Lilac Golf Tournament Welcomes Talented Field

It didn’t take tournament director John Durgin long to pick a favorite for the 37th annual Washington Trust Bank Lilac Invitational golf tournament.

It just took Durgin a while to stop at one.

His first choice for the four-day, 72-hole tournament which begins on Thursday at The Fairways, is Chris Mitchell. But, by picking the six-time champion, he had to relegate Michael Combs, the defending champion, to second choice.

Then there are Dan Koesters and Gary Lindeblad, Mark Wurtz and Mark Rohde, Todd Pence and Craig Gronning.

Each has the game and background to catch Durgin’s eye.

Mitchell has been playing well most of the year, finished tied for eighth at last week’s Rosauers Open and then set a course-record 65 Monday at Hidden Lakes.

“He’s been playing very good,” Durgin said, “and he knows the course so well.”

Mitchell won the tournament six times in the 1980s, the last coming in 1989.

Combs, from Tri-Cites, won last year’s tournament and last weekend’s tournament. He won the Lilac by one stroke over George Mac Jr., who is returning for the tournament, and the Rosauers by two.

Durgin likes Koesters, the professional at the University of Idaho course, because he’s often a contender (fourth in the Lilac last years) and won the Oregon Open earlier this year; and Lindeblad, the Indian Canyon pro, who won the Lilac two years ago.

Rohde is a contender in every tournament he enters and a frequent winner who finished tied for fifth in the Rosauers, five strokes behind Combs. He won Lilac titles in 1991 and ‘92. Wurtz, a Californian who shot a 63 to lead the first round of the Rosauers at Indian Canyon, finished the tournament tied with Rohde.

Gronning and Pence are employees at The Fairways. Pence, a Cheney native who attended Brigham Young University, is making his professional debut this week. He was the low amateur in the Lilac three times, including last year. Gronning was with the leaders last year.

Other past champions in the field include Craig Schuh (‘87) and Kene Bensel (77, 79).

Different dates

The Lilac Invitational is traditionally a week earlier but when the Pacific Northwest Section sent out its tournament schedule, the Rosauers was on the Lilac dates.

Durgin said Lindeblad called him before he could even pick up the telephone and checked into changing the Rosauers dates so the Lilac cold maintain its tradition. However, Durgin said Rosauers officials made some plans because of the tournament dates and nothing could be changed.

“Gary Lindeblad made an effort so we could have our normal dates,” said Durgin, very appreciative of the gesture. “It didn’t work out, it’s not a big deal.”

Chip shots

George Mack Jr. of Portland and Eric Rustand of Tucson, Ariz., who finished one and two shots, respectively, behind Combs last year, are also returning. … Flamboyant but controversial Californian Mike Booth is not returning but sent some sponsor money, “out of his love for the event,” Durgin said. Booth was among the leaders two years ago but faded when the tournament moved to Downriver for the final two years. Last year he led at the midway point but pulled out to return home to take care of business.

, DataTimes