GOLF

Tiger Woods may be adding an unexpected PGA Tour stop to his pre-Masters schedule

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 22:58:00 +0000

iger Woods has kept his pre-Masters schedule close to his Nike sweater vest, but it's usually pretty easy to figure out. We expected Woods would begin his season at Torrey Pines and that he'd tee it up at Riviera since his TGR Live company is running the Genesis Open. It also seems likely that he'll play the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he's won eight times, and the Honda Classic, where he can basically walk to the course. After that, though, it gets a bit trickier.
Woods' low world ranking makes it extremely unlikely he'll be eligible for either World Golf Championship before the year's first major. So if he's looking to make another start before heading to Augusta, it would probably have to come at a PGA Tour stop he's never previously visited. Enter the Valspar Championship.
Earlier this week, the Tampa tournament released its tentative field list and Woods was included on it for the first time since the tournament began in 2000. Woods hasn't committed to playing in the event March 8-11, but he's listed under "UNDECIDED (Possible)":

"Really, this is the best chance," Valspar tournament director Tracy West told the Tampa Bay Times. "Actually, about winter of last year we thought perhaps maybe, but then that didn’t happen. But if there was ever a time. I stay in constant contact with his agent, Mark Steinberg. We are still on the possibility list. At least we are not a no."
Clearly, Woods' appearance is by no means a lock, but West added she expects to hear something shortly after the Genesis Open so that her event will have some time to prepare for golf's biggest draw should he commit. A policy introduced by the PGA Tour in 2016 that requires players to tee it up in one tournament they haven't played in the previous four years each season. However, Woods, as a lifetime tour member, is exempt from that rule.
If Woods plays the Valspar Championship, he'd likely make his final Masters tuneup the following week at Bay Hill. Stay tuned. (Golfdigest)

Goats, The New Level of Caddie in New Oregon Golf Course

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 00:22:00 +0000

"You haven't lived until you've played golf with a goat as a caddie." This is something no one has ever said or even thought, but it doesn't necessarily make it untrue. And now, one Oregon resort will allow golfers to give goats a try on the course.
The Retreat & Links at Silvies Valley Ranch in Seneca announced the opening of a new seven-hole course called "McVeigh's Gauntlet" in 2018. As if that name wasn't cool enough, golfers will have the option of taking trained goats as caddies when they take on the seven-hole track. Hey, if goats have been allowed to infiltrate yoga, then why not golf? Goats. So hot right now.

According to the resort, the caddies are raised right on the ranch. And they'll be equipped with a special pack that will allow them to carry drinks, golf balls, tees and even a few clubs.
“We’re taking the golf experience at Silvies Valley Ranch to a new level in 2018,” says Silvies owner Dr. Scott Campbell. “We’ve been developing an unprecedented caddie training program with our head caddie, Bruce LeGoat, to ensure that he and his team are ready for the opening of The Gauntlet this summer. We’re truly redefining both goat and golf operations at the ranch. Can you think of another course where its caddies were literally born, raised and fully educated on-property? We will get you a caddie who really knows the course and won’t give you any bad advice – and they work for peanuts!”
Or whatever snacks are in your bag. Better keep an eye on those snacks. (golfdigest)

All of the UK’s links golf courses could disappear by 2100

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 00:09:00 +0000

An alarming report from the UK’s leading environmental organisation charity has found that every links golf course in the UK is in danger of disappearing in less than a century due to climate change.

The Climate Coalition says golf faces an ‘unexpected threat’ from even a slight rise in sea levels, and Open Championship venues such as St Andrews and Royal Troon could be under water by 2100.

The report, which adds that six of the UK’s seven wettest years on record have occurred since 2000, predicts that “golf courses will crumble into the sea”.

“Climate change is already impacting our ability to play and watch the sports we love,” said the report, adding that extreme weather is a factor in declining participation and lost revenue.

Last year we reported on the 455-year-old Montrose Golf Links, which was investigating the possibility of a crowdfunding campaign to raise £5 million to install rock armour alongside three of its seaside holes, following 25 years of coastal erosion.

Chris Curnin, director at Montrose Golf Links, said: “As the sea rises and the coast falls away, we’re left with nowhere to go. Climate change is often seen as tomorrow’s problem – but it’s already eating away at our course.

“In a perfect storm we could lose five to 10 metres over just a couple of days and that could happen at pretty much any point.”

There was as much as 20 per cent less playing time for courses across the greater Glasgow area in 2016-17 compared to 10 years earlier, the report suggests.

“These findings should cause great concern among golf’s authorities,” said BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter.

“The game was founded on the links turf of the British seaside and provides golf in its most authentic form – as well as sums in excess of £75m to local economies on an annual basis.

“But the sport has recognised its precarious position at the hands of mother nature, with a number of green initiatives adopted in recent years.

“This report might also impact on discussions aimed at limiting driving distances because it highlights potential dangers in the maintaining the current trend of lengthening golf courses.”

“It is a fact that increased rainfall and extreme events are causing more disruption in recreational golf,” added Richard Windows of the STRI.

One in six Scottish golf courses are on the coast, where they are at the most risk of erosion due to rising sea levels, added the report.

Steve Isaac, director of golf course management at the R&A, said: “There is no question it is becoming a huge factor.

“I believe golf is more impacted by climate change than any other sport aside from skiing.

“We are feeling it now with increases in unplayable holes, winter course closures and disruption to professional tournaments.

“And the future threats are very real.”

Professor Piers Forster, director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds, added: “Climate change is already affecting the historic game of golf in its birthplace.

“Without cutting the carbon emissions driving climate change, sea levels will rise by over a metre and extremely wet winters will become the norm,” he warned.

“Many aspects of our lives including the game of golf would struggle to adapt to such a changed world.”

The Climate Coalition, which is made up of groups ranging from the National Trust and the Women’s Institute to WWF, the RSPB, Greenpeace and Oxfam, is releasing the report as part of its ‘Show The Love’ campaign, which celebrates things people love but that could be lost due to climate change. (Alistair Dunsmuir, The Golf Business)

Reasons to motivate for upcoming European golf

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Amazing how 31 days can lift the mood. Yet after just one month of the year there is much to be positive about the state of golf on this side of the Atlantic. Here are five reasons for European golf fans to be cheerful for the rest of 2018:

5. Kemp shows it’s not too late.

Finally, the good-news story of the month goes to England’s John Kemp. For 30 years he was happy to be a proper amateur in every sense of the word. Unlike the vast majority of players in the amateur ranks funded by golf associations – professional amateurs – Kemp held down a full-time job but still managed to play amateur golf at the highest level.

The Woburn Golf Club member qualified for and played in two British Opens, won three British Mid-Amateur Championships, the English Mid-Amateur, the Sunningdale Foursomes and many other tournaments. He decided to enter the 2018 European Senior Tour Qualifying School on a whim to see if his game was good enough to play with Europe’s over-50s. It is.

Kemp took the second of five cards and will play this year’s European senior circuit, now called the Staysure Tour. One of those events will be on his home course. The Travis Perkins Masters is held over Woburn’s Dukes course. Don’t be surprised if the quiet, unassuming Englishman makes some noise this year.

4. Chinese and Indian players excelling

Ernie Els predicted back in 2008 that Indian and Chinese golfers would be major influencers on golf’s world stage. Wins for 22-year-old Li Haotong and Shubhankar Sharma, 21, in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Maybank Championship prove The Big Easy is a pretty good soothsayer. Haotong took down McIlroy to win in Dubai. Sharma stormed home with a closing 62. Each man has won twice on the European Tour. Haotong will play in this year’s Masters while Sharma is in the British Open. Will they lead the vanguard in their home countries by becoming future major winners? It’s going to be fun to find out.

3. Tommy Fleetwood is the real deal.

Despite Fleetwood ending the 2017 European Tour as European No. 1, there were small doubts that he might be a flash in the pan. Other players have followed up banner years by dropping off the radar. Not Fleetwood. He proved he’s the real deal with his Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship victory. To outscore McIlroy and Dustin Johnson on Day One, and then shoot 30 on the back nine on Sunday to defend his title, shows Fleetwood has the game to contend for major titles.

2. European Tour golf is quicker than the PGA Tour.

The conclusion of the Farmers Insurance Open proved yet again that pace of play in Europe is quicker than the PGA Tour. Six hours for Alex Noren, Ryan Palmer and J.B. Holmes to complete the final round, punctuated by Holmes’ disgraceful 4 minutes, 10 seconds to play his second to the 18th, was a poor advert for the game.

While play could be a lot quicker in Europe, it never reaches the Farmers Insurance nadir. That’s not just my take, but the opinion of players who play both tours. Ask the PGA Tour-based Europeans and they’ll tell you European Tour officials are more strident on pace of play than PGA Tour officials. If the Holmes incident wasn’t final proof that professional golf needs a shot clock – something I’ve been promoting for 20 years – then I don’t know what is.

1. Rory’s definitely back.

Fears Rory McIlory would continue to suffer from a poor 2017 season didn’t take long to evaporate. Third in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and second in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic proved the former World No. 1 made the right move to take a three-month break following last October’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

McIlroy looked like he’d never been away. More importantly, he’s noticeably fitter than at any point in his life. That was obvious from the moment he walked into the interview room for his pre-tournament press conference in Abu Dhabi. I’ve been watching McIlroy compete since he was 14, playing in the 2004 British Boys’ Championship at Royal Liverpool. I did a double take when he walked into the room. He’s more athletic looking than I’ve ever seen him. Seems he’s really serious about making the next 10 years of his career better than the previous decade. That’s fantastic news. (source: Golfweek)

PGA Tour rookie came close to matching that feeling as he charged into contention at the Sony Open in Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 04:49:00 +0000

Shooting a magical 59 on the Web.com Tour last year was a career highlight for American Will Wilcox, and the PGA Tour rookie came close to matching that feeling as he charged into contention at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Saturday.

Competing for the third time in a PGA Tour event, Wilcox piled up seven birdies and a lone bogey to card a joint best-of-the-day six-under-par 64 in the third round at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

Birdies on the last two holes earned him an 11-under total of 199 and he will tee off in Sunday's final round a shot behind pacesetting American Chris Kirk.

"I felt pretty good coming down 18," Wilcox told Golf Channel after climbing from a share of 17th place overnight into a tie for second with compatriot Harris English.

"It's nice to play well here and make the first cut in a season that I get to play. Walking down 18, me and my caddie looked at each other and I was kind of having to pinch myself," said the 27-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama.

Wilcox secured his card for the 2013-14 PGA Tour via the lower-tier Web.com Tour last year, having won his first title on that circuit in April at the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta.

Three months later he became the fourth player on that tour to shoot a 59, dipping under 60 in the final round of the Utah Championship where he tied for third.

Asked how that experience compared with his impressive title bid so far as a PGA Tour rookie at the Sony Open, Wilcox replied: "The 59 was a special day.

"I had some family in town and the course was set up for me. But I feel like this one does too. I am playing on Bermuda (grass) again and feel like I am back home in Alabama.

"Both are special days but this is a dream come true to be able to play out here. It's pretty cool," smiled Wilcox, whose mother Kim is in her 13th year as the golf coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Wilcox, whose previous PGA Tour starts ended with missed cuts at the 2010 Canadian Open and 2011 U.S. Open, effectively launched his birdie surge on Saturday with an unexpected chip-in at the par-three seventh.

"It came out super-hot," Wilcox said of his chip from greenside rough. "Two days ago I could not hit that shot but I've been working really hard on the chipping green.

"It came out a little bit left, then it spun right and went in right in the middle. If it didn't hit the centre of the flag it was going to ricochet maybe eight, 10 feet but it went in."

Following that chip-in, Wilcox went on to record further birdies at the 10th, 12th and 13th, bogeyed the 15th, then picked up further shots at 17 and the par-five last to cap a very special day.

Woods: I think it's been a really good year

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 04:09:00 +0000

Tiger Woods ended his 2013 PGA Tour campaign with an unimpressive tie for 22nd at the Tour Championship on Sunday (Monday, PHL time) but, in all likelihood, will earn Player of the Year honors which are to be announced late next week.

Though he has not been at his best in the last three FedExCup playoff events, the world number one has piled up five victories on the U.S. circuit this season, three more than anyone else.

"Very satisfied," Woods said of his golfing year after closing with a three-under-par 67 for a level-par total of 280 in the PGA Tour's season finale at East Lake Golf Club.

"I had a number of chances to win some tournaments. I won five, which is, I think, a pretty good year. I've done that a few times over the course of my career.

"I wish I would have been a little more consistent in some of the events, but overall, to add to the win total for the year, it's always a good thing," said the American, who failed to contend at East Lake after opening with scores of 73 and 71.

Asked to assess his own credentials in the PGA Player of the Year race, Woods replied bluntly: "Well, look at the fact that I had five wins this year, so I think that's a pretty good year."

His main challengers for that accolade are Masters champion Adam Scott and British Open winner Phil Mickelson, who have both triumphed twice on the 2013 PGA Tour, but Woods is widely expected to secure the players' vote for an 11th time.

Woods, who has not won a major title since the 2008 U.S. Open, conceded he had fared badly in some of the biggest tournaments of the year, especially over the weekends.

"I'm always looking to improve and become more consistent day-in and day-out," the 14-time major champion said. "There's certainly some weeks where I was just off.

"I always wish I could play a little bit more consistent and have a chance each and every time I tee it up. That's the intent. It doesn't always work out that way. But overall ... I think it's been a really good year."

Sole objective

Woods teed off in the final round at East Lake a distant 14 strokes off the lead, his sole objective being to shoot the lowest score possible and then see where that took him.

Wearing his trademark red shirt for the last day of a tournament, he was fortunate to par the opening hole after he pulled his approach way left and watched his ball hit tree branches to drop straight down into a greenside bunker.

From there, he impressively splashed out to a foot and knocked in the putt.

Woods picked up his first shot of the day at the par-three second, ramming in a 35-foot putt from across the green, but he gave that back at the eighth by missing a four-footer for par.

Another birdie followed at the par-five ninth, where he chipped from in front of the green to just two feet, for him to reach the turn in one-under 34.

Three birdies in four holes from the par-four 12th got Woods back to one under for the tournament for the first time since late in his second round.

He sank a 10-footer at the 12th, a 12-footer at the 14th and narrowly missed an eagle putt from 20 feet at the par-five 15th before tapping in for his fifth birdie of the day.

However, he stumbled with a bogey at the 16th after pushing his tee shot into the right rough and hitting his approach in between two greenside bunkers before signing off with pars on 17 and 18.

As Woods walked off the 18th green, he was met by his daughter Sam who ran up to him before wrapping her arms around his legs.

"That's what life's all about," Woods smiled. "There are more important things in life than hitting a little round ball and putting it in a gopher hole, you know."

Adam Scott was losing ground Saturday at Firestone

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 09:06:00 +0000

Adam Scott was losing ground Saturday at Firestone when he decided to stick with what was working. Four birdies later, he had a 4-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational.

On a day when seven players had a share of the lead at one point, Scott went back to a left-to-right shape off the tee and surged through the back nine to take a one-shot lead over Jason Day and Ryo Ishikawa, the 19-year-old from Japan who will try to become the youngest winner of a PGA Tour event in 100 years.

Scott was at 12-under 198, the lost 54-hole score at Firestone in 10 years.

About the only thing Tiger Woods can now get out of this week are four rounds and some points to help him qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs at the end of the month. Woods, a seven-time winner at Firestone who hasn't played in nearly three months, struggled again with his putting and had a 72. He was 13 shots behind in a tie for 38th in the 76-man field.

"I've just got to put together a good round and let it build," Woods said.

Scott atop the leaderboard should be compelling enough, especially with Woods back to golf. It was only two weeks ago when Woods announced he had fired his caddie, and Scott picked him up on a full-time basis.

But that's became old news because of the youngest player in the field.

Ishikawa might be the only other player in golf to appreciate what it's like to get attention like Woods. He has been a star in Japan since he won his first tournament as a 15-year-old amateur, and his 10 wins on the Japan Golf Tour include shooting a 58 in the final round to win The Crowns.

Ishikawa opened with three birdies on the front nine and never eased up, shooting a 64 that put him in the final group.

A win would make him the youngest winner of a PGA Tour-sponsored even since John McDermott won the 1911 U.S. Open at 19. McDermott was one week younger.

• Reno-Tahoe Open: At Reno, Nev., Scott Piercy reeled off eight consecutive birdies to post a 28 on the front nine and eagled the 616-yard closing hole to break the course record with an 11-under 61.

Piercy, winless in three years on the PGA Tour, enters the final round of the Reno-Tahoe Open at 13-under 203, two ahead of Josh Teater and three ahead of a group that includes 1995 PGA champion Steve Elkington.

• Champions Tour: At Blaine, Minn., Peter Senior shot a bogey-free 67 and John Huston birdied No. 18 for a 68 that left them tied for the lead at 12-under after the second round of the 3M Championship.

Jay Haas, the co-leader after the opening round, shot a 69 and was one shot back.

Mark Calcavecchia (68), who finished second in last year's event, and Minnesota native Tom Lehman (69) were two behind.

Tommy Armour III (67), Mark O'Meara (68), Kenny Perry (70), Nick Price (68), Dan Forsman (69), Bobby Clampett (69) and Hal Sutton (69) trailed by four.

Play was delayed 1 hour, 56 minutes due to rain and lightning at TPC Twin Cities.

The European Tour will host the Avantha Masters

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 05:42:00 +0000

Taking forward its long and cherished association with premier golf tournaments around the world, Volvo Auto India today announced its partnership with 1.8 million euro Avantha Masters 2011 in India as a hole-in-one sponsor, for the second consecutive year. Volvo Auto India would present its technologically advanced SUV XC60 to the first hole-in-one player for the 11th hole and soon to be launched luxury Sedan S60 to the first hole-in-one player for the 16th hole. The European Tour will host the Avantha Masters from 17th-20th February, 2011 at the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurgaon, Haryana, India.

Expressing his enthusiasm on the tournament, Paul de Voijs, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India said, “This is our second year of sponsoring Avantha Masters and we continue to view this as an excellent platform for exposure and making acquaintance with potential customers. Golf is a sport which aptly personifies Volvo’s core values of quality, integrity and fair play.”

India’s pride Jeev Milkha Singh will be playing against Andrew Dodt of Australia for the Avantha Crown. Indian duo Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri will display their star quality as well. Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Korean sensation Noh Seung-yul are also expected to create waves. Others players to look forward to are Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant, Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Namchok Tantipokhakul, Japan's Tetsuji Hiratsuka and young guns Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea and Ben Leong of Malaysia.

Expressing his views on golfing in India, de Voijs, further added, “Golf as a profession has gained a great thrust in recent times. Today India is being represented by enviable players in the global arena. With continued endeavour, India is not far behind from becoming a mainstream golfing destination globally.” The event is tri-sanctioned between the Asian Tour, the European Tour and the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). Avantha Masters is the first event in a new joint venture between Asian and European Tours to be known as EurAsia Golf Ltd.

The tournament will be extensively covered on major sports channels in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Australia via major broadcasters such as SkySports, CCTV, FoxSports and Viasat amongst many others. Volvo pioneered the development of European Tour as it is known today, the Volvo Tour, the Volvo Order of Merit, the Volvo PGA Championship and until 2008, the Volvo Masters. In 2009, Volvo remained a title sponsor on the European Tour. And that is not all; Volvo also has a passion for amateur golf, club golf, the game played by over 60 million people on over 30,000 golf courses in most countries on the globe.

A litttle Shock in Dunhill Championship

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 17:30:00 +0000

Little-known South African Anthony Michael was the clubhouse leader after day one of the Alfred Dunhill Championship after a round of six-under-par 66 put him one stroke clear at Malelane.
The 25-year-old was part of the morning field at the Leopard Creek Country Club, but his score was unmatched by the higher-profile afternoon starters, including compatriots Louis Oosthuizen, who is the Open champion, Charl Schwartzel and 2008 winner Richard Sterne.
Instead it was Englishman Robert Rock, a player that has finished fourth and second in the same co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event over the last two seasons in joint-second place, after a bogey-free, five-under-par 67.
Three other players shared the same score - German Sebastian Buhl, Marius Thorp of Norway and another South African Dawie van der Walt.
Spanish pair Alvaro Velasco and Rafael Cabrera Bello, along with Klas Eriksson from Sweden, Keith Horne and Andrew Georgiou were all tied for sixth on four under after 68s, with defending champion Pablo Martin among six players on three under.
But there was no room in the leading pack for any of the big-name home favourites in what is the first tournament of the 2011 season.
Schwartzel, a five-time winner on the European Tour, was best among them after his round of 70 left him on two under par, while Sterne (73) was one over par after his 18 holes, with Oosthuizen, who is still searching for his best form after returning from an ankle injury, suffering a nightmare four-over 76.
Damien McGrane leads the Irish challenge and sits on level par after his round of 72, while Michael Hoey and Gary Murphy are both two-shots further back.
The story of the day, though, was that of Michael - a rookie on the tour having turned professional a year ago and who admits that his first love is baseball.
The Johannesburg golfer represented South Africa at junior level in baseball and even went to the motherland of the sport, the United States, to try and pursue his dream.
He attended the Oklahoma City University but then realised that golf was the way to go.
'I played baseball for South Africa on a trip to Japan when I was 10,' Michael said after his seven birdies and one bogey round.
'I was going to go to the United States to play baseball, but the sport kind of died in South Africa, so I decided golf was the way to go.'
Looking back on his round, Michael, who is still chasing the 'Best Rookie' prize on the 2010 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, added: 'I struggled a bit today off the tees, I hit only three fairways, but from the rough to the greens was good and on the greens was amazing.
'I came in with a lot of confidence and I had a good feel out there.
I find that I play pretty well under pressure. I'm not sure why, but I've always enjoyed the pressure.'

Visa Taiheiyo Masters next in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 03:27:00 +0000

The Japan Golf Tour begins is stretch of traditional season ending events this week when the time honoured Visa Taiheiyo Masters is played at the Taiheiyo Club’s Gotemba Course in the shadows of Mt Fuji south of Tokyo.

This week’s event is followed by the Dunlop Phoenix, The Casio World Open and the final event of 2010, the Golf Nippon Series.

The tournament has regularly brought together the best of the Japan Golf Tour but has often attracted several leading International players. This week, however, with conflicting events in Singapore, Florida and Melbourne the event is essentially made up of Japan Tour players but that will not stop it from being a great attraction for local fans.

This season’s multiple winners on the Japan Golf Tour, Kyung Tae Kim, Ryo Ishikawa and Yuta Ikeda are the likely favourites but there are many others whose credentials suggest they could easily be in the mix on Sunday.

One of those is Australian Brendan Jones who won this event in 2007 with a massive eagle putt across the last green to defeat Toru Taniguchi with Adam Scott in third position.

Jones rallied back from a slow start to last week’s HSBC event in China and as the recent winner of the Panasonic Open on the Japan Golf Tour he should do well.

Other Australasians in this 84 player field are Chris Campbell, Steve Conran, Eddie Lee and david Smail.

New amateur tour event will be hold in Forest Park Golf Club

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 13:05:00 +0000

National television is to put Forest Park Golf Club fore-square in the spotlight.

The Stockton-on-the-Forest-based course has been selected as one of eight clubs to host a new tour event… for amateur players.

The Great North Golf Tour will tee off next March as the brainchild of Tyneside firm The Golf Locker TV and gives amateur players the experience of a professional tour under the glare of live coverage on Golf Locker TV which is broadcast on Sky Sport channel 203.

Forest Park GC has been selected as the penultimate venue for the eight-date event with the tour arriving at the club next year on September 30.

Mark Winterburn, the professional at Forest Park, was delighted by the new initiative which will give nationwide coverage to the parkland course off Stockton Lane.

“The company contacted us about a month ago to see if we would be interested in being part of the tour and we said ‘definitely’,” said Winterburn.

“Now that it has been confirmed we are very excited at the prospect.

“It is brilliant for the club to have a national golf tournament here. And to have the opportunity to be covered by Sky Television, well, who would not want to do it?

“To be part of a national tour and to be on television as well, how good is that?”

The Forest Park pro also paid tribute to the work of the club’s staff in being able to attract such an event.

“The standard that is provided at the club is exceptional, especially when you consider the course is relatively young,” he said.

“Fulford GC is by far the leading course around York for its prestige and history, but for us at Forest Park to be only 19 years old and attract an event like this is testament to the great work put in by the staff.”

Winterburn added how being involved in the national tour was a timely boost in the current straitened financial circumstances.

“Every golf club is looking for extra revenue and so having the Great North Tour here is a fantastic opportunity to promote the golf club and help to generate more income.

“It’s a great selling point for the club.”

The tour will start in March at Linden Hall in Northumberland and travel across the breadth of the north of England before finishing at Close House in Newcastle seven months later.

Tickets for each individual event, which is expected to cater for between 50 and 100 golfers, are priced at £45 per round plus refreshments, a bacon roll and entry into a prize draw.

The organisers of the Great North Golf Tour are also offering businesses the chance to become sponsors of the regional event by bidding for a share of limited, but potentially lucrative advertising space.

The top five highest bidders will win a sponsorship package worth £18,000.

James Johnstone is the conduit between the world's most famous links and the people who play it

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:40:00 +0000

In another life James Johnstone was a Glasgow cop, a big man with a badge who thrilled at high-speed chases and worked his rugged beat without the backup of a gun. He didn't suffer fools. He made them suffer, like the drunk who tried to stab him (cuffed; tossed in the clink) or the woman who called him at 3 a.m. and asked if he could help her force-feed a hungry crow. ("Force-feed the bird a bullet," was the gist of his reply.)

It wasn't a bad gig, but it eventually aged, and so did Johnstone. So, for his second act, the man that friends know as "JJ" decided to swap his billy club for a buggy and restrict his crime fighting to combating slow play.

Four days a week, from dawn to dusk, JJ meets-and-greets golfers on the first tee and patrols the windblown fairways of the world's most famous links. It's a prestigious, if low-paying, post—starter and ranger at the Old Course at St. Andrews—and the duties aren't that much different from law enforcement, except that he encounters fewer thugs. Both require the soothing insights of pop psychology and the people-pleasing skills of public relations.

His job, as JJ sees it, is to ease people along and to quell the fears of foursomes as they face the terrors of the first tee. Never mind that the opening fairway is wider than an airfield, with scarce trouble to speak of other than the demons in each player's head.

"When they come to that first tee, most people are a bit nervous, and understandably so, since odds are they've been looking forward to it for a lifetime," JJ says. "My job is to get them relaxed, to inject a little humor and try to remind them that the goal is to have fun."

They make a fitting pairing, the ex-cop and the Old Course, both having mellowed and matured with time. In his younger years, JJ liked fast cars and the frisson of excitement that came with police work. Nowadays, flooring a golf cart is his version of a race. At 6' 4", he still cuts an imposing figure. But he's 63 years old, his hair is tinged with gray, and his broad expressive face and bemused demeanor lend him a friendly, avuncular look (think Uncle Leo from Seinfeld).

When JJ signed on at St. Andrews in 1998, after 19 years on the Glasgow force, the Old Course, too, was in mid-life transition. Long a tweedy venue with a stiff-lipped reverence for tradition, it was learning to relax, opening its arms to corporate outings and pricey golf packages booked overseas. A new clubhouse had been built. Emphasis had fallen on American-style service. Out went grouchy icons, like the gin-blossomed starter who growled at you to move it. In came guys like JJ, who spoke a local's brogue but was less of a curmudgeon than a company man.

"In the old days, you might have come across some crusty characters who could be quite intimidating, especially for someone coming to a course that already left them in a bit of awe," says Colin Dalgleish, the GB&I Walker Cup captain and director of Perry Golf, the largest golf tour operator in Scotland. "These days, service expectations are higher. But visitors still come looking for a starter who has that unique Scottish flavor."

It's a delicate balance, honoring the past while adapting to the present, all the more so around St. Andrews, where locals like their golf without frills or fuss. Some lament the changes at the Old Course. They pine for the days of the late Bob McCrum, a longtime ranger whose Sabbatini-esque intolerance of slowpokes often led to brusque evictions from the links. That era has passed.

In keeping with new policy, JJ gives laggardly groups three warnings before asking them politely to move up a hole. In 12 years on the job, he has never had to kick anyone off the course. "JJ is always very amiable," says one St. Andrews regular, who admits that he misses the old rule of law. "It's the iron fist in the velvet glove approach."

Since early tee times still go to locals, morning rounds require little intervention. Most wrap up in under four hours. But later in the day, when tourist play takes over, JJ's job demands diplomacy: urging golfers onward without forgetting that the customer is (almost) always right.

Unfolding his lanking frame from his buggy, he ambles up to offending foursomes, a smiling but skeptical onlooker, a sympathetic ear who has heard it all. He dismisses lame excuses.

The Aircel-Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced the Aircel-PGTI Players Championship

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:58:00 +0000

The Aircel-Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) has announced the Aircel-PGTI Players Championship presented by Poona Club Ltd which will be held at the Poona Club Golf Course from June 22 to June 25. The tournament carries Rs 40 lakh prize money. The Pro-Am event will be played on June 26.

Jaideep Patwardhan, chairman, Poona Club Ltd. (Golf), said, “We look forward to hosting India’s top professionals during the Aircel-PGTI Players Championship. The course is in great shape and we expect a tough battle for top honours as the stakes are higher than ever before.”

Some of the players who will light up the fairways and greens of the Poona Club Golf Course include Gaganjeet Bhullar, C Muniyappa, Anirban Lahiri, Mukesh Kumar, Himmat Singh Rai, Rahil Gangjee, Mohd. Siddikur Rahman, Khan, Sujjan Singh, Vishal Singh, Gaurav Pratap Singh, Harmeet Kahlon, Digvijay Singh, Vijay Kumar, Harendra Gupta. Pune’s Gurki Shergill, who last year became the first Pune-based player to win a professional event, leads the local challenge along with Rajiv Datar, Dinesh Raghuvanshi, Jaideep Patwardhan and Pravin Pathare.

The course at the Poona Golf Club, laid way back in 1918, is today widely acknowledged as one of the most improved and finest in India. The last professional event at the Poona Club Golf Course, the PGTI Players Championship, played in September 2008, saw Bangladesh’s Mohd Siddikur Rahman post his first professional win in India.

Bayside had arguably the two best female golfers in New York City

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:23:00 +0000

For three years, Bayside had arguably the two best female golfers in New York City. Alice Choi won the PSAL individual championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008, while close friend and teammate Han Rin Lee won the individuals in 2009 with second-place finishes in 2006 and 2008.

But their excellence did not translate into team success for the Commodores. Due to a lack of depth, the pair never even saw the postseason in their first three years.

“We were hoping to win [a team championship] this year,” Lee said.

With an able third golfer, Sarah Kim, Bayside did just that, beating Susan Wagner back in November. And Monday night, Choi and Lee were both honored with the PSAL Wingate Award for girls golf at a ceremony at St. Francis College. The recognition goes to the best senior in a given sport, but Choi and Lee were so impressive together that it left the league no choice but to make it a co-award.

“It’s only fitting that there were two this year for golf,” Bayside coach Andrew Cogliati said. “With all their accomplishments, not just in high school but also in individual tournaments, it’s been unmatched.”

Choi and Lee met in seventh grade at the Golden Bear Driving Range in Douglaston and have been inseparable since. Competing against each other in outside tournaments, Choi said, has not put a damper on what has become a longtime friendship.

“We’re like best friends,” she said.

Both will play in the Big East next year. Choi has a golf scholarship waiting for her at Georgetown and Lee has the same at St. John’s. Choi, who didn’t compete in the PSAL individuals this season, was the top golfer at the New York State Junior Championships and the Tournament of Champions in 2009. Lee was the top golfer in her group at the International Junior Golf Tour in 2009.

But rather than all the personal accomplishments they racked up in a remarkable four years, the pair both pointed to winning the team championship this past season as the most memorable moment.

“That was icing on the cake for them,” Cogliati said. “It was our first playoff appearance. We were always missing a third golfer. They really helped out, too.”

The coach said Choi and Lee helped to raise the level of play in New York City girls golf. It has certainly helped his squad. After struggling to put together a competitive team year after year before they got to Bayside, Cogliati said he has eight solid players coming back next year.

“What they’ve done for the school and, I think the sport itself, is set the bar,” he said. “The other girls have followed them, they set the example, and they see they can succeed. We’re gonna miss them. I think the sport is gonna miss them.”

Junior golfers can knock a few strokes off their scorecards

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:48:00 +0000

Junior golfers can knock a few strokes off their scorecards after a summer of play, practice and competition.

Junior golf programs and camps begin the first week of June in Polk County. Many local courses have junior programs and clinics during the summer for boys and girls 6 to 18 years old.

Whether junior golfers are just learning or refining their swings, proper instruction is needed to make sure they're working on the right things.

The Junior Citrus Program at Cleveland Heights in June and July is the longest-running program in the county, ending with the Junior Citrus Open tournament.

PGA Professional Bob Schade is conducting a summer program at Cypresswood Golf and Country Club in Winter Haven from June 1 to Aug. 15.

The Florida Southern Moccasin Golf Camp at Lone Palm in mid-June draws many local juniors 11-18.

The First Tee of Lakeland has weekly summer camps for boys and girls 8-18 starting June 14.

And the MidFlorida Junior Golf Tour holds tournaments on Central Florida courses. The second of 11 tournaments is Saturday at River Greens in Avon Park, with events through August.

In addition to the Junior Citrus Open, the Bagwell Invitational June 5-6 at Avon Park and the Youth Villa Junior Tournament at Bartow June 19-20 are also major tournaments for junior players around Central Florida.

For junior programs not listed below, check with your local club pro.

Surya Nepal Masters will kick off on Teusday

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:07:00 +0000

Nepal´s golf tournament with the highest cash prize, Surya Nepal Masters, will kick off on Tuesday at the Gokarna Forest Golf Resort.

It is the major event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour and the winner of the event will get Rs 486,000 cash prize. For the first time ever, the tournament has a total prize purse of Rs 3 million.

The organizing committee informed the press on Monday that the event will be participated by professionals from Dubai, Malaysia and other countries.

"It offers a perfect setting for the Nepali golfers to gauge their growth against some of the better golfers and a shot at Nepal´s most prestigious golfing title," states a press note issued on Monday.

According to the organizers, the main competition will be supplemented by an international amateur tournament.

Sri Lankan Anura Rohana had won the pro title while his fellow compatriot Mithun Perera had not only clinched the amateur title comfortably but also put up tough competition to Rohana.

Ray Noronah, former MD of Surya Nepal, had initiated the tournament in 1990. Deepak Thapa Magar has been the only winner from Nepal in the history of the tournament. Thapa had won the tournament in 2007.

How are you Woods?

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Sponsors who stuck by Tiger Woods are ramping up to profit from his return to the golf course.

Upper Deck Co. will sell memorabilia such as signed red shirts with price tags upward of $1,800. Electronic Arts Inc. has a new browser-based version of its Tiger-themed video game coming out next week.

And Nike Inc. reportedly has a TV commercial featuring Woods in the works, though it won't confirm that.

The big question is whether his tarnished image can work anything close to its old magic for them and the golf industry, which has been going through tough times of its own because of the weak economy.

It could be that all publicity is good publicity, as time passes since his admissions to extramarital affairs and he returns to golf after four months at the Masters, starting next Thursday.

Woods' value as a pitchman, the embodiment of professional perfection, may have suffered. He became sports' first $1 billion earner, but lost top endorsements from companies such as Accenture LLP and AT&T Inc. as the scandal unfolded.

But it's hard to see much falloff in sales of some Woods-branded wares.

Golfsmith, the nation's biggest chain of golf stores, and sports card and memorabilia maker Upper Deck Co. say Woods' scandal, which erupted in late November, didn't dampen demand for his products.

Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. says sales of Woods-branded hats, shirts and belts (all made by Nike) grew 8 percent from October through mid-March this year compared with last year. Most of that period came after word spread that the quiet, clean-cut golfer had a sex addiction and partook in serial infidelities.

The company sold 9,564 Woods-branded hats, belts, shirts and other products made by Nike from October through mid-March, compared with 8,855 in the same period the previous year.

Woods' leave from golf will end in about a week at the Masters, the season's first major tournament.

"The tour wants him back. The players want him back. His endorsers want him back and like anybody with an economic interest in him, we want him back," Golfsmith CEO Marty Hanaka said.

Total revenue for the golf industry was $2.4 billion last year, down 11.6 percent from $2.8 billion in 2008, the firm said. People are delaying equipment purchases but they're still playing golf, said Tom Stine, co-founder of Golf Datatech LLC, a market research firm.

EA is releasing the browser version of "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" on Tuesday. The timing is good, though coincidental: The video game maker announced the launch date a day before Woods announced his return and now figures his return will just add exposure for its sites for the game and its Woods franchise.

"Sometimes you just get lucky," said Craig Evans, marketing director of the game, who added visits to the company's Woods sites have risen "significantly" since Woods said he'd return.

Former sponsors Accenture, AT&T and others who dropped Woods after his personal problems became public late last year have declined to say if they'll make any changes once he returns. Accenture merely referred to its December news release that announced it would drop Woods.

Experts say it likely will be at least a year before any major new companies sign Woods. Companies that distanced themselves from him, such as Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette unit, haven't announced plans to feature him in advertisements again, either. Spokesman Damon Jones said Gillette has no plans to use Woods "for the foreseeable future."

Liang Wenchong produced another flawless round of golf on Friday

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 07:33:00 +0000

Liang Wenchong produced another flawless round of golf on Friday to maintain his lead at the halfway mark of the 1 million U.S. dollars Luxehills Chengdu Open - the opening event of the season on OneAsia.

The Chinese No. 1 fired a six-under-par 66 at Luxehills International Country Club for a three stroke lead over Australian Kurt Barnes and Kim Bio.

Barnes matched Liang's opening round course record with a 64 while Kim, another of South Korea's impressive young golfers, shot a 66.

Liang leads the tournament on 14-under-par 130 after his second bogey free round.

"My coach Kel Llewellyn and I have been working on the basics of the golf swing. He is here this week and we have been keeping things simple and it has obviously been working well. I am playing some of my best golf," said Liang.

He is bidding to win for the second time on OneAsia as he also claimed the Midea China Classic last year in Guangzhou.

"The crowds here have been fantastic and it is great to see so many young people watching. I am from Zhongshan and so it is encouraging to see the game becoming so popular in this part of the country as well," added Laing.

He played both nines in three under and is in cruise control entering the weekend.

Since maturing as a golfer over the past few years he has made a habit of winning each season. He claimed the Singapore Masters in 2007, the year he finished as Asia' s number one. The following season he lifted the Hero Honda Indian Open trophy before a memorable victory on OneAsia in 2009.

Barnes was joint fifth in this event last year when it was part of the China Tour. He also won at the 2009 Sofitel Zhongshan Open on that circuit.

An eagle on the par five seventh (his 16th hole) saw him draw closer to Liang. He hit a four iron from 220 yards to three feet and holed out for the three.

"I am in a great position for the weekend. I just want to go out and play my own game and if I happen to be in the last group I know Liang Wenchong is going to have a lot of supporters out there. I have just to stick to my guns and stick to my game plan - it has worked the last two days - and do my best at the weekend," said the highly regarded Barnes.

Kim is just 19 years old and turned professional last year after a stellar amateur career highlighted by victory in the Japan and Korean Amateur Championships in 2008.

"I had a bit of luck today but my putting was really good and has put me in a nice position," said Kim, who also carded a bogey free round.

He has been playing on the Japan Golf Tour Organization and is expected to follow in the footsteps of his other talented young compatriots Bae Sang-moon and Noh Seung-yul.

Australians Terry Pilkadaris and Scott Arnold are four behind Liang after they both shot 67.

The halfway cut was made at three-under-par 141.

SALTMAN is looking forward to meeting up with some old friends

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:41:00 +0000

LLOYD SALTMAN is looking forward to meeting up with some old friends when he lines up on home territory next week in an event being run by former England football star David Platt.
The Major Golf Championship is being held on Monday and Tuesday at Archerfield Links, where Saltman will be among just under 30 professionals competing for a £7000 prize fund.

Lloyd's younger brother, Zack, is also in the field and so, too, are former Scottish champion Kevin McAlpine and Craigielaw's David Laing.

"I'm looking forward to next week, primarily because it will be a good event at a great venue, but it's also going to give me the chance to hook up with some old faces," said the Aegon player.

The event is open to professionals aged 26 and under and sees them playing alongside amateurs who are competing for a separate prize. It is part of Platt's 'Major Golf Tour' and follows the success of a similar event held by the former Aston Villa, Arsenal and Juventus midfielder at Archerfield Links last October.

Turnhouse trainee James McGhee is also in the field that will play over the Fidra Links on Monday and the Dirleton Links the following day.

The 2010 season on the LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and other pro tours, will once again be dotted with more than 30 golfers

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:24:00 +0000

The 2010 season on the LPGA Tour, PGA Tour, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tour and other pro tours, will once again be dotted with more than 30 golfers who have deep ties to Las Vegas golf courses. It's tough to pin the exact number these days because more golfers move to the area seemingly everyday, but the following is a guide to the official websites of the most new-media friendly Las Vegas golfers who include Natalie Gulbis, Charley Hoffman, Adam Scott and new resident Rickie Fowler.

As a note, we classify a pro as having deep ties to Las Vegas golf courses if he or she qualifies in one or more of the following categories: once lived here for a substantial amount of time (more than five years), currently lives in Las Vegas; and/or attended and played golf at UNLV. Those not qualifying who earn honorable mention but are not included as official Vegas golfers are those that work with Las Vegas resident Butch Harmon, and spend time at the Harmon School located at Rio Secco Golf Club. Two examples: Stewart Cink and Phil Mickleson.

The following are direct links to the official websites of many of the tour players with strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses. You can continue reading this article for more detailed information about each of the websites. The following are the direct links: Erica Blasberg, Alex Cejka, Rickie Fowler, Robert Gamez, Natalie Gulbis, Charley Hoffman, Kevin Na, Adam Scott, Nick Watney, and Dean Wilson. Information on the various other Las Vegas golfers who either don't have official websites or we were unable to locate them can be found at the official tour websites. Those other Las Vegas golfers include Scott Piercy, Chris Riley, Inbee Park, Kim Hall, Stephanie Louden, Chad Campbell, Tommy Armour III, Craig Barlow, Ryan Moore, and others.

Not only are many pros with strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses embracing online information, but a fact about playing golf in Las Vegas is that the official websites of Las Vegas golf courses is where you will find the best Las Vegas golf rates. The Las Vegas golf region is home to more than 50 world class golf courses and most have good websites that offer online Las Vegas golf tee times and Las Vegas golf packages, plus up-to-date information about the best rates and deals. And this website offers you direct access to many of these official websites. The featured course for this article is Rhodes Ranch Golf Club, a Ted Robinson Las Vegas golf course that offers a nice set of par 3 holes plus typical Robinson fun and challenge.

Rickie Fowler (rickie-fowler.com) tops the list of "new media friendly" Las Vegas golfers. Fowler is arguably the newest official pro with strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses. Fowler moved to Las Vegas in October, just one week before the playing of Las Vegas' PGA Tour event, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Fowler now lives in Summerlin and plays and practices at Las Vegas golf courses TPC Las Vegas and TPC Summlerin. TPC Las Vegas is a resort Las Vegas golf course where visiting and local Las Vegas golfers are always welcome. Fowler is adept at Facebook, Twitter and his team continually updates his website. A latest tweet: "Out grindin with D Woo at Summerlin." Fowler is the new generation of golfer and we believe "D Woo" is fellow Las Vegas resident and PGA Tour player Dean Wilson.

The aformentioned Dean Wilson is also online at DeanWilsonGolf.com, a website hosted and created by 808Golf.com, a publishing company that highlights Wilson's native land of Hawaii. Wilson's website features regular updates about his PGA Tour events plus information about his background and does list a blog that isn't updated very often. Wilson has lived in Las Vegas for several years and is one of the many who regularly play and practice at Las Vegas' TPC golf courses.

Natalie Gulbis (nataliegulbis.com) ranks up there with Fowler as one of the best at embracing new media technology. Gulbis continually posts to her journal on her official website, plus is always promoting various events and/or products. A recent Gulbis post breaks the news about an upcoming appearance on the hit show CSI that is based in Las Vegas. "I recently had the opportunity to make a guest appearance for an upcoming episode of CSI. I have been a fan for many years and was excited to be part of the show! It was fun to have the chance to see firsthand what goes into the production. Be sure to tune in to check out the episode on Thursday, January 21, 2010 on CBS at 9pm!" Gulbis has lived in the Lake Las Vegas Resort community for many years and practices at SouthShore Golf Club in addition to spending time with Harmon at his school.

Another Las Vegas LPGA Tour player and resident is Erica Blasberg (ericablasberg.com), who has played professional golf since 2005 following a career at the University of Arizona. Blasberg has earned more than $320,000 in her LPGA Tour career through 2009, but had a tough 2009 season as she finished 128th on the money list, earning $26,408. Blasberg did play in the LPGA Tour Championship to end the season, earning another $3000. Blasberg's website features up-to-date current news about her game but the "my thoughts" section on the website isn't updated very regularly.

Former UNLV golfer Adam Scott (adamscott.com.au) is also very new-media friendly, as he keeps an up-to-date blog at his official website. Scott formerly trained with Harmon, but the two haven't worked together for awhile. Scott recently won his home-country major, the Australian Open, capping a tough year and updated fans via his blog. "I've been meaning to write for a few days now and the days keep getting away from me. It's been a good end to the season and I've been enjoying some down time. I was pleased with finishing the year with 4 top ten finishes including winning my first national championship on home soil! I've been close at home, but I never got over the line until this year. I think winning the Australian Open makes it even sweeter. Unfortunately I had to go through about six months of just playing pretty awful but that's how the game is. I feel like my game is stronger and I'm definitely a better player and learned a great deal by going through the rough patch. It was also very special that Greg Norman was at the Aussie Open and presented me with the trophy." Scott no longer lives in Las Vegas.

Former UNLV All-American and current Las Vegas resident Charley Hoffman (charleyhoffman.com) works hard at his official website where he offers a clothing line to help raise funds for his new foundation. Hoffman's website also offers updated news and a blog in addition to ways to support his charitable efforts. You can buy "Think Green" shirts or Hoffman gear featuring the slogan, "This guy is good!".

Las Vegas resident and European golfer Alex Cejka (alex-cejka.com) has an official website which is written in his native German language, but is updated often. The site features news and information plus a kids corner and more. By using the website freetranslation.com you can cut and paste Cejka's words and have them translated into English. A recent post about his 2009 season: "Yes, I can be satisfied. I am very proud that I had to fight this year neither for the tour card or (had to play) the Qualifying School. With my season, I was very satisfied, for I played well. At the beginning, it was, on the basis of my injury, (difficult), but in the course of the year, I found my form." Cejka earned $953,664 and finished 95th on the official PGA Tour money list.

Most of the official website of Las Vegas native Robert Gamez (robertgamez.com) is dedicated to his annual fundraiser for his foundation. Gamez now lives in Florida but recently held his event at ChampionsGate golf course. The event included a gala evening highlighted by comedian Gary Valentine of King and Queens fame.

Fairly new Las Vegas resident Nick Watney is alive in the new media world via Facebook where a regularly-updated page features news and posts from Watney, who also works with Harmon. A recent post at the page reveals that Watney, who attended Fresno State, was recently honored as the Sacrament Bee Athlete of the Year. The Facebook page also lists his website as his profile page on PGATour.com. Lastly, Las Vegas resident Kevin Na, a native of South Korea, has a very limited web presence at KevinNa.com.

The Roseville gains a toehold ontot the Ladies European Professional Golf Tour

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:08:00 +0000

Del Paso Country Club is reducing its initiation fee by $30,000 in the latest signal that a sagging economy and abundance of competition for the golfing dollar continues to take a toll on area private clubs.

The cost to join Del Paso is dropping from $75,000 to $45,000. The move is intended to stimulate new membership interest, general manager Bob Kunz said.

"The factors outside of our walls have changed," Kunz said. "We need to offer a price point that is relevant to a new normal."

Del Paso generated significant new membership interest when it renovated its course and reopened in July 2006 after an 18-month closure. The cost to join swelled from $60,000 to $75,000 and the number of members reached 485, the club's ceiling. Del Paso now has 400 members, Kunz said.

Hal Drury, a Del Paso member since 1950 when he paid an initiation fee of $1,400, said he believes it's the first time the cost to join the member-owned club has decreased in the past 59 years.

Granite Bay, with an initiation fee of $60,000, takes over as the area's most expensive club. The club attracted 25 new members in 2009 and is at its 475-member cap, membership director Michael Lee said.

Granite Bay discussed lowering the initiation fee it has maintained for seven years, but last year instead increased the percentage it refunds to outgoing members from 50 to 75 percent of the listed fee. That made current and prospective members happy, Lee said.

Granite Bay is owned and operated by ClubCorp.

How does Lee feel about Granite Bay being the new top dog in town?

"I'm pretty proud of it, to be honest," Lee said. "It says a lot about Granite Bay and product that we have."

Serrano costs $35,000 after having recently dipped to $20,000 in a temporary membership push.

Catta Verdera is $20,000, but general manager Jeff Wilson said he intends to implement a plan in the first quarter of 2010 that will significantly reduce that fee to stimulate new membership.

North Ridge is $9,500.

Winchester, which had an initiation fee of $60,000, went into foreclosure last year, its members losing all of their equity.

Welch carries on

Kim Welch remains the queen of pro golf's fringes.

The Roseville resident continued a frustrating streak last week in Spain, gaining a toehold onto the Ladies European Professional Golf Tour but falling one stroke short of gaining tour membership and exempt status.

After three prequaliyfing and four qualifying rounds, she finished a stroke out of the magic top 30. A second-round 80 in the final stage that included a quadruple 9 didn't help. She had an eagle 3 on the 18th hole in the final round.

Welch, a St. Francis High School graduate and winner of the Golf Channel's "Big Break: Ka'anapali" reality series last year, was a member of the LPGA Tour in 2009 but with status so low she gained entrance into just four tournaments.

She's again an LPGA Tour member for 2010, but with similar status.

the golf tour event at Dakota Dunes

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:18:00 +0000

Even though, economically, 2009 was a challenging year for some, tourism in Saskatoon had many success stories.

Todd Brandt says a newer festival in the city, the Fireworks Festival, was a huge success and the weather cooperated.

Unfortunately that was not the case for the Cameco Canada Remembers Air Show, which was cursed with excessive rain.

Brandt adds that convention activity was steady and the summer months had the usual strong line-up including the Children's Festival, Folkfest, and the Jazz Festival.

He lists the B-MO Canadian Figure Skating Championships, the golf tour event at Dakota Dunes, NASCAR at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway and the World Junior Hockey Championships as sporting highlights for 2009 in Saskatoon.

Doing some number crunching of various events, Brandt says something like the World Junior Hockey Championships will have an economic impact of 44-million dollars in the province, but even a smaller event could bring in anywhere from 400-thousand to a million dollars in activity to the city.

The money was raised from the John A. DiNapoli Memorial Benefit Golf Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:57:00 +0000

On Tuesday, more than 100 family members, friends and colleagues of slain police officer John A. DiNapoli gathered across from the Appleton Street police headquarters to pay their respects to DiNapoli, who was shot dead in his police cruiser 10 years ago, and to two other city police officers killed in the line of duty.

DiNapoli's son and daughter, Andrew D. DiNapoli, a nine-year city police officer, and Jobeth DiNapoli, stood with Jamie B. Gonsor, daughter of late police officer James E. Gatzounas, stood beside the memorial as the Police Department's honor guard brought a wreath to the memorial. Gonsor is also John DiNapoli's goddaughter.

DiNapoli, well-known for his knack for telling jokes and his laughing way of interacting with children, was 52 and had been a police officer for 22 years when he answered a disturbance call on Dec. 22, 1999. Unarmed and in an unmarked police cruiser, DiNapoli encountered Eddie O. Morales, who shot a 9 mm gun at DiNapoli 10 times. DiNapoli was struck five times. Morales is serving a life sentence after a first-degree murder conviction.

"Today, I'm happy and sad," said officer Gary G. Wagner, one of DiNapoli's close friends and a member of the department's honor guard. "I'm sad I don't have my friend, but I'm happy to see his memory has not been lost."

For his closest family members, like his children, his mother, Myra DiNapoli, and his sister, June A. Sullivan, the memories of the day 10 years ago never go away. "What can I say? He was the best there was," said Myra DiNapoli, now 91. "You couldn't ask for a better son."

Sullivan was at the Holyoke Public Library, about a block away from the shooting, when her brother was killed. She remembers seeing the police helicopters and wondering what was going on as she returned to her job at a career center on High Street. She got the bad news shortly after when her husband Edwin J. "Snooky" Sullivan came to her office.

Because the shooting happened shortly before Christmas, it has cast a pall over the holidays for the entire family every year since, she said.

"We had his presents under the tree that he never opened," Sullivan said. Over the years she has given them to other people.

Sullivan said she and her mother and other family members usually get together on the anniversary of the shooting."It's a sad day for her," she said.

"It's hard on everybody, and it doesn't get any easier for my grandmother, even after 10 years," added Garrison J. Rivard, John DiNapoli's nephew and godson as well as a former police officer who was among the first responders to the shooting scene. "I served with John for 18 years; I was in the ambulance with him on the way to the hospital. I held him the whole way there."

Before the ceremony, Wagner presented the Rev. Robert A. Gentile, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, with a donation for Blessed Sacrament School. The money was raised from the John A. DiNapoli Memorial Benefit Golf Tournament.

The ceremony started 8:45 a.m. At 8:52 a.m., the exact time DiNapoli responded to a call for a disturbance at Sargeant and Walnut streets on Dec. 22, 1999, the police dispatcher put out a call for "Holyoke Police Department, all cars and units."

"We are having a moment of silence for fallen officers John P. Driscoll, James Gatzounas and John DiNapoli, who died in the line of duty this day in 1999," the dispatcher said, her voice carrying above the crowd encircling the memorial that shows DiNapoli with two small children.

Gatzounas died of a heart attack at age 28 after responding to a disturbance on Jan. 1, 1977. His then-wife, Beth Gonsor, was pregnant at the time. Gonsor and DiNapoli's ex-wife, Joanne Silvestris, are sisters.

Mayor Michael J. Sullivan, also a friend of John DiNapoli's, said he has a difficult time believing a decade has passed. His voice breaking, Sullivan offered his condolences to DiNapoli's family and friends.

"Like it says on the back of the monument, it's not how they died but how they lived their lives," Sullivan said.

Wonderful, He wins it.

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:52:00 +0000

Tiger Woods has been voted male Golfer of the Year in the annual Golf Writers of America Awards, the PGA Tour said on Thursday.

Woods received 84 percent of the vote (168 votes) with 10 percent for Steve Stricker and six percent for PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun.

The American was a runaway winner of the award for the 10th time in 13 seasons despite the recent tabloid revelations about his personal life.

Woods has taken an "indefinite break" from the game after admitting to being unfaithful to his wife.

South Korean Jiyai Shin, the LPGA’s Rookie of the Year, won the female player award while Loren Roberts won the senior player of the year prize.

Maybe it's time for golf to be calm down

noreply@blogger.com (mujid) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:32:00 +0000

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has said that American golfer Tiger Woods' marriage crisis could have destroyed him personally, and his return as the world's top golfer is in doubt.

Montgomerie also said the shock revelations about Woods' infidelity could make it easier for his rivals to win in future.

"I think the mystique has gone. He is suddenly, and I hate to say it, more normal now. Let's hope golf is not damaged by that. It shouldn't be," The Mirror quoted Montgomerie, as saying.

"It will have an impact on every tournament Tiger plays. There was an aura, but that has been split. It gives you more opportunity of winning these events," he added.

Meanwhile, talking about Woods indefinite break from the sport, European Ryder Cup star Paul McGinley said that he is hopeful that Woods's absence will last just months rather than years.

"Obviously Tiger's main priority now has got to be to rebuild his life. And at the age of 34, he can take as much time as he needs to get it right. But golf needs him back, and sooner rather than later," McGinley said.

"With the economic downturn and with competition from so many other sports, golf has to have all hands on deck and Tiger is the biggest hand there is," he added.