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Riverside ready for state’s best

JANESVILLE — There’s not a better advertisement for Riverside Golf Course than the Ray Fischer State Medal Play Championship.

The 72-hole tournament at Janesville’s municipal course is arguably one of the favorite WSGA events for the state’s top amateur golfers.

And the Riverside course is a big reason why.

Scores are low.

The prize fund is one of the highest of any WSGA tournament.

And Riverside Golf Course head greenskeeper Joe Schneider always has the course in immaculate shape.

“It’s just a fun tournament,” said Antigo’s Kelly Kretz, who finished second a year ago after losing a two-hole playoff to Bendt Bendtsen III. “The course is always in great shape, and it’s a fun course to play.

“Every par 5 is reachable in two,” the Marquette University junior-to-be said. “I think I had six eagles in four rounds last year. And even some of the par 4s, like No. 17, you can reach. I drove the green twice on 17 last year.

“We don’t play any other tournaments on courses like Riverside, so I know everybody looks forward to playing there this weekend.”

Kretz is coming off a sophomore season at Marquette where he finished with a 74.63 stroke average. He finished second to Waukesha’s Kevin Cahill at the WSGA State Match Play Championship earlier this month, and was 18-under at last year’s Fischer.

Bendtsen III turned professional earlier this year and is not eligible to compete in the Fischer.

“I don’t look at it as being a favorite or anything like that,” Kretz said of being the highest returning finisher. “There are so many great golfers playing that a lot of guys are capable of going low and winning it.

“I’m playing pretty well right now, though. It starts with my putting, and hopefully, it continues at the Fischer.”

Riverside professional Tom Tautges is in charge of the course layout for the Fischer—specifically the pin placements for each round. The course will play at a distance of approximately 6,700 yards.

Tautges, who has been at Riverside since 2002, said other than a longer than normal rough, conditions will be set up to invite another birdie barrage.

“If you’re playing well, you can shoot a low number,” Tautges said. “That’s what this tournament is known for, and I don’t ever have a problem with a guy coming in shooting a low score.

“Joe (Schneider) does such a great job of getting this course in shape that to try and make things more difficult as far as pin placements or other changes would just disrupt the speed of play. And that’s the last thing we want with so many golfers (192) in the field.”

The Ray Fischer is one of the few WSGA events that does not have a pre-tournament dinner, which increases the prize fund. An amateur is allowed to win as much as $750 per tournament, which at the Ray Fischer, is awarded in the form of a gift certificate to shop in the club house.

Matt Behm leads the list of Janesville entrants. The 2006 Fischer champion holds the Riverside course record with a 10-under par round of 62. Behm finished seventh a year ago, 10 shots behind the leaders.

Other Janesville participants are Ryan Coffey, Aaron Coffey, David DiStefano, Jake Downing, Michael Hesselman, Bobby Kennedy, Matt Kersten and Sam Van Galder.