The Wire: Golf's Only Daily Transaction Newsletter

The Wire, golf's only daily transaction newsletter

August 11, 2003 • Volume 5, No. 29
a publication of the Golf Press Association

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Today's News

Equipment
Nike Golf unveils its first full-service and dedicated research & design facility for the development of performance golf clubs and the testing of both golf clubs and golf balls in Fort Worth, Texas. The 28,000 square foot, state-of-the-art R&D facility will be home to more than 100 ongoing club projects in varying stages of design and development.
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Apparel
Firethorn, the junior golf apparel brand of West End Apparel, LLC, has become an official clothing supplier of the National Junior Golf Club. West End Apparel is the official clothing supplier for 6 to 12-year-old age groups.
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Technology
Receiving member feedback is an important component for the club industry. To help with these efforts, Clubessential recently released an enhanced survey module as part of their Series 4 interactive Web site package.
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Players
Tom Watson's major championships record for 2003 is rivaled only by Jack Nicklaus' 1990 and 1991 seasons, Ray Floyd in 1993 and Watson's own first year on the Champions Tour in 2000. Since missing the cut at the Masters by three strokes, Watson's worst finish in the seven majors he's played to date was a T28 in the U.S. Open, which he co-led after the first round.
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Briefly
PING COLLECTION, a leading apparel brand designed and manufactured by Perry Ellis International, is expanding its men's and women's clothing lines of shirts, pants/shorts, and outerwear for Spring '04. The collections debuted at the PGA Show in San Diego last week. ...

The PGA TOUR/USA Youth Golf Clinics with 60 multicultural kids from the Girl Scouts of America and Dedham Parks and Recreation will take place at the McGolf Driving Range in Dedham, Mass., from August 18-29, corresponding with the PGA Tour's Deutsche Bank US Championship. The clinics include five weeks of 1 1/2-hour sessions with each participant receiving a golf shirt, golf balls and hat. ...

C-Thru Grips, Inc., in partnership with Golf Pride, re-introduces its complete line of clear grips. The C-Thru Grip is a patent pending product that consists of personalized labels applied directly to the club or putter shaft that are visible underneath a clear grip. ...

The Wequassett Inn Resort & Golf Club, a waterfront resort on Cape Cod, is awarded the highest achievements of Service within the Preferred Hotels organization, a prestigious brand of 120 independent luxury hotels and resorts worldwide. ...

Michael Tash looks to add to his already impressive legacy by becoming only the ninth player in Golf Association of Philadelphia history to capture both the Amateur Championship and Patterson Cup in the same season. The Patterson Cup will be held August 14 at Bellewood GC/Spring Ford CC. ...

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club is offering guests a special package that includes a commemorative anniversary shirt. The 40th Anniversary Package is available from September 1, 2003 to June 1, 2004 and starts at $139 Sunday through Wednesday. ...

The Madison Hotel in Washington DC ‚ slated to re-open after a nine-month refurbishment at the end of the month - is presenting the first annual Washington Swingers Weekend September 19-21. It includes the Battle of the Hill, a congressional/celebrity golf tournament, as well as a polo event starting at $2500, double occupancy, for two nights. ...

The Pennsylvania Golf Association will crown the Commonwealth's top player, no matter amateur or professional, at the Frank B. Fuhrer Open Championship August 11-13 at Stonewall. ...

Bang Golf Company recorded a first place, two second places, two fourth places and the longest ball of the day in two District qualifiers held last weekend for the Re/Max Long Drive Finals. Players were using the New Bang-O-Matic and Big Bang 450 golf clubs. ...

Sea Trail Plantation near Sunset Beach, N.C., undertakes a major renovation of the Dan Maples golf course. The Maples course will be closed until October 1 to complete the reseeding and redesign of the greens as well as the improvements to the tee boxes, bunkers and cart paths. ...

Newly launched CoolGolfShirts.com starts a free drawing, "Greens Fees On Us," where Web site visitors can enter for the chance to take home a $300 gift certificate to their favorite golf club. ...

The ALS Association North Texas Chapter will hold its fifth annual golf tournament September 9 to raise money toward the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). Tournament fee is $175 and includes green fee, cart, shirt, lunch, dinner, drinks tickets and more. See www.alsanorthtexas.org for details.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Virada Nirapathpongporn

Over the weekend, reigning NCAA champion Virada Nirapathpongporn claimed the U.S. Women's amateur title by defeating Jane Park 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final. Nirapathpongporn was the No. 8 seed going into match play and defeated No. 1 Aree Song in the quarterfinals to advance.

RHONDA GLENN: This is an incredible achievement for you. I think about you coming over here when you were 17 by yourself to live ---

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: 15.

RHONDA GLENN: 15. -- to live by yourself in this country because you were dedicated to learning to play great golf. And now you have reached the top of the peak in amateur golf. What does it mean to you?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: I am just so proud of myself of how I just have grown up the last six years, basically by myself, but I know my parents are there in Thailand but they are very far away. They can be my guidance, they can give me emotional support, and advice and all that, but I am the one executing, making the decisions and just the way I have grown up the last six years, I am just so proud. Like you said, I think this is the top of the Amateur level. In college I am the National Champion individually and team and then I won the Honda Award and that's about all you can get -- as high as you can get in college. U.S. Amateur is definitely one of the goals that I wanted to accomplish. But sometimes you can't have all, Publinx was one of the goals. There were things out of my control and I can only do so much, but I learned a lot from that experience and I really put it together this week.

RHONDA GLENN: You sure did. How did the course play later in the day from this morning with all the rain last night?

VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN: I think it might have played a little bit more difficult this morning because it was wetter. I woke up and I heard thunders and hard rain and I am like, oh, it's going to be wet, wet day. But I finally cleared up before we teed off so that was nice and the sun came out, so it helped dry a little bit. But yeah, it was difficult this morning, playing on wet fairways because you are thinking chunk or thin, it's just hard to go at it.

Click here for the complete interview with U.S. Women's Amateur champion Virada Nirapathpongporn.

Reader's Forum
Davis Love III earned his fourth PGA Tour victory of the year last week at The International. Can Love win Player of the Year honors without a major victory? Which other players besides Love should be considered for Player of the Year?

Let us know your opinions by sending your responses by Thursday at 5 p.m. ET with the subject line RE: Player of the Year. Also include your first initial and last name, along with your city and state or country.

Send your responses to info@gpagolf.com