PRESORT STD FREE MAY U.S. Postage PAID COPY 2016 ISSUE THE SOURCE FOR NORTHWEST GOLF NEWS Port Townsend, WA Permit 262 Northwest Washington: A golfing treat awaits you Northwest Washington is more than just the San Juan Islands, Olympic Peninsula and great sight-seeing. There is golf. Plenty of golf. Places like Shuksan in Bellingham (right) offer some of the best golf in the Pacific Northwest that you will see. See our special section inside this month’s issue. Northwest courses on the move in rankings Gibbons captures WHAT’S NEW Pacific Northwest IN NW GOLF Senior Players title It took a playoff but Rob Gibbons of Ar- Tickets available to see rowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Ore. turned back three others to win the Pacific Northwest Senior KPMG Women’s PGA Players Championship at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla. The LPGA will be making a return to the Puget Sound area June 7-12 with the KPMG Women’s Gibbons tied at 139 with Jeff Coston of PGA Championship and tickets are available for Semiahmoo Resort and amateurs Mike Kloenne the LPGA major championship. of Columbia Edgewater and Keith Crimp of Ticket prices range from $10 for practice Ellensburg. In the playoff, Gibbons birdied the round tickets to $75 for a six-day weeklong pass first extra hole to win the championship and the to the event. The tournament will bring together $1,100 first-place check. the top players on the LPGA Tour and marks There was a serious logjam tied for second the return of the LPGA to the Puget Sound area including Mark Keating of the Reserve, Steve since the Safeco Classic went away years ago. Prugh of Manito, Chris Repass of Veterans See www.kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com. Memorial, Craig Schuh of Deer Park and Tom Sovay of Redmond Ridge. UW golfer named as a Winning the team Four-Ball competition was the team lead by Gibbons and his amateur finalist for Nelson award Pat O’Donnell both of Arrowhead. They fired a University of Washington golfer Jonathan team four-ball score of 16-under par with rounds Sanders has been named one of 10 finalists for of 65-63-128 . the Byron Nelson Award. The Byron Nelson Award goes to the college golfer that most represents Mr. Nelson in his golf, academics, and citizenship. Jonathan has carried a 3.5+ Washington Open GPA while being a great person and averaging 72.0 per round over four years. Congrats to Jonathan on his well-deserved recognition. set for May 16-18 Look for Jonathan to have a big finish to what has already been an exceptional Husky career. at Meridian Valley Golfweek Magazine has Pacific Amateur set for released its ratings of the top If you have always wanted to see it up with some of the top professionals and amateurs in the courses you can play in each September in C. Oregon Pacific Northwest you just could get your chance state – and in the Pacific North- at the Washington Open, set for May 16-18 at If you are looking to finish off your 2016 tournament season in style look no further than west there was some move- Meridian Valley in Kent. the Pacific Northwest and Central Oregon for ment in each of the three states. The tournament, which began in 1922, is a the Lithia Pacific Amateur Golf Classic. three-round event which features a no cut. Mean- The tournament will take place Sept. 17-22 Aspen Lakes (above) is ranked ing, everyone who tee off for the first round will at a collection of some of Central Oregon top eighth in Oregon while Gamble play all three rounds. The event starts out with the courses and features different net divisions for Sands (right) is ranked second tw-day Muckleshoot Casino Pro-Am, featuring men, women and seniors. The winner of each the professionals playing with teams. division will advance to play at Sunriver’s award- in Washington. Whitetail in Ida- The defending champion is Darren Black of winning Crosswater for the tournament title. Rainier Golf and Country Club. Meridian Valley Entry fee is $530. See www.pacamgolf.com ho is ranked first. For more on for more information Northwest courses, see inside will be hosting its fourth straight Washington Open and this will be the 10th year the course this section of Inside Golf. has played host. Palouse Ridge will host See www.pnwpga.com for more information Harbottle Pro-Am event on the Washington Open. Palouse Ridge will play host to the John Harbottle III Pro-Am June 3-5. The tournament will feature a field of four amateurs and one LPGA hits the NW professional and is being played to honor the course designer John Harbottle III. in June with a major Entry fee is $350 for amateurs and $150 for professionals and includes a practice round and two tournament rounds plus a horse race and championship event food on two of the days of the event. For more information on the tournament, call The stars of the LPGA Tour will gather 509.335.4342. in the Pacific Northwest at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash. for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship June 7-12. The tournament is a major championship on the Rules Quiz LPGA Tour schedule. The event is headlined by Inbee Park, who A player is about to make practice swings close to the ball in rough. Being has won the last three championships. concerned the ball might move he moves The purse for the tournament is $3.5 mil- farther away and takes his swings. In a few lion and the event is one of five major cham- moments the ball moves downward (verti- pionships on the LPGA schedule. cally). What is the ruling? See answer on For more on the tournament, please see PhOtO by ScOtt bISch Page 2. Page 3 of Inside Golf Newspaper. Inbee Park is the defending champion (left) while Michelle Wie will also be on hand for the event. Printed in U.S.A. • • • INSIDE GOLF NEWSPAPER • • • ©All Rights Reserved • Page 2 • • InsIde Comments • • Inside Golf - May Issue 2016 • Innovative Forearmor device might keep you healthy and add some distance too I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for ways to stay healthy - and hit the golf ball longer. Trouble is, getting injured seems to happen more frequently and the golf shots are getting shorter. Bob Marlatt What to do, what to do. Publisher OK, I’ve tried more practicing. I’ve read more Golf Digest tips. I’ve taken more Ibu- Steve Turcotte profen. Sometimes it helps, sometimes, well, Editor-Advertising nothing helps. Steve I have discovered something that at least Kathy Marlatt should send me in the right direction. I got a Turcotte Operations Manager call from Mike O’Connor who said along with his brother Sean they developed a gadget getting injured and getting healthy. They hope Contributing Writers called Forearmor, which works with wrists, the Forearmor is something people will see Jeff Coston, Russ Wing, forearms and other muscles. I told him I that works with both. Brian Giboney needed to hit the ball longer and not get hurt. For a project that started six years ago Photography: Scott Bisch He said this would help. the brothers are hoping that the Forearmor Cartoonist: Harold Bluestein The Forearmor is a piece of equipment catches on quickly with all athletes, but es- that works different muscles with the hands, pecially golfers. Subscription rates: wrists and forearms. I’ve always needed to • Kelly Walker and Mike McHugh might Forearmor is a NW product to strengthen wrists. $17-one year and $30-two years (U.S. get stronger, so I figured let’s give it a shot. not be inventors, but they are working with funds). After a few weeks of working with Fore- all sorts of innovations that golfers will need armor, my wrists feel better and golf shots to get their hands on. Unsolicited articles and photos are wel- seem to be more comfortable to hit. The pair brought the Big Max golf cart come, however we will accept no liability That was music to O’Connor’s ears. company to the United States and it is taking for their loss or damage, and will only “We wanted to come up with something off. Big Max is the leading golf cart company return them if prior arrangements have that helped prevent injuries and helped with in Europe. And they didn’t stop there. been made with the publisher. rehabbing injuries,” said O’Connor, who lives The two are marketing a rechargeable in the Seattle area. “This is a unit that really battery package that features batteries that Courier Address strengthens everything you need to help you fit right into your rangefinder. How about not 460 Dennis Blvd in a variety of sports.” having to buy another expensive battery for Port Townsend, WA 98368 The Forearmor unit looks like a triangle with the rangefinder again? I’m in. a pair of grips on each side and a button to The two are also distributing an Eco Vessel Mailing Address ease or add tension. There are also a variety water bottle for golf and other activities but P.O. Box 1890 of ways to use it to strengthen the different the best thing for us golfers and drinkers is Port Townsend, WA 98368 muscles that go with things like a golf swing, the Maxx Tap and Keg which will keep your throwing a football, hitting a tennis ball or beer cold while you are out playing.