Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 23, 2009 at 14:03:57:
Anchor a contender at State Senior Am
WGN's Roan in the pack four shots behind leader Boockford's 67
By GREG STEWART
Peoria Journal Star
Posted Sep 21, 2009 @ 08:54 PM
BARTONVILLE -
Dan Roan is comfortable delivering the news, and Monday the lead sports anchor for WGN-TV was making a bit of his own.
Roan was one of seven players in the field of 82 who shot even par or better at Coyote Creek Golf Club in the first round of the Illinois State Senior Amateur Championship. Roan, a 56-year old who lives in Elmhurst, shot even-par 71 and is tied for third place with four others.
Bill Boockford of Glen Ellyn fired a 4-under 67 to grab the first-round lead, two shots ahead of Kewanee's Tom Miler. After today's second round the field will be cut to the low 30 scores and ties for Wednesday's 18-hole final.
While Roan was generally pleased with his play after his first crack at Coyote Creek, his day didn't exactly begin or end well. He cut himself shaving, but didn't know it until he arrived at the golf course and another competitor asked why his shirt was covered in blood.
"I was bloodied before I even hit my first shot," joked Roan, who had a purple Band-Aid covering his right earlobe.
Roan, a native of Keokuk, Iowa, played college golf at Illinois State with D.A. Weibring.
Wearing a new shirt representing his home course, Cog Hill in Lemont, he started strong by making birdie on the first two holes. He put three more on the card (Nos. 11, 13, 17) but offset them with five bogeys (Nos. 4, 6, 12, 16, 18) for his even-par round. The last bogey came on No. 18, when he chunked his approach in the pond.
"Idiot," Roan said of his finish. "But only one three-putt, especially on greens I haven't played, is good for me. I'm looking forward to (Tuesday).
Boockford, like many Chicago-area players in the field, had not played Coyote prior to Monday's round. When asked what was the key to his solid play, he said he just paid attention to the pro tips on the hole signs displayed in his cart.
"Hit it here, don't hit it there, that sort of thing," Boockford said. "That was about it."
But there was a bit more to it than that. Boockford, a 56-year-old in business development for Mesirow Financial, has won multiple club championships at Glen Oak Country Club and last year qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. He also was runner-up in the 1980 Illinois State Amateur and the '93 Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship.
The left-hander had six birdies and two bogeys in his round. He made birdies at three of the four par 3s on the golf course, including No. 8, a short par 4 that the tournament committee converted to a 215-yard par 3 for this tournament.
"This one could have been lower," Boockford said. "I had a lot of chances."
Miler, the 2005 Mid-Amateur champion, made three birdies in his first seven holes on the way to the day's second-best round.
Joining Roan at even par were Steve Tello (Bloomington), Greg Wohlford (Bloomington), Frank Travetto (Bartlett) and Dave Ryan (Taylorville).