Senior Pros Blow In For Golf ‘N’ Fun A Crowd Of 10,000 Monday At Meadowwood Gets Its Money’s Worth In Tips And Wise Cracks

Fans expected golf.

But many of the 10,000 or so who showed up at MeadowWood Monday couldn’t be sure if they were watching members of the Senior PGA Tour or a traveling comedy ensemble.

Was that a Shoot-out or a Laugh-off?

Actually, it was both as the second Pro Classic drew double the attendance of the first edition and offered at least twice as many laughs as the pros showed they’re as dangerous with a wisecrack as with their putters.

“They all have so much personality and don’t take it so seriously,” said Dee Hibbler, who came from Portland with her husband Mel, with much of the incentive for the trip being the Pro Classic. “They’re out here having fun with the gallery and each other.”

Yes, they did play a little golf between comedy routines, with Don Bies of Seattle edging Tacoma’s Ken Still in the Shoot-out, and John Paul Cain’s team winning the Pro-Am with a score of 17-under par.

Aside from that, though, they spent the day barking like dogs while others were putting, stepping in each other’s putting line, and just generally busting chops with every swing.

Larry Ziegler was merciless on the first tee of the Shoot-out, abusing Bob Brue for his slow play (“Come on Bobby, the grass will be over our heads by the time you hit”), jabbing Larry Laoretti for his ever-present cigar (“Real nice, Larry, all these kids around here and you’re smoking, nice example”), and blasting Jerry McGee for his college education (“This guy is a college graduate - went to State Penn.”).

Brue, who once again conducted his trick-shot clinic, also gave the gallery some tips.

“Sir, you’re holding that (lawn) chair too tightly,” he schooled a fan. “You have to loosen your grip, hold it like you’re holding a bird. That’ll be $50, anybody else need some tips?”

Brue’s clinic may be worth the price of admission alone, as he debunks every “law” of golf by nailing shots long and straight from ridiculous positions with absurd swings.

“Ninety percent of golf is half mental,” said Brue, who added the great thing about being old enough to be on the Senior Tour is that “you forget your bad scores.”

The best addition to last year’s event was the morning Shoot-out, in which Bies made one stunning shot after another. On the par-5, No. 2 hole, he snaked in an impossible, severe downhill putt to get into a chip-off and then holed a bunker shot to make it to the finals.

Both Bies and Still bogeyed the title hole, No. 11, and Bies won the chip-off by a matter of inches.

“On the last three holes, I was in impossible places,” Bies said. “I wish I could have had some of this luck yesterday (at the Franklin Quest Championship in Salt Lake) because I finished two strokes behind (winner Tony) Jacklin and I bogeyed the last two holes.”

Amateurs paid $1,000 each for their spots in the afternoon’s Pro-Am. “It was definitely worth it,” said Larry Shintani, who played with Ziegler and received what was, essentially, an 18-hole lesson from the pro. “He was absolutely the nicest guy in the world. He gave me so many tips.”

Promoter Toby Steward said the event evolved without a hitch and estimated that 4,000 walk-ups joined the advance-ticket sales of 6,000 to push the attendance past the targeted 10,000.

The easy rapport with the fans is important for the pros to cultivate, said pro Chuck Montalbano. “These are the people who support the Senior Tour and without them, we’d all be punching a register someplace.”

Promoters will make a pitch with the Senior Tour in two weeks to turn this event into a full-fledged Tour stop next year.

Several of the pros on hand supported the idea.

“To have this many people come out for a one-day event like this shows they’ve got great support,” Montalbano said. “The course is fine; they could make it work and I hope they do.”

“Oh, very definitely,” Dick Goetz said of the feasibility of a tournament at MeadowWood. “It’s remarkable to get this kind of turnout for a shoot-out and a pro-am. For this type of thing, this is the best I’ve ever seen; it’s first class all the way.”

“From the pros’ standpoint, I think the guys would very much like to come to this part of the world,” Jacklin said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo