Jim Knous’ first year as a pro, he admits, has had its peaks and valleys.
But, back in Durango, he remembers perhaps the biggest peak, the one that came in his first professional tournament.
Knous will try to defend his Navajo Trail Open against a cast of familiar faces when the tournament opens this morning at Hillcrest Golf Club.
Playing in Thursday’s Pro-Am served as a reminder for Knous of quality shots hit down the stretch as he battled from behind to win the NTO by two strokes.
“I had a few memories out there (Thursday),” Knous said. “I said, ‘Ooh, that’s where I hit that good chip or made that putt that’s pretty big.’ I putted really well out here and chipped really well out here last year, which is really crucial.”
And on Hillcrest’s quick greens, that’s a point of emphasis, as well as an area Knous has worked to shore up over the last year, where he played mainly on the on the Gateway Tour in Arizona. Also tucked in there were the Web.com Stadion Classic, which he qualified for with a qualifying round of 65, as well as the U.S. Open sectional qualifier in Newport Beach, Calif.
“Pretty much all my college career (at Colorado School of Mines) and on I’ve hit the ball pretty well,” Knous said. “I just never really devoted the time that is needed to make the short game better. But this year, I really tried to dedicate a lot of time to getting better at putting and chipping.”
Hillcrest head professional John Vickers said course superintendent Ken Kirby has been spending the week ensuring that the greens don’t approach speeds that even professionals have a tough time adjusting to, and Vickers added he’s pleased with the work done.
“We’re trying to control the speed so it doesn’t get out of control,” Vickers said. “I just talked to golf course superintendent Ken Kirby ... and the golf course is in really good condition.”
The course, then, should bode well for a field of familiar names. Besides Knous, former champions Keenan Holt, Micah Rudosky and Bobby Kalinowski are in the field, as is former Fort Lewis College standout Devin Schreiner, Hillcrest golf instructor and former Montezuma-Cortez prep golfer Shea Sena and FLC golf coach Bud Andersen.
And the depth of the field continues from there. Richard Gaona and Ricky Romano return after tying for sixth last year, and Jeff Roth, the head pro at San Juan Country Club in Farmington, also is in the field, as is Kalinowski’s brother Tom.
There’s also a crop of amateurs looking to make noise. All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference third-team selection and former FLC golfer Charlie Laudermilk, 2012 NTO low amateur Gavin Lyons, former Durango High School standout and current FLC golfer Morgan Miller and FLC’s Lucas Laudick are some of a few names that highlight that particular group.
So anybody with dreams of coming in as a dark horse will have some work to do to crack some of the more well-known names.
“We’ve got a few new players in the professional division. Lots of people played here, grew up here ... so I don’t know that there’s really a dark horse,” Vickers said.
And, of course, everyone’s chasing Knous, seeking a title and memories all their own.
“The year has been up and down for me, and to come back to a place that I like and know pretty well and where I played well, it’s a good feeling,” Knous said.
rowens@durangoherald.com
