Woods' appeal hasn't fully hit China

SHANGHAI, China -- It was difficult to make it past the practice green Thursday at Shanghai's Sheshan International Golf Club. Prescient spectators were pinned against its white picket fence. Many more crowded behind them, several bodies deep, necks craned, cameras and mobile phones raised high in the air. Tiny female tournament employees in red bodysuits held hands, trying their best to form a human barrier that would allow players to move freely between the putting and chipping areas. It was a futile attempt.

"Laohu must be here," a man said as he squeezed his way through the swarm.
Yes, he was. In Mandarin Chinese, laohu means Tiger, and the world's No. 1 golfer, wearing pastel orange, was doing his best to ignore the commotion going on all around him.
It's not difficult to figure out who the top draw is at this week's star-studded WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. Just look for the crowd. Or just listen to it. Everywhere you go, all you hear is one word: Laohu.
"Where's Laohu?"
"Twenty minutes until Laohu tees off!"
"Let's go find Laohu!"
No one will question Woods' appeal to the golfing community in China. When asked about his client's profile in the country, agent Mark Steinberg doesn't hesitate with his answer.
"Tiger's a rock star wherever he goes," said IMG's Global Managing Director of Golf. "He is truly a global icon."
But if you venture beyond the course in China, beyond an international city like Shanghai, you are presented with an alternate reality.
According to an ongoing study, the world's No. 1 golfer -- the first athlete to reach $1 billion in earnings -- not only doesn't rank in the top 10 in popularity of foreign athletes in China, he doesn't even crack the top 50. Meanwhile, Michael Jordan, six years after retirement, checks in at No. 7.

"This has to do with two factors: participation and viewership," explained Greg Paull, who heads up R3, the Beijing-based company behind the quarterly analysis. "Golf currently ranks very poorly in China on both counts. Now all that said, it's our understanding that Tiger could become a highly marketable property in China. Chinese admire and respect the quest for perfection and look for leaders."
Twenty thousand Chinese consumers in 10 cities are polled for the ongoing study. NBA and professional soccer stars dominate the list, which, not surprisingly, also doesn't include any MLB or NFL players.
While golf is growing in China, no one would go so far as to call it popular. Estimates of the Chinese golfing population range from a couple hundred thousand to a few million. Any way you shake it, that's statistically zero percent of the Chinese population.
But it's also a very wealthy segment of citizens. Thus, one of the brands that does use Tiger in Mainland China is luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer. He'll also show up from time to time in ads for Accenture, Gillette and, until recently, Buick. Still, these are all global campaigns, not advertisements designed specifically for the Chinese market.
Nike, one of Tiger's biggest partners elsewhere, largely limits the use of his image to in-store promotions, whereas Kobe Bryant, another high-profile Nike athlete, is nearly ubiquitous in China, with China-specific campaigns.
"This will definitely change," Paull said. "Golf is going through the fastest change of any sport in China right now. There were more golf courses completed in the last three years than the previous thirty years. Nike's focus to date has been on its core business -- and that means NBA. But as the market becomes more sophisticated and niches appear, they have the assets to leverage those niches."
Tom Doctoroff, Greater China CEO for advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, said he was "shocked" Tiger didn't rate in the R3 study. He believes Tiger's marketing potential in mainland China, especially for luxury brands, is "huge" -- if the advertiser can afford him.
"The key thing about Tiger Woods in China is that he represents the little guy who defeated the conventional order or redefined the limits and possibilities," said Doctoroff, author of "Billions: Selling to the New Chinese Consumer." "It's the fact that he comes from the non-privileged class and that he has a very unconventional background and has succeeded as a global icon. And in that sense, there's a lot of projection that takes place -- projection of aspiration. He's not Yao Ming, because he's not as immediately accessible, but I think he can be a very, very big deal in China."
Back at Sheshan on Thursday, 17-year-old Winson Tay, from Singapore, sure thought Tiger was a big deal. He was in the heart of the throng at the practice green, trying hard to lock down an unobstructed view of his idol. Wearing blue jeans and Nike golf shoes, Tay jumped up and down for a glimpse, and then settled for a photo of Tiger's bag.
"I hope I can get an autograph," Tay said, as he -- and hundreds of others -- followed Tiger to the driving range. His father, Chok Leng Tay, 47, camera dangling over his Tiger Woods polo shirt, struggled to keep up.
"He's crazy about Tiger," Mr. Tay said. "I say to him you should see all the stars. They are all very good: Westwood, Mickelson. But young guys like him want to see Tiger.
"He was so excited about this event. He couldn't sleep."
The Tays made the five-hour flight from Singapore specifically for the tournament. They weren't the only ones.
"The airport was packed," Mr. Tay said. "Going through customs, everyone -- people from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia -- was talking about Tiger."
Over at the driving range, fans stood on plastic chairs in an effort to see over the mass of people that had accumulated behind Tiger. There, Lisa Ye was trying to round up her 9-year-old son, Wang Yanzhang, so they could secure favorable spots near the 10th tee, where Tiger would soon tee off.
"When he saw Tiger, he just totally forgot about all the golf course manners," Ye, 32, said of Wang. "He was like, 'Haha! Tiger!'"
Ye, who drove 10 hours from Wuhan, in central China, estimates she and her husband have spent upwards of 2 million yuan ($292,954) on their son's one-year-old golfing habit. They bought a house and membership at a golf club so he could have easy access to facilities.
"He started to play golf just because he likes Tiger," explained Ye, who herself took up the game seven years ago. "In China, people who play golf might know about players other than Tiger. But normally, people only know Tiger. Even people who don't play golf, the only thing they know about the sport is Tiger."
At the 10th hole, it was easy to tell Tiger's tee time was approaching. A gallery, nearly 1,000 strong, lined the ropes and extended beyond the midpoint of the fairway. Cameras clicked. Phones rang. (Despite several signs reminding spectators such devices are banned.) "Yes, I can see Laohu right now!" one man shouted into his phone.
Tiger's following swelled as the sunny Thursday wore on. Other groups were lucky to get a small fraction of Tiger's fan base. And this is a field that features 20 of the world's top 30 players. Bad news for Ross Fisher and Thongchai Jaidee, who had the misfortune of being paired with the main attraction.
On Tiger's opening tee shot, an overanxious amateur photographer started snapping away during the downswing. Tiger flinched, sent his ball wide right, and glared toward the guilty party.
"There's certainly a lot of people out there," Tiger said after his 5-under 67, which put him 3 strokes back of leader Nick Watney. "There was a lot of people moving and things. We had to stay pretty focused."
The fans had no problem staying focused -- they just had to follow the man in the orange shirt.
"After Laohu tees off, he will suck all the people away," one fan predicted. He was correct. As Tiger's group disappeared in the distance, so too did the crowd.
Only a few dozen spectators remained at the 10th tee for the next batch of golfers, which included Zhang Lianwei, arguably China's most popular player.
This weekend, event organizers told ESPN.com they expect Sheshan to be "bursting at the seams" with more that 10,000 spectators.
"They are coming to see Tiger," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. "The fact that it is a World Golf Championship is good for golf people, but for average people here, they are only interested in No. 1."
Dan Washburn is a Shanghai-based writer. Visit him online at http://danwashburn.com.

Ben McGraw Memorial Golf Tournament Raises Thousands

The money benefits a local organization.
Story by Alicia Suka
Email | Other Stories by Alicia Suka

DANIELS --  A golf tournament Friday raised money for The First Tee of West Virginia. The Ben McGraw Memorial Golf tournament at the Resort at Glade Springs and brought out 152 golfers. McGraw worked for First Tee, a non-profit organization that uses the game of golf to teach kids life skills.
He was killed earlier this year but his family wanted to continue his work by raising money for the organization.
The tournament raised tens of thousands of dollars, something that overwhelmed McGraw's family.
"Unbelievable tournament. Unbelievable turnout. Not only from the golf community but the coal community has a great presence here and we've had people fly in and drive in and come from all over the United States," said Greg McGraw, Ben's father.
The money raised will be used to expand the First Tee facility in Beckley.
It will become the Ben McGraw Learning Center, a place where local kids can come and use computers to study.
State Senator Mike Green was at the tournament to present a $10,000 grant to help fund the project.
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Ivanka Trump Weds Jared Kushner

Ivanka M. Trump, the daughter of Ivana M. Trump of Palm Beach, Fla., and Donald J. Trump of New York, is to be married Sunday to Jared Kushner, a son of Seryl Kushner and Charles B. Kushner of Livingston, N.J. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein is to officiate at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.

The bride, 27, will continue to use her name professionally. She works in New York as the executive vice president for development and acquisitions at the Trump Organization, her father’s real estate company. She is also a principal in a jewelry company, the Ivanka Trump Collection, and is a host of “The Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.
The bride’s mother founded two companies in New York: Ivana Inc., which handles her speaking engagements, books and other commercial ventures; and Ivana Haute Couture, which sells jewelry, perfumes and cosmetics on television. The bride is the stepdaughter of Melania Trump.
The bridegroom, 28, is the publisher of The New York Observer. He graduated from Harvard and received a law degree and an M.B.A. from New York University. The bridegroom is also a principal in the Kushner Companies in New York, which owns and manages commercial buildings and apartments in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The bridegroom’s father, who is a founder of his family’s real estate business, stepped down as the company’s chairman in 2004, owing to his legal problems, and has since resumed his title.
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Harrington, Wie Joining Pitch to Include Golf in 2016 Olympics

Oct. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Three-time major tournament winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland and Hawaiian teenager Michelle Wie will be among four golfers to make a final pitch this week for the sport to be included in the 2016 Olympics.
Suzann Pettersen of Norway and 16-year-old British amateur champion Matteo Manassero of Italy will join Harrington and Wie, 19, on Oct. 9 for the International Golf Federation’s final presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen. The voting results will be announced the same day.
In August, golf and rugby sevens were recommended for inclusion in the Games.
Golfers, including European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and top-ranked Tiger Woods, promised that professional players would take part. The sport was last in the Olympics in 1904. Rugby was proposed for inclusion for the first time since 1924, when the 15-a-side form of the sport was included.
The golf proposal features 72-hole men’s and women’s competitions played over four days, with medals being awarded to the three lowest scores.
The IOC selected Rio de Janeiro as the host city for the 2016 Games on Oct. 2, eliminating Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.
To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Buteau in Atlanta at mbuteau@bloomberg.net.
http://www.bloomberg.com

Garland man dies in fall at golf course

RICHARDSON
Man dies trying to retrieve golf ball
A Garland man died after he fell over an embankment trying to get his golf ball.
Sgt. Kevin Perlich said 61-year-old William Michael Grant was playing in a tournament Friday at Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson when he overshot a green.
Police said Grant was trying to get the stray ball when witnesses saw him slip and fall about 10 feet.
He was taken by ambulance to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
HEALTH
Swine flu boosts cherry syrup sales
With the liquid children's version of the anti-influenza drug Tamiflu in short supply, pharmacists are making their own children's version by mixing cherry syrup with the contents of Tamiflu capsules.
But they aren't using just any cherry syrup. The prescribing information for Tamiflu lists cherry syrup — a mixture of sugar, purified water, artificial cherry flavoring and some other common ingredients — made by Humco Holding Group, based in Texarkana, as one of the approved liquids to mix with the medicine.
Humco has been scrambling to keep up with demand.
"Our volume has exploded," said Humco's CEO Greg Pulido.
The company typically sells about 50,000 pint bottles of the syrup each year. But with the spread of H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu, Humco shipped 100,000 bottles in September alone. In October it is planning to make 400,000 bottles.
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Cards set for Nittany Lion Invitational

Matt Hudson

Section: SPORTS
Originally published: 10/3/09 at 12:41 AM EST
Last update: 10/3/09 at 12:40 AM EST

 

The Ball State women's golf team is headed to the Penn State Nittany Lion Invitational on Saturday and Sunday.

After finishing second in the Cardinal Classic Tournament the team is looking forward to finishing strong in the upcoming tournament.

"It was hard to take second after being in first but we lost to a great team," coach Katherine Mowat said. "It's our third time playing in this tournament and most of the girls are familiar with the course."

Penn State's par-72, 6,300 yard course is a very good field and the team will be playing 36 holes on Saturday and 18 holes on Sunday which leaves the team with their work cut out for them.

During last year's 2008-09 season the women's golf team finished fourth out of 14 teams at the Penn State Nittany Lion Invitational. Not only did the team finish well, but individual players had a strong end as well.

Junior Brittany Kelly finished in 12th while both junior Rachael Pruett and senior Kirsty O'Connor finished in the top 25.

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Instead of PGA, former Saint Martin’s star Prante finds himself working at a bank

Often, Shane Prante will see a customer staring at him. Then they check his name tag.
“And they’ll ask me what I’m doing here,” Prante said.
It’s the same question Prante, a three-time All-American golfer at Saint Martin’s University, asks himself.
Prante isn’t playing golf professionally, either on a mini-tour or on what many thought was his destiny: The PGA Tour. Instead, he is a teller at Twinstar Credit Union in Olympia.
“Just yesterday, three people asked me what I was doing,” Prante said. “I guess they remember.”
Who can forget?
He was the top-ranked collegiate player in the country at one point during his senior year at Saint Martin’s. As a junior, he was the only Division II player named to an eight-member USA team that played in Japan.
He owns or shares three course records – 61 at Tumwater Valley, 63 at Olympia Country & Golf Club and 63 at Riverbend in Kent. At Riverbend, Prante was teamed with a pro in a best-ball tournament. Prante’s shot was used on every hole. During his record-breaking round at Tumwater, he shot two bogeys.
“I’m not where I want to be,” Prante said. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I’m happy with everything. But I’ve never given up. I’ll keep grinding away. Whatever it takes. That’s why I’m working two jobs. Working 13 hours, 14 hours a day.”
In fall of 2007, Prante was chasing his dream. He was living in Arizona and playing on the Gateway Tour, winning a few tournaments. He and his then-new wife, Kristyn, had saved up enough money for six months to allow him to concentrate just on golf. Kristyn was also working for Starbucks.
Just before Prante played in the qualifying school for the PGA, he got sick. He got a fever, cough, painful red bumps on his legs and dropped almost 35 pounds. Already slender, the 6-foot-3 Prante went from 170 to 135 pounds.
“I was as sick as I’ve ever been,” Prante said. “Finally, one day I said to my wife I had to go to the hospital.”
Eventually, he was diagnosed with valley fever, a fungal infection that can be fatal. He was diagnosed just before it became meningitis.
“Once they figured out what was wrong, it was better,” Prante said. “But I couldn’t do anything for months. It wasn’t until this summer that I started feeling better.”
Playing with a fever and aching joints, Prante missed the cut at PGA qualifying school. He then won a couple of small tournaments, giving him enough money to move back to Tumwater in August 2008.
Prante seemingly caught a break that summer before coming home when an Arizona businessman offered to sponsor him, offering $20,000. But Prante walked away from the offer.
“It was a tough decision,” Prante said. “I had a good six months of playing if I wanted it. But the guy was vulgar. He was everything I didn’t like.”
At 26, Prante knew he was walking away from what could be his last chance to play golf professionally.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve done because I realized that might be it for me,” Prante said. “I walked away. I said thanks but no thanks.”
Prante’s college coach, Kurt Kageler, thinks there’s one thing preventing his former player from realizing his dream.
“He’s got the game,” Kageler said. “It just takes money and a healthy body. If you don’t have a backer, it’s difficult. We keep praying for him.”
Prante’s swing is homemade. Using clubs his father, Tim, sawed off, Prante began playing golf when he was 4. He learned how to play on the three holes his dad built on his 10-acre lot in Tumwater.
“I don’t watch golf anymore,” Prante said. “I used to love to watch Tiger Woods play. It’s hard to watch. Two guys I grew up with are going to be on the Tour next year.”
That would be Ryan Moore and Mike Putnam, whom Prante played against growing up. Andre Gonzales of Olympia is playing on a mini-tour.
Prante can’t shake the thought that if he hadn’t gotten sick he could be playing golf professionally, somewhere.
“It’s not an easy pill to swallow,” Prante said. “It’s like all your friends going off to college and you’re staying home doing nothing.”
Prante plays maybe once every three weeks. In October, he’ll play in a tournament in Richland, with the winner pocketing $12,000. Last year, Prante finished third in the tournament, losing to Troy Kelly, the former University of Washington golfer now on the PGA and Nationwide tours.
“I don’t really have a plan,” Prante said. “The plan would be to raise the money. That’s really the only way.”
Success stories of PGA players such as Zack Johnson, who won the Masters in 2008 after playing on mini-tours for years, keep Prante’s dream alive.
“He’s competed with Ryan Moore, with Michael Putnam,” Kageler said. “But it takes time, it takes a little bit of luck and it takes money to make it.”
Prante still thinks he’s got the game to play.
“I’ll be 50 years old watching a PGA tournament and I’ll still be thinking I could have done that,” Prante said.
Gail Wood: 360-754-5443
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Son of golf legend Nicklaus tries for comeback

by Jim McCabe, Golfweek.com

He is like thousands of others, passionate about golf and consumed with a desire to compete. That is why six years after he packed in his PGA Tour career and several years since being reinstated as an amateur, Gary Nicklaus is going to give it another shot.

You read correctly: At 40, the third of Jack Nicklaus's four sons is mounting a comeback. He has entered the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament and will tee it up in a pre-qualifier Sept. 22-25 at the Golf Club of Dallas.

Ask him why and the answer is simple.

"I love the game of golf and I miss playing," said Nicklaus, who has 100 PGA Tour tournaments to his credit and played as a card-carrying member from 2000-02.

Nicklaus knows the road is a long, arduous one, and that skeptics abound. But citing the full support of his wife, Amy, and children, he is following his heart and trying to quench a thirst that has never waned.

"I feel as if I am a better golfer now than I was when I played professionally and on the PGA Tour," he said. "I am in a different place in my life and I am hopeful that my maturity level could lend itself to more success on the golf course."

The highlight to Nicklaus's PGA Tour career was the 2000 BellSouth Classic. Plagued by rain, the tournament was cut to 54 holes and officials waited patiently for a break in Sunday's weather to conduct a playoff between Gary Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson, both of whom were 11 under.

The lefthander made swift work of things, hitting a high, soft draw hole-high at the par-3 16th. When Nicklaus followed with an 8-iron that he hit a bit heavy and buried beneath the lip of a bunker, it was game, set, match.

"It would have been very nice for him to have been able to break through and get his first tournament win," Mickelson said that day. "(But) I didn't want it to be at my expense. So I don't feel bad about that at all."

Nicklaus maintained his PGA Tour card in 2000, but lost it in 2001 and was forced back to Q-School. In one of the most memorable Q-School finals that fall, golf's first couple -- Jack and Barbara Nicklaus -- walked around Bear Lakes to cheer on Gary as he made it through alongside such names as medalist Pat Perez, Ty Tryon, Luke Donald, Boo Weekley, Ben Crane, John Senden, Peter Lonard and Brett Wetterich.

Two years later, Gary Nicklaus left the PGA Tour and focused on working in the family business.

"I have been very involved in growing our Nicklaus family business and have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to take a greater leadership role in doing that," Gary Nicklaus said.

But in recent years the amateur tournaments in which he has competed (he won the 2008 Palm Beach Kennel Club County Amateur) have also convinced Gary Nicklaus that the competitive fires still burned.

"I want to compete at the highest level," he said.

If he were to make it through to the final stage, it would mean a return to Bear Lakes, a 36-hole complex in West Palm Beach that his father designed.

"I won't have to travel far," said Nicklaus, though he insisted he's not looking that far ahead. "If I am fortunate enough to get through this pre-qualifying stage, we'll just take it from there."

One flavorful slice to Nicklaus' spot in the Dallas pre-qualifier is this: Another entrant at that site will be Sam Saunders, Arnold Palmer's grandson.

Palmer blood and Nicklaus blood teeing it up in the same tournament? Hey, with the days of "The Big Three" fading further in the rear view mirror by the hour, it will have to serve the purpose.

http://msn.foxsports.com

Golf: Five tie for lead in Korea Open

CHUNANN, South Korea: Japanese teen star Ryo Ishikawa shot a 70 in the opening round of the Kolon-Hana Bank Korea Open on Thursday but was three strokes off the five joint leaders.

Koreans Kim Dae-Sub, Kang Kyung-Sool, Kim Dae-Hyun, Park Boo-Won, and Australian Michael Wright finished the day in a tie for the lead on four-under-par 67 at the Woo Jeung Hills Golf Club near Seoul.

However all eyes were on Ishikawa, 17, and fellow young superstars Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and New Zealander Danny Lee, who both carded 71s.

Ishikawa, who claimed the Fujisankei Classic on Sunday, was followed by dozens of Japanese photographers but calmly finished under par after firing five birdies, one double bogey and two bogeys.

"It takes a bit of adjusting playing here in Korea. It's an OK start and I have plenty of time to work myself into position. The conditions are different and I really need to work on my feel around the greens," said Ishikawa.

His victory at the weekend was his third win in the last six Japan Tour events and saw him usurp McIlroy as the youngest player to reach the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

The Japanese wonder kid birdied the par-five 18th in stark contrast to his playing partner Lee who finished bogey then double bogey.

"I had a solid start and was going along well but made a mess of things at the end. I have been doing a lot of that recently. It's disappointing," said Lee, who claimed the Johnnie Walker Classic early this year as an amateur.

McIlroy started on the back nine and struggled making the turn in two over. However, he rallied with birdies on the third, fifth and sixth.

"It's a difficult course, really quite tight so level par is not a bad start. I did well to get things back to even," said McIlroy.

Defending champion Bae Sang-Moon also carded a 71 while compatriot An Byeong-Hun fired a 75.

An, an amateur, became the youngest winner of the US Amateur Championship last month when he lifted the trophy aged just 17. The youngest winners previously, both at 18, were Lee, last year and Tiger Woods. - AFP/de

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A Big Upgrade for Callaway Golf

This bullish call comes from more than just one analyst.

Every day, the sun rises on Wall Street, and a plethora of professional analysts wake to issue new opinions on stocks. Here at the Fool, we use our "This Just In" column to examine some of these picks-- and the track records of the firm behind them -- so individuals can make better investing decisions.

In addition to following professional banks, anyone can use Motley Fool CAPS to monitor the collective opinions of the 140,000 members, many of whom are proving to have better investing insight than published analysts do.

More top-performing CAPS members are feeling bullish about Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) these days -- the stock started the year at a lowly two-star rank in CAPS and has worked its way up to a more formidable four-stars recently. A total of 239 members have given their opinion on the golf club maker, with many of them offering analysis and commentary explaining the recent optimism.

The troubled economy is squeezing even discount retailers like Costco (Nasdaq: COST) and Target (NYSE: TGT) hard, but many CAPS members believe that the premium Callaway brand of golf equipment will outlast the downturn. Many investors view it as a lasting brand like Nike (NYSE:NKE) or Under Armour (NYSE:UA) -- one that crosses categories well -- rather than a flailing brand such as Crocs (Nasdaq: CROX).

Despite reporting falling revenue during its recent quarter, Callaway was able to gain market share in almost all of its categories and continues to focus on long-term growth. It's made investments for international expansion as it sees opportunities overseas and is seeing strong demand from its uPlay acquisition it made at the end of 2008. The acquisition puts Callaway in the crowded golf handheld GPS device market alongside Garmin (Nasdaq: GRMN), but the uPlay device is claimed to be the only GPS that shows actual aerial imagery.

Callaway's market share gains have several analysts bullish on the stock also, as they see upside potential on margin improvement in its high-margin categories. CAPS members also like the absence of long-term debt on its balance sheet and shares that are selling for far less than book value.

Do you think Callaway deserves its new, higher status? Add your thoughts in the comments box below, or head over to CAPS to rate it yourself. While you're at it, see what the very best CAPS analysts are saying now about the company.

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Women's Golf Finishes 16th at NGCA Match Play

DAYTONA BEACH - Despite a pair of solid individual victories over Central Florida, the University of Colorado women's golf team dropped their final round of match play here Tuesday to conclude the NGCA Collegiate Match Play Championship at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Louisiana State downed Auburn, 3-1-1, to claim the title in the event. Colorado went on to finish 16th in the tournament after having to battle against some of the nation's top teams, including Duke University, at team that has claimed five NCAA Championships.

"I think we can look at this past weekend as our training camp this fall," said head coach Anne Kelly. "We played a lot of rounds of golf in a few days. I don't think our team came back prepared as well after the summer and hopefully playing all of these rounds gave us the tune-up that we needed."

Sophomore Meaghan Kari and senior Christine Kim were the only two Buffs to win their match-ups in the final round. Both Kari and Kim led for the entire round as Kari topped UCF's Elisa Aoki 3-and-2 and Kim finished with a 4-and-3 victory over Katie Detlefsen.

Junior Stephanie Simich led for most of her match against UCF's Carlin Pinegger, but Pinegger's late surge towards the end of the round allowed her to finish the match-up 2-and-1 over Simich.

Senior Dominique Pytlewski and sophomore Emily Talley rounded out the scoring for the Buffs, with Pytlewski falling 2-and-1 against Victoria Tomko and Talley dropped a 3-and-2 decision to Valentina Fontaine.

"Meaghan and Christine played solid golf today and got us a pair of wins," added Kelly. "They kept it competitive today but overall I think we were a little disappointed as a team with how we performed. Hopefully we can take the experience from the weekend and use it to our advantage as we prepare for next week."

Colorado will now travel to Fort Collins, Colo. on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 14-15 for the CSU Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic. The Buffs, after winning the CSU Invite in 2006, are coming off a runner-up finish in the event last season.

(16) Central Florida def. (15) Colorado, 3-2-0

Meaghan Kari (CU) def. Elisa Aoki (UCF), 3&2

Christine Kim (CU) def. Katie Detlefsen (UCF), 4&3

Victoria Tomko (UCF) def. Dominique Pytlewski (CU), 2&1

Carolin Pinegger (UCF) def. Stephanie Simich (CU), 2&1

Valentina Fontaine (UCF) def. Emily Talley (CU), 3&2
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Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly are golf's Odd Couple

NORTON, Mass. – Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly are polar opposite personalities.

One is as cool as an autumn evening in their native Wisconsin; the other can be as fiery as a badger with a toothache.

As a pair, though, the chemistry works.

You saw it Sunday in the third round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.
ide by side, the Wisconsin boys took flight early in ascending to the top of the leaderboard at TPC Boston.

They both birdied three of the first four holes and shared the lead early in the round.

“We were pulling each other along there,” Stricker said. “We fed off one another, and I just had a little bit stronger finish than he did.”

After carving a utility club from 237 yards to the 18th hole, Stricker holed a 5-footer for eagle, closing out the low round of the day, a 6-under-par 65.

At 13 under, Stricker shares the third-round lead with Retief Goosen and Sean O’Hair. Kelly’s right there, though. His 67 positioned him just two shots off the lead.

“We complement each other well,” Stricker said.

Stricker, 42, and Kelly, 42, have been competing since they were juniors in Wisconsin. Stricker grew up in Edgerton, about a half hour from Madison, where Kelly grew up. Stricker went on to play golf at the University of Illinois, Kelly at the University of Hartford.

An outdoorsman, Stricker’s the unflappable sort. His playing style matches his persona outside the ropes. A former hockey player, Kelly plays with passion. He’s more outwardly excitable than Stricker, whether he’s inside or outside the ropes.

“Maybe that’s why we get along so well,” Kelly said. “I think it took him a little longer to warm up to me, but I won him over.”

Kelly said their friendship deepened when they started families.

“We like each other,” Kelly said. “We’re good friends. It’s not just two guys from Wisconsin. We’re real friends.”

Kelly’s wife, Carol, and Stricker’s wife, Nicki, have become close also. So have their first-borns, who have grown up together on Tour. Jerry’s son, Cooper, just turned 11. So did Stricker’s oldest daughter, Bobbi Maria.

“Cooper and Bobbi were born two weeks apart,” Carol said. “They are great buddies. We started getting close after they were born.”

The Strickers also have a 3-year-old daughter, Isabella.

The families will have some nervous moments Monday with Stricker and Kelly competing for big prizes.

Stricker is second to Tiger Woods in the FedEx Cup points standings. Stricker will move to No. 1 if he wins Monday and Woods finishes third or worse. Stricker will also move to No. 1 if he finishes second and Woods finishes 27th or worse. Woods is nine shots behind.

In last week’s start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Stricker had a chance to win at The Barclays. He missed a 10-foot putt at the final hole that would have forced a playoff with Heath Slocum.

With his second-place finish to Woods in the inaugural year of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and his strong run this season, Stricker is earning a reputation as golf’s Mr. September.

What’s bringing out his best?

“I think I’m a little bit more relaxed,” Stricker said of knowing the season’s nearly at an end and that he’ll be returning to family and hunting and an off season he enjoys. “I’ve had a good year. There’s really nothing for me to lose coming into these playoffs.”

Stricker’s a two-time winner this season, claiming the Crowne Plaza Colonial and the John Deere Classic, boosting his PGA Tour victory total to six. Kelly has also won this season, claiming the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for his third PGA Tour title.

At 28th in FedEx Cup points, Kelly is focused just as much as Stricker on the big prize, the FedEx Cup trophy and the $10 million jackpot that goes with it. With a victory Sunday, Kelly could jump as high as No. 2 in points.

“This is the playoffs, you saw what Heath Slocum (did),” Kelly said.

Slocum jumped 121 spots to No. 3 by winning The Barclays.

If Kelly wins, he’ll owe a debt of gratitude to Stricker.

For years, Kelly said he’s been trying to unearth the secrets to Stricker’s smooth putting stroke. Finally, at the end of last year, he got Stricker to give him some intensive instruction.

“I finally got the good information out of him when it was to his benefit,” Kelly cracked.

Before they teamed up to play Greg Norman’s Merrill Lynch Shootout last December, Stricker tutored Kelly. Though they only finished sixth in the event, something clicked for Kelly.

“I’ve probably made my biggest turnaround on the greens this year,” Kelly said.

Kelly jumped from 156th in putting average last year to 30th this season.

What did he learn?

“I’m just copying him better,” Kelly said.

Kelly hopes that he has been as helpful to Stricker. He hopes his friendship mattered when Stricker was struggling with his game and failed to finish among the top 125 in money in 2003, '04 and '05. Stricker rebounded to win PGA Tour Comeback Player of the Year in ’06 and ’07.

“I’ve always liked Jerry,” Stricker said. “You’ve got to take Jerry with a grain of salt and let him go do the things that he’s going to do. He’s a great guy. He’s a great family man. We enjoy being around each other.”

They especially relish being on leaderboards together.

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Cooke wins fourth senior golf title

VICTORIA — Graham Cooke is one of the best amateur golfers in Canada for one reason — he knows how to seal the deal.

The 62-year-old Cooke from Hudson, Que., won his second consecutive Canadian senior men’s championship Friday at Gorge Vale Golf Club with a two-shot victory over John Marlow from Kettleby, Ont., and three in front of Frank Van Dornick from Camrose, Alta.

With his win, Cooke claims his 11th national amateur championship title — four senior and seven mid-amateur crowns — breaking late Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame member Nick Weslock’s record for most events won by a male amateur.

“As you get older, I appreciate these victories more,” said Cooke, after he fired a 1-over-par 73 to finish with an overall total of 286 (2-under).

“Just to be in this position and then being able to win it is very gratifying.”

Cooke started the final round with a three-shot advantage over Marlow. Van Dornick was five back.

Van Dornick, however, made an early charge, going 3-under on the front nine while Cooke carded nine consecutive pars.

“I knew that sooner or later, those guys (Marlow and Van Dornick) would make a run at me,” said Cooke. “Those nine straight pars just weren’t good enough to get the job done. I wasn’t very confident starting the final round because my rhythm was off. Both those guys kept coming at me and I somehow manufactured enough shots to get the win.”

Van Dornick and Cooke both bogeyed No. 10 before Cooke made his shot of the round to set up a birdie on No. 11.

With a wedge in his hands, Cooke put his third shot on the par 5 to within a few feet of the cup.

“That wedge shot on No. 11 got me out of my funk,” said Cooke. “After that shot, I started to feel a little better about my game.”

The victory gives Cooke an exemption into the U.S. Senior Men’s Amateur Championship, Sept. 12-17 at the Beverly Country Club, near Chicago.

“I’m proud to say that I’m the runner-up to the best senior golfer in Canada,” said Marlow. “It was a real pleasure to play with Graham as he was such a gentleman.

“I think that I’m starting to catch a cold or the flu bug as I was a bit dizzy at times during the round. But, that is no excuse as I was beat by a better golfer.”

Van Dornick had a very hot start, but not much would fall for him on the back nine until a short birdie putt on No. 18.

“I knew that I had to come out hard and I had the start that I wanted,” said Van Dornick. “My tee shot on 10 (over the back of the par-3 hole) caught me off guard and then I started playing too defensive. I just didn’t finish like I wanted to and the three putt on No. 13 really hurt.”

Then on No. 17, Van Dornick hit his tee into the water which all but eliminated him.

Victoria Times Colonist

rrauch@tc.canwest.com

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L.A. City Council rejects golf cart contract

Amid heavy lobbying, it decides not to award a 10-year contract to a new concessionaire. The current operator will continue on a month-to-month basis while the selection process starts over.

Los Angeles golfers who have complained about deteriorating carts on the city's seven public courses may not see changes any time soon.

After an intense lobbying effort, the City Council rejected the recommendation of the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners to award a 10-year contract for cart rentals to a new concessionaire, Sherman Oaks-based Ready Golf Centers. It was the city's third attempt in six years to choose a concessionaire through a competitive bidding process.

Councilman Dennis Zine said he had "never been lobbied so hard on an issue in eight years" as a council member. "I don't know what the hidden agenda is, but I question why so many lobbyists are involved," he said.

Barry A. Sanders, president of the park commissioners board, said the city's longtime golf cart operator, J.H. Kishi Co., will continue on a month-to-month contract while the panel starts over.

Kishi has expressed a willingness to make improvements, said Jon K. Mukri, head of the city's parks department. But he said the city was "back to status quo, except we can expect it to possibly get worse."

The council weighed in with three separate votes Friday. In an 8-6 vote, council members Richard Alarcon, Jose Huizar, Paul Koretz, Bernard C. Parks, Jan Perry, Ed Reyes, Greig Smith and Zine voted to reject the contract with Ready Golf Centers. In a second vote that was merely a recommendation, Alarcon, Huizar, Koretz, Parks, Perry, Reyes, Smith and Councilman Herb Wesson said parks commissioners should give Kishi a new five-year contract to allow the company to invest in improvements that have been difficult to finance under a month-to-month contract.

In a third vote, a council majority also recommended a new analysis of whether the city should assume operations of the golf cart rentals, a proposal favored by the Service Employees International Union, Local 721. Mukri said he has serious reservations about that idea in the midst of the city's financial crisis.

During a bidding process that evaluated the companies on six criteria, a panel of municipal golf officials from other cities concluded that Ready Golf's business plan was superior to that of Kishi, which has operated the city's golf cart rentals for more than three decades. But a number of council members noted that Ready Golf has not operated a golf cart business. Some council members also said they were troubled that Ready Golf was offering the city a 39% share of gross revenue when Kishi was offering 50%.

Harvey Englander, a lobbyist for Kishi, said he was pleased that the council "saw there were deficiencies" in the process of rating the bidders.

Jerold Neuman, Ready Golf's lobbyist, said the decision was a disappointment but that the company would continue seeking the business.

maeve.reston@latimes.com
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St. Mary’s golf team earns top honors on and off the course

The Golf Coaches Association of America announced that the St. Mary’s University men’s golf team has been named the Academic National Champion for the 2008-2009 school year.

This the first time St. Mary’s has earned this honor. The men on the golf team earned a cumulative 3.62 grade point average. The St. Mary’s team won for the NCAA Division II category. The golf team also earned special recognition status for having a team GPA of 3.5 or better.

The golf team members for that year were Preston Akromis, James Grant, Sam Jernigan, Jeff Rein, Alex Maurer and Matt Vela.

“This team truly exemplifies the term ‘student-athlete’ with their hard work and commitment on and off the course,” says St. Mary’s President Charles L. Cotrell.

The Rattlers golf team recently won their third Heartland Conference Tournament Championship.

St. Mary’s is a Catholic Marianist university in San Antonio.

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Woods Sits Seven Shots off Lead at Deutsche Bank Golf in Boston

Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods continues to struggle with his putter and sits seven shots off the lead during the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Woods finished at 1-under par today at the TPC Boston course in Norton, Massachusetts, where Steve Stricker leads at 8-under. Woods and Stricker, the top two players in the U.S. PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoff points standings, were paired together in the same group.

Woods, who missed a seven-foot putt on the final hole of last week’s Barclays tournament, needed 30 putts over 18 holes today, ranking 83rd in the field. Stricker’s 25 putts ranked 53rd.

Four players, including Masters Tournament champion Angel Cabrera, are tied for second at 6-under, one shot ahead of Jerry Kelly, Troy Matteson and Jim Furyk. Heath Slocum, who won last week’s playoff-opening Barclays tournament in New Jersey, is 3- under through 13 holes.

Woods won the inaugural FedEx Cup title in 2007, while Vijay Singh claimed it last season. Singh, the defending Deutsche Bank Championship winner, has yet to begin play.

After this week, the top 70 players in the points standings head to the BMW Championship in Chicago. The top 30 then advance to the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta, with the overall winner earning $10 million.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael Buteau in Atlanta mbuteau@bloomberg.net

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