SHOWCASE GOLF: More than just golf ... Mulder, Janet Gretzky win titles at ninth annual golf tournament, a fundraiser for Community Cancer Fund

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — It’s as close to a party along the water in Coeur d’Alene as anything you’ll find all summer long.

But for the 39 celebrity golfers, the party didn’t stop after the 18th hole at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

And neither did the reason why they were here.

Actress Janet Gretzky claimed the net title for a fourth time, while former Major League baseball pitcher Mark Mulder won the gross title for the third in as many appearances of the ninth Showcase golf exhibition, benefiting the Community Cancer Fund.

Both Gretzky and Mulder won the event in 2021.

“This one touched home a lot,” Gretzky said. “Two days ago, my older brother Johnny had a big cancerous kidney taken out. And he’s going to fight the war and so it really hit home. A couple years ago when I was here, I had lost my sister, so it touches every family in the world.”

Gretzky won the two-day event with a Stableford score of 57 points, followed by former Spokane Chief and Coeur d’Alene Laker Tyler Johnson with 54.

“I’m here playing golf and having fun and my poor brother is in the hospital fighting cancer,” Gretzky said. “I did it for him this week.”

Janet’s husband — ‘The Great One’ Wayne Gretzky — finished with 39 points.

“We love Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and the people here,” Gretzky said. “We’ve got a home here at Gozzer Ranch and we love golfing with Dustin (Johnson) being our son-in-law, so the entire family loves golfing. Anything we can do to fight the war on cancer and make people aware we need to end this disease.”

Mulder made it three for three in gross titles in his appearances, also winning in 2019 and 2021.

“It’s always fun coming back here,” Mulder said. “My wife grew up just outside of Spokane, so this is kind of a special place for us, not that we come here that often.”

Mulder finished Friday’s round with 31 points in the Gross standings.

“I played awful today,” Mulder said. “Luckily I played great on Friday and gave myself a chance, but that’s golf. Day 1 to Day 2 can be different and makes it a lot of fun.”

Mulder finished fourth in the American Century Championship on July 7 near Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nev.

“Tahoe’s is always my favorite,” Mulder said. “It’s a great week down there, but I really love coming here. Having it a couple of weeks ago, it prepares you for this week and gives you a little prepper for this one for sure.”

Mulder won 103 games during his career with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals.

“A win’s a win,” Mulder said. “I played terrible today, but so what. It’s kind of like when I pitched. If I gave up five runs, you just want to give up less than the other guy. If you win, you win. You want to win and help your team win.”

Mulder added that coming back to be a part of the event will always be special for him.

“What they do and the amount of money they raise for kids and cancer and stuff like that, it’s an impressive thing man,” Mulder said. “It’s a lot of fun to see, and special fund and charity they have.”

Johnson, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Saturday, recently announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Megan Hevner.

“It’s in my hometown, and it’s so fun,” Johnson said. “What’s really meaningful to me is that the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene community, it’s a pretty tight knit group. And it’s cool to see all the people come out and support this is really cool.”

Johnson, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, recently wrapped up his second season with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “It’s different and in a big city, so it’s a little different for me. But I’m looking forward to it. This year, there’s a lot of buzz and excitement in town with getting the first pick (Connor Bedard), so I’m excited to see what can happen there. It’s going to be exciting to see.”

Former Major League outfielder Vince Coleman, who won the net title last year, finished fourth with 51 points. Former NHL player Ray Whitney, the 2022 Gross champion, finished sixth with 38 points.

Stephen Hauschka, the former NFL placekicker and Super XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks, finished 10th in the net standings with 46 points after leading the tournament after Friday’s Celeb-Am.

GROSS SCORES (Top 10) — 1, Mark Mulder, 46. 2 (tie), Blair O’Neal, Brenden Morrow, 45. 4, Mark Rypien, 43. 5, Jeremy Roenick, 41. 6, Ray Whitney, 38. 7, Vince Coleman, 35. 8 (tie), Kyle Lohse, Dustin Pedroia, 32. 10, Jerome Bettis, 31.

NET SCORES (Top 10) — 1, Janet Gretzky, 57. 2, Tyler Johnson, 54. 3, Sidney Rice, 53. 4, Vince Coleman, 51. 5 (tie), Kelly Chase, Doug Weight, 48. 7 (tie), Seth Joyner, Jerome Bettis, Dustin Pedroia, 47. 10, Stephen Hauschka, 46.