The Crooked River Realty Top Gun tournament might not be a PGA Tour event, but the 31 Oregon club professionals that will be playing in the two-day tournament that starts today would rather be playing for money.

That made Crooked River Ranch head pro Pat Huffer’s original plan of a horse-race tournament, a shootout format where a golfer is eliminated each hole, between the first and second rounds of the Top Gun Open a bad idea.

“I had a horrible thought: I thought ‘Wait a minute, we have an issue here,’ ” says Huffer, who will be playing in the 36-hole Oregon Chapter PGA tournament at Crooked River Ranch again this year. “We can’t play the course between two rounds of a two-round tournament. It’s against the rules.”

Huffer called the OPGA and confirmed that playing the horse race might be a problem, he says, and might add controversy to what is a relatively substantial purse.

“The OPGA said, ‘We were nervous about that. You are playing for quite a bit of money and there might be some guys who hold you to the rules of golf,’ ” Huffer says. “So we had to cancel it.”

The winner earns $3,500 for his efforts and the low professionals will split a pot of about $10,500. The low professional who is at least 50 years old takes home $1,000.

Because of Crooked River Ranch’s relatively short par-71, 5,818-yard layout, golf professionals have traditionally put up some low scores at the Top Gun Open.

Last year, Brian Nosler of Langdon Farms in Wilsonville set the course record with a 58 in the final round to win the tournament.

Nosler will be back this year to defend his championship against the likes of Vancouver, Wash., pro Chuck Milne, who was the former course record holder at Crooked River Ranch with a 59.

Other top players include Quail Run Golf Course pro Adam Martin, Lost Tracks Golf Club head pro Bob Garza, and Diamond Woods (Monroe) Golf Club’s Birk Nelson — who finished as the runner-up in the 2008 Oregon and Washington opens.

“It’s a very good purse for a chapter event. That’s why we are getting a pretty good draw from all the hotshots,” Huffer says. “It’s a very strong field.”

In addition, 52 amateur men and 21 more amateur women will play in net and gross stroke-play competitions.

Crooked River Ranch will also host a Nike demo day today at the course’s driving range.

Net proceeds for the tournament will be donated to the Crooked River Ranch Lions Club and Lions Club International.

The tournament is open to the public and admission is free.

Tournament information

What: Crooked River Realty Top Gun Open, a 36-hole stroke-play professional golf tournament

When: Today and Friday. Shotgun start at 8 a.m.

Where: Crooked River Ranch

Also: Nike demo day today

Professional purse: $10,500