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Funeral bells for Lions Municipal?
A panel charged with pondering the future of the Brackenridge tract has recommended the land — which includes Lions Municipal Golf Course — be developed, according a story by my colleague Ralph Haurwitz.
I’ve heard a few pretty specific rumors about the future of Muny. This isn’t one of them.
Read these paragraphs:
The recommendations, especially those regarding the Lions Municipal Golf Course, are certain to be controversial. Austin City Manager Toby Futrell told the panel in January that the city wants to acquire the 18-hole course to ensure its existence, and many golfers — professionals and amateurs alike — have expressed support for its preservation.
But the panel’s 80-page report, submitted to the UT System Board of Regents at a meeting this afternoon at system offices in Ashbel Smith Hall in downtown Austin, said the lease with the city should not be renewed when it expires in 2019, noting that there are “numerous other courses open to the public in Austin and the surrounding area.”
Sheesh. Am I the only one reminded of “(Nothing But) Flowers” by the Talking Heads?
Here we stand Like an Adam and an Eve Waterfalls The Garden of Eden Two fools in love So beautiful and strong The birds in the trees Are smiling upon them From the age of the dinosaurs Cars have run on gasoline Where, where have they gone? Now, it’s nothing but flowers
There was a factory Now there are mountains and rivers you got it, you got it
We caught a rattlesnake Now we got something for dinner we got it, we got it
There was a shopping mall Now it’s all covered with flowers you’ve got it, you’ve got it
If this is paradise I wish I had a lawnmower you’ve got it, you’ve got it
Years ago I was an angry young man I’d pretend That I was a billboard Standing tall By the side of the road I fell in love With a beautiful highway This used to be real estate Now it’s only fields and trees Where, where is the town Now, it’s nothing but flowers The highways and cars Were sacrificed for agriculture I thought that we’d start over But I guess I was wrong
Once there were parking lots Now it’s a peaceful oasis you got it, you got it
This was a Pizza Hut Now it’s all covered with daisies you got it, you got it
I miss the honky tonks, Dairy Queens, and 7-Elevens you got it, you got it
And as things fell apart Nobody paid much attention you got it, you got it
I dream of cherry pies, Candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies you got it, you got it
We used to microwave Now we just eat nuts and berries you got it, you got it
This was a discount store, Now it’s turned into a cornfield you got it, you got it
Don’t leave me stranded here I can’t get used to this lifestyle
Let the debate commence.
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Hilltoppers win again
The St. Edward’s University men won the 10-team Texoma Championship this week at Chickasaw Point Golf Course in Kingston, Okla.
They clipped second-place Abilene Christian by a mere 21 shots.
The Hilltoppers put together team rounds of 5-over-par 286-295—581 to beat ACU, which finished with a team score of 294-308—602.
Jeff Howard of Plano, a senior on head coach Ryan Murphy’s team, shot rounds of 72-70—142 to win the individual medal by three. Those are outstanding scores on Chickasaw Point, a marvelous Oklahoma State Park course on the shores of Lake Texoma.
Junior Andrew Workman and freshman Dylan Davis tied for fourth at 3-over-par 147. Freshman Matt Smith tied for eighth at 4-over-par 148, giving the Hilltoppers four players in the Top 10.
The Texoma marked the second championship of the fall for St. Edward’s. The men won the Coker College Invitational last month in Orlando, Fla.
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Random sights & sounds on a slow day in golf
I’m in the mood for a new paradigm. Today, less is more. Fewer words. More for your senses, for your eyes and for your ears.
First, a picture:
That, friends, is an American golf course, as seen through a lens handled by Carlton Wade. It’s an American golf course in Texas, to be exact, and one I’ve never seen with my own wide eyes, even though it’s an hour’s drive from Austin.
Which course? you ask.
Speculate.
Now, a sound. It’s the sound of a place, like the way Kelly Willis or Stevie Ray exude the sound of our town, as they like to say on KGSR.
Go here to listen to the sound of my old town: streaming music from, of and about Memphis, Tennessee, my habitation for five years before the restlessness took hold, I paddled up the river to St. Louis for 13 forgettable months and I heard that lonesome whistle blow for Austin.
We now return you to our regular programming.
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Recommended reading on Hump Day
Dusting off my desktop on a splendid Wednesday in Austin:
Martha Richards stood in the middle of the Texas practice facility catching fly balls with her baseball glove. Golf ball after golf ball launched crisply off the wedge of Ashley Rollins and dropped like a rock in her coach’s mitt.
Richards started at the 20-yard line and moved back to 100 yards out. Such a drill raises the obvious question: Did Richards get beaned in the head?
“Not even close,” Richards said. “It was pretty money. I was very impressed.”
So begins Beth Ann Baldry’s piece in Golfweek about Ashley Rollins, the senior on Richards’ squad at the University of Texas. The rest is here.
Up next:
The Legacy passenger jet arrived at the behest of Administaff Inc., to pick up Jay Haas.
The plane seats 13.
Haas was the only passenger, a fact that left him in a state of near-giggle the entire hour-and-a-half flight from Greenville, S.C., to Houston.
The plane in descent, Haas heard a voice over the intercom: “Well be landing at Bush Intercontinental Airport in a few minutes, sir.”
“I was thinking, ‘This is way different than when we all started,’ ” Haas said, beaming.
That’s Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle, writing about Champions Tour professional Jay Haas. The rest of his report is here.
And finally:
Her earrings the size of Christmas ornaments, Michelle Wie walked off the driving range Tuesday afternoon at Bighorn Golf Club and said she had already received her present. Her wrists are healthy again.
“It’s time for a new beginning and I’m really looking forward to it,” she said.
“I’m a lot better, I feel like I’m getting stronger, and I feel healthy as a person too. Going to college and having fun.”
But first, it’s back out to the golf course, where it has been anything but fun for Wie this year.
Thomas Bonk of the Los Angeles Times wrote those opening lines in a piece about the state of Michelle Wie. The rest of Bonk’s story is here.
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Texas men finish ninth at Jerry Pate
The Longhorns take ninth place among a dozen teams in Alabama, and Charlie Holland continues to shine, according to this release from UT:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Texas sophomore Charlie Holland shot a two-under 69 in Tuesday’s final round to finish in eighth place and land his third top-10 finish of the season in the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate at the par 71, 6,958-yard Old Overton Golf Club.
The Longhorns shot a four-over 288 in the final round to end the tournament in ninth place with a four-under 848. Host Alabama claimed the event with a 42-under 810, and the Crimson Tide’s Mark Harrell and East Tennessee State’s Seamus Power shared medalist honors after shooting 15-under for the tournament.
Holland (Dallas, Texas) became the first Longhorn to card three sub-70 rounds in the same tournament since Matt Rosenfeld completed the feat at the 2005 National Invitational Tournament from March 27-29, 2005. Holland shot a two-under 69 in Tuesday’s final round to place eighth with a nine-under 204.
Redshirt freshman Bobby Hudson (Memphis, Tenn.) shot a four-over 75 in the final round to end the event tied for 26th place with a one-under 212. Senior Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) shot UT’s finest round of the day, a three-under 68, to finish the tournament tied for 42nd place with a four-over 217.
Senior Jace Moore (Southlake, Texas) carded a five-over 76 in Tuesday’s final round to finish the tournament in 45th place with a six-over 219. Senior Kevin Schultz (Richardson, Texas) shot a nine-over 80 in round three and finished in 60th place at 13-over par.
Texas returns to action on Oct. 21 at the Isleworth Collegiate Invitational.
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Around the horn with UT’s golf teams
The University of Texas men finished the first round of the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate today in seventh place among 12 teams. The Longhorns will play 18 holes Tuesday.
From the UT media-relations office:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Texas sophomore Charlie Holland shot rounds of 67 and 68 to lead the 23rd-ranked Longhorns in the opening two rounds of the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate Monday at the par 71, 6,958-yard Old Overton Golf Club.
Texas sits in seventh place after two rounds with an eight-under 560. Host Alabama leads the event at 30-under par while UNLV sits in second at 24-under par. The Crimson Tide’s Mark Harrell leads at 12-under par with 18 holes remaining.
Holland (Dallas, Texas) continued his solid fall play with a four-under 67 to open the day before following with a three-under 68 to close out the afternoon. Holland is tied for 10th place at seven-under par with one round remaining.
Redshirt freshman Bobby Hudson opened with Texas’ finest round of the day, a five-under 66. Hudson (Memphis, Tenn.) closed out the afternoon with an even-par 71 to end the first two rounds in a tie for 13th place at five-under par.
Senior Jace Moore (Southlake, Texas) began the day with a two-over 73 but rebounded with a one-under 70 to end the day tied for 34th place at one-over par. After shooting a seven-over 78 in the opening round, senior Kevin Schultz dramatically rebounded in round two with a three-under 68 to shave 10 strokes off of his opening round. Schultz (Richardson, Texas) is tied for 45th place at four-over par with one round remaining.
Senior Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) opened with a six-over 77 in round one before following with a one-over 72 in the second round. At seven-over for the tournament, Diaz-Ceballos is tied for 51st place heading into Tuesday’s final round.
“I’m happy to see Charlie (Holland) in the top 10, and Bobby (Hudson) was really solid today,” said UT coach John Fields. “We also had a great comeback from Kevin (Schultz) this afternoon with the 68. We need to go out and have a good round tomorrow and use that as momentum going into our next tournament.”
The women, meanwhile, placed 16th Sunday at the Tar Heel Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C.
From UT:
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Texas senior Ashley Rollins shot UT’s finest individual round, a one-under 71, as the Longhorns saved their best for last Sunday at the Lady Tar Heel Invitational at the par 72, 6,285-yard UNC Finley Golf Course.
After carding rounds of 306 and 307 to open the tournament, Texas stroked an 11-over 299 to finish the 54-hole event in 16th place with a 48-over 912. Duke caught up with 36-hole leader Tennessee and captured the event with a 13-over 877 to defeat the Lady Vols by two strokes. The Blue Devils’ Amanda Blumenherst took medalist honors at seven-under par.
Rollins (Austin, Texas) continued a tournament-long progression with her final round 71 after opening with scores of 79 and 75 in rounds one and two, respectively. Rollins opened her final round at the 13th hole and sank birdies at the 14th and 16th holes before adding birdies at the third, seventh and ninth holes. Rollins tied for 35th place with a nine-over 225.
Junior Caney Hines (San Antonio, Texas) also finished strong, shaving four strokes off of her second-round with a final-round two-over 74. Hines did not sink a birdie in the round but only carded two bogeys on the day. Hines tied for 50th place with a 12-over 228.
Sophomore Shannon Fish (Spring, Texas) also saved her best round for Sunday, as she stroked a three-over 75. Fish began the round at the 14th hole and sank birdies at the 17th and eighth holes before closing her round with a birdie at the 13th hole. Fish tied for 52nd place with a 13-over 229.
Junior Kristin Walla (Aspen, Colo.) equaled her second round with a seven-over 79 in round three to finish in a tie for 66th place with an 18-over 234. Senior Julia Best (Bulverde, Texas) joined Walla in a tie for 66th place after carding an 80 in the third round and finishing with an 18-over 234.
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Which Swede will be sweetest?
Jesper Parnevik, the quirky player from Sweden who wears tight pants and funny hats, is 18 under par and leads the Texas Open by three shots after three rounds. That’s what going 61-65-66 will do for you at La Cantera.
Parnevik hasn’t won since the 2001 Honda. Wonder if he can hold it together in hot, hilly San Antonio.
Let’s not overlook Parnevik’s countryman Mathias Gronberg, who’s three shots behind Parnevik and one ahead of former Longhorn Justin Leonard.
A Parnevik-Gronberg final pairing. How Swede is that?
Oh, and don’t forget about Daniel Chopra, who’s T-4 at minus 12. (You can forget about Fredrik Jacobson, whose third-round 71 sent him from a tie for third to a tie for 15th at minus 8. But there could be four Swedish players in the Top 10.)
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UT women T-15 after two rounds in North Carolina
The Longhorn women shot a 19-over-par 307 today at the Tar Heel Invitational to finish the second day tied for 15th at 37 over par.
Tennessee leads at plus 10, followed by Duke (plus 13) and Georgia (plus 15). Texas A&M shot a 6-over-par 294 in the second round to finish in a tie for seventh a 20 over par with Vanderbilt.
Senior Ashley Rollins paced Texas in Round Two with a 3-over-par 75. Full individual scores are here.
Julia Best is tied for 49th, the highest individual Longhorn. She stands at 10-over-par 76-78—154 on the UNC Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst leads individuals at minus 5 with rounds of 71-68—139.
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Longhorn women tied for 11th in North Carolina
The 25th-ranked UT women’s golf team is tied for 11th place among 18 teams after one round at the Lady Tar Heel Invitational.
From the UT media relations office:
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 25 Texas shot a collective 18-over 306 to end the opening round in a tie for 11th place Friday at the Lady Tar Heel Invitational at the par 72, 6,285-yard UNC Finley Golf Course.
Senior Julia Best (Bulverde, Texas) and juniors Caney Hines (San Antonio, Texas) and Kristin Walla (Aspen, Colo.) each carded a four-over 76 in the opening round to finish the day tied for 32nd place.
Sophomore Shannon Fish (Spring, Texas) shot a six-over 78 in round one and is tied for 53rd place. Senior Ashley Rollins (Austin, Texas) stroked a seven-over 79 and is tied for 63rd place.
Texas tees off in round two on Saturday morning.
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Texas men ranked No. 23, women No. 25
Both University of Texas golf teams are ranked among the Top 25 in the latest Golf World polls released today.
The men are No. 23 in the Golf World/Nike coaches’ poll. The women are No. 25 in the Golf World/NGCA coaches’ poll.
The Top Five men’s teams are Stanford, Alabama, Georgia/UCLA and Florida. Oklahoma State is No. 7, Texas A&M is No. 11 and Lamar is No. 21.
The Top Five women’s teams are Duke, UCLA, Arizona State, Southern California and Auburn. Oklahoma State is No. 6.
The full polls are available at www.golfworld.com.
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Cooper vs. Kuehne at Bandon Dunes
Michael Cooper of Austin beat Alan Hill of Spring Branch in the first round of match play at the U.S. Mid Amateur. Cooper was 4 up after 14 holes and won 2 and 1.
Cooper plays Walker Cupper Trip Kuehne of Dallas next. Their match begins at 12:20 p.m. CST.
Click here for live scoring of all matches in progress.
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Texas men place second in Olympia Fields
And they beat a whole lot of other very fine squads (top-ranked Stanford and Top 20 teams such as Florida State, Duke and Tennessee to name a few) along the way.
The Longhorns finished easily in second place behind Oklahoma State in the Olympia Fields Illini Invitational, their second tournament of the fall. They shot team a score of 289-281-294—864, which comes out to 24 over par, six shots better than Indiana. The Cowboys shot plus 17.
Click here to see the team leaderboard in its entirety.
Charlie Holland had a nice tournament. The impressive sophomore from Dallas shot 74-67-69—210 to finish at even par and place third among 58 players.
Click here to see the individual scores.
From Travis Feldhaus at UT:
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. - Behind a one-under 69 and third-place overall finish from sophomore Charlie Holland, No. 23 Texas shot a 14-over 294 in the final round and placed second in the 12-team Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational at the par 70, 7,085-yard Olympia Fields Country Club.
With a 24-over 864, Texas finished seven strokes behind tournament champion Oklahoma State, who was led by medalist Rickie Fowler at seven-under par. Indiana finished six strokes behind the Longhorns with a 30-over 870, while No. 8 Florida State placed fourth with a 34-over 874. No. 1 Stanford rounded out the top five with a 36-over 876. Indiana’s Jorge Campillo took second at six-under par while Holland (Dallas, Texas) took third with an even-par 210.
“I’m really pleased,” said UT coach John Fields. “The guys did a great job and played well on a really hard course. Today’s round didn’t go the way we wanted, but it won’t diminish the 69 today from Charlie (Holland)…that was awesome.”
Holland opened his final round with a birdie at the par five, 580-yard first hole. He finished with a 36 on the front nine before sinking birdies at the 11th, 13th and 17th holes to end with a 33 on the back nine. Holland smashed his previous top finish, when he placed 22nd at the 2007 NCAA Championship.
“It was my goal to finish in the top five, and I did that,” Holland said. “I birdied the first hole, got under par, and then went back over par, but I finished well. Overall, I’m pretty happy.”
Sophomore Lance Lopez shot a three-over 73 in the final round to finish the event with an eight-over 218 for a tie for 12th place. Lopez (Missouri City, Texas) opened with a 38 on the front nine before carding a 35 on the back nine with a birdie at the par 3, 190-yard 16th hole.
Senior Kevin Schultz carded a three-over 73 in the final round to end the tournament tied for 15th place at nine-over par. Schultz (Richardson, Texas) birdied the first hole and finished with a 36 on the front nine. With a birdie at the 13th hole, Schultz finished with a 37 on the back nine.
Redshirt freshman Bobby Hudson struggled in the final round and shot a nine-over 79. Hudson (Memphis, Tenn.) opened with a 42 on the front nine but limited his mistakes on the back nine and shot a 37, while adding a birdie at the 11th hole. Hudson recorded his second consecutive top-20 finish, as he tied for 18th place at 10-over par.
Senior Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) shot a 12-over 82 in the final round to end the tournament in a tie for 46th place at 17-over par.
Having defeated five top-20 teams, including No. 1 Stanford by 12 strokes, Texas will take its share of positives to its next event, the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate, scheduled for Oct. 7-9 in Birmingham, Ala.
“We’ve been telling people we would have a really good team,” Fields concluded. “This kind of finish accentuates that. We are backing up what we’ve been saying all along.”
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Cooper vs. Hill at Bandon Dunes
Michael Cooper of Austin and Alan Hill of Spring Branch qualified for match play at the U.S. Mid Amateur at Bandon Dunes.
Later today, one of them will be done.
Cooper shot 75-72—147 to tie for 20th in stroke play on Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails. Hill shot 76-73—149 to tie for 38th. They meet this afternoon on the craggy coast of Oregon in match No. 30 of 32 of this year’s championship. It’s a pity one of them will have to lose. Cooper and Hill have long represented our pocket of Texas well on the amateur golf circuit. The upside? One of them will advance.
Curious about the rest of the 240 scores in stroke play? Click here.
The Cooper-Hill match begins at 6:20 p.m. central on the original Bandon Dunes course. Click here for live scoring.
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A Texas-Oklahoma State standoff brews in Illinois
The University of Texas men’s golf team finished the first day of the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational three shots behind Oklahoma State.
A mighty fine way to stoke a cross-border rivalry, if you ask me.
From the UT media relations staff:
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. - No. 23 Texas opened with a nine-over 289 before closing the day with a one-over 281 to end the first two rounds in second place at 10-over par Sunday at the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Invitational at the par 70, 7,085-yard Olympia Fields Country Club.
Texas trails first-place Oklahoma State by three strokes with 18 holes remaining on Monday. Florida State sits in third, seven strokes behind the Longhorns at 17-over par, and Indiana is in fourth place at 18-over par. Stanford rounds out the top five at 19-over par. Individually, Oklahoma State’s Rickie Fowler holds a three-stroke lead at six-under par over Indiana’s Jorge Campillo.
“It was windy all day and fairly difficult for scoring,” said UT coach John Fields. “It’s a U.S. Open course and very demanding off of the tee, but the guys just did a great job and played well. We’ve got young guys playing well and we’ve got some senior experience to complement them. We need to be patient and let things play out.”
Behind five birdies, Holland (Dallas, Texas) finished round one with a four-over 74. Holland limited his mistakes in round two and matches his four birdies from the opening round to finish with an exceptional three-under 67 in the second round.
Hudson (Memphis, Tenn.) sank five birdies in round one to complete the first 18 holes with a one-under 70. Hudson added two more birdies and played another steady round the second time around, as he finished with an even-par 70. Hudson and Holland are tied for sixth place at one-over par heading into the final round.
Sophomore Lance Lopez (Missouri City, Texas) sank a couple of birdies in the opening round to finish the initial 18 holes with a one-over 71. Lopez added two more birdies in round two but finished the round with a four-over 74. Lopez is tied for 16th place at five-over par.
Coming off of a strong showing at the season-opening Texas Cup, senior Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) dropped three birdies in round one to finish with a three-over 73. Though he only sank one birdie in round two, Diaz-Ceballos managed to shave one stroke off of his 18-hole score in the second round, as he finished with a two-over 72. Like Lopez, Diaz-Ceballos is tied for 16th place at five-over par with 18 holes remaining.
Senior Kevin Schultz (Richardson, Texas) opened with a 74 in round one, and, behind an eagle on the par five, 580-yard first hole and another birdie, finished with a two-over 72 in the second round. Schultz is tied for 22nd place at six-over par.
Texas tees off in Monday’s final round at 8:55 a.m.
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Texas men under way in Olympia Fields
The No. 22 University of Texas men’s golf team opens play today in the Olympia Fields Country Club/Fighting Illini Invitational in Olympia Fields, Ill.
Twelve teams will play 36 holes today and 18 on Monday at the 7,200-yard, par-72 Olympia Fields Country Club. Host llinois, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Duke, Tennessee, Arizona State, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern and Central Florida round out the field.
Live scoring is available here.
Texas coach John Fields will start seniors Hector Diaz-Ceballos and Kevin Schultz; sophomores Charlie Holland and Lance Lopez; and redshirt freshman Bobby Hudson.
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Americans blank The Rest
The United States tore through the Internationals in foursomes Saturday like a hooded 1-iron through a crossbreeze.
The four-balls on the third day of the Presidents Cup are tighter. Click here for a scoring summary.
All five American teams won in foursomes. Scott Verplank did it again. So did Steve Stricker. Both of those guys have three points so far. Click here for all point totals.
Looks like Woody Austin stayed dry in the foursomes. But not on Friday:
Can’t wait for the singles matches Sunday. Lord, I pray for a Woods-Sabbatini pairing.
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DLIII out for two months
In my emailbox this afternoon:
SEA ISLAND, Ga. — Davis Love III will not play any golf for a minimum of eight weeks after suffering a severe, left-ankle injury while playing a round of leisure golf late last week.
Love, currently ranked 51st in the world, tore tendons in the left ankle when he stepped in a hole and will have surgery in seven to ten days.
“An MRI proved that all the ligaments on the outside of the ankle are torn,” said Dr. Melvin Deese, who diagnosed Love. “Obviously, those ligaments are very significant for a golfer because they stabilize the foot during the swing.”
Love is scheduled to play in the Dell Webb Father/Son Challenge and Target World Challenge. Both events are in December.
“Davis is eager to start the therapy after his operation and fulfill the commitments he has remaining this season,” said Love’s manager Mac Barnhardt.
Nothing more about it on Love’s site or the PGA Tour’s.
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Great! But will he play?
The Texas Open announced Wednesday that John Daly had committed to play the tournament next week at La Cantera:
SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 26, 2007 - After a two-year absence from San Antonio, one of golf’s most likeable, entertaining and exciting players is returning to the Alamo city for the 2007 Valero Texas Open. John Daly, arguably one of the most colorful characters in all of sports, heads up the latest list of notable players who will tee it up at The Resort Course at La Cantera when the official competition begins on Oct. 4.
Daly, a two-time major champion (1991 PGA Championship and 1995 British Open Championship) with a total of five TOUR victories, contacted the tournament office today to officially announce his intent to play. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have John in our field,” said Tony Piazzi, President & CEO of the Valero Texas Open. “His talent and ability to entertain the crowds is unprecedented, and he has shown an amazing ability to connect with golf fans around the world throughout a storybook career. We’re fortunate to have John making a return visit to San Antonio and can’t wait for fans to come out to La Cantera to witness firsthand his talent and personality. ”
I can name seven other tournaments that celebrated the addition of Daly’s “talent and personality” this year and never actually got them in full. Of the 19 events on the PGA Tour that Daly has played this season, he’s withdrawn from five during or after the first round. The complete list includes the Honda Classic, the PODS Championship, the Memorial, the AT&T Classic, the Canadian Open and, most recently, the Turning Stone Resort Championship. Daly also withdrew from the BMW International Open on the European Tour.
From the St. Petersburg Times on March 7:
John Daly injured himself Thursday while trying to stop his backswing after being distracted by a fan taking his picture. The incident forced him to withdraw from the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens after only two holes.
From the Associated Press on March 10:
John Daly withdrew after nine holes (of the PODS) because of his right shoulder, which he injured a week ago when he tried to stop his swing as a fan clicked her camera. “He was fine the first two holes playing out of the fairway,” Bubba Watson said. “But it got him when he was in the rough, and he was hitting a lot of shots with one arm.”
From the AP on May 18, the week of the AT&T:
John Daly, the 1994 winner, withdrew because of a sore shoulder.
From the May 26 issue of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland:
John Daly has withdrawn from next week’s Memorial after previously accepting a sponsor’s exemption to make his 12th visit to Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Tournament Director Dan Sullivan said Friday that Daly backed out Thursday with a shoulder injury that’s been bothering him for more than two months.
From the AP on June 20:
MUNICH — John Daly withdrew from the BMW International Open for personal reasons.
From the July 27 edition of the Toronto Star:
John Daly, whose extravagant automobile caused more of a stir at the Canadian Open than he did, withdrew yesterday after firing a four-over-par 75 in the opening round at Angus Glen North.
Citing a sore shoulder, Daly pulled out after a round in which he carded a quadruple-bogey eight on the third hole, his 12th after starting on the back nine. He shot one-under 35 on his front, but had a five-over 40 on his final nine.
And from the Syracuse Post-Standard on Sept. 21:
The surrender came on the seventh green.
It was just one hour into John Daly’s round Thursday at the Turning Stone Resort Championship, and already the big man looked labored and indifferent.
News that Daly has committed to the Texas Open is good indeed. But news that he actually played it would be so much better.
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Hilltoppers win in Orlando
The St. Edward’s University men’s golf team captured its first victory of 2007 this week at the Coker College Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
The Hilltoppers, ranked No. 12 in the latest Division II Golf World/Nike coaches poll, shot a 14-under-par 562 at Orange County National. They beat a field that included top-ranked Florida Southern, No. 2 Barry, No. 3 Columbus State, No. 6 Armstrong Atlantic, No. 8 Georgia College, No. 10 Nova Southeastern and four other teams ranked in the Top 25 of Division II teams. Florida Southern placed second, five strokes behind St. Edward’s.
Sophomore Matt Smith, a graduate of Anderson High School, shot a 10-under-par 66-68—134 to share the medal.
Senior Jeff Howard shot 70-69—139 to tie for sixth. Junior Andrew Workman shot 70-72—144; sophomore Collin Mayer shot 74-73—147; and freshman Matthew Henson, a highly regarded freshman and McCallum High School graduate from Austin, shot 85-73—158.
The victory in Orlando gives the Hilltoppers a first- and second-place finish in the young fall season. St. Edward’s opened the year with a second at the Charles Coody West Texas Invitational. The Hilltoppers finished sixth in their second tournament, the Territory Classic in Duncan, Okla.
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The AT&T; has that Lone Star look
Whole bunch of Texans committed to the AT&T Championship, the season-ending tournament on the Champions Tour. From the tournament office:
Nearly a dozen Champions Tour players from Texas are expected to take part in the 2007 AT&T; Championship presented by Alcatel-Lucent, Oct 15-21 at historic Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.
For most, the chance to return to their Texas homes and their Lone Star roots is an offer too good to pass up.
“It’s pretty neat to come back,” said Champions Tour past winner Lanny Wadkins, who has lived in North Texas for nearly 20 years.
“Oak Hills is one of the best courses we play anywhere, and I really like San Antonio,” he added. “My buddies are already talking about coming down to watch me.”
Wadkins is one of several Texas players who have committed to return to San Antonio, the historical home of Texas Golf, and its famed A.W. Tillinghast designed Oak Hills layout.
Other state players to commit include Austin twosome Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite along with Austin’s Tom Jenkins. Corpus Christi native Phil Blackmar, a former Houston Open winner on the PGA Tour, will be making his first AT&T; Championship appearance.
Frisco’s D.A. Weibring will be there in 2007 along with another expected appearance by Dallas native and resident Lee Trevino, always a huge fan favorite.
San Antonio’s Bill Rogers, a Texas Open winner at Oak Hills on the PGA Tour, will be in the field along with Texas native and multiple Champions Tour winner Brad Bryant.
Perhaps the Texas player most looking forward to the San Antonio return is Crenshaw, whose fourth place finish last year was his best ever AT&T; Championship appearance.
Already, in 2007, Crenshaw is enjoying his best Champions Tour season with three top 10 performances in 17 starts. His current 15th place standing in the Charles Schwab Cup Points Race should guarantee his first appearance into the season-ending Charles Schwab Championship.
“Oak Hills is outstanding, and holds a place close to my heart since I won there in 1986,” Crenshaw said. “I understand the field will be especially strong this year, which should make for a great week for spectators. “
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This just in! Colt turning pro!
Can you imagine the panic in the streets of Austin that title would incite over on Bevo Beat?
Here we’re talking about Colt Knost, not Colt McCoy. Knost, the former All American at SMU, decided to declare himself a professional and decline an expected invitation to the 2008 Masters Tournament. The native of Pilot Point won the U.S. Amateur Public Links and the U.S. Amateur, assuring himself of a trip to Augusta, Ga. (The Masters routinely invites the winners of both championships to enjoy the azaleas in April — but only if they remain amateurs.)
Knost is making his debut next month at the Texas Open, which gives us a welcome reason to pay attention to the Texas Open.
Here are portions of the news release:
Colt Knost announced today that he will be turning professional and making his professional debut at the Valero Texas Open, and that he will enter next month’s PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. Knost, from Pilot Point, TX, made history this summer as he became only the second player to ever win the United States Amateur Championship and the United States Amateur Public Links Championship in the same year. He also became one of six people ever to have won two USGA titles in the same year. Knost finished his amateur career ranked #1 in both the R&A; World Amateur Golf Rankings and the Golfweek Men’s Amateur Rankings. He also helped lead the United States Team to victory at this month’s Walker Cup Match by winning three points for the U.S.
Knost has agreed to a multi-year endorsement deal with Titleist/FootJoy to play Titleist equipment and golf balls and wear FootJoy shoes. “I would like to thank Mr. Uihlein and everyone in the Titleist family for sticking by me for all these years,” said Knost. “Their support has helped me get to this point in my career.”
Knost attended Southern Methodist University where he was recognized as a NCAA All-American selection this past year. In addition to being recognized as an All-American, Knost was named the Conference USA Golfer of the Year, after capturing three individual titles and finishing in the top-10 on seven other occasions, during his senior season at SMU.
Knost gained national attention at this year’s EDS Byron Nelson Championship when he shot a Friday round 64 to be the first amateur since Justin Leonard, in 1993, to make the cut at this event. “The EDS Byron Nelson Championship showed me that I can compete against the best players in the World,” said Knost. “Although it is my only PGA TOUR experience to this point, I feel like I belong out there and I look forward to competing at that level on a regular basis in the future.”
There’s precedent, by the way, for lads who make the Texas Open their first tournament as a professional.
In November 1973, a fresh-from-Texas NCAA champion named Ben Crenshaw shot a 14-under-par 270 at Woodlake Golf Course in San Antonio to beat George Archer and Orville Moody to win $25,000 and the first of his 19 titles on the PGA Tour.
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‘Crazy Uncle on the surface, Dr. No behind the scenes’
I just watched Texas take a whippin’ switch to Rice, an experience that reminded me of my visit Tuesday to Rice Stadium in Houston. I was there to talk with first-year Rice head coach David Bailiff, who mentioned John F. Kennedy’s classic “moon” speech at the Rice campus in the fall of 1962.
Kennedy asked rhetorically why Americans should want to go to the moon. While he was at it, he inquired: “Why does Rice play Texas?”
The answer? Because it’s hard.
That, in turn, reminded me a lot of the subject of a John Paul Newport piece in the online Wall Street Journal. The story concludes with these three paragraphs:
Never formally trained as an architect, he calls excessive dependence on computer-aided design “rubbish,” pointing out that all the classic courses, including nearby ones like Winged Foot and Baltusrol, were built essentially by feel. He says his primary goal is to create a pleasing and surprising variety of looks and challenges.
Why are his courses so hard? “You might as well ask why people who are members of perfectly good golf clubs fly to Scotland and Ireland to play golf in the rain for a week and never come close to breaking 90,” he said. Most of his designs are for destination resorts that people will only play a handful of times a year — and difficulty seems to be what they are after.
“I don’t understand golfers one lick,” he said. “Personally, if I couldn’t break 90 on a course, I’d probably never want to play it again.”
Who is “he”? Read on.
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Tom Kite changes putters? Stop the presses now!
One of Backspin’s many trusted and confidential field correspondents filed this report today:
In case you missed it, (Tom Kite) is now using the long putter at this week’s Champions Tour event. He braces it very high on his chest, almost under his chin, but I actually saw him make a putt over 10 feet with it.
Wish I had a picture of that. (I mean the putter, not Kite’s making a putt over 10 feet.)
Crazy huh? Ever think you’ll see Crenshaw using the wand?
Uh, no.
Putting has long been one of Kite’s bugaboos. He ranks 33rd in putting average this season (averaging 1.78 a hole), which is his poorest ranking this season on the Champions Tour. You can see the rest of his numbers here.
Backspin normally requires at least two sources for big news like this. Can anyone else confirm?
Again, I mean that Kite is using a long putter — not that he’s made a putt of over 10 feet.
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TPC of San Antonio could host Texas Open by 2010
Sergio Garcia was in Texas last week, stomping around far north Bexar County in tattered jeans and sunglasses.
Garcia is the “tour consultant” for the TPC of San Antonio. He and lead designer Greg Norman are doing one course; Pete Dye and Bruce Lietzke are doing the other. At the moment there’s not much on the property, known as Cibilo Canyons, writes Richard Oliver of the San Antonio Express-News:
As Sergio Garcia stood Monday afternoon near the future No. 16 green at the TPC at San Antonio layout he is helping to design, colossal construction equipment rumbled and rattled in every direction.
On the sprawling Cibolo Canyons development in far north Bexar County, trees were falling and dust was rising, and the international golf superstar viewed the changing landscape with a grin.
“I’m trying to set it up for me,” he said.
That would be just fine with Valero Texas Open officials. And if Garcia wanted to bring along some heavyweight friends while he was at it, all the better.
The Spaniard is the PGA Tour player representative working with architect Greg Norman on the 18-hole course that will host the Open by 2010. Garcia, 27, walked the site Monday less than a day after finishing fourth at the Tour Championship in Atlanta, earning $336,000 and capping a top-nine run in the inaugural FedEx Cup playoffs.
Click here to read the rest of Oliver’s column.
Garcia spoke to us for about 20 minutes after he’d spent the afternoon surveying the holes he and Norman are creating. He noted the topography was gentler than severe hills characteristic of La Cantera, where the PGA Tour will stop next month for the Texas Open.
A change of venue might be helpful. Some tour players aren’t that fond of the La Cantera course, which is a chore to walk.
You can bet the TPC courses are being designed with that in mind.
But the Texas Open needs a better spot on the schedule. It has for years. And from what Oliver writes, it sounds like that’ll change, too.
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Here’s to a few more years of Lee Trevino
A few months ago, a wire service carried a story (which I can’t find now) about Lee Trevino and the end of his career in tournament golf.
Trevino had said he would make the AT&T Championship in San Antonio his final event. At about that time I was halfway through emailing the tournament director, Colby Callaway, for a credential request. It was so very perfect: Trevino — the Merry Mex, the agelessly effervescent entertainer who honed a wicked and major-winning game on Texas soil — would hit his last shot at Oak Hills.
On second thought:
“I’m not going anywhere,” Trevino said. “People say, ‘I thought you were going to retire.’ I lied. I told a big lie. Don’t worry about it.”
So goes part of Edward G. Robinson III’s lively piece about Trevino and life on the Champions Tour in the Raleigh News & Observer. I’d heard rumors of Trevino’s official adios were mucho premature; his wife, Claudia, didn’t want him loitering around the house so much, the story goes.
The senior circuit — and the chatty 67-year-old Hall of Famer from Dallas — is in Cary, N.C., this week for the SAS Championship.
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Another take on Jimmy Clay
Got this email Saturday — the day our Jimmy Clay stories, pictures and illustrations were published in the newspaper — from Paul Stekler, an avid player in Austin and a perfectly delightful guy to walk a golf course with. Paul and I have played a few times over the years, and I value his opinions.
Thought you might, too:
I’d like to respectfully disagree with the Statesman’s coverage of the “new” Clay. Maybe the greens will be better someday, but they run like a shag carpet right now, slower than slow (they were no fun to putt on at all). No. 2’s green always had problems with dead areas and after being redone it still already has bare spots. No 5’s green was always cool, being so steeply banked. (Now No. 5 is basically a pitch and putt, 100 yards to a flat green.) No. 6 used to present a tee shot where drives to the right went into the woods and drives to the left went out of bounds. (Now it’s an easy, short, straight drive and a short iron to a green mostly surrounded by a “lake” whose water looks tepid and sewer-like.) No. 4’s green was close enough to the out of bounds that anything to the left was gone. Sure, it’s nice that there’s actually sand in the traps, but this course, as is, just is not better than it was. (Couldn’t any of that million dollars have gone to cleaning out the garbage in the creek along No. 3?) Anyhow, I left the course after No. 8, so maybe the rest of the course is great (though carts were going through what looked like a lake on the cart path on #14).
No more ‘roids on the range?
The PGA Tour, the PGA of America, Augusta National, the USGA, the European Tour and the Royal & Ancient are among the golf organizations who’ve agreed “in principle” to an anti-doping policy announced today:
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — The major governing organizations in golf today announced that they have agreed in principle to an anti-doping policy for professional golf on a global basis that will be accomplished in two phases.
The first phase of the policy, which has been completed, encompasses the development of The Model Prohibited Substance and Methods List discussed later in this statement, a copy of which is attached.
The second phase of the Policy, which is anticipated to be completed prior to the end of this year, will include general standards for all the fundamental elements of an anti-doping program for golf organizations that become signatories to the Policy, while providing flexibility for such signatories to develop specific policies and procedures necessary or appropriate for their organizations. Such standards will encompass the Model Prohibited Substance and Methods List, as well as medical waiver procedures, testing protocols, results management, penalties, sanctions and reciprocity of outcomes.
You can read the rest, including a list of agents to be banned, here.
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OCC’s Alexander wins STPGA Professional Championship
Lonny Alexander, the teaching professional at Onion Creek Club, sprinted away Wednesday with the 2007 Southern Texas PGA Professional Championship. He shot 66-69-69—204 to win by eight shots and collect the $6,500 first prize.
From the Southern Texas PGA:
New Braunfels’ Lonny Alexander, the teaching professional at Austin’s Onion Creek Club, posted a sparking 54-hole total of 12 under par 204 to win the 2007 Southern Texas PGA Professional Championship at Walden on Lake Conroe Golf & Country Club in Montgomery.
Alexander finished eight strokes better than runner-up Robert Thompson of Huntsville for the win and $6,500 in earnings. Thompson, the teaching professional at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, posted a total of 212 to take home second-place money of $5,000. Houston’s Mike Kullberg, head golf professional at Houston National Golf Club in Cypress, finished in third place at 216, earning a check for $3,500.
The STPGA Professional Championship also serves as a qualifying event for the PGA of America’s Professional National Championship. Alexander, Thompson and Kullberg will be joined at the national event by: Boerne’s Tim Hobby, the teaching professional at The Club at Sonterra in San Antonio; Houston’s Ken Kelley, the head golf professional at Walden on Lake Houston Country Club in Humble: Leander’s Wes Skaggs, head golf professional at Crystal Falls Golf Course in Leander; Montgomery’s Dean Choate and Bruce Smith of College Station.
College Station’s Tim Thelen, the director of instruction at the Traditions Club at Texas A&M;, and Bryan’s Brad Lardon, director of golf at Miramont Country Club in Bryan, will also be in the field for the national event. Thelen was exempt from qualifying as a past winner and his Top 20 finish in the 2007 championship, and Lardon was exempt from qualifying for his Top 20 finish in the 2007 national tournament.
Texas men finish third in Texas Cup; Hudson places second
From the UT sports-information department:
Playing in his first collegiate tournament, University of Texas redshirt freshman Bobby Hudson finished with a two-under 69 to place second in the inaugural 36-hole Texas Cup Tuesday afternoon at the par 71, 7,412-yard University of Texas Golf Club.
Texas finished the 11-team event in third place with a total score of 591 at 23-over par. New Orleans and UT-Arlington tied for first place with a 14-over 582, but New Orleans was declared the tournament champion since its fifth player had a lower score than UT-Arlington’s fifth player.
New Orleans’ Ken Looper took medalist honors after firing a three-under 68 in the final round to finish with a three-under 138 for the tournament.
Hudson (Memphis, Tenn.) tied for the second-lowest round of the tournament with his 69 on Tuesday to successfully begin his college career with a second-place finish. Sophomore Charlie Holland (Dallas, Texas) also chipped in a two-under 69 in round two to finish in third place with a one-over 143.
Playing as an individual, senior Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) turned in his finest performance as a Longhorn, as he carded a one-over 72 in the final round to finish in a tie for eighth place at three-over par.
Sophomore Lance Lopez (Missouri City, Texas) matched his four-over 75 from round one in round two to finish in a tie for 18th place at eight-over par. Senior Jace Moore carded a seven-over 78 in the final round and tied for 41st place at 14-over par.
Senior Kevin Schultz (Richardson, Texas) lowered his first-round score by one stroke in round two to finish with a 78 on the day. He ended the event in a tie for 44th place at 15-over par.
Texas returns to action on Sept. 29 at the Olympia Fields Fighting Illini Classic in Olympia Fields, Ill.
Texas Cup
University of Texas Golf Club
Top Five Team Finishers
1. New Orleans 298-284-582 (+14)
2. UT-Arlington 296-286-582 (+14)
3. TEXAS 300-291-591 (+23)
4. College of Charleston 300-298-598 (+30)
5. Texas State 303-300-603 (+35)
Top Six Individuals
1. Ken Looper (UNO) 71-68-139 (-3)
2. Bobby Hudson (UT) 73-69-142 (E)
3. Charlie Holland (UT) 74-69-143 (+1)
4. Jose Toledo (UNO) 74-69-143 (+1)
5. Jordan Weber (No. Iowa) 68-75-143 (+1)
6. Bryce Easton (UT-Arlington) 75-68-143 (+1)
Other Texas Players
T3. Charlie Holland 74-69-143 (+1)
T8. Hector Diaz-Ceballos (I) 73-72-145 (+3)
T18. Lance Lopez 75-75-150 (+8)
T41. Jace Moore 78-78-156 (+14)
T44. Kevin Schultz 79-78-157 (+15)
T49. Chris Causey (I) 79-82-161 (+19)
T52. Austin Traweek (I) 81-82-163 (+21)
Texas men in third after first day of Texas Cup
From the UT athletics site:
Redshirt freshman Bobby Hudson shot a two-over 73 to lead No. 22 Texas Monday in the opening round of the Texas Cup at the par 71, 7,412-yard University of Texas Golf Club.
Texas shot a 16-over 300 in the opening round and trails first-place Texas-Arlington by four strokes heading into Tuesday’s final round. New Orleans sits in second place after firing a 14-over 298 on the day.
The College of Charleston is tied for third with Texas at 16-over par, and Texas State rounds out the top five at 19-over par. Northern Iowa’s Jordan Weber fired a three-under 68 and leads the 60-player field after the opening round.
Hudson (Memphis, Tenn.) opened with a 36 on the front nine and followed with a 37 on the back nine to end the day with his two-over 73. UT senior Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) enjoyed a solid effort with a two-over 73 of his own, though his score does not count toward Texas’ team total, as he played as an individual.
Sophomore Charlie Holland (Dallas, Texas) opened with a 38 on the front nine but countered with a 36 on the back nine to end the day with a three-over 74. He sits in a tie for 10th place heading into Tuesday’s final round.
Sophomore Lance Lopez (Missouri City, Texas) also opened with a 38 on the front nine before shaving off a stroke on the back nine. With a four-over 75 in the opening round, Lopez is tied for 15th place with 18 holes remaining.
Senior Jace Moore (Southlake, Texas) shot a seven-over 78 to end the day tied for 32nd place, and senior Kevin Schultz carded an eight-over 79 to finish the day tied for 39th place.
Texas tees off the final round on Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the UT Golf Club.
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Taking stock of supremely good fortune
If you don’t yet realize how lucky you are to be of this earth as Tiger Woods enters his prime, consider:
Woods earned his 61st career PGA Tour victory today at the Tour Championship at the age of 31 years, 8 months and 17 days. It was his 230th (216th professional) career start.
That’s a 28-percent clip.
On the all-time victory list, Woods is now fifth. He’s behind Sam Snead, who won 82 (and his 61st at the age of 39 years, 1 month, 6 days); Jack Nicklaus, who won 73 (and his 61st at the age of 37 years, 1 month, 6 days); Ben Hogan, who won 64 (and his 61st at the age of 40 years, 9 months, 11 days); and Arnold Palmer, who won 62 (and his 61st at the age of 41 years, 10 months, 22 days). Woods will win more than 82 titles. He could win 100. Or 120.
I wasn’t around for Snead, Nicklaus or Bobby Jones. But I’m here for this, which likely will be so much better. Indeed, the best.
Other exclamations from Woods’ victory today at East Lake:
His 257 (23-under) total is lowest 72-hole score of his PGA Tour career. His previous low 72-hole total was 259 at the 2000 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational. The 257 total was three off Tommy Armour’s PGA Tour record of 254 (2003 Valero Texas Open).
Woods surpasses the $76 million mark in career PGA Tour earnings with $76,579,376.
He becomes first seven-time winner of the season and collects at least seven wins in a season for the fourth time in his 12-year career. He captured eight in 1999, nine in 2000, and eight in 2006.
Through 16 starts in 2007, Woods’ adjusted scoring average is 67.79, matching his own record set in 2000. Second in adjusted scoring average through the Tour Championship is Ernie Els at 69.29.
Five different players (total of nine times) since 1970 have won seven or more times in a season. Woods has four of the nine.
With a paycheck of $1,260,000, Woods improves season earnings to a career-best 10,867,052, a career-best. His previous best was $10,628,024 in 2005. Oh, and that doesn’t include the $10-million annuity that comes with winning the FedEx Cup.
His 191 (19-under) 54-hole total and the 257 (23-under) 72-hole total were the lowest totals on the tour in 2007.
Woods now has the longest cut streak on tour with 23 consecutive made cuts.
Woods is 41-3 when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead, including 11 consecutive.
Goodnight, all.
Don’t forget to count your blessings before you go to sleep.
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How many is that, Woody?
Did you see Woody Austin on the 15th hole Saturday of the Tour Championship?
Is that an anger-fueled miss or something else?
He called it something else, according to a notebook item compiled in Atlanta by Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle:
The NBC announcing crew made a lot of Woody Austin’s tap-in for par at the 15th hole Saturday. Again and again, NBC ran replays of Austin placing his putter behind the ball and making what appeared to be two jabs at it.
Questioned after the round by PGA Tour rules official Mark Russell, Austin said he dropped the putter behind the ball and made one stroke at the ball. Playing partner Tiger Woods confirmed Austin’s story.
“I watched it,” Woods said. “He was fine.”
Paging Hale Irwin?
Texas men start fall season Monday at UT Golf Club
The No. 22-ranked University of Texas mens’ golf team opens the 2007-08 season with the 11-team Texas Cup on Monday, Sept. 17, and Tuesday, Sept. 18.
The new event takes place at the par-71, 7,389-yard and recently renovated University of Texas Golf Club.
Teams include the College of Charleston, Northern Iowa, Stephen F. Austin, Texas-Pan American, Texas Southern, Texas State, Towson, New Orleans, Texas-Arlington and Western Illinois.
Results will be posted after each round at TexasSports.com
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‘Chokin’ dogs’? They won the Solheim Cup
Eddie Pells of the Associated Press reports that the American team retained the Solheim Cup today:
HALMSTAD, Sweden - All that talk about choke jobs and lost opportunities turned out to be overblown. The Americans have always owned singles, and after yet another Sunday success, they own the Solheim Cup again, too.
The United States used a top-to-bottom blowout in singles to overcome a one-point deficit in soggy Sweden and win one of the biggest prizes in women’s golf for only the second time on European soil.
Paula Creamer’s tap-in on the 15th hole to go dormie 3 ensured the Americans would get the 14 points they needed to retain the Cup. Nicole Castrale made an 8-footer moments later to score the clinching point and wrap up a U.S. win for the second consecutive time.
The matches weren’t without controversy, as you might know. Dottie Pepper, an analyst for The Golf Channel, uttered a comment on the air that didn’t exactly endear her to her countrywomen.
For that, click here.
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Is it live — or is it yesterday’s golf?
In today’s New York Times, Richard Sandomir smacks The Golf Channel for poor choices.
The network broadcast tape-delayed action Friday of Thursday’s first round of the Tour Championship:
Shortly after 1 p.m. Eastern yesterday, with the second round of the Tour Championship under way, The Golf Channel came on the air with taped coverage of the morning’s rain-delayed resumption of Round 1.
Tiger Woods was midway through shooting a seven-under-par 63 in Round 2 — live, I say, live! — to propel his surge to a three-shot lead.
But The Golf Channel was mired in its Round 1 videotape, although NBC Sports, which will carry Rounds 3 and 4 today and tomorrow, was feeding it live coverage. To anyone expecting live coverage of Round 2 of the final tournament in the FedEx Cup — perhaps the most important round of golf on The Golf Channel all year — this was a major blunder.
So to catch you up, here’s Jeff Rude of Golfweek on Woods’ magnificent front nine, which included a five-course helping of birdies and a slice of eagle pie for dessert.
I’m a big fan of the written word. But there’s no substitute for witnessing history. Sometimes, I’d rather see it than read it.
Isn’t that why you’re there, TGC?
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USA rads inte Halmstad!
I don’t know what that title means because it’s Swedish. But I found it on the Ladies European Tour site, and I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the American team’s lead in the Solheim Cup, which is under way in Halmstad, Sweden.
Team USA has 4.5 points to the European team’s 3.5.
Laura Diaz and Texas Ex Sherri Steinhauer were a big part of that. They won their foursomes match 4 and 2.
Austin resident Lisa DePaulo, who also played at Texas and is tight with Steinhauer, is in Sweden for the matches as part of the American team. She’s sort of a non-playing team member, monitoring matches and reporting to American captain Betsy King.
DePaulo sent a couple of interesting pictures last night from the 6,615-yard Halmstad Golf Club.
I guess they don’t use yardage plates in Sweden. Instead, the yardage guides the players and caddies have use symbols to denote certain yardages.
That’s almost as cool as Natalie Gulbis’s blog from the matches. Almost.
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Latest comments
Hey Kevin is that Boot Ranch? Never spoke to anyone who has played there but I think it looks like one of their par threes?
Bogey: Nope, not Boot Ranch. Good stab, though. Father south now… .
... read the full comment by The Bogeyman | Comment on Random sights & sounds on a slow day in golf Read Random sights & sounds on a slow day in golf
Great job on the BLOG.
Well done Charlie 3 rounds in the 60’s. Its great to see that at least one of John Feild’s recruits can still play! But seriously come on….9th!? out of 12 teams. What is going on over there at the UT club?
... read the full comment by David James | Comment on Texas men finish ninth at Jerry Pate Read Texas men finish ninth at Jerry Pate
What a cry baby! Paul must have made a Hole-in-One at 5. Slow? is this guy a TOUR player? I found them rolling great, but a little bumpy as one might expect on NEW greens. You gotta love the new 4, 5 & 6 loop. The new tees and green create a completely
... read the full comment by UB | Comment on Another take on Jimmy Clay Read Another take on Jimmy Clay
FYI - Trey Owen also qualified for the Mid Am after surviving a playoff at Seawane Club in Hewlett Harbor, NY.
... read the full comment by Vixinc.com | Comment on Cooper leads qualifiers for U.S. Mid Am Read Cooper leads qualifiers for U.S. Mid Am
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