Bayley wins another Rosauers

SPOKANE — Derek Bayley normally wears a red shirt in the final round of his golf tournaments, a nod to Washington State University, where he recently completed a stellar playing career.

About a month or so ago, his grandma gave him a golf shirt belonging to his grandpa, Jerry Bayley, who passed away last December.

He decided to make that one his new final-round shirt.

On Sunday, Bayley, from Rathdrum, chalked up his first victory while wearing his grandpa’s golf shirt — a white and gray shirt from the Crosswater Club in Sunriver, Ore. — shooting a 5-under-par 66 for a three-shot victory at the 31st Rosauers Open Invitational at Indian Canyon.

“It’ll be a nice little tradition going forward,” Bayley said.

Bayley, who hopes to turn professional near the end of the year, shot 72-62-66—200, 13-under par, and won the Rosauers for the second time in three years. In 2016, he won the tourney at MeadowWood in Liberty Lake, bouyed by a 13-under 59 in the second round.

“This was a little more pressure-packed,” said Bayley, who won going away two years ago.

Bayley and North Idaho College coach and PGA professional Russell Grove began the final round one shot back of PGA pro David Brown of Molalla, Ore. All three were in the final group.

Grove, last year’s runner-up, shot 70, and Brown shot 71. Both finished at 9-under 204, tied for eighth and four strokes behind Bayley.

“It was pretty cool having a couple Coeur d’Alene-area guys in the final group,” Bayley said.

Bayley eagled the par-5 second hole and took the lead over Grove with a birdie on six. He shot 4-under 31 on the front side and led by four shots at the turn, then carded a 1-under 35 on the back.

His day featured seven birdies and one eagle, but also four bogeys. He had just two pars on the front nine — on No. 1 and No. 9.

“I didn’t play perfect today, but I played good enough to get it done,” Bayley said.

Bayley only made it into the Rosauers because he was eliminated in the Round of 32 in match play Thursday at the Pacific Northwest Golf Association men’s amateur in DuPont, Wash.

He traveled home that night and was able to get some rest before Friday’s 12:30 p.m. tee time in the first round at the Canyon.

But after shooting 72, “winning was not at the front of my mind,” he said. “But I decided to just play one shot at a time, try to put a couple rounds together and see where it took me.”

Bayley took advantage of a 7:30 a.m. tee time on Saturday and shot a 9-under 62, a round which included seven birdies and two eagles.

“Going low on Saturday certainly helped,” said Bayley, the former Lakeland High standout. “So did another night of sleeping in my own bed. It’s been a busy couple of days.”

Next up for Bayley is a U.S. Amateur qualifier on Wednesday at Palouse Ridge in Pullman, his home course while at WSU. It’s a one-day, 36-hole qualifier, with 57 entrants competing for two spots at the Amateur.

Six players tied for second on Sunday at 10-under 203.

Amateur Brandon Smith of Gozzer Ranch finished tied for 28th at 67-75-69—211, 2 under. Billy Bomar of Prairie Falls shot 72-73-68—213, even par, and Brent Walsh of the Coeur d’Alene Golf Club shot 71-75-76—222, 9 over.