A Look Back: Oct. 5 1975: Johnny Miller wins the Kaiser International Open Invitational by three strokes over Rod Curl at Silverado Country Club in Napa, Calif. 1980: Mike Sullivan wins the Southern Open Invitational by five strokes over Dave Eichelberger and Johnny Miller. 1986: Unheralded Fred Wadsworth wins the Southern Open Invitational by two strokes over Tim Simpson, George Archer, Jim Thorpe, and John Cook. 1997: Davis Love III shoots a 21-under-par 267 and wins the Buick Challenge by four strokes over Stewart Cink. 1997: In his native Germany, Bernhard Langer wins the Linde German Masters by six strokes over Colin Montgomerie.

Equipment
Third-quarter sales of the YS golf club shaft made by Graphite Design International increase 350 percent over the second quarter. The shaft has gained popularity among PGA Tour players, of whom 30 to 40 percent are using GDI shafts.
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Courses
Egg Harbor Township, N.J. and Billy Casper Golf sign an agreement for the latter to manage new public course McCullough's Emerald Links. The course, near Atlantic City, is scheduled to open in July.
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Events
Tournament Golf Foundation, the organizing group for the LPGA Tour's Safeway Classic, announces plans to donate $1 million to local charities. This year's Safeway Classic, scheduled for Sept. 14-16, was cancelled in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
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People
LPGA Hall-of-Famer Patty Sheehan is selected to carry the Olympic torch through part of Nevada as the torch comes from Atlanta to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Sheehan is one of 7,200 torchbearers.
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Golf World names Wake Forest junior Brent Wanner its Collegiate Player of the Week after he won the Ping Preview last weekend. The magazine features Wanner in its Oct. 5 issue.
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Technology
IntelliGolf version 5.1 ships for use with Microsoft Windows-Powered Pocket PC 2002 operating software. The scorecard software sold by Karrier Communications automates on-course scoring, keeps statistics and tracks wagers.
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Business
Denver-based apparel firm Sport-Haley releases earnings for the fiscal year that ended June 30, highlighted by increased net losses and decreased net sales. Net losses were approximately $766,000, compared to a profit of approximately $1 million the previous year, and net sales were down 6 percent from 2000.
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Casual Friday
Silly Season Arrives Early

The UK October edition of Golf World arrived in the mailbox Thursday, boasting of a John Daly exclusive that will help me "rip it 20 yards further." But the tease in the bottom right read "Torrance on the Ryder Cup: What happens if it gets nasty? Sam reveals his crisis plan."

Now granted, this issue went to press well before the Ryder Cup was canceled, but in light of what occurred on Sept. 11, the whole idea of the Ryder Cup as this simmering battle that could turn ugly at a moment's notice is almost comical.

It's just golf, it's just a game.

Even more comical may be the Senior PGA Tour's little hocus pocus act it will attempt to pull on the golfing public.

The Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge is being taped by ABC the first week of November, and will be aired Dec. 22-23. The Senior Tour team will feature Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Fuzzy Zoeller.

Officially, though, Zoeller does not turn 50 until Nov. 11, a week after the taping of the event.

Talk about your silly season.

TAP-INS

Pinehurst is hosting the Art of Golf weekend, Nov. 9-11, exploring how golf is portrayed through paintings, drawings, books and photographs. There will be book signings, art sales, exhibits and a charity auction. For information, call 910-235-8415 or go to www.pinehurst.com/specials/golfart.html....
There is nothing like a great 19th hole and Crittenden Golf, a publisher of golf trade magazines and newsletters, is attempting to identify just which clubhouses rank among the nation's best in its eighth Clubhouse Competition. A panel of architects and interior designers will judge entries based on its specifications and photographs without knowledge of the course or location. Results will be announced in December....
What's the best golf book of all time? According to the Washington Times, Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals ranks as the No. 1 book....
The Executive Women's Golf Association is paying tribute to missing Chicago Chapter member Susan Sauer with a special logoed lapel pin. Sauer was on business in the World Trade Center when it was attacked on Sept. 11.