FIFTY-ONE WEEKS ago today, an industrial incident involving a 36,000-pound Caterpillar D-6 bulldozer nearly crushed Port Angeles-area soccer legend Kyle Trussell to death.
Trussell, 33, was working as a surveyor on a city of Port Angeles project at the Port Angeles Regional Transfer Station.
Trussell’s injuries were numerous and the needed surgeries, nearly 40 to date, and related medical expenses (hundreds of thousands of dollars) a daunting task to face, physically, mentally and financially.
I wrote about Trussell’s fight and the progress he’s made in his recovery in July before the Super Cup soccer derby between Sequim and Trussell’s Port Angeles side. That story is available at tinyurl.com/PDN-TrussellLegend.
What shined through for me was Trussell’s willingness to face these life-altering challenges with a grin and a flash of his ever-present sense of humor.
In that vein, a series of events to celebrate this “living legend” are planned in Port Angeles and Sequim on Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 1.
This includes the first foot golf tournament at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim on Saturday, Oct. 1.
Foot golf is scored the same as golf, with players kicking a soccer ball from the tee to an oversized hole in the fairway somewhere short of the golf green, and encountering the same hazards as on the golf course.
The tournament is an 18 hole, two-person alternate shot competition with a 3 p.m. shotgun start.
Players can pay $30 for the foot golf tournament ($25 if age 17 or younger), or $80 for the event and a ticket to a dinner and comedy show benefit at 6 p.m. at 7 Cedars Casino’s Club Seven in Blyn.
The price is $55 for both events for 17 and younger.
No soccer cleats are allowed for the foot golf tournament, but I’d expect that rule applies as well for the comedy dinner.
To sign up, phone Cedars at 360-683-6344, ext. 2.
Registration is due by Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Sponsor the event
Sponsors also are sought for the event.
A $500 “Legendary” package comes with four entries in the foot golf tournament, acknowledgement at the comedy dinner and a hole-sponsor sign.
The $250 “Infamous” package provides two foot golf entries, a shout out at the dinner and a hole sponsorship.
A $100 “Big Name” sponsorship provides one player entry in the tournament, praise at dinner and a hole sponsorship.
A beverage cart sponsorship is $500 and will include a company logo on the beverage cart during the tournament, and your logo on a drink ticket all 21-and-older players receive.
For sponsorship information, phone Trussell at 360-461-7305.
Key contributors
North Olympic Peninsula golf pros Tyler Sweet (Sunland Golf and Country Club) and Garrett Smithson (Cedars at Dungeness) added vital contributions to the Western Washington Chapter PGA’s 31st annual Cutter &Buck North/South Cup Matches.
Smithson and Sweet chipped in with a combined 5 1/2 of the 10-man South team’s 13 points in a 13-7 victory over the North in the Ryder Cup-style event held last week at White Horse Golf Course near Kingston.
“North/South went very well,” Sweet said.
“Garrett and I were part of the winning South squad and were paired together for the first day matches and final day singles matches.”
The Sequim pair earned a one-up victory in their nine-hole best ball match and 2 and 1 alternate-shot win over Matt Hennick of Harbour Point and Troy Rodvold of Bellevue Golf Club.
Sweet ran away with his singles match, winning 6&5 over Everett Golf &Country Club’s Jeff Dillard.
“In my match I jumped out to 6-up lead on the front nine after firing a 4-under-par-32 and didn’t allow much chance for Jeff to chip away at my lead,” Sweet said.
Smithson, meanwhile, halved his match with Rodvold.
“Garrett’s match came down to the last hole and it was exciting,” Sweet said.
“G was 1-down on the 17th green when Rodvold drained a 40-foot birdie putt which left G a must make 35-footer. And he did not disappoint [with] his slick right to left putt.
“On 18 Rodvold played it safe with an iron down the right side away from the water and G over cooked a driver into the water.”
But Smithson persevered, hitting his third shot 230-yards over water with the ball 18-inches above his feet to within 4 feet of the cup. Rodvold missed a 30-foot par putt for the win and Smithson won the hole and halved his match.
The duo won 5 1/2 of 6 total points. Domination!
“It was lots of fun being paired with Garrett for the two days,” Sweet said.
King of the Hill
The installation of the No. 2 tee box at Discovery Bay Golf Club near Port Townsend left the layout with no course record from its blue tees.
To rectify the situation, Discovery Bay is inviting those who would like to set a new record from the Blue tees to come play the course in a “King of the Hill” Challenge through Wednesday, Sept. 28.
A “Queen of the Hill” and “Senior Challenge” will follow from Sept. 29 to Oct. 16 on the course’s red (ladies) and yellow (seniors’) tees.
Discovery Bay golf pro Jeff Kent said that these challenges will be played under USGA rules, with no handicap allowed.
Players will declare before going to the first tee that they are “going for the record,” and players are required to have their scorecard attested.
Players are required to have their scorecard attested.
Besides the intrinsic value derived from holding a course record, Discovery Bay is adding a small financial incentive to the competition.
Each time a player attempts to set the record a $5 fee goes into a pot.
At the end of the record-setting periods the winner will be given the accumulated pot.
Ties split the pot.
No golf professionals are allowed to compete in the $5 buy-in portion of the competition.
Discovery Bay also is offering a pair of all-day specials.
Two players can play all day with use of cart for $69 through Friday. That price raises slightly to $79 Saturday and Sunday.
Aeration of the greens at the club will be held Thursday and Friday, Sept. 29-30.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
