A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT for Pacific Northwest golf fans was lost amidst the excitement of the U.S. Open last month at Chambers Bay.
An LPGA major, specifically the Women’s PGA Championship, is planned for Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish on June 9-12, 2016.
Sahalee has played host to two major tournaments, the 1998 PGA Championship won by Vijay Singh and the 2010 U.S. Senior Open won by Bernhard Langer.
The course also hosted one of the World Golf Championships in 2002.
I covered the 2010 Senior Open, following Port Angeles native Jerry Johnson’s bid to make the cut.
Sahalee is about as far visually from Chambers Bay as a course could be.
Lush, green fairways, thick rough and perfectly-manicured greens await the best players on the LPGA Tour.
And the trees, plural, put Chambers Bay to shame.
Towering Douglas firs and western red cedars line the course, putting a premium on accuracy.
Sahalee also provides a much more comfortable spectator experience compared to Chambers.
The course is high atop the Sammamish Plateau, but after a day’s visit you feel more like you’ve walked a golf course than hiked the back country like Chambers Bay
Ticket prices and volunteer information haven’t been provided thus far, but that news will appear in this space when released.
Sixkiller tourney
The fifth annual Sonny Sixkiller Husky Golf Classic presented by Wilder Auto Center will feature the strongest field of Husky celebrities yet on Friday, July 24, at the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course.
Sixkiller was the dynamic quarterback who turned around the Husky football program, and led the nation in passing in 1970.
He also was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated the week of October 4, 1971.
“We are delighted to be a part of this tournament — we think it is the premier sporting event on the Peninsula,” said Jerry Allen, the CEO of Seven Cedars Casino.
“We have been very fortunate to partner with Sonny for the past 12 years.”
Huskies legends set to participate include Bob Schloredt, Marques Tuiasosopo, Greg Lewis, Robin Earl and Steve Emtman.
Also participating will be former Port Angeles High School player Scott Jones, the only Roughrider to have played in the NFL, that coming after a successful career as a tight end and offensive tackle at Washington.
“I’ve always wanted to set up a tournament to showcase the legacy of University of Washington sports, especially football,” said Sixkiller.
“I am extremely pleased to be able to work with the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe once again and am happy that it will benefit the Olympic Medical Center Foundation.”
Last year’s tournament raised $44,000 for Olympic Medical Center programs and equipment.
For more information, phone Bruce Skinner at 360-417-7144.
Member-Member
SunLand Golf & Country Club recently hosted its annual Member-Member Golf Tournament.
On the ladies side, Bobbie Piety and Judy Nordyke teamed to win the overall gross title with a score of 167.
Mary Kubas-Meyer and Teri King partnered to take the overall net title after a handicap-adjusted score of 133.6.
Jay Tomlin and Mark Meythaler claimed the men’s overall gross championship with a two-day score of 149.
Greg and Bruce Mullikin were net champions after posting a score of 124.
Lavender tourney
SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim will host its 10th annual Lavender Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 18.
The two-person scramble tees off with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start.
A barbecue burger lunch follows play.
Cost is $40 per player, cart seats are $15, and a $10 honey pot is available.
Phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673 to sign up.
Swing away at Safeco
The home team can’t hit the ball, but maybe golfers attending Seattle Mariners games can.
The Mariners have announced they’re unveiling the first golf simulator installed in a major league baseball stadium.
Located behind the center field bleachers at Safeco Field, the simulator uses high-speed 3D cameras to capture images and data at 2,300 frames per second.
The images are projected onto a 20-foot-wide curved high-definition screen.
Golfers have the choice of playing holes from many of the most famous courses in the world, including St. Andrews, TPC Sawgrass, TPC Scottsdale, Spyglass and Pebble Beach.
U.S. Open photo essay
The Fox television cameras couldn’t catch up with Jordan Spieth while he was watching Dustin Johnson collapse on the 18th green at Chambers Bay back on June 21, but USGA photographer Darren Carroll used his access to the fullest, compiling a great behind-the-scenes look at Spieth’s win.
Visit www.tinyurl.com/pdnSpieth to check it out.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3525, ext. 5152, or pdngolf@gmail.com.
