Trio share early Lilac lead

There was a decidedly North Idaho feel to the 47th annual Lilac Invitational golf tournament following Thursday’s opening round of play.

Former Priest River resident Jim Bob Coleman and John Cook, who grew up in Coeur d’Alene, humbled the 6,532-yard layout at The Fairways at West Terrace golf course with splendid rounds of 8-under-par 64 to claim a share of the early lead in the region’s only 72-hole event.

Coleman, a 32-year-old minitour veteran who coached golf at Montana State University-Billings last school year, used an eagle on the 515-yard par-5 third hole to ignite his round, which included an unsightly bogey on the risk-reward 11th, a 343-yard par-4.

His effort proved good enough to match the opening-round scores turned in by Cook and Troy Kelly, a former University of Washington standout, who recently picked up a hefty check of $45,000 for winning the A.G. Spanos California Open.

“I played pretty solid today,” said Coleman, who became a father last December and has competed in only two other tournaments this year. “I haven’t played in about a week, but for me, sometimes not playing is a good thing, because I’m more relaxed.

“I’m just trying to hit the ball, instead of worrying about everything else.”

Coleman, who has played in 11 consecutive Lilacs, played the first six holes five strokes under par, despite making a bogey-like par on the relatively easy 527-yard par-5 fifth. And he managed to overcome an actual bogey on the reachable par-4 11th to shoot 33 on the back nine.

Coleman said his bogey on 11 was the result of trying to drive the green, but he refused to second-guess his decision to be aggressive off the tee.

“I tried to knock it on, but hit it way right into the deep stuff,” he explained. “I go for it on that hole every time, and I’ll go for it again tomorrow.”

Cook, a graduate of Coeur d’Alene High School and current member of the California-based Spanos Tour, overcame a bogey on the par-4 second hole by making an eagle-2 at the 11th, where he accomplished what Coleman tried by knocking his tee shot onto the green and then draining a 30-foot putt.

“It was a routine eagle,” joked Cook, who hit 17 greens, “and it was a pretty easy 64. I just hit some good shots around the flags and made some putts.”

Kelly fashioned the most consistent round of the three first-day leaders, logging eight birdies without a bogey. He turned in 32 and then birdied four of the first six holes on the back nine en route to another 32.

Joel Skarbo and Eddie Heinen each finished first-round play at 6-under 66, while three others, including local professional Peter Sisich logged 67s. The low amateur following Thursday’s opening round was Michael Konrad, whose 70 tied him with four professionals at that number.

The leaders, to a man, praised the condition of the greens at The Fairways.

“They’re perfect,” said Coleman. “They’re not too fast, and they’re putting as true as they’ve ever putted.”

Second-round action starts today with the professionals teeing off early. Coleman is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Cook’s threesome goes at 8:20, and Kelly tees it up at 9:50.

The winner of this year’s tournament, which concludes on Sunday, will earn $5,000.