Senior Pro Classic Moves To Intimate Indian Canyon

Toby Steward, in the third year of his six-year plan to bring a Senior PGA Tour event to Spokane, says he would like to draw upwards of 10,000 spectators to Indian Canyon Golf Course for Monday’s third annual Senior Pro Classic.

Such a crowd would more than double the number that showed up for the inaugural Classic two years ago and equal the turnout at last year’s event at MeadowWood Golf Course.

But Steward is quick to stress that he will not be disappointed if ticket sales do not reach five figures, because increasing the attendance was never a top priority in planning this year’s two-day event, which features today’s Savin Amateur Championship and Monday’s Pro-Am Scramble and 6-hole United Paint Shootout.

“Naturally, we’d like to have a large gallery out there for the Pro-Am and Shootout,” said Steward, the director of the event. “Last year we set a goal of doubling the number of spectators, and we did better than that.

“But this year our main goal was to increase the quality of the event for competitors and spectators alike, and we think we’ve been able to do that.”

In backing up his claim, Steward points to a change of venue from MeadowWood to Indian Canyon, the area’s most revered public golf course, and the addition of two bigname Senior Tour stars - Gary Player and Al Geiberger.

Still, Steward said advance ticket sales have been keeping pace with last year, despite some initial concerns about limited parking near Indian Canyon and the course’s severe elevation changes that could present problems for spectators following the action on foot.

To alleviate the parking problem, Steward has arranged for the Spokane Transit Authority to operate a shuttle bus service to transport spectators from downtown Spokane and the Geiger Field area to the golf course and back on Monday.

Buses will run every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. and every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Spectators can catch a shuttle at one of three locations (see map inset) for a round-trip fare of $1.

Gates open at 7 a.m., with the Pro-Am scramble scheduled to start at 7:30. Player will conduct a shortgame clinic on the 18th green at 12:15 p.m., and some of the area’s top junior golfers will join local professionals and several of the Senior Tour pros to put on a clinic for kids at 12:40.

Trick-shot artist Bob Brue will do his thing at 1, with the Shootout scheduled to run from 1:30 until 3:40.

Extra busses will be provided to transport spectators back to their cars following the Shootout.

In an effort to keep walking difficulties to a minimum for spectators, Steward has mapped out a 6-hole Shootout course that plays to only 1,200 yards. The 17 Senior pros, competing for a $10,000 purse, will divide into two groups and play holes 1, 5, 9, 10, 15 and 18.

All but one player in each group will be eliminated in the first five holes and the two remaining competitors will play the 18th for the first-place prize money.

Steward said he had some initial concerns about the difficulty of walking the Canyon, but added those concerns have been eased by the layout of the Shootout holes.

“It’s really not that bad of a walk,” he said. “And now that we’ve mapped everything out, I’m sold on it being a better spectator environment at Indian Canyon than at MeadowWood.

“It’s much more intimate.”

Tickets, which are $10 in advance and $12 at the gate, will remain on sale at area golf courses and G&B ticket outlets through Monday morning.

Along with Player, Geiberger and Brue, the field of Senior Tour pros expected to compete in the Pro-Am and Shootout includes Rick Acton, Butch Baird, Don Bies, Homero Blancas, Dave Eichelberger, Dick Hendrickson, Robert Landers, Orville Moody, Jimmy Powell, Dick Rhyan, Bob Rosberg, Ken Still, Dewitt Weaver and Larry Ziegler.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Map: The third annual Pro Classic golf tournament parking