59th All-City up for grabs Defending champ Rod Broadhead is back but anticipates plenty of competition this weekend.
By DON DAVIS of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
WALLA WALLA -- Defending champion Rob Broadhead may not be hitting the ball as well as he did last year when he won the 58th Walla Walla All-City Golf Championships.
Defending All-City champion Rob Broadhead follows through on a tee shot during a mid-week practice round at Veterans Memorial Golf Course, where the 59th edition of the annual tournament will conclude Sunday. Broadhead is among the contenders again this year but expects a tough battle when the tourney begins Saturday at the Walla Walla Country Club. U-B photo by Jeff Horner
"My game right now is not the best it could be," he said before he began a round on a recent bright day at the Veterans Memorial course.
"But I'm practicing," he added with a smile. "There's a possibility I could repeat, but there's a lot of great players in the tournament."
Last year, Broadhead opened with a 3-under-par 69 on Saturday at the Walla Walla Country Club course.
He followed that with a sizzling 6-under 66 at Veterans Memorial on Sunday to win the tournament with a 9-under total of 135.
He drilled five birdies and one eagle on the final day, and came within two shots of tying the 11-under, 133 tourney record set in 1981 by Mike Early (when both days were played at Vets).
Broadhead suspects the 2008 All-City champion may not have to score quite so well.
"It probably wont take as good a score as last year to win," he said. "Probably about four under. Or five under would probably win it."
Howard Crosby, co-tournament director with Bill Fleenor, said Broadhead must rank among the tournament favorites.
Crosby also included Vince Jimenez. Mike Mitchell and Tim Hinger in the group.
"Vince is playing well," Crosby said. "And Mitchell and Hinger are contenders for sure.
"Jeff Thomas would be a top contender if he could play," Crosby said. "He shot a 64 at the country club on Tuesday."
Thomas, however, now plays as a pro on the senior circuit and cannot play in the city tournament.
And Crosby, who shot a 71 in the round with Thomas on Tuesday, doesn't count himself out.
"I've never won it," Crosby said. "But if Fleenor and I could make a few puts, we could be competitive.
"I'd take a couple of 71s and take my chances," Crosby added.
So, while he's not playing as well as he should be, Broadhead remains on the list of All-City contenders
"Vets is probably the better course for me," he said.
He shot a 7-under par 65 there three weeks ago.
"At the country club the winner will have to score a couple under (par), around 69-70," he said.
He has recently carded a couple of 68s and a 70 at the country club course.
Yet, Broadhead said the competition will be fierce from several other players.
"There's some younger kids, like Greg Prins and Ryan Goude, that are going to be playing in the tournament," he said. "And some older guys like Tim Hinger and Mike Mitchell are going to be playing in it.
"They're great golfers, and it just depends on who is playing well over the weekend.
"I'm taking a laid-back approach," he said and smiled again. "If I don't win, it's fine.
"It's just a fun competition." Broadhead added.
And, if he doesn't pull off the repeat, Boradhead has a favorite.
"I'd like to see one of the older guys win it, like Tim Hinger," he said. "He's a really nice guy. I'd like to see him win if anybody (else) wins it.
"And the younger kids (Prins and Goude) are playing well," Broadhead continued. "Greg had a great season at summer golf. He went to state. It's too bad he didn't make the cut, but he played well. And he won districts, which is nice.
"If he plays well (this weekend), he's going to be a tough guy to beat," Broadhead said.
A special attraction for Broadhead will be the two big-money hole-in-one holes, No. 17 at the country club on Saturday and No. 12 at Vets on Sunday.
An ace on either hole wins an automobile, sponsored respectively by Abajian Motors and Dayl Graves Motors.
"It would be a lot of fun to get a hole-in-one on one of the holes," a smiling Broadhead said. "I might have to take the money and turn pro."
Broadhead graduated in 2007 from Wa-Hi.
"After graduation I took half a year off and went down to Texas and practiced my game," Broadhead said. "I came back and went to the last semester at Walla Walla Community College and played golf.
"Other than that, I'm still deciding what I'm going to do," he continued. "There's the possibility that I could play another season at WWCC.
"And I would like to turn pro," Broadhead said. "I would like to do what Max (Reinland) is doing, work in the pro shop and play professional golf."
A two-time All-City champion, Reinland has turned pro since the 2007 tournament and won't compete in the weekend tournament.
Broadhead said the best playing conditions for the weekend would be hot, dry and calm.
And, he added, he will approach the chance to win his second title in a row without feeling any pressure.
For him, after all, "It's just a fun competition."
All-City winners
1950 -- Ed Fiddess
1951 -- Frank Sontag
1952 -- Ed Fiddess
1953 -- Jack Sias
1954 -- Reed Clark Jr.
1955 -- Ed Fiddess
1956 -- Don Woodard
1957 -- Larry Pepin
1958 -- Harold Bristol
1959 -- Ed Fiddess
1960 -- Bob Hirsh
1961 -- Mike Dunham
1962 -- Rick Jaffe
1963 -- Ed Fiddess
1964 -- Jim O'Rourke
1965 -- Mike Anderson
1966 -- Jim Beard
1967 -- Bill Gabel
1968 -- Bill Gabel
1969 -- Jim Beard
1970 -- Jim Beard
1971 -- Jim Beard
1972 -- Harold Bristol
1973 -- Jim Beard
1974 -- Kirk Bierwagen
1975 -- Dwight Maddess
1976 -- Harold Bristol
1977 -- Bill Fleenor
1978 -- John Steel
1979 -- Carl Stritzel
1980 -- Brian Southwick
1981 -- Mike Early
1982 -- Jeff Thomas
1983 -- Jeff Thomas
1984 -- Dwight Maddess
1985 -- Jeff Thomas
1986 -- Jeff Thomas
1987 -- Jeff Thomas
1988 -- Dwight Maddess
1989 -- Jeff Thomas
1990 -- Jeff Thomas
1991 -- Jeff Thomas
1992 -- Jeff Thomas
1993 -- John LeFriec
1994 -- Robbie Bigelow
1995 -- Jeff Thomas
1996 -- Jeff Thomas
1997 -- John LeFriec
1998 -- Jeff Thomas
1999 -- Gregg Corn
2000 -- Jeff Thomas
2001 -- Ronnie Smith
2002 -- Devin Kaylor
2003 -- Eric Kimball
2004 -- Max Reinland
2005 -- Gregg Corn
2006 -- Max Reinland
2007 -- Rob Broadhead
TOURNAMENT RECORD -- Mike Early, 66-67--133, 11 under par for two rounds at Veterans Memorial Golf Course in 1981.
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