The 31st annual White River Electric Association Tournament was played Friday, and that was followed by the two-day best ball tournament, and many Meeker golfers will play in Rangely this weekend to defend the Rio Blanco County Cup they won last year.
More than 60 golfers played in the annual WREA scramble, which benefits the local course and supports local youth groups. This year, proceeds will be used to purchase new Chromebooks for Meeker Elementary School.
Sixteen four-person teams filled the course Friday, and, after 18 holes, it was the team of Jason Back, Bill Stewart, Jeffrey Braaten and Tyrell Gerloff that took top honors with a 10-under par 58.
“It was a great crowd for the WREA tournament and one of the best showings in several years for the two-man best ball tournament,” Bowman said. “Mother nature made the course look fantastic.”
The two-man best ball tournament featured four flights, and perennial champion Doug Choate, who partnered with Jared Brown this year, took top honors again in the championship flight.
The team from Battlement Mesa led by five shots after the first day and finished eight under par to win the title. Choate’s normal partner, Joe Elliott, recently underwent neck surgery and, according to Bowman, Elliott also had a chemo treatment Friday and still played in the tournament on the weekend.
Local greats Lex Collins and Erik Brown, who always finish in the money, did it again this year, finishing with the second best gross score (137) in the championship flight.
Jeb Hauer and Mark Sours of Rifle had the best net score (116) in the championship flight while Meeker’s Bryce Ducey and Rangely’s Robby Elam teamed up to finish with the second best net score.
The second flight was dominated by Meeker golfers, including brothers Andy and Pat Coryell, who won the flight, followed by Pat Walsh and Willy Theos, who were four strokes behind the Coryell brothers.
Larin Crase and Kyle Frary led the second flight after the first day and although they were one shot behind the leaders, they took first place with the best net score (118), giving Bowman and Eric Blanke second net.
Two father and son teams battled for top honors in the third flight, where Tom and Eddie Rubin beat Rob and Dillon Vavak by six shots. George Back and Gary Thurston finished with the best net score in the third flight and Meeker locals Gary Stewart and Clint Chappell tied with Rifle’s Mitch Carter and Tim Roe for the second best net score.
Dave Ruechel and Red Wooley of Glenwood Springs took top honors in the fourth flight with a 146, followed by Meeker’s Irvin Griffin and Don McPherson, seven shots back.
Greg Ackerman and Ray Cheshire had the best net score (113), seven ahead of Rifle’s Wendell Goad and Mitch Morgan.
This weekend, many Meeker players will travel to Rangely to defend their winning of the Rio Blanco County Cup in 2014.
“We are not even going to take the cup over there,” Bowman said, confidently believing that the traveling cup would remain in Meeker.
