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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Glint of gold takes Lydia through the pain barrier.

The world's top female aerial skier has won the battle - physically and emotionally - against injury, writes Adrian Proszenko.

Well, before she retired from gymnastics, took up a career as an aerial skier, snapped her knee just one jump away from the gold medal round while the favorite at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics or had a dead man's achilles tendon grafted onto her knee, Lydia Lassila contemplated joining the circus.

''I retired from gymnastics in 1998 and didn't want to stop being an athlete. I just didn't know what sport I wanted to do,'' Lassila said.

''That was when Cirque du Soleil was starting up. At the time it was fairly new and I was, 'Ah, I don't want to be in the circus.'

''You look at it now - it's become a global empire, it's such a successful show, it's mind boggling what they are doing.

''That would have been a very good option in hindsight!''

Not that Lassila is complaining. More than a decade later, the Melbourne product is being paid to perform circus tricks, albeit not at the circus. After being the bridesmaid during the past four seasons, Lassila is now rated the world's best aerial skier and Australia's top hope for Winter Olympic gold in Vancouver next year.

It is a stunning rise for a girl who grew up loving the beach and had ambitions to become a kayaker, surfer, ironwoman, surf lifesaver … anything but an aerial skier. That is, until the day the Olympic Winter Institute decided to tap into the talents of former gymnasts.

''I'd never skied before and was one of those guinea pigs,'' she said.

The experiment paid off. The 27-year-old continues Australia's proud tradition of aerial champions by following in the footsteps of Kirstie Marshall, Jacqui Cooper and Alisa Camplin.

Lassila will stand on the ramp in Vancouver before attempting to pull off a ''double-full double-full'' - an audacious move consisting of three twists and three flips that has never been completed by a woman - with the expectation she will finish an Olympic meet on top of the podium. It won't be the first time. She was the white-hot favourite in Turin, but her reconstructed knee blew out with the prize almost within reach. The blood-curdling screams of pain reverberated around the stadium - and in her head - long afterwards.

''Before the last Olympics I had a pretty freak accident and ruptured my ACL,'' she recalled.

''That's not a good thing, especially when you are one of the favourites to win the event.

''I wanted to do well and it was a bit of a race against time to get back. So they decided to do an allograft procedure, where you get a donor's tendon and place that inside as an ACL instead of using your own tissue.
Credits
 

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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Glover Wins PGA Grand Slam of Golf

Clemson, SC—Former Clemson All-American Lucas Glover fired a second round 66 and captured the 27th annual PGA Grand Slam of Golf on Wednesday afternoon. The event was played at the Port Royal Golf Club in Bermuda. The event was a 36-hole competition between the four Major Champions of 2009.
Glover, who became the first Clemson graduate to win a Major golf championship when he won the 2009 US Open at Bethpage Black in June, had rounds of 65-66 for an 11 under par 131 total to win by five shots over 2009 Masters Champion Angel Cabrera. Cabrera had rounds of 70-66 to finish at six under par.
Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open Champion had rounds of 67-70 to finish third at 137 and Y.E. Yang had rounds of 71-70 to finish fourth at 141.
Glover will take home $600,000 for the victory, but the money does not count towards his official PGA Tour season or career earnings. Cabrera, who won the tournament in 2007, won $300,000 for finishing second, while Cink won $250,000 and Yang $200,000.
Glover had a two-shot lead over Cink entering the final round after his opening 65. But, Cink took the lead seven holes in when he started four under par compared to Glover’s one-under par. Glover made a bogey on the par four fourth hole, but responded with five birdies over his next seven holes. He went from one down to five up in a matter of six holes and coasted to the victory. Glover finished the day with seven birdies and two bogeys in carding a five under par 71.
The victory concludes Glover’s competition for 2009. He will be honored for his US Open Championship prior to the Clemson vs. Florida State football game at Death Valley on November 7.
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Nancy Lopez holds golf clinic

By Jeff Abeln
Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 2:01 p.m.

The 4^th annual Nancy Lopez & Friends Jr. Golf Clinic was held Saturday at the First Tee of Albany.
Around 65 kids, ages seven through 18 turned out to learn golf tips from former LPGA star Nancy Lopez.  She taught them about putting, chipping, and driving, plus about staying persistent at the game of golf.
Lopez is the only woman to win LPGA Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, and the Vare Trophy in the same season; 1978.
credit: http://www.mysouthwestga.com

Storm sixth in first day at State meet

BY CHAD DARE

BLOOMINGTON — The Salt Fork golf team not only made its first appearance at the IHSA Class 1A State Tournament on Friday, it was also the latest date for most of them to be playing golf in Illinois.

Salt Fork found itself in sixth place with a team score of 324, 36-over-par and 13 strokes behind the first-day leaders, Effingham St. Anthony and Mount Carmel.

“Today had as much to do with survival as it did with competition,” said Salt Fork junior Jordan Danzl, who shot an 83. “The conditions were extremely tough.”

And Danzl was one of the two Salt Fork players that previously played in the state tournament.

The other was junior David Keenan, who had the Storm’s best round with a 6-over 78, good enough for an 18th-place tie individually.

Shane Convery of Raymond Lincolnwood is the first-round leader after firing a remarkable 1-under 71.

Golfers not only had to play the challenging par-72 Prairie Vista Golf Course, they also had to battle cold and windy conditions along with a hail-like precipitation.

“You just have to adjust your game to the conditions,” Keenan said. “We didn’t play our best rounds of golf today, but we can still accomplish our goals of a top-four finish.”

Salt Fork is seven strokes behind Rockford Lutheran (317) for third, while Winnetka North Shore County Day was fourth with a first-round score of 318 and Benton is just one shot ahead of the Storm in fifth with a round of 323.

“If it wasn’t for this being the state tournament, I don’t think there is any way that I would be playing golf today,” said Salt Fork junior Mat Bowen, who had an 83. “I think we are going to come back strong (today) and challenge for a top-three spot.’’

One reason for that optimism is the fact that Bowen hit three balls in the water hazards on Friday and Danzl hit two in the water hazards and one out of bounds.

Junior Ryan Anderson had the second best round for the Storm with an 80.

Today’s final round begins at 8:30 a.m. 

credit : http://www.commercial-news.com

Haas trumps Watson for Senior Players title

Jay Haas birdied the last two holes on Sunday en route to a course-record-tying six-under 64 and the come-from-behind victory over Tom Watson at the Senior Players Championship.
Haas earned his third senior major title at 13-under 267 for the one-stroke victory over Watson, who managed an even-par 70 on Sunday at Baltimore Country Club East Course.
Haas and Watson were tied at 11-under par until Watson sank a 30-footer for birdie at the 15th hole to move one ahead. Haas, who played in the group ahead of Watson, rolled in a 10-footer for birdie at the 17th to knot the two atop the leaderboard.
At the very demanding closing hole, Haas found the fairway off the tee. He had 195 yards and hit a six-iron right of the flagstick, but the slope ran the ball inside three feet. Haas converted the short birdie putt to move one ahead, then waited as Watson had to play 18.
The third-round leader hit a costly drive into the right rough off the final hole. Watson did all he could to get the ball just short of the putting surface.
Watson needed to hole his pitch to force a playoff with Haas. Watson's ball ran 15 feet past on left side and the title was Haas' after an amazing Sunday 64.
"Today, I don't think I could have played any better," acknowledged Haas, who pocketed $405,000 for the win. "I didn't expect this. I was hoping that I could shoot something like this, but I didn't expect to do it in this wind."
For Watson, it's yet another disappointment.
There was the 2007 U.S. Senior Open where Watson had a three-shot lead after 54 holes, but shot a 78 on Sunday and finished fourth.
Most recently of course was this year's British Open. Watson had the chance to become the oldest major winner in history and write the greatest golf story of all time. He had the 54-hole lead and the lead on 18, but made bogey and lost a playoff to Stewart Cink.
On Sunday, in challenging conditions, Watson shot even-par with a four-shot lead overnight and with a five-stroke margin over Haas. It could've been enough if it weren't for a course record from Haas.
In true Watson form, he holed a 15-footer for par on the last, even after Haas won the championship.
"I didn't play aggressive golf today," admitted Watson. "I didn't make as many good swings today. Give credit where credit is due. Jay birdied the last two holes on this tough golf course. That's pretty darn good."
Haas was pretty darn good from the beginning. At the third and fourth holes, he rolled in four-foot birdie putts and missed an even shorter putt for birdie at five.
Haas sank a 20-foot birdie putt at the 10th and that got him within one of Watson's lead. Watson had a wild front nine that included three bogeys and two birdies.
At the 14th, Haas hit his approach to four feet and he holed the birdie putt to join Watson in first at 11-under par. Watson made the long birdie at 15 to go ahead, then it was a masterful finish by Haas that won the title.
From Maryland, Haas has a cross-country flight ahead of him to celebrate. Haas is one of American captain Fred Couples' assistants at next week's Presidents Cup at Harding Park in California.
"It'll be a good week for me," said Haas. "I just love being around those guys. I love the team atmosphere. Hanging with them all week is going to be awesome and coming off the last couple of weeks for me, it couldn't get any better."
Haas picked up his first win of the 2009 season in his last start two weeks ago at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. Sunday's victory was his 14th on the Champions Tour.
Senior British Open winner Loren Roberts and Mark Wiebe both shot matching rounds of one-over 71 and shared third place at minus-seven. Bernhard Langer (68) and John Cook (72) tied for fifth at six-under 274.
U.S. Senior Open champion Fred Funk (67) and Phil Blackmar (70) shared seventh at five-under 275.
miamiherald.com

The first billion-dollar athlete,Tiger Woods is

Yes, that's B as in $1 billion. Forbes magazine figures that Tiger Woods has topped $1 billion in career earnings, not just from prize money but also all that loot Nike, Gatorade, Tag Huer and other advertisers pay the golf star, plus income from his golf design business and lofty appearance fees.
In fact, the magazine says that the $10 million Woods pocketed Sunday by winning the FedEx Cup title pushed him over the $1-billion mark.
Woods, who is 33, turned pro in 1996 and won the Masters the next year, the first of his 14 professional majors.
What's equally remarkable about Woods' earning power is that the only two other athletes anywhere near him have already retired: Michael Jordan has career earnings of $800 million, Forbes says, including $45 million a year from Nike as the Air Jordan brand continues to soar in sales. And ex-Formula One driver Michael Schumacher has earned $700 million in his career.
Given Woods' relatively young age, Forbes predicts: "This is only the first billion for Woods."
-- Barry Stavro
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Poised Thompson

I know this is football season and there are a full slate of games on the tube this weekend, but the most gripping televised sports story of the weekend, for me, will be an LPGA event that's not being broadcast live.
I am saving room on my DVR to watch Alexis Thompson's quest to become the LPGA Tour's youngest tournament winner.
Thompson is a 14-year-old amateur from Florida. And she shares the 54-hole lead of the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, Ala. That's right! A 14-year-old ninth-grader is leading a professional golf event.
I happened to catch the Golf Channel's coverage late Thursday night and saw a summary of her round, when she made eight birdies and one bogey. Part of the fun of watching Thompson is the way she reacts to her on-course successes. She isn't poker-faced after sinking a birdie putt. Thompson, who had to qualify to get in the tournament, beams when things go well.
Unfortunately for golf fans, there is no live television coverage of Thompson's exploits this weekend. The Golf Channel's coverage, beginning at 5:30 p.m. today and Sunday, is tape delayed. There's no need to turn away from football coverage. You can save this possibly historic occasion on your DVR.
Thompson opened the tournament with a 7-under 65 on Thursday, which left her a shot off the lead. She enters today's play in a five-way tie for first at 10-under-par. Her co-leaders are Lorena Ochoa, the tour's No. 1 player, Laura Davies, Yani Tseng and Giulia Sergas.
If she wins, Thompson would become the youngest winner in LPGA history, succeeding Paula Creamer, who won her first LPGA title when she was 18 years, nine months old in 2005.
Thompson comes from a family of golfers. Her brother, Nicholas Thompson, plays on the PGA Tour. While she is new to the national golf scene, her success isn't unexpected by her family and supportors. She already has a web site where you can get more details of her career (if a 14-year-old can have a career).
This Weekend's Live Golf Broadcasts
SATURDAY
Dunhill Links Champ. (Euro) // 5:30 a.m. // GOLF
Senior Players Champ (Champ) // 10:30 a.m. // NBC
Turning Stone Champ. (PGA) // 11 am. // GOLF
SUNDAY
Dunhill Links Champ. (Euro) // 4:30 a.m. // GOLF
Senior Players Champ (Champ) // 1 p.m. // NBC
Turning Stone Champ. (PGA) // 1 p.m. // GOLF

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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Stroke of bad luck for LPGA

Paula Creamer's body was weary and her voice was shot.

She was standing on the driving range at Torrey Pines Golf Course in late August, 24 hours removed from a raucous victory by the United States over Europe in the biggest team competition in women's golf, the Solheim Cup.

The Cup had been contested in Sugar Grove, Ill., and after an all-night celebration, Creamer boarded a plane to San Diego to make a promotional appearance as the defending champion of the LPGA Tour's Samsung World Championship, which begins today at Torrey Pines.

For Creamer, 23, who says her favorite pastime after golf is sleeping, it was a grueling day. She cheerfully gave a clinic for more than 150 children and was engaging and thoughtful in a news conference.

Somebody complimented her on how surprisingly refreshed she looked.

“That's what good makeup will do for you,” Creamer quipped.

It's all part of the job for players on the LPGA — the “We Try Harder” golf tour — which more than ever needs its athletes to put a good and enthusiastic face on what has been one of the most tumultuous years in its nearly half-century existence.

These are troubled times in virtually every corner of the golf industry because of the poor economy, and the LPGA is hurting more than most.

In July, Commissioner Carolyn Bivens resigned amid a player revolt fueled by unhappy sponsors — including some longtime LPGA supporters — who were disgruntled by her hard-line tactics and demands for more prize money.

This year, the schedule has 28 events, down from 34 two years ago. Next year, the number could be in the low 20s, with only 17 tournament contracts having been renewed to date.

The LPGA Championship, one of the tour's four majors, has lost its title support from McDonald's and doesn't have a sponsor or venue for next year.

Whatever the number of tournaments next year, the players will be making less money. One of the tour's cornerstone events, the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Ohio, nearly dissolved after 25 years but was revived last month when the tour agreed to lower the 2010 purse by $400,000.

It's not as if female golfers were rolling in cash before the economy crashed. Tiger Woods earned $1.35 million for his victory last week in the BMW Championship. That's slightly less than the $1.49 million that Jiyai Shin, the LPGA's leading money winner, has made for the season, and she has won three times.

Ron Sirak, a veteran golf writer who covers the LPGA for Golf World magazine, calls it “the perfect storm of bad stuff” for the tour.

Juli Inkster, 49, a Hall of Famer who has competed on the LPGA for 26 years, said, “It can't get any worse.”

Inkster, however, has been heartened by the efforts of interim Commissioner Marty Evans, a retired Navy rear admiral who has sought to mend ties with sponsors. The players would expect the same from the new permanent commissioner, whom the tour hopes to have in place by November.

“We've got to get back to what we do best, which is building relationships,” Inkster said.

The conundrum for the LPGA is that it already was at a crossroads, facing a major identity crisis, before the economy's dive. A tour that was founded by 13 women in 1950 has become a global entity in its sponsor relations, and, more noticeably, in the makeup of its players. While Americans dominated the tour for decades, they are now being overshadowed by foreigners, mostly players from Asia.

An American player has not topped the season money list since 1993, and this year only three Americans are among the top 10 in earnings.

The most delicate subject is the so-called “Asian invasion.” It has been perceived as a competitive boon, pushing the quality of play higher than it has ever been. But it remains a dicey marketing dilemma for the tour.

In 2000, just one player with an Asian surname finished in the top 10 on the money list. Today, there are five. Sixteen of the top 30 golfers in this year's money standings have Asian surnames, and eight of the 19 tournaments have been won by Asians.

In Bivens' most high-profile blunder, she instituted in August 2008 a policy that all players speak English by 2009. It was a rule clearly aimed at South Koreans, the largest and most successful group. The backlash was so quick and fierce, including threats of a discrimination lawsuit, the LPGA immediately backed off.

In the drama could be found a thread of legitimate concern. When players aren't able to speak English, it's difficult to promote them, and English-speaking media have a harder time relating those individuals' personality and background to fans. Also, the LPGA's success is largely based on its relationships with sponsors, and when a player can't easily schmooze with pro-am partners, it can be a problem.

Inkster said there are many Korean players who are humorous and engaging with people they know but are bound by culture to be more deferential with strangers, particularly those who are older.

“They've got great personalities. They're just not comfortable initiating conversation,” said Inkster, who added that the Koreans seem to be getting more comfortable with their noncompetitive role on tour.

Through the troubles, the players forge on, doing their best to overcome the issues that are out of their control. Sirak of Golf World said they remain the most fan-, sponsor- and media-friendly athletes on the planet.

“When you look at the PGA Tour versus the LPGA, there's more youth interaction with the LPGA,” said Torrey Gane, the Samsung World Championship tournament director. “On the PGA Tour, they sign an autograph and keep walking. Out here, they look at the individual, make eye contact. They really interact with people and show their appreciation.”

Inkster has been a proud example of that for nearly three decades.

“It blows my mind how good we are,” Inkster said, “and how much we still have to work to get to where we're at. The guys (on the PGA Tour) wouldn't last a week doing what we do.”

Union-Tribune

Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858;

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Janangelo Avoids Sectional

Liz Janangelo failed to finish in the top five on the Duramed Futures Tour money list and therefore did not earn her 2010 LPGA Tour card. Still, she's pleased with her season, which culminated with a third-place tie Sunday in the ILOVENY Championship.

"I'm in the top 15 on the money list when you take away players with conditional status, so I go directly to LPGA qualifying school in December," she said Tuesday at TPC River Highlands, where the former Duke All-American from West Hartford made an appearance to benefit The First Tee of Connecticut.

Otherwise, she would have needed to make the cut at the LPGA qualifying school sectional Sept 17-20 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

"It was a huge weight off my shoulders not having to do that and go directly instead to final qualifying school," she said.

Janangelo, 25, was a member of the LPGA Tour in 2008.

To regain her LPGA card for next season, she will have to finish in the top 20 in the 90-hole qualifier Dec. 2-6 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

"This summer, my game and state of mind weren't good," said Janangelo, who will live in Palm Beach, Fla., this winter and play in some Suncoast Tour events. "I got better, especially with my putting. My game and confidence are very good. I'm looking forward to Q-school and to get back on the LPGA Tour."

Mahan Logical Pick

Hunter Mahan didn't need to talk his way on to the U.S. Presidents Cup team. Captain Fred Couples is well aware of the soft-spoken Mahan's shot-making skills and competitiveness.

There was little surprise Tuesday when Couples named Mahan one of his two captain's picks to go against the international team Oct. 8-10 in San Francisco.

"Jack Nicklaus picked him two years ago, and I'm picking him again," Couples said Tuesday at a press conference in Washington.

Mahan, the 2007 Travelers Championship winner, was 2-3 in the 2007 Presidents Cup, won by the U.S. team. Last year, he had 2-0-3 record in the U.S. Ryder Cup victory over the Europeans. Couples' other captain's pick is U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover.

Section Honoring Kolakowski

Fred Kolakowski of Mill River Country Club in Stratford has been named the Connecticut Section PGA golf professional of the year. Those who saw Kolakowski, who has lung cancer, and his son Fred Jr., the pro at Gillette Ridge Golf Club in Bloomfield, paired together in the first round of the Connecticut Open will never forget the emotions of that day at Hartford GC. Kolakowski will be honored at the section's awards ceremony Nov. 22 at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Nov. 22. ... Wake Forest junior Natalie Sheary of West Hartford shot a 4-over-par 76 in the second round of the Topy Cup in Tanagura, Japan. Cheyenne Woods, a niece of Tiger Woods, led the Demon Deacons with a 74. Wake Forest (305) was in second place heading into today's final round, 24 shots behind Arizona State. ... Jack Linehan of Simsbury and Elizabeth DiVicentis of Durham are the Connecticut Section PGA Junior Golf Association players of the year. ... Arnold Palmer celebrates his 80th birthday today. In 1956, he earned his first U.S. victory on the PGA Tour at the Insurance City Open. He also won at Wethersfield CC in 1960.

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This Week in Golf - September 10th through September 13th

By It will be narrowed even further following this week's event, Sports Network

The Sports Network

Last year, Camilo Villegas captured his long-anticipated first career PGA Tour victory with a two-under 68 in the final round, holding off a hard-charging Dudley Hart to win the BMW Championship by two shots.

Villegas moved to No. 2 in the playoff standings following the win, but was statistically unable to overtake Vijay Singh for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million top prize.

Singh, who won the first two playoff events last year, simply had to finish four rounds at the Tour Championship to claim the lucrative title. As there is no cut in the playoff finale, Singh easily kept his position at the top -- even as Villegas claimed his second-straight victory.

There is no cut at the BMW Championship either, so all 70 players in the field this week will have four rounds to make something happen. Forty of them will not move on.

Steve Stricker overtook Tiger Woods for the No. 1 spot in the playoff standings after winning the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday. Woods fell to No. 2 in the standings and was followed by Barclays winner Heath Slocum, Zach Johnson and Scott Verplank.

Following the Tour Championship in two weeks, the No. 1 player in the standings will earn the $10 million bonus. Second place receives $3 million, third gets $2 million, fourth earns $1.5 million and fifth place receives $1 million.

Villegas got up and down for par to defeat Sergio Garcia on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win last year's Tour Championship, taking second in the playoffs to Singh.

To follow this week's action at Cog Hill, tune in to Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday, and NBC on the weekend.

EUROPEAN TOUR

MERCEDES-BENZ CHAMPIONSHIP, Golf Club Gut Larchenhof, Cologne, Germany - Robert Karlsson had nine top-10 finishes worldwide and was among the hottest players in golf heading into last year's Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Only one thing was missing from a season that saw Karlsson place in the top-10 in three consecutive majors -- a victory.

The lanky Swede broke free of his close-but-no-cigar streak with a two-shot win at Gut Larchenhof, posting a one-under 71 in the final round to finish at 13-under 275. It was his first win in two years and the eighth of his career on the European Tour. He claimed No. 9 in his next start, winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in a three-way playoff.

Karlsson's win made for a nice story, but this tournament is all about the Germans.

Four-time Mercedes-Benz champion and Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer will lead a home contingent in Cologne that also includes red-hot Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka. Langer, who spends most of his season playing on the Champions Tour, won the tournament in 1989, 1991, 1997 and 2001.

Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds this week beginning at 9:30 a.m. (et) on Thursday and Friday and at 8 a.m. both weekend days.

Next week is the Austrian Golf Open, where Jeev Milkha Singh won last year.

LPGA TOUR

NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP, Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas - Seon-Hwa Lee closed with a four-under 68 in the final round last year, making birdie on the final hole to win by one shot over hard-charging Jane Park and Meena Lee.

Seon-Hwa Lee finished at 15-under 201 to capture her fourth LPGA Tour win and second of the season.

Park, playing in one of the first groups out Sunday, fired a 10-under 62 in the final round to vault up the leaderboard and tie Meena Lee for second place.

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Lingerie Football League

The LFL is a female football league with ten teams that compete in seven-on-seven full-contact American football.