Sunday, June 23, 2013 • Bulletin special section
Spectators’ guide
The PGA Professional National Championship Sunday-Wednesday • Sunriver Resort
High stakes
Information for watching the PGA Professional National Championship in person at Sunriver Resort:
PARKING INFORMATION
For Crosswater, complimentary shuttle service to and from the La Pine Fire Station south of Crosswater’s main entrance on South Century Drive and the resort’s main lodge. For Meadows course, Sunriver Resort’s Main Lodge.
• A top finish in the PNC — a tournament for the nation’s top club pros — could change a golfer’s life
REFRESHMENTS
There will be no oncourse vendors, but food and beverages can be purchased at Sunriver Resort’s Main Lodge near the Meadows course and at the Grille at Crosswater Club’s clubhouse.
RESTROOMS
At Crosswater, restrooms are stationed below the clubhouse, and off the course’s No. 2 green, No. 6 tee, No. 12 tee and No. 16 green. At Meadows, restrooms can be found at the Main Lodge, off tees Nos. 5, 7, 10, 12 and 16, and off the No. 13 green.
PLACES TO WATCH
Crosswater Club: The course is laid out across an enormous piece of land, but thankfully the best spectator holes are close to the clubhouse. Crosswater’s first three holes allow spectators to get close the action, as do holes 9 and 10. The three finishing holes are spectacular and are in relatively close proximity to one another. A shortcut through a field between the 16th green and the 10th tee box makes getting around the cluster of holes a breeze, at least by Crosswater standards. Watching from the bridge by the 18th green gives a spectator a bird’s-eye view of the closing action. Meadows course: Spectators may want to stick close to the clubhouse, which is housed in Sunriver’s Main Lodge that offers restaurants, bars and a beer garden. Those who venture onto the course will find plenty of action across a footbridge leading to the first tee and ninth green. The 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th holes are all within close proximity to one another. And the 18th hole is a tricky par 4 that doglegs left around a large pond. The well-guarded green could provide drama as golfers come home.
Fans cheer at Crosswater Club in 2007, the last time the PGA Professional National Championship was held in Central Oregon.
Schedule SUNDAY, JUNE 23
First round; tee times on both courses (Crosswater Club and Meadows) off of first and 10th tees: • Morning wave: 7:30-9:30 a.m. • Afternoon wave: 12:402:40 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 24
Second round; tee times on both courses (Crosswater Club and Meadows) off of first and 10th tees: • Morning wave: 7:30-9:30 a.m. • Afternoon wave: 12:402:40 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 25
Third round (cut to low 70 and ties after second round is completed); Crosswater Club first tee only; tee times from 6:30-11 a.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
Final round; Crosswater Club first tee only; tee times from 6:30-11 a.m.
Tee times The tee times for the first round of the PGA Professional National Championship. For tee times of later rounds, check The Bulletin’s daily coverage or visit www.pga.com/nationalchampionship online. Crosswater Club (First tee) 7:30 a.m.: Chad Kurmel, Jamie Broce, Lonny Alexander 7:40.: Doug Wade, Paul Dietsche, Jay Westerlund 7:50.: Craig Smith, Shawn Koch, Brent Snyder 8: Chris Happ, Ryan Rhees, David Kent 8:10 : Eric Chiles, Faber Jamerson, Eric Manning 8:20: Chip Johnson, Kevin Shields, David Carr 8:30: Ben Bryson, Tom Harding, Chad Ayres 8:40: Mark Owen, Terry Hatch, Craig Czerniejewski 8:50: Boomer Erick, Craig Hocknull, Mitch Flemming 9: Patrick Steffes, John Faidley, Shawn McEntee 9:10: Matt Pesta, Troy Pare, Kyle Kelly 9:20: Charles Raulerson, Paul Dickinson, Scott Mallory 9:30: John McCarthy, James Kane, Daniel Koesters 12:40 p.m.: Scott Erdmann, Mark Brown, Paul Scaletta 12:50.: Marty Jertson, Rob Labritz, Tim Fleming 1: Frank Bensel, Craig Stevens, Billy Anderson 1:10: Chip Sullivan, Barry Evans, Darrell Kestner 1:20: David Hutsell, Ron Philo, Scott Hebert 1:30: Bob Sowards, Matt Dobyns, Mike Small 1:40: Bob Ford, Jim White, Jerry Haas 1:50: Dennis Miller, Jim Sobb, Kevin Tracey 2: Brian Gaffney, Danny Balin, Alan Morin 2:10: Greg Bisconti, Brian Cairns, Gene Fieger 2:20: Mark Sheftic, Tim Weinhart, Sam Arnold 2:30: Dwayne Randall, Adam Marshall, Mitch Lowe 2:40 p.m.: Chris Starkjohann, Greg Lee, Mark Faulkner
Meadows course (First tee) 7:30 a.m.: Rod Perry, Jim McGovern, Sam Randolph 7:40: Devin Gee, Troy Denton, Kelly Mitchum 7:50: Ryan Benzel, Kirk Hanefeld, Rich Steinmetz 8: Perry Arthur, Frank Esposito, Caine Fitzgerald 8:10: Mike Northern, Keith Ohr, Stu Ingraham 8:20: Will Frantz, Rob Shuey, Charles Meola 8:30: Dennis Winters, Chris Wiemers, Kevin Hayashi 8:40: Sean McCarty, Aaron Ungvarsky, Scott Schulte 8:50: Craig Berner, Geoff Montross, Robert Poole 9: Mark Tucker, Bill Loeffler, Jeff Seavey 9:10: Clint Avara, Steve Cutler, John Guyton 9:20: Ron Skayhan, Mike Townsend, Mike San Filippo 9:30: Matthew Brock, Sam Kang, V.J. Trolio 12:40 p.m.: Jon Stanley, Donny Lee, John Ogden 12:50: Gus Ulrich, Brett Melton, Tom Stecker 1: Scott Frisch, Jason Schmuhl, David Roesch 1:10: David Hronek, John DalCorobbo, John Bachman 1:20: Micah Rudosky, Marcus Judge, Shawn Gordon 1:30: Rob Hunt, Lawrence Auer, Curtis Malm 1:40: David Tokarsky, Jeff Yurkiewicz, Paul Barnsley 1:50: Jason Pitt, Steve Barber, Todd Rickenbach 2: Chad Proehl, Anthony Price, Frank Hohenadel 2:10: Mike Barge, Oliver Peacock, Zachary Street 2:20: Jonathan Clark, Bradford Colt, Jordan Schroeder 2:30: Garrett Chaussard, Joe Mongillo, Preston Otte 2:40: Tim Feenstra, Brian Wood, T.J. Roberts
Crosswater Club (10th tee) 7:30 a.m.: Eric Kennedy, Scott Cole, Travis Hall 7:40: Greg Sikes, Casey Fowles, Joseph Moore 7:50: Steve Orrick, Ryan Polzin, David DeSantis 8: Brian Janty, Josh Speight, Brock Shafer 8:10: Jeff Jordan, Rick Hughart, Bob Stephens 8:20: Bryan Hughett, Blake Graham, Mark Evenson 8:30: Rick Towle, Scott Johnson, Jeffrey Anderson 8:40: Wes Skaggs, David McNabb, Tim Parun 8:50: Gideon Smith, Lee Rhind, Rob Moss 9: Ray Ford, Stuart Deane, Eric Cobb 9:10: Doug Rohrbaugh, David Paeglow, Travis Deibert 9:20: Kevin Carll, Brady Sharp, Michael Frye 9:30: Jeff Thomas, Scott Moran, Barry Dear 12:40 p.m.: Chris Peterson, Michael Dugas, Casey McCoy 12:50 p.m.: Kris Kroetsch, John Thompson, Kyle Baehler 1: Chad Callan, Nick Gustin, Rob Wilkin 1:10: Matthew McKeon, John Seltzer, Dennis Meyer 1:20: Ken Carpenter, Jakob Gerney, Scott Berliner 1:30: Brett Jones, Matt Seitz, Tom Herzan 1:40: Daniel Kinn, Tom Bach, Chad Lydiatt 1:50: Lou Kubisa, Aaron Krueger, Brian Dixon 2: Christopher Lisk, Alex Knoll, Tim Hobby 2:10: James Wahl, Steve Stone, John Lee 2:20: Charles Frost, Nate Kain, Miguel Bautista 2:30: Clayton Wonnell, Stuart Smith, Travis Johns 2:40: Simon Allan, Carl Cooper, Scott Heyn
Meadows course (10th tee) 7:30 a.m.: Jerrel Grow, Troy Schleicher, Jay Turcsik 7:40: Daniel Rodgers, John Panek, Scott Shapin 7:50: Matt Nice, Corey Prugh, Fred Mattingly 8: Barry Milstead, Ian Ziska, Matt Erger 8:10: Rick Witt, Tommy Brannen, Justin Ream 8:20: Patrick Williams, Mike Diffley, John Gibson 8:30: Tim Yelverton, Jim Karr, Ed Kirby 8:40: Jim Garrison, David Von Hoffmann, Kyle Martin 8:50: Audie Johnson, Troy Watkins, David Muttitt 9: Paul Poandl, Mark Farrell, Jeffrey Cranford 9:10: Chris Black, Jim Schouller, Sean Kenily 9:20: Todd Camplin, Trent Rommann, Matthew Zavadil 9:30: John Hickson, Dean Larsson, Paul-David Milton 12:40 p.m.: Jaysen Hansen, Brandon Smith, Rick Bronson 12:50: Gregg Wolff, Matt Arvanitis, Ryan Kennedy 1: Michael Hopper, Brian Brodell, Jason Piurkoski 1:10: Jim Empey, Lee Houtteman, Chris Hantla 1:20: Jeffrey Templeton, John Bierkan, Mike Kullberg 1:30: Kirk Satterfield, Rick Lewallen, Ryan Helminen 1:40: Frank Dully, Carl Alexander, Frank Dobbs 1:50: Jeffrey Martin, Dirk Schultz, Brad Lardon 2: Christopher Kaufman, J.C. Anderson, Bill Murchison 2:10: Jeff Sorenson, Sean English, John Carney 2:20: Brett Upper, Wayne DeFrancesco, John Traub 2:30: Don Berry, Stephen Schneiter, Jim Woodward 2:40: Jeff Coston, Sonny Skinner, Bob Gaus
Come Enjoy the Beauty and Ambience of the Ranch. Load up the RV, Hang your Hat, & Stay Awhile!
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How to watch
By Zack Hall Bulletin file photo
REDEEMABLE COUPON • CROOKED RIVER RANCH
The Bulletin
SUNRIVER — Finding motivation should not be difficult for the 312 golfers at the 46th PGA Professional National Championship. After all, how many golf tournaments outside the PGA Tour have the ability to truly change the trajectory of a player’s career? The PNC — a four-round tournament that begins today at Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater Club and Meadows course and showcases the best club professionals from around the country — offers that chance. “Winning this National Club Pro could end up being a life-changer,” says Bend’s Jerrel Grow, a 35-year-old pro at Pronghorn Club making his first appearance in the PNC. “If I play really well this week and got crazy and won this event, then it would probably change my lifestyle. I’d have to change my job and start working out and eating right, and treating this (competitive golf) like a job.” In other words, a strong showing at the PNC could be a springboard to the highest level of pro golf. The Golf Channel will broadcast all four rounds of the PNC live from Sunriver, and the reason is simple: The stakes are high. The winner’s share of the $550,000 purse is $75,000. But that is just the start. The lowest 20 golfers after 72 holes get a chance to take on the world’s best at the 2013 PGA Championship, scheduled for Aug. 8-11 at Oak Hill Country Club in
You can watch the PGA Professional National Championship — taking place at Sunriver Sunday through Wednesday — in person or on television:
IN PERSON
Admission is free to watch the golfers at Sunriver’s Crosswater Club and Meadows course. See at left for parking and other spectator information. The final two rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday will be played entirely at Crosswater.
ON TV
On the Golf Channel: • Sunday: 4:30-6:30 p.m. • Monday: 12:30-3 p.m. • Tuesday: 1-4 p.m. • Wednesday: 1-4 p.m. Rochester, N.Y. Maybe more important, the champion gains exemptions into six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period. “I didn’t realize the magnitude of what I was doing, which is probably why I played so well,” says Matt Dobyns, a New York pro who won the PNC last year at Bayonet BlackHorse in Northern California by a record eight strokes. “Last year was the crowning achievement of my career,” Dobyns reflects. “It is something I will always cherish and something I will hang my hat on for the rest of my life.”
— Reporter: 541-617-7868, zhall@bendbulletin.com
The Walter Hagen trophy, shown here on the first hole at Crosswater Club in Sunriver, is awarded to the winner of the PGA Professional National Championship. Courtesy of The PGA of America
Sunday, June 23, 2013 • PGA Professional National Championship • Bulletin special section
FACTS AND FIGURES
THE PLAYERS
These guys are good. But how good?
NOTABLE • Dan Koesters, the director of golf at New Mexico State Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M., has won at Crosswater Club before. Koesters, who was then the men’s golf coach at the University of Idaho, won the Oregon Open Invitational in 1996 at Crosswater.
By Zack Hall
The Bulletin
• Georgia’s Sonny Skinner is the only player in the history of the PGA of America to be named both the PGA Professional Player of the Year (2008) and the Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year (2010, ’11 and ’12).
SUNRIVER — Matt Dobyns looked anything but out of place for much of the 2013 Shell Houston Open. Then Dobyns — who broke legendary Sam Snead’s 41-year-old tournament record by winning the 2012 PGA Professional National Championship by eight strokes — put three balls in the water on the 18th hole at the Redstone Golf Club Tournament Course to post a 5-overpar 9 that left him with an opening-round 78. That killed his chances of making the cut. Yet the 35-year-old head professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, N.Y., walked away with some confidence. “I wasn’t sure (before the tournament) if I could compete out there, to be honest,” says Dobyns, who played in the 2012 PGA Championship and earned exemptions into six PGA Tour events for winning the 2012 PNC. “I do think they are playing at a slightly higher level than me, but I do know now that, from a ball-striking standpoint, that if I go out and play well that I can
• Mike Small, the head men’s golf coach at the University of Illinois, was the last club professional to make the cut at the PGA Championship. Small finished tied for 69th place at 12 over in the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. • Florida pro Charles Raulerson won the 1998 Oregon Classic, which was then a Nike Tour event played in Eugene. The win for Raulerson — who has also played on both the PGA and European PGA tours — was one of two in his career on the PGA Tour’s main developmental circuit.
BY THE NUMBERS
0
Golf professionals from the PGA’s Pacific Northwest Section to win the PNC, which is being played for the 46th time.
3
Total times Sunriver Resort has hosted the PNC. The National Championship was also staged at Sunriver in 2001 and 2007.
4
PNC participants who made the cut in the 2013 Senior PGA Championship: Jeff Coston, Sonny Skinner, Bob Gaus and Don Berry.
7
Members of the Metropolitan PGA Section — which represents the New York City area, who have won the PNC. The Carolinas and Michigan PGA sections are next with four national championships each.
13 20
Montana Pritchard / The PGA of America)
Players to watch: PGA’s Pacific Northwest Section RYAN BENZEL
Age: 45 Home: Lynwood, Wash. Notes: Won the 2012 Pacific Northwest PGA Professional Championship. Has played in four PGA Championships, making the cut and finishing 71st in 2007.
JEFF COSTON
SCOTT ERDMANN
Age: 36 Home: Tigard Notes: Oswego Lake Country Club pro lost the 2011 PNC in sudden-death playoff. Finished tied for second at Oregon Open last week at Juniper Golf Course.
CASEY MCCOY
COREY PRUGH
CHRIS LISK
JASON PITT
BRADY SHARP
Age: 35 Home: Bend Notes: Pronghorn Club assistant professional is making first appearance at the PNC. Played in Web.com Tour’s Stonebrae Championship in 2009 and 2012.
TIM FEENSTRA
Age: 57 Home: Blaine, Wash. Notes: Former PGA Tour pro is in 14th PNC and has made four appearances in the PGA Championship. Tied for 28th place at the 2013 Senior PGA Championship.
JERREL GROW
Age: 30 Home: Issaquah, Wash. Notes: Former Western Washington University golfer won the 2011 Pacific Northwest PGA Professional Championship and tied for 56th at 2012 PNC.
Age: 40 Home: Seattle Notes: Assistant pro at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue, Wash., is making first PNC appearance. Played in the National PGA Assistants Championship.
Age: 35 Home: Chewelah, Wash. Notes: Making firstever appearance in PNC after finishing runner-up at 2012 Pacific Northwest PGA Professional Championship.
MARK BROWN
Age: 46 Home: Oyster Bay, N.Y. Notes: Six top-10s and a win on the PGA European Tour. Tied for 24th place at the 2008 PGA Championship and was runner-up in the PNC in 2000 and ’01.
Age: 32 Home: Spokane, Wash. Notes: Former University of Washington golfer won the 2008 Oregon Open at Aspen Lakes Golf Course. Finished tied for seventh at 2012 PNC.
Age: 28 Home: College Place, Wash. Notes: Walla Walla (Wash.) Country Club pro is making first PNC appearance after finishing fourth at 2012 Northwest PGA Professional Championship.
Sonny Skinner
Jeff Roberson / The Associated Press
JERRY HAAS
Age: 49 Home: WinstonSalem, N.C. Notes: Men’s golf coach at Wake Forest played in 51 PGA Tour events, earning one top-10 finish. Brother is Champions Tour standout Jay Haas.
JIM MCGOVERN
MATT DOBYNS
States represented by pros competing
Championship rookies, including Bendarea pro Jerrel Grow.
Age: 39 Home: Centralia, Wash. Notes: 2005 Oregon PGA Player of the Year. Won the 2001 Rosauers Open and finished in second place at 2009 Oregon Open at Juniper Golf Course.
Jeff Coston
Montana Pritchard / The PGA of America
Players to watch: Pros from around the country
Golf professionals who will earn a berth from the PNC to the 2013 PGA Championship.
in the PNC.
— Reporter: 541-617-7868, zhall@bendbulletin.com
Matt Dobyns, pictured at left, will defend his title at the PGA Professional National Championship this week.
Past PNC champions in the 2013 field.
45 88
make a cut. It just takes a couple breaks — and not hitting three balls into the water.” Dobyns is one of 312 PGA club professionals competing this week at Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater Club and Meadows course. The field has been whittled from more than 4,000 club pros representing 41 PGA sections across the country. How do the club pros stack up against players on the PGA Tour? Dobyns says the difference is in the details. “It’s clear when you look closely that I might hit a 100-yard shot to 15 feet and I would be satisfied with that,” he observes. “Where the average tour player hits that shot, they’re on the (practice) range afterward wondering why they hit it 15 feet away.” But the difference might be tough to notice for the untrained eye, he says. “If you get the top tier of those (PNC) players playing their best, I think that they’d be right up there with most of the tour players,” Dobyns says. “Maybe not the elite, but pretty indistinguishable from the PGA Tour average, so to speak.”
Age: 35 Home: Glen Cove, N.Y. Notes: Former University of Texas golfer won the 2012 PNC by a record eight strokes, beating a 41year-old record set by legend Sam Snead.
Age: 48 Home: Oradell, N.J. Notes: Longtime PGA Tour player won the 1993 Shell Houston Open and finished tied for fifth at the 1994 Masters. Now a head pro in New Jersey.
SAM RANDOLPH
SONNY SKINNER
LEE RINKER
MIKE SMALL
Age: 49 Home: Ft. Worth, Texas Notes: Won the 1985 U.S. Amateur and was the low amateur at the Masters in 1985 and ’86. Counts 1987 Bank of Boston Classic as lone PGA Tour win.
Age: 52 Home: Jupiter, Fla. Notes: Earned eight top-10 finishes in PGA Tour career that includes 190 tournaments. Has three more top-10s in 17 Champions Tour starts.
Age: 52 Home: Sylvester, Ga. Notes: Threetime Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year won twice on the Nationwide Tour and has played on both the PGA and Champions tours.
Age: 47 Home: Champaign, Ill. Notes: University of Illinois men’s golf coach has won the PNC three times. Former PGA Tour player has made cut at PGA Championship three times.
BOB SOWARDS
Age: 45 Home: Dublin, Ohio Notes: Won the 2004 PNC. Twenty-two starts on the 2008 PGA Tour and finished tied for ninth at the 2008 Wyndham Championship.
CHIP SULLIVAN
Age: 48 Home: Troutville, Va. Notes: Former PGA Tour player won the 2007 PNC, which was played at Sunriver Resort. Beat John Daly in 1981 to win Louisiana State Junior Championship.
THE COURSE
Professional golfers vs. Crosswater Club • Sunriver’s gem is set to show its teeth once again after a three-year hiatus since its last pro tournament By Zack Hall The Bulletin
SUNRIVER — The golfers in the 46th PGA Professional National Championship will have their hands full this week. The mammoth field of 312 players will split time at Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater Club and Meadows course. Par-71 Meadows, which will play at a manageable 6,969 yards, will host a single round for every pro. But the bulk of play will be at par-72, 7,530-yard Crosswater, which
will host one of every pro’s first two rounds and will be the sole venue after the 312player field is cut to the lowest 70 scores and ties after Monday’s second round. Despite its intimidating yardage, Crosswater emphasizes superior ball-striking over length off the tee by forcing tough approach shots into greens that are well guarded by the wetlands and the water that give the course its name. Such approach shots give an advantage to precision players like Fred Funk, who mastered Crosswa-
ter like no other in winning the Champions Tour’s Jeld-Wen Tradition here in 2008 and 2010. “Both courses demand that you bring your entire game together,” says Chip Sullivan, who returns this year after winning the 2007 PNC at Crosswater and Meadows. “Crosswater is a big course where you have to be good in all facets of your game. It requires all your skills and confidence in shotmaking. When I played there in 2007, I had all cylinders of my game in order and I was able to make some putts.” Spectators are welcome, and admission is free. — Reporter: 541-617-7868, zhall@bendbulletin.com
The courses, hole-by-hole CROSSWATER CLUB Hole 1 2 3 Par 4 5 3 Yards 388 553 188
4 4 415
5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 4 5 3 4 4 36 4 449 605 206 429 457 3,690 413
11 12 13 14 15 4 5 3 4 4 457 653 168 459 415
16 17 5 3 599 219
18 In Total 4 36 72 457 3,840 7,530 The Associated Press file
MEADOWS COURSE Hole 1 2 3 4 Par 4 5 4 3 Yards 425 579 472 174
5 6 7 8 4 4 4 3 342 367 431 213
9 Out 10 11 4 35 5 4 432 3,435 540 417
12 4 419
13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total 3 4 4 3 5 4 36 71 201 393 372 205 537 450 3,534 6,969
Champions Tour golfer Larry Mize putts on the 18th green during the 2009 Tradition at Sunriver’s Crosswater Club. The course last hosted a professional field in 2010 before The Tradition’s departure. Pro golf returns to the course this week with the PGA Professional National Championship, which was also held in Sunriver in 2007 and 2001.