West plains rodeo and golf are minutes, miles and worlds apart

To get from Bi-Mart Arena to The Fairways Golf Course is a five-mile drive that takes just about 10 minutes.

But in many respects what took place at those respective West Plains sports venues last weekend might as well have been a half a world, or maybe even a universe, apart.

As the 50th edition of the Cheney Rodeo galloped and bucked its way to a close, the lyrics of Garth Brooks’ song, “Rodeo,” came to mind.

“Well it’s bulls and blood

It’s dust and mud

It’s the roar of a Sunday crowd…”

No mud thank goodness, but plenty of dust to make the auto focus lens just a bit cranky and certainly in need of a cleaning.

Meanwhile, down on Melville Road there was another down-to-the-wire finish in the 54th edition of the Lilac Invitational Golf Tournament where Bend, Ore.’s Andrew Vijarro sank the putt every golfer dreams about.

His clutch 20-footer on the par-4, 18th was good for a birdie. It capped a come-from-behind effort, a 9-under par round of 63, and earned Vijarro $10,000. The 27-year-old shot a 24-under par 264 during four days of work, edging out Jesse Schutte’s 265.

No song lyrics came to mind when listening to Vijarro talk about how he accidently found out about The Lilac as he accepted the ceremonial check, and the real Joe Durgan Trophy, named in honor of the event founder.

Rodeo and golf are certainly two sports that one has to do a lot of thinking to find anything the two might have in common.

Watching the agony on the faces of the rough stock competitors as they grapple — unfairly it seems — with a ton of ornery bull or a 1,200-pound bronc, all with one hand. Or go “Oxen Boxin’” as PA announcer Al Parsons calls steer wrestling.

Completing their eight-second ride, along with help from judges looking for any flaws as they try to hold onto a four-legged jackhammer called Peigan Trail, earned Tyler Corrington from Hastings, Minn. just shy of $2,500.

Oh, there’s plenty of agony in golf, but it’s more the mental kind.

That was true for Schutte, whose 10-foot putt on 18 to tie and send the tournament into a playoff, broke left, but still rewarded him with $4,500.

Third-round leader Corey Prugh watched his dreams of a first-ever Lilac victory unravel. His front-nine on Sunday saw him bogey three holes but still shoot a 37 — a number legions of decent golfers salivate over — and a final round 71 after camping in the mid-60s the first three days.

And for some of the rodeo gang on Sunday, they liked living on the edge of disaster so much that guys like saddle bronc buster Christian Stremler took an option for a second ride. Aboard Little Jet, Stremler tied for fourth but still got a check worth $747 and change. But it was better than the no score he earned earlier.

Stremler’s first try on the back of High Lonesome had to be harrowing because the horse decided to try to eject its rider while both were in the chute.

In golf, the polite clap from the gallery — and a general tip of the cap by the golfer back at them — acknowledges a nice finish to a hole.

In rodeo it’s hooting and hollering.

Cheering fans try to encourage a barrel racer like Mandy Hamilton from Manhattan, Mont. to shave enough tenths of a second off her time to collect $1,768 for a 17.29 seconds work.

In the end it turns out there are some ties that bind.

Both those athletes in dusty jeans and cowboy boots, and the ones wearing slacks, shorts or spikes on their feet, are likely hitting the road in search of their next payday.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].