Hungry for competition
Taylor returning for Tri-State Masters
By Barry Poe Journal sports writer | Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
As head professional at Green Valley Golf Course, Bret Taylor created what was then called the Siouxland Masters, a 36-hole stroke event for championship flight players only.
That was the year 2000 and the tournament has grown leaps and bounds since.
It's now, of course, called the Tri-State Masters and is a 54-hole tournament played on three different courses in three different states. The 2008 Tri-State Masters is set for May 16-18 at Two Rivers Golf Course in Dakota Dunes, S.D., Covington Links in South Sioux City and Sioux City's Green Valley.
In an ironic twist of fate, Taylor, who spent eight years in Siouxland as head pro at Two Rivers, Dakota Dunes and Green Valley, will return to compete.
The Council Bluffs, Iowa, resident will regain his amateur status on May 15, just in time to tee it up in the Tri-State Masters.
Taylor left the golf business and has been working at Omaha Standard in Council Bluffs for 3.5 years. In the transition process from professional to amateur, he was required to stay away from competitive golf for two years.
"I only played four rounds of golf last year," said Taylor, an accomplished player who qualified for the 1997 PGA Championship. "I used to play 70 or 80 competitive rounds a year, but when I got out of the golf business, I had to get a regular job and put golf on the back burner."
Sporting events involving his two sons, Wade, 16, and Jake, 15, have taken up most of Taylor's time the past couple of years. The boys attend Council Bluffs Lewis Central High School and are active in several different sports.
"I don't miss the golf business, but I miss competing," said Taylor, who left Green Valley in 2002 to return home to Council Bluffs as head pro at Lakeshore Country Club, since renamed Council Bluffs Country Club. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play in a tournament that I started.
"I haven't played any of the three courses for quite awhile. In fact I've never played Covington Links, so I need to sneak over there and play before the Masters."
Taylor plans to compete in several state amateur events this summer and may also be back in Sioux City for the River-Cade tournament in July.
"I'm just looking forward to competing again," said Taylor. "And this will be a great event to play and get the juices flowing again."
Ayron Corporon is the two-time defending Tri-State Masters champion and, according to tournament director Scott Harmelink, has selected Sneaky's Chicken as the menu for the post-tournament dinner.
The first 90 paid entries will be accepted at a fee of $100 (not including carts) for the three-day event. The entry deadline is 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13.
It's also the first individual stroke play tournament hosted by Green Valley since the reconstruction of holes 12, 13 and 14.
"I think the holes turned out better than anyone had hoped for," said Harmelink, who succeeded Taylor as head pro at Green Valley. "They are a lot of fun to play. No. 14 used to be one of the worst holes on the course and now I think it's one of the best."
The low one-third of the field after Friday (Two Rivers) and Saturday (Covington Links) rounds will make up the championship flight for the third and final round Sunday at Green Valley. The other two-thirds of the field will be broken into six to eight flights for the final round.
All players must sign up at Green Valley and the top half of each flight will receive golf shop credit to the pro shop.
Journal sports writer Barry Poe can be reached at (712) 293-4205, or e-mail barrypoe@siouxcityjournal.com.
That was the year 2000 and the tournament has grown leaps and bounds since.
It's now, of course, called the Tri-State Masters and is a 54-hole tournament played on three different courses in three different states. The 2008 Tri-State Masters is set for May 16-18 at Two Rivers Golf Course in Dakota Dunes, S.D., Covington Links in South Sioux City and Sioux City's Green Valley.
In an ironic twist of fate, Taylor, who spent eight years in Siouxland as head pro at Two Rivers, Dakota Dunes and Green Valley, will return to compete.
The Council Bluffs, Iowa, resident will regain his amateur status on May 15, just in time to tee it up in the Tri-State Masters.
Taylor left the golf business and has been working at Omaha Standard in Council Bluffs for 3.5 years. In the transition process from professional to amateur, he was required to stay away from competitive golf for two years.
"I only played four rounds of golf last year," said Taylor, an accomplished player who qualified for the 1997 PGA Championship. "I used to play 70 or 80 competitive rounds a year, but when I got out of the golf business, I had to get a regular job and put golf on the back burner."
Sporting events involving his two sons, Wade, 16, and Jake, 15, have taken up most of Taylor's time the past couple of years. The boys attend Council Bluffs Lewis Central High School and are active in several different sports.
"I don't miss the golf business, but I miss competing," said Taylor, who left Green Valley in 2002 to return home to Council Bluffs as head pro at Lakeshore Country Club, since renamed Council Bluffs Country Club. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play in a tournament that I started.
"I haven't played any of the three courses for quite awhile. In fact I've never played Covington Links, so I need to sneak over there and play before the Masters."
Taylor plans to compete in several state amateur events this summer and may also be back in Sioux City for the River-Cade tournament in July.
"I'm just looking forward to competing again," said Taylor. "And this will be a great event to play and get the juices flowing again."
Ayron Corporon is the two-time defending Tri-State Masters champion and, according to tournament director Scott Harmelink, has selected Sneaky's Chicken as the menu for the post-tournament dinner.
The first 90 paid entries will be accepted at a fee of $100 (not including carts) for the three-day event. The entry deadline is 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 13.
It's also the first individual stroke play tournament hosted by Green Valley since the reconstruction of holes 12, 13 and 14.
"I think the holes turned out better than anyone had hoped for," said Harmelink, who succeeded Taylor as head pro at Green Valley. "They are a lot of fun to play. No. 14 used to be one of the worst holes on the course and now I think it's one of the best."
The low one-third of the field after Friday (Two Rivers) and Saturday (Covington Links) rounds will make up the championship flight for the third and final round Sunday at Green Valley. The other two-thirds of the field will be broken into six to eight flights for the final round.
All players must sign up at Green Valley and the top half of each flight will receive golf shop credit to the pro shop.
Journal sports writer Barry Poe can be reached at (712) 293-4205, or e-mail barrypoe@siouxcityjournal.com.
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