Hejl, Kissling win Memorial Day best-ball tournament

RANGELY — Twenty teams braved windy, rainy weather for the Memorial Day best-ball tournament May 24.
Rangely locals Eric Hejl and Dustin Kissling never had the same bad hole all day. If Kissling had a shaky hole, Hejl played it well. They shot a 1-under par 71 for the A-flight first place gross finish.
“It was a tale of two nines for me individually,” Hejl stated. “On the back, I just kept making pars and Dutch threw in that birdie at the end.”
Kissling’s birdie was no tap in; but wasn’t all the way across the green either. Hejl described it as about a 15-footer.
The one time it started raining sideways, Hejl and Kissling found shelter and waited it out. There were no teams behind them for at least two holes.
“That was the biggest par save of the tournament,” Hejl explained.
“We played good on the right holes.”
Only a few strokes behind them was the second place finishing team of Mark Blake and Mark Skelton who shot a 74.
J.C. Watt and Lex Collins of Meeker tied for first net in the A-flight with Rangely players Craig Wright and Terry Lancaster.
In the B-flight, Pat Hughes and Matt Fellows scored a 5-over par 76 for the first place gross finish. Brandon and Alvin Halcomb scored an 80 for second.
Andy and Pat Coryell took first net in the second flight with John Hume and Cory White not far behind at second net.
“It was a good turnout other than the weather,” golf manager Chris Hejl stated. He also thought the current price of gas this summer may have an effect on play. Tiara Rado in Grand Junction recently hosted one of their bigger tournaments, Hejl said, with lower than normal participation. “They were down 13 teams on a tournament that is usually full.”