A Great day all around

COEUR d’ALENE — Leave it to No. 99 for a great shot to cap his round.

Ahh, a ‘Great One’ indeed.

Wayne Gretzky sank a 20-foot chip shot to finish the final nine holes with a 39 on Saturday.

“I’m not very good,” said Gretzky the NHL star. “The last thing you want to do when there’s people around is chip. (PGA golfer) Dustin (Johnson, who is engaged to his daughter, Paulina Gretzky) always laughs at me because I pull out a hybrid. And I had a hybrid on my fourth shot, and I messed that up. So I was thinking I was in real big trouble. I was just hoping and praying that I didn’t embarrass myself.”

He didn’t.

“Then I remembered why I’m here and it’s a great event,” Gretzky said. “It’s a wonderful experience for everyone in Coeur d’Alene. It’s mine and (wife) Janet’s third year playing in it. We spend eight weeks a summer up here. It’s great.”

It was just one of many moments during the fifth annual Showcase Golf exhibition, which concluded at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course with a nine-hole event featuring stars from the NHL, NFL and NBA, as well as actors and singers. A gallery of several hundred looked on.

For a first-timer to The Showcase, quarterback Jim McMahon — who quarterbacked the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl title in 1985 — made quite the impression.

Sans shoes and socks.

“It just felt more comfortable doing it that way,” McMahon said. “After having linemen step on your feet for as many years, it’s nice not to wear shoes sometimes.”

McMahon finished 13th in the net standings with a 71-38—109.

“I had a bad couple of holes,” McMahon said. “I had all pars except two holes. Other than that, it was all right. It’s a nice place to play. (John) Elway and Gretzky have told me about this place and I can’t wait to come back.”

As for trying to hit onto the famed Floating Green?

“I parred it the first day and doubled it today,” McMahon said. “It wasn’t too bad for my first two days playing it.”

Former Spokane Chief and San Jose Shark Ray Whitney held off two-time defending champion Brenden Morrow — the former NHL left wing who played for Dallas, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Tampa Bay before retiring in 2015 — for the gross title, winning with a 105 over 27 holes. Whitney shot 69 in Friday’s 18-hole round, and 36 on Saturday.

“Somebody was finally able to get a hold of Brenden Morrow,” said Whitney, who helped the Chiefs win the Memorial Cup in 1991. “There’s some good golfers here. Anytime you play a sport that isn’t yours, and you feel the nerves to compete at someone else’s sports, it’s kind of humbling to see what the other guys can do. It’s hard to do when you’re in a competitive environment.”

It was Whitney’s third appearance at The Showcase.

“Playing in this tournament is a lot of fun,” said Whitney, who retired in 2014. “They do a wonderful job with the format and the games people are playing. It’s a great atmosphere and experience. That’s what we’re all here for. We get a chance to be around some different athletes and celebrities that we normally don’t get a chance to be around and just have some fun with different people.”

Mark Rypien, who played in the final group with Whitney and Morrow, is no stranger to The Showcase.

Saturday was just one of those weird days on the course.

“It was the worst round of golf I’ve played in my entire life,” said Rypien, the Spokane native who quarterbacked the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl title in 1991. “At some point out there, your give-a-crap meter kind of goes a little low, and you enjoy what you came for. And that’s to open up the new (Kootenai Health hospitality center) facility here in Coeur d’Alene and help all people that are in dire straits of cancer, both families that are supporting their loved ones that are going through treatment, and those in treatment. In the end, it’s a win/win. And we’re fortunate enough to play with guys like Brenden and Ray. They’re great stewards of the game and great guys to play with. It’s a great setting and fun to get to play here.”

Morrow, whose team finished runner-up in Friday’s celebrity/sponsor team competition, shot a 40 in the final nine holes of the 27-hole exhibition.

“We play a lot of golf together, so I knew what to expect out of him,” said Morrow of Whitney. “He’s a tough competitor and when he gets to the green, he usually mixes it up pretty good. He was just the better player today. Mark’s a heck of player. He got out to a tough start today and made some swings. Ray had the momentum early in the day and kept it going.”

The event, which raises funds for the Community Cancer Fund, raised nearly $10 million in the first four years. Scores were compiled by combining scores from Friday’s 18-hole Celeb-Am and Saturday’s 9-hole celeb event.

Pro Football and College Football Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen, who won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984, appeared at the Showcase for the first time.

“I met Jerid (Keefer, organizer of the event) at a Diamond Resort event in Orlando, and he asked me about coming out,” Allen said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to come here last year, but I intended to. This year, I jumped at it because I’ve always wanted to come here. It’s a beautiful area. It’s pretty here and the people are great. It’s a great event for a great cause. It’s been nice and I’m looking forward to coming back here for many years to come.”

GROSS SCORES — 1, Ray Whitney, 69-36—105. 2, Brenden Morrow, 68-40—108. 3, Eric Dickerson, 74-39—113. 4, Ryan Longwell, 74-40—114. 5 (tie), Roger Clemens, 75-40—115, Mark Rypien, 71-44—115. 7 (tie), Wayne Gretzky, 78-39—117, Sheldon Souray, 75-42—117. 9, Bryan Walters, 75-43—118. 10 (tie), Truck Robinson, 77-42—119, Grant Fuhr, 80-39—119. 12, Bobby Ryan, 81-39—120. 13, Neil Lomax, 79-44—123. 14, Adam Morrison, 82-46—128. 15 (tie), Marcus Allen, 88-43—131, Fred McGriff, 86-45—131. 17, Preston Pohl, 99-55—154.

NET SCORES — 1, Seth Joyner, 66-31—97. 2, Shane Victorino, 63-36—99. 3, Janet Gretzky, 63-37—100. 4, Tyler Johnson, 67-34—101. 5, Doug Weight, 68-36—104. 6, Barrett Jackman, 71-34—105. 7 (tie), Roy Green, 72-34—106, Kevin Dillon, 66-40—106, Kelly Chase, 67-39—106. 11, Jon Cooper, 66-41—107. 12, Richard Dent, 71-37—108. 13, Jim McMahon, 71-38—109. 14, Kelley James, 74-38—112. 15, Bruce Bowen, 81-42—123. 16 (tie), Desmond Mason, 78-47—125, Anthony Mackie, 82-43—125.