Bob Cavanagh was too hot to handle, even for three of the Fort Frances area’s better masters of the greens.
The Perham, Mn. resident blazed to a course-record nine-under 63 in Saturday’s opening round, and went on to post a final score of one-under 178 to win the 49th-annual Smokey Bear Invitational at the Falls Golf Club this weekend.
Cavanagh’s amazing opening 18 holes put him ahead of the 59-man field by seven strokes entering Sunday’s 27-hole finale. He followed up with a round of 77 and then a nine-hole total of 38 to cruise to a five-shot victory over Eric Walls and six over Lyn Ellingson.
Greg Ward of Fort Frances tied Bob Mason for fourth, seven shots behind Cavanagh with a two-day total of six-over 185. Ward fired rounds of 77 and 73 and a closing nine-hole total of 35.
Kitchen Creek Golf Club superintendent Greg Ross rounded out the championship flight with a sixth-place finish, shooting 10-over 189 (76-74-39) to wind up 11 strokes back.
John Lundon of Fort Frances captured the second flight with rounds of 78-76 for a total of 154, defeating Charlie Dalton in a countback tiebreaker.
Brian Beers, also of Fort Frances, claimed fourth place in the second flight, shooting identical 79s for a two-round score of 158.
While the championship and first flights played 45 holes, the second through 13th flights only played 36.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
