Mire drains $1,000 putt at SAR golf tourney

SANDPOINT — A local sunk a winding 50 foot putt to win $1,000, providing a huge highlight for the annual Selkirk Association of Realtors Charity Golf Tournament, held in late June at the Stoneridge Golf Club in Blanchard, Washington.

Sean Siroshton, Joel Olsen, Travis Wolf, Corey Gorham carded a team score of 56 in the four-man scramble format to beat 27 other teams, but the biggest winner of the day was Matt Mire rolling in a 50 foot putt on the practice green after the round, a putt that earned him $1,000 and set off a celebration.

“It was kind of funny because Matt was going to be late to a birthday party so he went first and just sunk it,” recalled tournament organizer Stephanie Rief. “It was so amazing that it happened I just dropped my camera and starting cheering and screaming with the rest of those watching. It was pretty cool.”

For the past few years, the tournament has featured a $1,000 Putting Contest, with this year’s contest sponsored by Sandpoint Drone Photography. Players can purchase a raffle ticket for $10 for a chance to be drawn to putt, with just five names drawn for the chance to make a 50 foot putt, which had to be witnessed by the course PGA pro, Rief and one other witness.

Mire was picked to go first and shocked everybody by rolling in a putt he could try another 500 times and never make once.

“It was a left to right breaker. I probably read two feet of break, then hit a bad putt way off line. It’s a good thing I didn’t hit my line,” said Mire, a single digit handicap golfer who is handy with the sticks. “We had a pretty good little celebration, hooting and hollering. I joked with some guys that I hadn’t made a putt all day, that I was saving it. I was in my flip flops, ready to go home. I was trying to get back to my daughter’s birthday party.”

There was more fun than just hitting 18 holes for this year’s golfers attending the 27th anniversary of the fundraiser, with plenty of games and prizes by sponsor and affiliate members.

Each year the Selkirk Association of Realtors award thousands of dollars to area high school seniors, college students and local area community service organizations through its Grants and Scholarships Program. The annual golf tournament is the main fundraiser for the program, a great networking tool for members and the public as well as a fun day on the course.

Thanks to those who participated this year, the program will have more money to award than in past few years. SAR would like to thank those area businesses and individuals who contributed prizes, time and other services to the success of the tournament.

Next year’s tournament will be held at The Idaho Club.

LOW GROSS 1 — Sean Siroshton, Joel Olsen, Travis Wolf, Corey Gorham (56). 2 — Jack Dyck, Jim Lewis, Matt Mire, Joe Mire (57).

3 — Brad Hansen, Gavin Jacobson, John McMurray, Tye Barlow (59).

LOW NET

1 — Dave Reisenauer, Fred Palmer, Don Holland, Terry Crosure (50.7).

2 — Ron DeNova, David Dean, Joe Williams, Hugh Gavin (50.8).

3 — Ryan Welsh, Eric Skinner, Brent Stevens, Dan Stevens (51.6).

MOST GOLF

Teresa Lunde, Vicky Jacobson, Sarah Mitchell, Natalie Leatherman (80).

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

Long Drive men — Aaron Fielder.

Long Drive women — Molly Hartwig.

Closest to pin men — Lyle Hemingway.

Closest to pin women — Carol Sommerfeld.

Long putt women — Lisa Holder.

Long putt men — Clay Bowman.