Not Dunn yet

Missoula golfers share lead going into today' final round

By DAVID LESNICK/The Daily Inter Lake

How miserable was it?

"A long, grinding day," Whitefish golfer Shawn Tucker said.

"It was kind of a drag."

A gloomy description, indeed, but Tucker kept his composure and his game in order on a rainy Wednesday, with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s, to card a 2-over 74 in the 22nd annual Montana Mid-Am State Golf Tournament at Whitefish Lake Golf Club.

Tucker fired an opening round 75 on Tuesday, and is sitting just three shots off the pace, in a three-way tie for sixth place.

"I think everybody had a letdown (today)," Tucker said of the scores.

"I wouldn't say it (rain) made the course that much tougher. It definitely made it a lot softer."

It was also a nuisance in that "you would take your umbrella off and on, make sure everything was dry," he said before every shot.

Bill Dunn carded a 4-over 76 to stay atop the leaderboard. The Missoula golfer was the lone player to break par on Tuesday when he fired a 70.

Sharing the lead with Dunn is Missoula's Travis Williams, who had an even-par round on the second day. He opened with a 74.

Joe Cielak of Libby followed his 72 with a 75 and is tied for third with Jerry Pearsall of Billings. Both are at 147, one shot back.

Dunn is seeking his first Mid-Am title in five tries. He has been a runner-up twice, including last year when he finished one shot behind Chris McConnell of Lewistown.

McConnell has won the last two Mid-Am titles. He is at 155 with rounds of 78 and 77.

Tucker began Wednesday's action on the back nine with an 8 a.m. tee time.

"Rain started on (holes) 15, 16," he said.

"Rained off and on the rest of the round. Sometimes it was heavy, sometimes it was light."

Tucker said he started well, going 1-under.

"I had four birdies and a triple bogey," he said.

Three of the birdies came at 16, 17 and 18. A lost ball led to an 8 on the par-4 14th.

On the front nine, Tucker bogeyed holes 3, 6 and 9.

The weather forecast for today, and the final round, is more of the same.

"I like the rain, I do," Tucker said.

"I hope that, and the local knowledge, and not being in the lead, that's a good thing. I'd rather be the hunter instead of being the prey."

Tucker is competing in the Mid-Am for the first time.

"I just turned 30," he said.

"It would be great (to win it on my first try)."

At the State Am earlier this summer, he tied for 12th.

22nd State Mid-Am

At Whitefish Lake Golf Club,

North Course

Par 72, 6,797 yards

Second round, Wednesday

Championship Flight

Bill Dunn, Missoula 70-76 - 146

Travis Williams, Missoula 74-72 - 146

Joe Cielak, Libby 72-75 - 147

Jerry Pearsall, Billings 74-73 - 147

Mark Mance, Whitefish 76-72 - 148

Alex Anderson, Red Lodge 74-75 - 149

Shawn Tucker, Whitefish 75-74 - 149

Gary Koprivica, Missoula 78-71 - 149

Craig Hurlbert, Hamilton 79-71 - 150

Michael Williams, Clancy 78-73 - 151

John Campbell, Bozeman 75-76 - 151

Ron Garland, Bozeman 74-78 - 152

Dave Streeter, Whitefish 75-77 - 152

Timothy Garden, Lolo 79-73 - 152

John Cole, Kalispell 78-75 - 153

Dirk Cloninger, Missoula 74-79 - 153

Reid Lende, Livingston 77-76 - 153

Mark Nedrud, Missoula 80-74 - 154

Doug Bennyhoff, Great Falls 78-76 - 154

John Dayries, Missoula 76-79 - 155

Chris McConnell, Lewistown 78-77 - 155

Tom Hall, Great Falls 83-72 - 155

Tom Ployhar, Missoula 81-74 - 155

Bryon Mayala, Billings 76-79 - 155

Bobby Irwin, Missoula 74-82 - 156

Parker Heller, Helena 80-76 - 156

Jeff Allen, Billings 77-79 - 156

Steve Gold, Whitefish 81-75 - 156

Chuck Thoennes, Belgrade 76-81 - 157

Timothy Haas, Bozeman 79-79 - 158

Jim Edwards, Missoula 81-77 - 158

Joe Johnston, Missoula 80-78 - 158

Michael Hodges, Col. Falls 82-76 - 158

1st Flight

Jamey Perlinski, Bozeman 80-79 - 159

Bob Gray, Missoula 78-81 - 159

Thomas McNeely, Billings 79-81 - 160

John Pacheco, Whitefish 80-80 - 160

John Perros, Helena 79-81 - 160

Jim Schaible, Kalispell 80-80 - 160

Hans Fehres, Great Falls 82-78 - 160

John Link, Red Lodge 81-80 - 161

Bert Bridger, Laurel 81-81 - 162

2nd Flight

Kurt Winegardner, Bozeman 82-80 - 162

Dave Bohyer, Helena 80-82 - 162

Geoff Easton, Missoula 80-82 - 162

Brandon Jurasek, Great Falls 80-82 - 162

Earl Rife, Great Falls 81-81 - 162

Dan Konen, Billings 82-80 - 162

Matthew Koehler, Missoula 84-79 - 163

Justin Whitted, Shelby 84-79 - 163

3rd Flight

Matt Sheridan, Missoula 85-78 - 163

Steve Strand, Hamilton 81-83 - 164

Dan Ellis, Laurel 84-80 - 164

Marc Parriman, Helena 81-84 - 165

Dow Powell, Whitefish 80-85 - 165

John Dresser, Whitefish 82-83 - 165

Steve Sullivan, Missoula 86-79 - 165

Joe Easton, Missoula 86-79 - 165

4th Flight

Lee Levine, Bozeman 84-81 - 165

Roy Lende, Livingston 83-82 - 165

Tim Redmond, Whitefish 79-86 - 165

Jon Schenk, Fairfield 82-83 - 165

Mark King, Whitefish 84-82 - 166

Dean Chisholm, Columbia Falls 85-81 - 166

Verle Davison, Columbus 82-84 - 166

Ryan VanDyke, Conrad 81-85 - 166

5th Flight

Bob Keenan, Big Fork 82-84 - 166

Brad Colberg, Missoula 88-78 - 166

John Howard, Helena 89-78 - 167

Brian Robertson, Missoula 80-87 - 167

John Velk, Missoula 86-81 - 167

Daniel Leader, Big Sandy 87-81 - 168

John Bohyer, Missoula 87-81 - 168

Bill Schwarzkoph, Billings 89-79 - 168

6th Flight

Matt Stevenson, Missoula 82-86 - 168

Rick Cannon, Missoula 85-84 - 169

Ace Brown, Anaconda 82-87 - 169

Tom Bulger, Missoula 81-88 - 169

Hunter Lloyd, Bozeman 81-88 - 169

Tom York, Bozeman 87-82 - 169

Mike Walsh, Great Falls 86-84 - 170

Gene Burns, Missoula 85-85 - 170

7th Flight

Tom Shea, Whitefish 87-83 - 170

Paul Johannsen, Whitefish 90-81 - 171

Joe Perry, Big Sky 86-85 - 171

John Beyer, Bozeman 84-87 - 171

Michael Boulds, Poplar 85-86 - 171

John Carstensen, Bozeman 86-85 - 171

Tim Roy, Missoula 88-83 - 171

Don Walter, Kalispell 81-90 - 171

8th Flight

Ron Alles, Helena 90-82 - 172

Peter Tucker, Missoula 89-83 - 172

Jim DeMars, Bozeman 85-87 - 172

John Boyle, Missoula 91-81 - 172

Steve Dennison, St. Ignatius 86-86 - 172

Chas Lansing, Dillon 85-88 - 173

Jon Lowry, Kalispell 90-83 - 173

Tom Reynolds, Shelby 85-88 - 173

9th Flight

Kurt McDonough, Florence 83-90 - 173

Randy Warner, Missoula 83-90 - 173

John Justin, Florence 85-89 - 174

Sparkey McClean, Anaconda 84-90 - 174

Rick Forrette, Clancy 84-90 - 174

David Sandler, Kalispell 90-84 - 174

Thom Peck, Bigfork 88-86 - 174

Bruce Walter, Great Falls 88-86 - 174

10th Flight

Brad Dantic, Missoula 88-87 - 175

Steve Shelly, Missoula 89-86 - 175

Bob Anderson, Helena 86-89 - 175

Jamie Boyer, Great Falls 88-87 - 175

Jim Hill, Helena 93-82 - 175

Rex Tanberg, Great Falls 86-89 - 175

Jim Parr, Hamilton 90-85 - 175

Pat DiFronzo, Butte 87-88 - 175

11th Flight

Edward Flesch, Shelby 87-89 - 176

Todd Dundas, Billings 84-92 - 176

Graham Barnes, Missoula 86-90 - 176

Darren Rowe, Great Falls 90-86 - 176

Tom Heiman, Great Falls 87-89 - 176

Dennis Sacry, Whitehall 85-91 - 176

Dale Haarr, Kalispell 89-87 - 176

Roger Amundson, Malta 85-92 - 177

12th Flight

Andy Shott, Missoula 91-86 - 177

Jim Paulsen, Clancy 91-86 - 177

Bob Dick, Great Falls 89-88 - 177

Daniel Crumbaker, Whitefish 84-93 - 177

Hollis West, Great Falls 86-91 - 177

Tom Strizich, Kalispell 94-83 - 177

Peter Shober, Missoula 89-89 - 178

John Shampeny, Manhattan 92-86 - 178

13th Flight

Brett Barker, Columbus 90-88 - 178

Greg Betthauser, Kalispell 95-84 - 179

Clint Mann, Red Lodge 93-86 - 179

Rob Venneman, Billings 88-91 - 179

Bill Hedge, Helena 87-92 - 179

Jon Larson, Lewistown 89-91 - 180

Steve Johnstone, Havre 85-95 - 180

Tracy Roy, Missoula 93-87 - 180

14th Flight

Cory Golden, Billings 93-87 - 180

Ken Baune, Great Falls 95-85 - 180

David Weaver, Bozeman 93-87 - 180

Rod Gabriel, Missoula 92-88 - 180

Brett Thackeray, Lewistown 91-89 - 180

Wayne Nelson, Billings 92-89 - 181

Eriz Johnson, Bozeman 89-92 - 181

Bob Ogg, Missoula 92-89 - 181

15th Flight

Dan Runyan, Livingston 89-92 - 181

Terry Evans, Deer Lodge 94-88 - 182

Bob Slaaven, Lincoln 94-88 - 182

Brad Bechler, Whitefish 94-88 - 182

Ryan Saunders, Bozeman 91-91 - 182

Joe Proctor, Missoula 92-90 - 182

Dale Haarr Jr., Billings 90-93 - 183

Scott Willis, Missoula 92-91 - 183

16th Flight

Mike Fauth, Billings 87-97 - 184

Sheldon Degele, Columbus 92-92 - 184

Tim Wenz, Kalispell 89-95 - 184

Steven Peterson, Lewistown 96-88 - 184

Richard Hannah, Billings 96-89 - 185

William Schilling, Havre 101-85 - 186

Brad Freeman, Lavina 91-95 - 186

Wayne Gransbery, Columbus 95-91 - 186

17th Flight

Kevin Aurich, Kalispell 92-94 - 186

Rod Reid, Columbia Falls 93-93 - 186

John Michelotti, Billings 97-89 - 186

Brad Martens, Missoula 95-92 - 187

Don Hill, Libby 89-99 - 188

Carl McMahon, Helena 92-96 - 188

Mike Casey, Whitefish 97-91 - 188

Bruce Grendahl, Helena 91-97 - 188

18th Flight

Dean Sorensen, Harlowton 97-92 - 189

Steve Corn, Florence 99-90 - 189

Bob Degele, Billings 92-98 - 190

Dick Collins, Whitefish 98-93 - 191

Mark Menke, Missoula 96-96 - 192

Mike Henderson, Malta 97-96 - 193

Johnathan Joseph, Whitefish 98-95 - 193

Rick McClanahan, Lewistown 96-98 - 194

19th Flight

Gary Tucker, Missoula 101-93 - 194

Dean Lingelbach, East Helena 99-95 - 194

Ralph Beltrone, Great Falls 103-92 - 195

Bruce Reid, Lewistown 92-104 - 196

John Tripp, Billings 98-98 - 196

Charles Maus, Missoula 92-104 - 196

Mike Hay, Helena 101-96 - 197

20th Flight

Larry Berg, Judith Gap 98-100 - 198

Jim Davenport, Missoula 98-100 - 198

Ken Smith, Dillon 106-93 - 199

Ed Dolezal, Great Falls 98-102 - 200

Larry Greafe, Wolf Point 103-99 - 202

Brian Kopper, Missoula 104-103 - 207

Mark Sherwood, Kalispell 103-107 - 210