Trying To Make His Way Up The Ranks To The Pga Pence Returns To Lilac City, Site Of Pro Debut One Year Ago
Todd Pence is getting healthy.
That’s what a little money will do for a young professional golfer.
Pence, a 24-year-old from Cheney, highlighted his first year as a golf pro with a win in British Columbia.
“It healed a lot of wounds,” he said before a practice round at The Fairways, his home course and the site of the 38th annual Lilac Invitational, sponsored by the Downtown Holiday Inn Express.
Pence is returning to the tournament where he made his professional debut a year ago. He tied for 10th and three times was low amateur.
“Since I’ve turned pro I’ve struggled, but as far as Canada, it was positive,” said Pence, who has earned close to $20,000 in his short career. “I’ve played almost every week, maybe 40 tournaments. I played well in spurts, I played pretty consistent in the fall in Palm Springs, but don’t feel I’m as consistent as I was as an amateur. I’ll shoot the same scores I did as an amateur but it fluctuates a lot.
“I don’t know if it’s the nerves, it’s just a mental thing. There’s a different pressure. You know a couple shots coming in can cost you some money. You say you don’t think about it but you have to pay the bills. It’s different when you’re Tiger Woods and have 40 million. The money is different on the mini-tours.”
Pence played mostly on the Desert Tour out of Palm Springs, Calif., the Just Play Golf Tour and some events in Canada.
The win came in the Duncan Open on Vancouver Island the first week of May.
“The thing is, it was weird, the course was set up for me… . I said to myself, ‘Just go out and play and you’ll win,”’ he said of the event he won by one stroke with a birdie on the final hole.
But can he compete on the next level?
“No question,” he replied. “The next step, obviously, is the PGA Tour. It’s going to take patience. Maybe not this year, maybe not next year. I’ll stick with it and work on what I’ve learned since last year.
He plans to attempt the Tour qualifying school this fall. It costs $3,000 and to be successful, he has to make it through three stages - four rounds, four rounds, six rounds.
Thousands try, the top 35 to 40 make the PGA, and the next 70 qualify for the Nike Tour.
“Physically there’s a fine line. I have the tools… . My weakness has been my belief in myself, mental,” he said.
New sponsor
Tradition means a lot to Mark Rypien, so the NFL quarterback decided to pay for a Spokane tradition.
Rypien, who has an interest in the Downtown Holiday Inn Express, committed the motel to be the major sponsor for the 38th Annual Lilac Invitational.
“This day and age in sports is about the almighty dollar,” Rypien said. “There have been so many great names who have played in this tournament… . I think it’s just a fun deal and more so that it has a tremendous amount of history and tradition in Spokane.”
Rypien contributed to the history of the event last year when he fired a hole-in-one on the final day.
That won’t happen this time around, because on Sunday he leaves for the St. Louis Rams training camp.
At last weekend’s Isuzu Celebrity Golf Championship outside Lake Tahoe, Nev., Rypien had 39 putts in opening with an 80. The final day he shot a 74 and said, “It was almost like I knew what I was doing.”
Chip shots
Tournament director (and player) John Durgan said the 213 entrants, including 99 professionals, make the tournament the largest in more than a decade. There is a purse of $45,000, with $6,000 going to the winner… . The past three champions, Rob Rannow, Michael Combs and Gary Lindeblad are back … Last year, Rannow, playing out of Coeur d’Alene, shot a final round 63 to make a playoff, where he beat Ron Ewing on the first extra hole.
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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TEEING IT UP The three-day Lilac City Tournament begins this morning at The Fairways.