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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

It will be rougher go for field in Lilac Open

There is a chance, come Sunday, that a broken mower could play a huge role in cutting down a contender or two during the final round of the 46th annual Lilac Invitational golf tournament, which starts its four-day run this morning at The Fairways at West Terrace.

According to Lilac Golf Association president John Durgan, who also serves as general manager at The Fairways, the rough on his 6,398-yard course is as long and as thick as he can remember – which should test the mettle of even the best of those in an expected field of about 120.

“It’s gnarly,” Durgan said of the primary rough lining the fairways and surrounding the slick greens at The Fairways. “The course is in the best condition I’ve seen it in a long, long time. If these guys go out and hit fairways and greens, it’s gravy, because the fairways are gorgeous.

“But if they hit it in the rough, they’re not going to like it. Even if they miss a green long, right or left, look out. It’s like U.S. Open rough out here.”

For that, competitors in this year’s event can thank the recent breakdown of the mower used to clip the normally benign rough at The Fairways.

Maintenance workers, Durgan explained, broke the head on the mower a couple of weeks ago, and neither of the two replacement heads that were since shipped by the manufacturer fit the disabled mower.

Another replacement head, which will presumably fit, is expected to arrive sometime this weekend.

“But we won’t have the mower put back together in time to mow the rough,” Durgan said. “So the competitors in the Lilac Invitational 2005 will be presented with a different feel and a whole different challenge.”

Still, there is little reason to expect the sanctity of par to be honored.

This year’s field of 40 pros includes three past Lilac champions, along with U.S. Open qualifier Troy Kelly, who shot a second-round 67 at the legendary Pinehurst No. 2 just last month.

“Once again, we’ve got some good sticks in the field,” Durgan said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Joining Kelly in this year’s Lilac field will be defending champion Chris Ming, who won last year’s event by a comfortable three-stroke margin with a 72-hole total of 24-under-par 264.

Other past champions who are entered include Storm Gleim, who won in 1997, and Mark Worthington, who captured back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.

Several players who have competed recently on the A.G. Spanos Tour in California are also in the professional field. Among them is local favorite Peter Sisich, who will play in the Lilac as a professional for the first time after finishing as low amateur the past two years.

Other Spanos Tour regulars expected to tee it up at this year’s Lilac are Conner Robbins, who finished fourth last year at 19-under 269, and Kevin Pomarleau, who has been a top-10 Lilac finisher on a couple of occasions.

Durgan said this year’s event will again pay $5,000 to the top professional finisher and about $1,200 to the champion of the Senior Pro Division.

In addition the low gross and low net finishers in each of the four amateur divisions will receive $750.