GOLF: Port Townsend’s Tonan wins old-time hickory title

NEITHER HIS BRASSIE, his niblick nor his putter let him down in the end.

Port Townsend Golf Club General Manager and golf pro Gabriel Tonan birdied the first playoff hole to claim the 14th Washington State Hickory Open last Saturday at the Home Course in DuPont.

Tonan defeated Steve Henneuse of the NorCal Hickory to win the golf tournament, in which players use old-fashioned hickory-shafted golf clubs.

The pair tied in regulation after each shot rounds of 3-over-par 75.

Tournament organizers, the Atlantic Pacific National Golf Club of Federal Way, described the playoff.

“Having the honor on the first tee, Tonan hit a perfectly flighted draw with his brassie [a 2-wood] to the left side of the fairway, leaving under 100 yards to the green. Henneuse followed with a low, wind-cheater bullet, right-center of the fairway leaving his approach under 100 yards as well.

“Determining Henneuse was away, he played a very fine struck niblick [wedge] to 10 feet slightly above the hole, leaving a testy right-to-left putt. Having birdied the first hole hours earlier, the tone was set for Tonan, he had positive thoughts for his approach shot and his niblick did not let him down knocking it to four feet above the hole, leaving him with a slight right-to-left downhiller [putt].

“Henneuse, knowing Tonan was in tight, gave it a good run missing low left, leaving the stage for Tonan to capture his first Washington State Hickory Open title. Taking a deep breath, Tonan calmly rolled in the 4-footer center-cut for birdie to capture the crown jewel hickory championship of the Pacific Northwest, the 14th Washington State Hickory Open Championship.”

For more information on hickory golf, visit apnationalhickoryplayers.com.

Discovery Bay ratings

Discovery Bay Golf Club near Port Townsend received the results of a recent course rating by the Washington State Golf Association.

“The ratings went up slightly and we now have new forward Silver tees for ladies,” head pro Jeff Kent said.

“The overall yardage of the course plays to 6,665 yards from the middle Blue tees down to 3,799 from the middle Silver tees. Whatever your golfing ability is, we have a tee for you at Discovery Bay. I know Pat Burns, age 90-plus, really enjoys the Silver tees.”

Club champions

Kent said Doug Lewis won the 2017 Discovery Bay Men’s Club Championship, while Rich Boyd claimed the net title.

The course hosts net skins or net honey pot games with closest to the pin competitions on the par-3 holes Thursday nights at 5 p.m.

And Kent offers Tuesday afternoon golf clinics through the end of September.

Golfers who play Discovery Bay for full price between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Sept. 20 will receive an 18-hole voucher for play between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 1, 2018.

For more information on Discovery Bay, phone the golf shop at 360-385-0704.

Hole-in-ones

Forks’ Ron Minor notched his first-ever hole-in-one while playing the 139-yard 11th hole at the Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim last Saturday.

Minor used his 7-iron and a Titleist Pro-V1x ball on the shot, which was witnessed by Chuck Minor and Bill Gillette, both of Forks.

Over at Discovery Bay Golf Club, Phoenix’s Justin McLey singled from 164-yards out on the eighth hole with a 6-iron.

Port Ludlow offers

All month long, golfers can play 18 holes with a GPS-enabled cart at Port Ludlow for $49.

The course also is offering a month-long twilight golf special after 3 p.m. each day. Walking players can play for $20 and cart users can play for $29.

Aerification of the course is planned later this month and Port Ludlow has a $29 cart special running Sept. 25 through Oct. 8 for players who don’t mind a sandy, bumpy putting surface.

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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.