Putting Spokane Golf On Map Senior Pga Exhibition Returns To Meadowwood On Monday

The charity benefiting from the Pro Classic is Junior Achievement.

But golf fans who will spend Monday at MeadowWood are out to see something considerably different: Senior Achievement.

Twenty members of the Senior PGA Tour will be in action for most of the day in the second edition of an event that organizers are trying to make blossom into a full-fledged Senior tournament.

The biggest change from the inaugural event is that a shoot-out has been added (starting at 9 a.m.).

“We wanted to have a competition for the spectators, to allow them to see the players compete and show off their shot-making ability other than just in the pro-am,” tournament director Toby Steward said.

Nearly 5,000 fans attended last year. Advance ticket sales have matched that, with the crowd expected to near 10,000 this time around.

The day starts at 7:30 a.m. with the Washington Water Power Kids Clinic. Youths age 12 and under are admitted free for the entire day.

The United Paint shoot-out follows, with all 20 pros going for a $10,000 purse. Groups of 10 will tee off from No. 1 and No. 10. After two holes, three players will be eliminated from each group, continuing with that format until one player remains from each group. Those two will then play No. 11 for the title.

A clinic by Bob Brue - a popular feature of last year’s event - starts at noon, with the AT&T Pro-Am beginning at roughly 12:45.

During the day, Junior Achievement will sponsor a $1 million hole-in-one contest.

Players and their starting holes for the Pro-Am are: Ken Still (1), Don Bies (2A), DeWitt Weaver (2B), Homero Blancas (3), Bob Brue (4), Bob Goalby (5), Dick Goetz (6), Dick Hendrickson (7), Butch Baird (8), Tony Jacklin (9), Robert Landers (10), Larry Laoretti (11), Jerry McGee (12A), Larry Ziegler (12B), Orville Moody (13), Bobby Nichols (14), Jimmy Powell (15), Dick Rhyan (16), Bob Rosburg (17) and Harry Toscano (18).

Ticket prices are $12 at the gate. Gallery parking is available off Country Vista Road.

All 80 of the $1,000 player spots in the pro-am filled quickly, Steward said, with people continuing to call to try to get spots. Also, all golfers who were invited back from last year quickly agreed to return.

“We sent out the invitations during Masters week and we got them all back within a week,” Steward said. “Everybody wanted to come back.”