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Charlotte.com: Golf
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News, sports and entertainment from Charlotte.com
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Inside Golf | Ron Green Jr.
By The Numbers6 Number of surgeries new Senior British Open champion
Bruce Vaughan has had on his left knee.7 Number of top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year by
Robert Allenby,
Stewart Cink and
Kenny Perry, the most on tour.1,300 Number of golfers ages 6 through 12 from around the world participating in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship this week at Pinehurst.Chip Shots Qualifying is continuing through Aug. 5 at various sites to fill the 312 spots for the U.S. Amateur that will be played Aug. 18-24 at Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4. The final qualifying event in our area is Monday and Tuesday at The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, where many of the top players will be in the field, including rising star
Corey Nagy of the Charlotte 49ers. Speaking of the Amateur, if you're interested in attending, tickets are available at www.shoppinehurst.com. They're $15 a day or $40 for a flex pass that includes four any-day tickets… The first qualifying event for the 50th Charlotte City Amateur golf championship will be today at Pine Island Golf Club. Qualifiers will also be held at Skybrook Golf Club on Tuesday and Charlotte Golf Links Wednesday to set the 84-player field…ObservationsCharlotte's
Chris Tucker is in the field for the U.S. Senior Open, which begins Thursday at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo. Tucker is hoping to kick-start his Champions Tour career, which hasn't produced much success . He has limited status on the tour, which means he can try to qualify each week to get into tournament fields, but so far he's only played three events. “Obviously, my first goal is to make the cut,” said Tucker, who won the Carolinas PGA Senior Championship last weekend at Wachesaw near Myrtle Beach. Tucker has seen two others who entered the year with the same status he has –
Mike Goodes and
Dean Jones – have success this year. Tucker said he's played well in stretches, just not well enough at the right times. “But one week can change everything,” Tucker said.The decision to move the Wyndham Championship – it still seems like it should be called the Greater Greensboro Open – back to Sedgefield Country Club this year after 32 years away was a good one.The field for the event – Aug. 11-17 – includes defending champion
Brandt Snedeker,
Vijay Singh,
DavisLove III,
David Toms,
David Duval and others already.Sedgefield, renovated recently by
Kris Spence, is the only
Donald Ross design on the PGA Tour schedule, and players will like its old-style look and feel. The tournament needed a jolt of juice, and the move back to Sedgefield is a step in that direction.My Two Cents According to Golf World magazine, the two-year-old Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika at RiverTowne Landing near Charleston won't be on the LPGA Tour schedule next year, a consequence of the economic times, particularly in the real estate world. It's too bad because it was a good event at a good spot. It also raises the question of whether the Charlotte area would be a good place for the LPGA to turn its attention. Granted, finding title sponsors is tougher than it has been, and the shadow of the Wachovia Championship is immense, effectively eliminating a springtime date for an LPGA event. The tour, however, is more attractive than it has been in years, and its stars, particularly
Lorena Ochoa and
Paula Creamer, are becoming more familiar beyond golf. With a Champions Tour event in Hickory, a likely Nationwide Tour event coming to the Charlotte area next fall and the Wachovia Championship in place, finding a place for an LPGA event on the schedule would give the area a nice foursome.
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Rookie wins Canadian Open
The Small Unit came up big in the Canadian Open. Chez Reavie, proudly sporting an Arizona Diamondbacks logo on his shirt, won the national championship Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 1-under 70 for a three-stroke victory over Billy Mayfair. At 5-foot-9, the former Arizona State player, 26, picked up the Small Unit moniker in a reference to Randy Johnson, the 6-foot-10 Diamondbacks pitcher known as the Big Unit. Playing for the sixth straight week, Reavie finished at 17-under 267. He earned $900,000 and spots in the PGA Championship and 2009 Masters. “How much? $900,000. That's unbelievable, really,” the Tour rookie said. “Yeah, wow!”elsewhereLPGA: Helen Alfredsson won her first LPGA Tour title in five years Sunday, defeating rookie Na Yeon Choi in a playoff at the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Bains, France. The Swede, 43, made a 3-foot birdie in the third round of the playoff at the par-5 18th, while the 20-year-old Choi, of South Korea, parred the hole.SENIOR BRITISH OPEN: Bruce Vaughan won the Senior British Open on Sunday for his first career victory, sinking a 20-foot putt to beat John Cook on the first playoff hole. Cook squandered a three-stroke lead after 10 holes at Royal Troon but still went to the 72nd leading Vaughan by one. Cook sent his tee shot into the rough and then played his third shot well short of the green. He decided to putt, but left it 15 feet short for a bogey to finish with an even-par 71 and a 6-under 278 total. Vaughan made a par for a 70 that forced the Americans back to No. 18 to begin the playoff, the championship's third in four years. Vaughan pitched to the center of the green and sank his 20-footer. When Cook missed his putt from 12 feet, the former firefighter from Hutchinson, Kansas, won his first tournament on the senior or regular PGA Tour. Vaughan also earned his biggest paycheck, $312,258.EUROPEAN TOUR: Sweden's Mikael Lundberg carded a final-round 68 to hold off a challenge from Jose Manuel Lara and win golf's Russian Open for a second time in four years.
Bloomberg News
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Cook moves into top spot
John Cook took a one-stroke lead in the Senior British Open on Saturday, shooting a 4-under 67 to capitalize on the midround collapse of fellow American Bruce Vaughan. Vaughan birdied the par-3 eighth to take a three-shot lead at 7-under, but then bogeyed four straight and Cook rolled in a 4-foot birdie at 13 for a two-stroke lead at Royal Troon. Cook, 50, who was runner-up to Nick Faldo at the British Open at Muirfield 16 years ago, goes into today's final round at 6-under 207, leading Vaughan by one shot as he chases his first major on the Seniors tour. Vaughan came back with a birdie at No.18 for a 69 and was one stroke ahead of Eduardo Romero, who had a 68. Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer both shot 71 and were another three shots back. Greg Norman, who had a bogey-free 67, was tied for sixth at 1-over 214.LPGAAngela Park birdied the final three holes for a 4-under 68 to keep a one-shot lead after the third round of the Evian Masters at Evian-Les-Bains, France. Park, 19, who has dual Brazilian and American citizenship, had a total of 14-under 202. Taiwan-born Candie Kung, who also has U.S. citizenship, was one shot back after a 67.PGAAnthony Kim made nine birdies and an eagle in 21 holes in the Canadian Open at Oakville, Ontario, for a share of the lead with Chez Reavie during the suspended third round at rain-softened Glen Abbey. Kim, tied for 26th at 4 under through 15 holes when second-round play was suspended Friday night, went birdie-birdie-eagle Saturday morning for a 2-under 69, He then added a bogey-free 64 in the third round to match Reavie at 15 under. Scott McCarron had a 63 to get to 12 under.Elsewhere At Shoal Creek, Ala., Cameron Peck won the U.S. Junior Amateur title, 10 and 8 over Evan Beck. It was the largest margin of victory in four years. Peck, 17, of Olympia, Wash., won six of the first eight holes and cruised over Beck, also 17, from Virginia Beach, Va. Peck earned a spot in the 2008 U.S. Amateur competition at Pinehurst Resort starting Aug. 18.EUROPEAN TOUR: Former champion Mikael Lundberg shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Russian Open in Nakhabino, Russia. Lundberg has a 17-under 199 total.Observer News Services
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Vaughan leads Senior British
American Bruce Vaughan shot par 71 Friday, taking a one-shot lead after the second round of the Senior British Open before heading for therapy on his troublesome left knee. Vaughan, who has undergone three partial knee replacements over the past two years, totaled 3-under 139. John Cook (71) is one stroke back. Vaughan had two bogeys, which he followed with birdies. Vaughan, a former firefighter who took up golf at 20, is aiming for first major win on the Senior tour. Tom Watson (71), Bernhard Langer (71) and Eduardo Romero (73) were another stroke back under windy conditions at Royal Troon links. Greg Norman shot a 72, including an eagle at the 16th, to finish eight strokes off the leader.PGAChez Reavie finished the rain-delayed first round of the Canadian Open in Oakville, Ontario, with a 6-under 65 and had a 64 in the second to take a two-stroke lead over Eric Axley. At 13-under 129, Reavie, a 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie, matched the tournament record for the first 36 holes set by Scott Dunlap in 1996. The 129 total also matches the best on the PGA Tour this year. Axley, one of 63 players unable to finish the round, was 11 under with a hole left when play was suspended because of darkness.LPGAHelen Alfredsson shot a course-record 9-under 63 to pull within a shot of leader Angela Park after the second round of the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Bains, France. Park shot a 68 in her second straight bogey-free round, giving her a 10-under total of 134. Alfredsson, 43, made four birdies on the front nine and five on the back at the Evian Royal Resort to beat the old course mark of 64 held by six players.U.S. Junior Amateur Evan Beck, of Virginia Beach, Va., beat Jordan Speith, of Dallas, 1 up in one of the semifinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur in Shoal Creek, Ala., keeping the 14-year-old Speith from the chance to surpass Tiger Woods as the youngest champion. Woods was 15 when he won the first of his three consecutive junior titles in 1991.Observer News Services
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Norman has a major struggle
Four days after nearly making history at the British Open, Greg Norman labored to a 4-over 75 Thursday in the opening round of the Seniors British Open to finish seven shots behind co-leaders Bruce Vaughan and Eduardo Romero. In sunny conditions at Troon, Norman bogeyed six of the first 10 holes and was 6 over before he finally birdied the par-4 13th. He birdied the final hole with a pitch to 3 feet. “Things just weren't going my way early on,” Norman said. “I just had to hang in there and gut it out the best I could. The ball just wasn't rolling my way.” Norman, 53, led the British Open at Royal Birkdale with nine holes to play Sunday and appeared on course to become the oldest winner of a major before he finished third behind Padraig Harrington. While Norman struggled, playing partner Tom Watson made every green and missed only one fairway in a bogey-free 70. Andy Bean, John Cook and Kirk Hanefield and Nick Job were one shot off the leaders. Craig Stadler hit a hole-in-one at the “postage stamp” eighth hole – the shortest in the history of the British Open – winning 123 bottles of wine, one for every yard, as a prize from a sponsor. Stadler finished with a 74.PGAMike Weir gave Canadian Open fans what they came to see on another rainy day in Oakville, Ontario.Weir, a Canadian icon, shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 for a share of the lead with Anthony Kim and Eric Axley during the suspended first round. Only half of the players were able to finish the round that was delayed for 5 hours, 42 minutes.LPGALorena Ochoa, a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year who took off the last three weeks, shot a 7-under 65 and held a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Bains, France. Ochoa started her round with a birdie and added six more on the back nine in a bogey-free round. Ahn Sun-ju, Candie Kung and Angela Park trailed by one stroke. Annika Sorenstam had four bogeys in her round of 71.European Tour Joakim Backstrom shot a 7-under 65 to share a four-way lead after the opening round of the Russian Open at Nakhabino, Russia. Backstrom is tied with David Carter of England, Roope Kakko of Finland and Fredrik Henge of Sweden. John Daly struggled with a hand injury to shoot a 70.Observer News Services
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Giuliani's son kicked off team, sues Duke
Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, has sued Duke University, saying the school breached a $200,000 contract with him by kicking him off the golf team.Giuliani, a rising senior at Duke, filed suit in federal court in Greensboro.Duke University officials said in a statement that they would "vigorously defend this lawsuit.""Duke's coaches and student athletes are held to the highest standards, which include a strong commitment to fairness for all participants in our sports programs," Michael J. Schoenfeld, Duke's vice president for public affairs and government relations, said in a statement.The complaint, drawn up by Robert Ekstrand, a lawyer representing some of the members of the 2006 Duke lacrosse team, outlines strife between Giuliani and O.D. Vincent, the head golf coach. Vincent came on board after the spring 2007 death of Rod Myers, the coach who recruited Giuliani in high school.As an aspiring pro golfer in high school, Giuliani was promised life-time access to Duke's state-of-the-art training facilities if he came to Duke and paid $200,000 in tuition and fees, the suit claims."Things changed when O.D. Vincent took over," the lawsuit says.Upon taking over the team last summer, Vincent talked about making the 13-member team half its size.On Feb. 11, 2008, the suit says, Vincent announced that Giuliani would not be on the team."Andrew and his teammates were shocked," the suit says. "Andrew had no prior notice of what was about to happen. At no time was Andrew ever given an opportunity to defend himself."The suit goes on to claim that incidents of misconduct that Vincent cited in his reasons for expelling Giuliani were not appropriate reasons for expulsion. According to the suit:-- On Feb. 2 Giuliani flipped his putter a few feet to his golf bag.-- On Feb. 3, Giuliani leaned over his driver and it broke, and "in O.D. Vincent's telling, this became 'throwing and breaking' a club."-- On Feb. 3, Giuliani walked ahead of his playing partner at Treyburn Golf Course and later that day "gunned the engine" of his car and "drove fast while leaving the golf course parking lot."-- On Feb. 4, during a golf-team football game, "Andrew played harder than some of the other boys wanted to play."-- On Feb. 10, while Giuliani was eating an apple, a teammate twice hit the golfer's hand and knocked the fruit to the ground. After that same teammate "slammed a door hitting Andrew's face," Giuliani "tossed the apple at a teammate, glancing off the side of his face."The golf coach, according to the suit, "imposed a bizarre 'Lord of the Flies' scheme to determine whether Andrew's eligibility would be canceled permanently."Giuliani claims in the suit that he is entitled to financial relief under the contract he entered with Duke when he agreed to come to the university.In March 2007, Giuliani talked about his golf game in an internview with the New York Daily News. His handicap was a plus-2. He had a 1 handicap before heading to Duke."I'm just trying to work my hardest the last two and a half years here [at Duke] to hopefully one day be playing against Tiger [Woods]," he told the Daily News. "That's definitely the ultimate goal. I wouldn't mind seeing him in the final round of a major, that's for sure."In 1994, Giuiliani stole center stage from his father during Rudy Giuliani's mayoral inauguration. The mayor's then-7-year-old son stood next to him at the podium mocking his dad's fist pumps, mouthing words and mugging for the crowd. The incident became a talk-show sensation and was immortalized in a "Saturday Night Live" sketch.
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This Week in Golf
PGA TOURCanadian OpenSITE: Oakville, Ontario.SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday.COURSE: Glen Abbey Golf Club (7,112 yards, par 72).PURSE: $5million.
WINNER'S SHARE: $900,000.FEDEX CUP POINTS: 25,000.
WINNER'S SHARE: 4,500.TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).NOTES: Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh, a playoff winner over Canadian star Mike Weir in 2004 at Glen Abbey, are in the field along with Weir, fellow Canadian star Stephen Ames, Anthony Kim, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Scott Verplank and Camilo Villegas. LPGA TOUR/LADIES EUROPEAN TOUREvian MastersSITE: Evian, France.SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday.COURSE: Evian Masters Golf Club (6,347 yards, par 72).PURSE: $3.25million. Winner's share: $487,500.TELEVISION: Golf Channel (Thursday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Friday, 12:30-2:30 a.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 12:30-2:30 a.m., 1-3:30 p.m., 9-11 p.m.; Sunday, 1-3 p.m., 9-11 p.m.).LAST YEAR: Natalie Gulbis won her first LPGA Tour title, beating Jeong Jang with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.NOTES: The Women's British Open is next week at Sunningdale. … Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa is in the strong field along with Natalie Gulbis, Annika Sorenstam, Paula Creamer and Suzann Pettersen. CHAMPIONS TOUR/PGA EUROPEAN SENIORS TOURSenior British OpenSITE: Troon, Scotland.SCHEDULE: Thursday-Sunday.COURSE: Royal Troon Golf Club (7,064 yards, par 71).PURSE: TBA ($2 million in 2007). Winner's share: TBA ($324,500 in 2007).TELEVISION: TNT (Thursday-Friday, noon-2 p.m.) and ABC (Saturday, 1:30-3 p.m.; Sunday, 1-3 p.m.).NOTES: Greg Norman, the 54-hole leader in the British Open en route to a third-place tie at age 53, is in the field. … Tom Watson won in 2003 at Turnberry and 2005 at Royal Aberdeen. He missed the cut by a stroke last week at Royal Birkdale.
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