Billy Bomar celebrated his first tournament victory since moving to North Idaho a little more than a year ago in a way that only a fellow club professional would understand.

“I got back (late at night), went to work this morning, got home at 8 tonight, and I was going to hit some balls, and I never made it,” Bomar said recently, the day after winning the Senior Oregon Open Invitational in Pendleton, Ore. — one of six “majors” sponsored by the Pacific Northwest PGA, and one of three senior majors.

“That’s what’s amazing about these golf pros around town that are playing well — they’re not practicing all the time like a Tour player,” said Bomar, co-owner of Prairie Falls golf course in Post Falls. “They’re maybe jumping out once in a while to hit some balls, or play nine holes.”

BY HIS estimate, Bomar has won “close to 200” tournaments, including the one-day tourneys, before moving down here from Alaska last spring to take over the operations at Prairie Falls — and, when he could, squeeze in as many tournaments as he could.

In the pro standings for the weekly Monday Inland Empire PGA chapter pro-ams played throughout North Idaho and the Spokane area, Bomar is in first place.

“I’ve played good every time I’ve played,” he said of this season. “I’ve been close a bunch of times, and finally put it all together in Oregon.

“I got in late last year and only played in one pro-am and in the chapter championship. I’ve played everything that I could get in (this year). I wasn’t able to get into the Washington Senior Open, which is funny because I finished fourth in the Washington Open … 16th in Oregon, and fourth in the Senior Players Championship.”

At the Rosauers Open at Indian Canyon in Spokane in July, Bomar was tied for 10th, five shots off the lead, after two rounds, before a 1-over 72 on the final day dropped him into a tie for 21st.

“I played well in the Rosauers, too; I had a bad last day,” Bomar said. “It’s been a good year. I should have won Washington, had a couple bad holes on the first day, and played real well at the Rosauers.

“The thing that’s been hard (playing in the chapter majors) … I’m playing all these courses for the first time, so I don’t quite know where to miss it. I went down a couple days early (to Pendleton) because I’ve never been to that course, got a practice round in, got used to the greens. It turned out well for me.”

AT THE Wildhorse Resort and Casino, Bomar opened the 54-hole tournament with a 2-under 70.

He started out the second day with a couple of three-putts, then made nine birdies and an eagle en route to a 64 that gave him a two-shot lead heading into the final day.

On the final day, Bomar missed a 5-footer on 16 and a 4-footer on 17, and was 12 under and one stroke behind heading to the final hole.

Rob Gibbons, playing in the group ahead of Bomar, birdied 18 to finish 13 under. Todd Erwin, in the group with Bomar, was 13 under playing the final hole.

“I played aggressive, and I ended up making a 35-foot birdie putt on 18 to get into the playoff,” Bomar said. “I knew I had to make it. I just hit a great putt; it was a double breaker, it was a Tin Cup putt. After I made my putt Rob hit a good putt, it just didn’t go in.”

Bomar won with a birdie on the first hole of the playoff — “about a 15-footer off the fringe,” he said.

That made for a pleasant evening summer drive home from eastern Oregon to North Idaho.

“It felt good,” Bomar said. “I had my son and his best friend down there. They came out and watched me finish, got to see two of the best putts I hit all week, so, it was good timing. They didn’t watch any other holes but those.

“It’s nice to win one (down here). I’ve won everything in Alaska, which is great, but to come down here and win a section major, against guys that are great players, is just a great notch in the belt.”

Bomar rode down to Pendleton with Bob Christensen, who finished sixth overall — and was low amateur.

“And my team won the pro-am. So Prairie Falls dominated,” Bomar said.

BOMAR RAVES about the work of his staff at Prairie Falls, saying the golf course is “phenomenal.” After years away, Prairie Falls returned to the rotation for Inland Empire PGA pro-ams this year for the first time since 2010, hosting one — a pro-senior event — in early April.

“The course is going great,” Bomar said. “The course is going better than my golf game right now, which is kinda cool. Golf game’s good and the course is better, so it’s been a great year.”

He said Prairie Falls has “made a few tweaks” since he took over a little more than a year ago.

“The main thing was to turn the golf course around, get the people back out there,” said Bomar, noting that Spokane County recently put $4.5 million into rebuilding Liberty Lake Golf Course in the Spokane Valley.

“It’s nice when someone else is putting money into it,” Bomar said with a laugh. “Here, me and my partner, Jerry (Neeser), when we’re putting money into it, it’s our money.”

In early August, Bomar tied for 10th at the PGA Assistant Championship in Tualatin, Ore. Bomar shot 76-67—143, 1 under par, four strokes behind the winner.

Bomar then finished second in a pre-qualifier for the Champions Tour Boeing Classic, earning one on five slots for the qualifier on Monday. There, Bomar tied for 14th — the top five advanced to the Greater Seattle Classic, which runs Friday through Sunday at Snoqualmie (Wash.) Ridge.

Not bad for a pro/co-owner of a golf course whose “playing” often consists of working on his short game.

“People think, as a golf pro, all you do is play or practice,” Bomar said. “They say, ‘if you don’t want to play a lot of golf, get in the golf business.’”

Still, that’s a business Billy Bomar is more than happy to be in, any day.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.