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| A Look Back: Apr. 24 1960: Dow Finsterwald wins the Greater New Orleans Open by six strokes over Al Besselink. 1973: Lee Westwood, a two-time European Ryder Cup member, is born in Worksop, England. 1983: Lanny Wadkins wins the Tournament of Champions by a stroke over Raymond Floyd. 1988: Chip Beck shoots a final-round 64 to win the USF&G Classic by seven strokes over Lanny Wadkins at Lakewood Country Club in New Orleans. Beck's 26-under 262 is a tournament record. 1994: Mike Springer wins the Kmart Greater Greensboro Open by three strokes over Brad Bryant, Ed Humenik and Hale Irwin. |
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James Stanich
resigns as president of National Golf Properties. Stanich will remain on the company's
board of directors.
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Tournaments
Juli Inkster,
Sophie Gustafson and Maria Hjorth have committed to play in the 11th Chick-fil-A
Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez, scheduled for April 29-May 5 at
Eagle's Landing Country Club in Stockbridge, Ga. No fewer than 97 of the top 100
from the 2001 money list have committed to compete.
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Organizers
of the Aerus Electrolux USA Championship announce that 16 of the top 20
money winners this season on the LPGA Tour have already committed to play in the
event, to be held May 9-12 at Legends Club of Tennessee.
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Equipment
According
to the recent Darrell Survey of grip usage at the Buy.com Tour's Arkansas Classic,
more than 85 percent of the players chose Golf Pride grips. That's 134
of 156 players using Golf Pride grips on a majority of the clubs in their bag.
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Architecture
Nugent
Golf Associates is undertaking the design and construction documents for a
new 45-hole golf facility in St. Petersburg, Russia.
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Courses
ClubCorp opens
Macquarie Links International Golf Club in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The par-72 course, designed by Robin Nelson, reflects both Scottish and Australian
sand belt influences.
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Players
Korean amateur
Jae An, 14, makes his debut in a professional event in Korea this week
at the SK Telecom Open. An received a sponsor's exemption into the field of the
$400,000 event in Seoul.
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Reader's Forum Augusta National has been stretched about as far as it can go. Other historic venues are either maxed out or on the verge of being lengthened to their farthest point. Even then, the courses still may not be long enough to host today's players. There is a slow groundswell of support for putting distance restrictions on golf balls. Is this a step in the right direction? Or are the historic venues just becoming obsolete and it's time to begin identifying longer courses that will host the majors of the 21st century? Let us know your opinions by sending your responses to stuart@gpagolf.com with the subject line RE: Golf Balls. Also include your first initial and last name, along with your email address. |
Commentary
USGA Applauded For Lopez's
Invitation
The U.S. Golf Association will hold its 57th U.S. Women's Open at Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson, Kansas, later this summer. But the success of this championship was assured earlier this week when the USGA granted Nancy Lopez a special exemption into the field and she accepted.
Most major championships have a rigorous process that players must go through to qualify and any invitation must merit special consideration. The USGA is not any different.
Last year, Nancy Lopez attempted to play her way into the U.S. Women's Open since she was not otherwise exempt. Lopez failed to qualify and the golf world missed one of the last and most cherished pursuits in golf -- that of a legend trying to win just one more time.
At 45, Lopez's ability to win a major is limited at best, but still possible. Just ask Jack Nicklaus if he had a chance in 1986 when he came from behind to win the Masters. Any mid-40 player on either the men's or women's tour still believe they can win when they tee it up.
Five years ago, many would have scoffed at the thought of Lopez, then 40, winning a major. She had not won a major since 1989 and posted only two top-five finishes in the subsequent seven years. In 1997, though, Lopez nearly won her first U.S. Women's Open title, becoming the only woman to shoot four rounds in the 60s. Yet Lopez lost by a stroke to Alison Nicholas.
Earlier this year, Lopez decided that her career is on the decline and announced that this year would be her final on the LPGA Tour. She has amassed 48 LPGA victories, three majors and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. But Lopez still desires to win, especially a major and, more specifically, the U.S. Women's Open.
Of course, all this would not be possible if the USGA had not extended Lopez an invitation to play in early July.
Easy are the things to find wrong with any governing body and, at times, the USGA's decisions may seem difficult to understand. In fact, eyebrows were raised a year ago when Lopez had to go through the arduous qualifying process. But in every decision, the Association has the best of intentions and, more important, believes it is protecting the game of golf.
Also important to note is that in 1999 when questions were raised about the size of the women's purse versus the men, the USGA addressed the inequities. This year, the purse for the Women's Open is $2.9 million, $800,000 more than any other LPGA Tour event and $1.4 million more than any other LPGA Tour major.
The USGA should be applauded for the efforts made to improve women's golf, but also for giving Lopez one more chance -- and golf fans one more memory.