Scott’S Great Escape Miracle Save Helps Create Rosauers Lead

There have been plenty of golfers who have been there, but only a talented, or fortunate, few that have done that - as in make a par-4 from behind the green on Indian Canyon Golf Course’s testy 10th hole.

Yet that’s what Bob Scott did Friday afternoon, slammin’ not a Dew, but his pitch shot, into the steep bank behind the 10th green and rolling it to within 18 inches of the hole for an improbable save that helped him snare a share of the first-round lead in the 11th annual Rosauers Open golf tournament.

“That was probably the greatest - or luckiest - up-and-down I’ve ever had,” admitted Scott, the head professional at MeadowWood Golf Course, “but I’ll take it.”

Scott’s miraculous recovery propelled him to an impressive opening-round of 6-under-par 65 over the Canyon’s tight 6,255-yard layout and prolonged a personal roll that included a course-record 62 in the final round of Thursday’s proam event.

It also helped Scott match the snake-laced 65 of Tim Hval, an assistant pro at Broadmoor Golf Course in Portland.

Former Rosauers champions Michael Combs, Jeff Coston and Chris Mitchell were among five players a shot behind at 66, and host professional Gary Lindeblad and his assistant David Christenson were bunched with six others - including Paula Weihe-Bensel, the only female competitor - at 67.

Still, if was Scott’s great escape at No. 10 that dominated conversation around the 19th hole as a field of more than 70 of the top players in the Pacific Northwest Section of the PGA looked ahead to today’s second round of the 54-hole, $120,000 event that concludes Sunday.

“It’s just unbelievable,” said The Creek at Qualchan pro Mark Gardner after hearing of Scott’s remarkable up-and-down. “You could hit five shots from there and probably only get one to even stay on the green.”

Lindeblad called the up-and-down from behind a green that slopes severely from back to front “impossible.”

Yet Scott described the shot almost matter-of-factly through an impish grin, explaining his “pulled” 7-iron approach to the 443-yard hole hit the cart path and bounded well past the green over near the 11th tee.

“I just hit the same 7-iron into the bank and it rolled right next to the hole,” he added. “And all of a sudden, instead of making bogey or double, I make par. That was probably the turning the point of my round.”

Scott, however, went on to prove he knows how to milk a break by making birdie-eagle on the last two holes to cap a splendid 5-under 31 on the back nine.

Asked if Friday’s 65 was more satisfying than Thursday’s 62, which was shot from the white tees, Scott said, “I don’t know - 12 birdies (Thursday) was pretty good.

“But I consider today’s round better because it came in the tournament instead of the pro-am.”

Scott said he putted well Friday, but made nothing of note compared to the lengthy putts snaked in by Hval during a splendid round that included an out-of-bounds on the par-3 eighth hole.

Hval, who chipped in for eagle on the par-5 12th, also rolled in birdie putts of 55, 30 and 20 feet to match Scott’s opening-round effort.

“I made a lot of putts, no question,” admitted Hval, who finished 15th in last year’s Rosauers. “But it was the bomb I dropped for bogey on No. 8 that helped the most.”

Hval fanned his long-iron tee shot wide right and out of bounds on the treacherous 224-yard, par-3, but hit his third shot off the tee to within 30 feet of the hole and dunked the putt. He then closed with three consecutive birdies to put himself in position to challenge for his first section title.

Nearly overshadowed by the low rounds posted by Scott and Hval was Weihe-Bensel’s solid 67 that put her in contention for the second time this season.

Weihe-Bensel, an assistant to her husband, Spokane native Kene Bensel, at Lake Padden Golf Course in Bellingham, said she shot a “nice, steady round” that included six birdies.

“But I left a lot of birdies out there,” she added. “Still, it was a stress-free round. It was nice to score well without really having to light it up.”

Weihe-Bensel, who failed to make the cut in her four previous Rosauers appearances, is on the verge of shooting herself into the title picture and out of a ride home.

“If she doesn’t quit beating me, she’s going to have to thumb a ride home,” said her husband, who shot a 71.

Weihe-Bensel, who is playing the course at 5,943 yards from the women’s tees, has yet to record a top-20 finish in a section event. But she was in the third-to-last threesome on the final day of this year’s Giusti Memorial before finishing a disappointing 24th.

And Mitchell, a two-time Rosauers champion, who is the head pro at Tumwater Valley (Wash.) Golf Course, likes her chances this weekend.

“My pick to win this thing is Paula,” the Spokane native said after making peace with a putter that deserted him during the final round of last weekend’s Lilac City Invitational to post his 66. “She’s hitting the ball really well and she’s playing from shorter tees on a course that’s not very long to begin with.”

Mitchell described his own round as “pretty solid.

“I didn’t drive it in the rough and I got my putter working today,” he added.

Coston, who won last year’s tournament by three strokes before capturing the section championship later in the summer by 10 strokes at Spokane Country Club, said he was simply continuing his growing affair with the city.

“I just love Spokane,” he said following a round that included an eagle and two birdies on the first five holes. “I’ve played like a dog most of the year, but I feel like I’m back.”

Jeff Marsh, from Evergreen Golf Course in Vancouver, Wash., highlighted his openinground 71 with a hole-in-one on the 121-yard, par-3 11th.

Today’s second round begins at 7:30 a.m. with threesomes teeing off at the first and 10th holes. Scott starts on No. 10 at 7:57 and Hval opens on No. 10 at 8:06.

LEADERBOARD Leaders Friday after the opening round of the Rosauers Open, played on the par 71, 6,255-yard Indian Canyon GC. Bob Scott 65 Tim Hval 65 Michael Combs 66 Jeff Coston 66 Chris Mitchell 66 Rand Veal 66 Jeff Freeman 66 Gary Lindeblad 67 Sean Arey 67 Bill Porter 67 Michael Rorholm 67 David Christensen 67 Dan Hixson 67 Scott Krieger 67 Paula Weihe-Bense l67