Rypien Puts Golf Challenge To Nfl Peers

Mark Rypien claims homefield advantage on this one.

A couple dozen present and former NFL quarterbacks, along with a few other invited celebrities, will tee it up this morning in the Bank of America Quarterback Classic at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Surely, George Blanda and John Elway have compiled more passing yardage than Rypien, and Drew Bledsoe could have a pedestal reserved for him in Canton if he continues to put up numbers like last season.

But Rypien, now a resident of Post Falls, torched the resort course with a 68 last week, and he doesn’t mind if all the celebrities in the field hear about it.

“I think John’s probably the best golfer,” Rypien said of Elway. “Neil Lomax is a good one and Steve Bartkowski is as good as they come. And they’ve played a lot of competitive, gallery golf.

“But I think I might be a favorite because I play here at least once or twice a month.”

That 68 - well below his career quarterback rating - consisted of three birdies and 15 pars.

Rypien can be excused if he is a bit distracted, however, as his wife Annette delivered a baby boy Wednesday night.

In addition to Rypien, Blanda, Bledsoe, Bartkowski, Lomax and Elway, the illustrious field includes Mark Brunnell, Chris Chandler, Cary Conklin, Tom Flick, Gus Frerotte, John Friesz, Jim Hart, Tommy Hodson, Sonny Jurgenson, Dave Krieg, Dan McGwire, Earl Morrall, Bill Musgrave, Doug Nussmeier, Bucky Richardson, Timm Rosenbach, Sonny Sixkiller, Cliff Stoudt, Jack Thompson and Jim Zorn.

Seattle Sonics coach George Karl and Washington State football coach Mike Price are also scheduled to participate.

Friesz, a Coeur d’Alene native and graduate of the University of Idaho now with the Seattle Seahawks, could be a sleeper with considerable course knowledge to his credit, as well.

Roughly 100 gallery tickets remained ($50 per) Thursday evening. This morning, they will go on sale at the business and activities center on the first floor of the resort.

Tee times begin at 9 a.m.

Action will be taped by Prime Sports and broadcast at 4 p.m. July 29.

And Rypien expects the outing - which will fund a minority scholarship to Washington State - will develop into quite a show.

“Anytime you got guys like Elway and Drew and some other guys like that coming to town, it’s nice for people to see them,” Rypien said. “There aren’t nicer guys than Drew or John and they’re big draws - people will like them.”

Rypien explained that this is not just an outing for the quarterbacks, but also for their families.

“There’s a couple ways you can get guys to play in these, have them play for something (money) or make it special for their families,” Rypien said.

“We’ve got a lot of activities set up for them and we’re trying to make it so that when they get ready to leave on Saturday, they’re eager to put their names down for next year.”

Organizers have lost a few big names from the initial list, such as Warren Moon and Jim Plunkett, “which will always happen,” Rypien said.

“What we’d like to see this develop into as years go on is that we could get the top players in the game at the quarterback position and get them all out here to spend the weekend with their family,” he said. “And then maybe we could share the wealth a little, split up (the proceeds) to cystic fibrosis or the cancer society, too.”

Saturday, the quarterbacks join foursomes of sponsors in a scramble tournament starting at 8 a.m. The public will not be admitted to that event.

, DataTimes