The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - The Ryder Cup. A golf tradition unlike any other.

Who could forget the Battle at Brookline in 1999, where the Americans rallied from four matches down on the final day to win? Or the equally impressive Miracle at Medinah in 2012, where Europe overcame a 10-4 deficit at the halfway point to win by a full match? And Dayton's amazing Take- down at Touchet Valley in 2011?

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Ryder Cup is back-the local version. And instead of pitting teams of professional golfers from the United States and Europe, this Ryder Cup, in its third year of existence, pits rival squads from Dayton and Waitsburg against one another.

This year's Ryder Cup will take place June 28-30 at the Touchet Valley Golf Club in Dayton. Teams are still forming and both squads want you! The cost to play is $10 plus greens fees, and all proceeds go to support junior golf in the Touchet Valley.

Prospective Dayton play- ers need to contact team cap- tain Kim Lyonnais at 509- 540-2626. Waitsburg players should contact captain Mike White at 509-540-8255. For this competition, 'Waitsburg' includes Prescott and Walla Walla, and 'Dayton' includes Pomeroy.

Dayton's roster currently stands at 24, but Waitsburg's is a bit short on players at 16. A conflicting tourna- ment at Wine Valley in Walla Walla has sapped some of Waitsburg's depth. Players for Waitsburg are urgently needed.

The competition consists of four different formats. Fri- day's format will be two-man team alternating shot. Satur- day morning is two-man team best ball, and Saturday afternoon is two-man team scramble. Sunday wraps up the tourney with one-on-one match play rounds.

Participants for the teams do not need to play in all four matches.

Blue Mountain Realtors and Nealey and Marinella Law Offices have donated food and refreshments to sell during the competition. The TVGC Women's Club will oversee the concessions. This constitutes its major fundraiser in support of the junior golf lessons it puts on each year. This year's junior golf lessons take place June 24-28.

Raffle tickets are also be- ing sold to coincide with the tournament. Prizes include a night at Campbell's resort at Lake Chelan, a $300 value, and a $25 gift certificate to Chief Spring's Fire and Iron Brew Pub in Dayton. Tickets can be purchased from Kim Lyonnais or any junior golf member. Proceeds support junior golf.

Last year's event brought in $1,400-an amount Lyon- nais said was "pretty exciting money for this organization. It was so satisfying to see it used."

Besides junior golf lessons, the funds are used to buy clubs or recondition clubs for junior golfers, provide or discount junior memberships and fund travel expenses to far away tourna- ments for junior golfers.

Kim Lyonnais and T.J. Scott started the event two years ago, and according to Mike White, the former Waitsburg captain will be returning from his new home in Alaska to play for his for- mer team.

Dayton has won the Cup in both of the competition's first two years.

Lyonnais plans to make it three in a row adding a good- natured trash talking, "Bring it on. They can only hope to take us downhellip;once."

Waitsburg's White plans to let the scores on Sunday do all of his talking.