CHAMPIONSHIP GAME APPEARANCES by the Peninsula College women’s soccer team and men’s basketball team and playoff appearences that grew consecutive postseason streaks to 13 straight seasons for the Pirate men’s soccer team and seven for the women’s basketball team prove 2017-18 has been full of standout seasons in a long line of them for Peninsula athletics.
Peninsula College also placed third last year in the small college division of the NWAC’s annual President’s Cup, an event that measures graduation rates and academic performance — so the victories don’t stop when Pirate players walk off the gym floor or Wally Sigmar Field.
Achieving such athletic and academic feats does take support and funding, and to that end, registration is open for the annual Peninsula College Pirate Athletic Association Golf Tournament at Sequim’s Cedars at Dungeness on Saturday, June 2.
The four-person scramble event will tee off with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
Entry fees are $400 per team, $100 per golfer, and will include 18 holes of golf with cart, appetizers and drinks, tee prizes for all, lunch and shots at prizes.
Not all of those shots will be golf-related. Players will have a chance to shoot a basketball and kick a soccer ball on select holes.
Wilder Auto is sponsoring hole-in-one prizes on par 3 holes, and there will be KP prizes for select par-3s.
Long drive contests for men’s and women’s players are planned.
Prizes for men’s first place and second place division and the women’s first place division also are planned.
Short game series
It’s golfing gospel — the key to lowering golf scores is improving your game within 100 yards of the hole.
For amateur players, an estimated 60 to 65 percent of shots in a round are made from within that distance.
Even when gimme putts (less than 3 feet) are taken out of the equation, about half of the average round is played inside that (typically) red 100-yard marker.
To assist players with their short shots, Port Ludlow’s head golf pro Tyler Sweet will offer a four-part Mastering the Short Game series from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 1, 3, 8 and 10.
Sweet will focus on reading greens, the 50-to 100-yard shot, pitching, chipping, putting and proper practice routines.
This series is limited to eight students.
The cost is $150 and each participant will receive a gift bag.
To register, phone the Port Ludlow pro shop at 360-437-0272.
Three in WSGA event
Three area golfers are playing in the Washington State Golf Association’s Champion of Champions Tournament today at the Home Course.
The 36-hole stroke play event opens the WSGA’s championship season.
Sequim’s Jay Tomlin and Mike Mullikin (representing Sunland Golf and Country Club) and Port Ludlow’s John Germain are all competing in the Senior Men’s division of the tournament.
Their Tuesday rounds finished after press deadline.
Golf for Grads
Golf for Grads, the annual benefit golf tournament that raises funds for a safe and sober graduation night event for Sequim High School seniors, will be held at Cedars at Dungeness on Sunday, May 6.
Entry fees for the four-person scramble format event are $85 per player.
Green fees, use of cart, lunch, and shots at KP, long drive and hole-in-one prizes are part of each entry.
A 9 a.m. shotgun start will open play.
Tournament sponsors also are sought.
For more information, phone 360-683-6344.
Discovery Bay info
Discovery Bay’s nine-hole Thursday evening league will begin play May 17th.
Players can sign up as individuals or as teams. Handicaps are not required.
Discovery Bay pro Jeff Kent said the course’s 90-degree rule is now in effect for players using golf carts.
Kent also mentioned weekly golf clinics will begin in May.
For more information, phone the pro shop at 360-385-0704.
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Sports reporter/columnist Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.