Chris Shepard, a 27-year-old from the Mint Valley Golf Club in Longview, Wash., won the grand championship of the Oregon Coast Invitational Saturday, at the Astoria Golf & Country Club. Kat Gerrish of Riverside Golf won the women’s title, while Mike Graham took home the senior trophy. Bill Weed bested Jon Palmberg to win the Super Senior division, and Mike Brands defeated Steve Hval to secure the Junior/Senior title. 

“This morning the course was playing pretty easy,” said Shepard. “I put together a good score and developed an early lead, but this afternoon the course was playing a lot tougher. The greens were really hard and it was getting windy. I’m fortunate to have pulled it out.”

Shepard was paired with Gary Angus of Astoria Golf for the final 36 holes. He won 4 and 3, when Angus gave him a 5-foot putt on the 15th hole for the win.

There were a couple holes where it looked like Shepard might falter, but he managed to hold onto his lead.

“On six I lost my ball and on seven I was in a hole. My ball was in a depression of a couple inches and I couldn’t even hit it. I had a pretty terrible time on the right side of number seven,” Shepard said.

In its 101st year, the Oregon Coast Invitational boasts some of the best golfers from the area, and a few from around the country. Mike Graham, who won the Senior title, lives just a stone’s throw away in Surf Pines.

“I’ve played golf for 40 years now,” Graham said. “The conditions were absolutely excellent. It was a beautiful day today. I was a couple under, so I played good today. I got lucky; I chipped one in on 13 and just kind of coasted in.”

Graham, who has played on nearly every major golf course in the country, including Augusta National in Georgia, said most players are too concerned about their long game. “Work on your short game because your short game will save you. Everybody hits it a long ways, but if you have a short game you’ll win,” Graham said.

The Invitational is a week-long event hosted by the Astoria Golf & Country Club each July. Besides the five divisions selected by age and gender, there are seven flights and the championship round, selected by skill. The Oregon Coast Invitational is a match-play tournament, with each hole either won or lost or “halved” with an opponent.

“I like match play, because even if you mess up on one hole it doesn’t matter,” said Jeff Kern a local golfer and volunteer at the Astoria Country Club. Kern, a retired veteran, played in the tournament through Thursday. He wants to dispel the idea that a country club is just a place for rich people.

“This is very much a family who wants to see people achieve and do well. The Astoria Country Club is a vehicle that allows people to better themselves and move forward.” Kern was injured in the Middle East and says that golf and the people at the Astoria Country Club have helped him rehabilitate.

“Golfing and the support of the Country Club and the community have changed my life in a manner that was completely unexpected,” Kern said.

GOLF

Oregon Coast Invitational

Championship Results

Grand Champions

Championship Flight: Chris Shepard def. Gary Angus. Semifinals: Angus def. Mike Maltman; Shepard def. Jay Ross.

First Flight: Scott Burke def. Dennis Sturgell. Semifinals: Burke def. Pat Cooney; Sturgell def. Jerrod Kunde.

Second Flight: Randy Heriot def. Frank Nau, Jr. Semifinals: Heriot def. Steven Maltman; Nau, Jr. def. Brad Carnese.

Third Flight: Craig Froude def. Preston Van Hook. Semifinals: Van Hook def. Peter Johnson; Froude def. Dan Magner.

Fourth Flight: Kevin Honeyman def. Jason Palmberg. Semifinals: Honeyman def. Casey Garland; Palmberg def. Joel Mayer.

Fifth Flight: Nick Ralston def. Scott Melrose. Semifinals: Melrose def. Jack McNeill; Ralston def. Mark Utti.

Sixth Flight: Patrick Ryan def. Erick Zuber. Semifinals: Zuber def. Karl Hertig; Ryan def. Beau Harlan.

Seventh Flight: John Bunce def. Ken Griggs. Semifinals: Griggs def. Robert Fulton; Bunce def. Steve Leatham.

Women’s

Championship Flight: Kat Gerrish def. Cappy Mack Gray. Semifinals: Gerrish def. Katie Sturgell; Gray def. Lara Mack Tennant.

First Flight: Hillary McNeill def. Melissa Larson. Semifinals: Larson def. Peggy Wobbrock; McNeill def. Megan Roos.

Second Flight: Mandy Rasmussen def. Mary Jacobs. Semifinals: Rasmussen def. Vikki Johnson; Jacobs def. Gay Wiltshire.

Third Flight: Suzanna McKirdie def. Joey Ringwald. Semifinals: McKirdie def. Darlene McCormack; Ringwald def. Kristin Finnegan.

Fourth Flight: Cheryl Wessell def. Barbara Sloan. Semifinals: Wessell def. Dicey Brinck; Sloan def. Hilary Gerrish.

Fifth Flight: Jacklyn Bristol def. Kathy Martin. Semifinals: Martin def. Laurie Mollencop; Bristol def. Jan Whitty.

Sixth Flight: Janis Mumford def. Kathy Hubbard. Semifinals: Mumford def. LaVona Goforth; Hubbard def. Pam Lum.

Seventh Flight: Ann Schray def. Luanne Fordney. Semifinals: Fordney def. Catherine Petersen; Schray def. Sara Kuiper.

Junior/Seniors

Championship Flight: Mike Brands def. Steve Hval. Semifinals: Hval def. Brad Carey; Brands def. Michael Healy.

First Flight: Mitch Mooney def. Barry Randall. Semifinals: Randall def. Robert Tennant; Mooney def. Steve Fordney.

Second Flight: John Holtmann def. David Bergsvik. Semifinals: Bergsvik def. Michael Terrall; Holtmann def. Mike Naimo.

Third Flight: Robert Patton def. Richard Morrison. Semifinals: Morrison def. Reid Hutchins; Patton def. Doug Hamilton.

Fourth Flight: Tom Heckler def. Chris Ralston. Semifinals: Ralston def. Steve Morrison; Heckler def. Chris Hayward.

Fifth Flight: Craig Weston def. Ted Ragsdale. Semifinals: Weston def. Mark McGraw; Ragsdale def. Mark Schray.

Sixth Flight: Steve Ness def. Rick Wessell. Semifinals: Wessell def. Jeff Ter Har; Ness def. Mike McNamara.

Seventh Flight: Bill Stevens def. Joseph Dandoy. Semifinals: Stevens def. John Garofalo; Dandoy def. John Tennant, Jr.

Seniors

Championship Flight: Mike Graham def. Bill Bristol. Semifinals: Bristol def. John Mayer; Graham def. David Weiner.

First Flight: Russ Taggard def. John Lewis. Semifinals: Taggard def. Jon Woodson; Lewis def. Scott Peterson.

Second Flight: Chris Rasmussen def. Jeff Kauttu. Semifinals: Rasmussen def. Stanley Gott; Kauttu def. Jim Puterbaugh.

Third Flight: Rick Abrahamson def. Mick Piper. Semifinals: Abrahamson def. Michael Clark; Piper def. Bill McCormack.

Fourth Flight: Bill Brooks def. Kevin Kelly. Semifinals: Brooks def. Chuck Carnese; Kelly def. Frank Santell, Jr.

Fifth Flight: Steve Hart def. Dale Lumpkin. Semifinals: Hart def. Thomas McDowell; Lumpkin def. Dave Butler.

Sixth Flight: Scott Terrall def. Dan O’Donnell. Semifinals: O’Donnell def. Jeff Salfen; Terrall def. Steve Moore.

Seventh Flight: Russell Betts def. John Maier. Semifinals: Maier def. William Replogle; Betts def. John Lansing.

Super Seniors

Championship Flight: Bill Weed def. Jon Palmberg. Semifinals: Weed def. Rob Swingle; Palmberg def. Albert Upsher.

First Flight: Tom Carter def. George Mack, Sr.. Semifinals: Mack, Sr. def. Bill DeBellis; Carter def. Joe Patrick.

Second Flight: George Wells def. Ed Ulman. Semifinals: Wells def. Ron Nakata; Ulman def. Jack Nantz.

Third Flight: Jarrett Jones def. Peter Goforth. Semifinals: Goforth def. Jerry Briggs; Jones def. Paul Kauttu.

Fourth Flight: Dave Palmberg def. Jack Schiffer. Semifinals: Palmberg def. Ron Ragen; Schiffer def. Bryan Bickmore.

Fifth Flight: Dick Leonard def. Larry Moyer. Semifinals: Moyer def. Gary Kahn; Leonard def. Ron Martell.

Sixth Flight: Ted Cronin def. Craig Johnson. Semifinals: Cronin def. Franz Miller, Sr.; Johnson def. R.G. Beeber.

Seventh Flight: Al Carder def. Roger Martin. Semifinals: Martin def. Bob Mesher; Carder def. Jim Hauck.

Eighth Flight: Andrew Kerr def. David Lum. Semifinals: Kerr def. Jack Hansen; Lum def. David Aase.

Ninth Flight: Riccardo Foggia def. Bill Sporre. Semifinals: Foggia def. Mike King; Sporre def. Stan Blauer.