157, and the first net winners were Lee and Barbara Bodker with 120.
Third division low gross went to Jack Dembroski and Kathy Gallen with 177. First net winners were Jack Woodward and Jane Walker with 125.
The winners of Friday’s Horserace were Gary and Marcy Holt. The second division horserace winners were Jack Dembroski and Kathy Gallen.
The putting championship winners were Gary and Cathy Backlund. The Saturday closest to the pin winners were JC and Pat Schumacher while the Sunday winners were Jim and Gail Fenyedi.
On Aug. 9, the Greenskeepers Tournament, a fundraiser for FAA Scholarships, was held at Dungeness.
In the low flight divisions, first gross, a tie developed between Jacob Lippold and Josh Lindsey, and team of Jeff Lindsey and Dave Walker, each recording a 62.
First net winners were Bob Bullinger and Warren Cortez. High flight, first gross winners were Robert Mares and Diane Woodle with 69.
First net winners were Ron and Bernice Quigley with 52.2. Calloway Division winners were first gross Garrett Smithson and Barry Tuteur with 65.
First net Calloway Division produced a very rare five-way tie between Bob Erickson and Dylan Buck, Ken and David Lane, Kenny Kirkman and Shane Coleman, Bill Francis and Doug Linklater, and Mike and Lori Russell, each couple shooting a 65.
Member-Guest tourney
The 2009 Member-Guest tournament produced some great golf at Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles this past week.
The gross winners were Mark Mitrovich and Mitch Black, who shot 134.
Second place went to Denny Negus and Gary Kettel with 142, third went to Jeff Sparks and Tracy Dunlap with 143 and fourth place was claimed by Bob Dutrow and Rob Treece with 146.
The net winners were Todd Negus and Jamie Burton with 116.
Second place went to Mike Robinson and Erick Blume, 117, third place to Jay Calla and Joe Hudson, 123 and fourth place to Erick Schaefermeyer and Kyle Stutesman, 126.
While the men were doing so well the women were playing even better.
On Aug. 13 the Peninsula lady golfers, 18-hole group, played a “better nine” game. The winners were Doris Sparks with 27.5, Dolly Burnett with 31 and Deborah Jacobs, 32.
The Ladies’ 9-hole group played “first five or last five.”
The winning scores were Kitty Byrne with a 7, Helen Elwood with an 8, and Boots Reidel with 8.5.
Sandy Granger, the weekly correspondent, reports the lady golfers welcome new members to their group on Wednesdays at 9 a.m. at Peninsula Golf Club.
SkyRidge championship
Jeff Pedersen at SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim says the golfing is great, the weather is fine and you are invited to come out and join the fun.
This past week was the SkyRidge Club Championship. Pedersen won the event with 149 gross total for the two days.
In second place was Scott MacKay with a 151. Third place went to Steve Gish with a score of 156.
The net champion was Phil Langston with 132. In second place was Bruce Beane with 135. In third place was Steve Lee with a 136.
A fine group of golfers, 32 in all, entered the event and Langston’s net 132 was the lowest wining score in the history of the tournament.
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Billy Sallee is the golf columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. He can be reached, when he isn’t on the golf course, at 360-582-9799 or bmsallee@olympus.net. His columns appear on Wednesdays.
