Golfers take best shot for charity

Finalists (l.-r.): Glenn Keeran, Cliff Shrock, Cal Allen, Randy Rooker, Troy Paine, Curt Shoemaker, Tim Bailey, Fred Fischbach, Bud Peterman, Jonathon Green. photo provided

Local golfers took their best shot at sinking a hole-in-one in the annual Sisters Kiwanis Foundation's Hole-In-One golf tournament held Friday through Sunday, August 1-3 at Aspen Lakes Golf Course.

Golfers from Sisters and surrounding Central Oregon communities came to participate for major prizes, including a $1 million jackpot.

The event is a fund-raiser for the Kiwanis Community Ball Fields Project, which will construct playing fields near the new Sisters High School. According to organizers the event surpassed last year's attendance. The amount raised was not available.

Golfers qualified for the semifinals by hitting a ball approximately 100 yards into a six-foot diameter circle around a golf hole established on the driving range at Aspen Lakes Golf Course. Eighty-four balls made it into the circle. To qualify for the 10 final positions each semi-finalist had the opportunity to shoot to the same golf hole, with those shooting closest to the pin moving up.

Contestants Cal Allen, Glen Keeran and Fred Fischbach got a "bye" straight into the final event by each hitting a hole-in-one during the semifinals.

All 10 contestants, judges and observers moved over to the 152-yard, par three eighth hole where the final event was held.

Five flags were waiting on the green. Each finalist had one shot to get the ball in one of the five holes. Each flag represented a different prize. The prizes were $1 million; a new Honda Pilot SUV (donated by Bob Thomas Honda of Bend); a Jeep Grand Cherokee (donated by Dave Hamilton of Redmond); a Terry 28-foot fifth wheel recreation vehicle (donated by Big Country RV); and a Kawasaki motorcycle (donated by Central Oregon Workensport).

Unfortunately no finalist was accurate enough to win any of the big prizes; however, there were a number of assorted consolation prizes.

The finalists were: first place -- Tim Bailey; second -- Cliff Schrock; third -- Fred Fischbach; fourth -- Jonathon Green; fifth -- Curt Shoemaker; sixth -- Bud Peterman; seventh -- Randy Rooker; eighth -- Cal Allen; ninth -- Troy Paine; and 10th -- Glenn Keeran.