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| A Look Back: Nov. 27 1960: Arnold Palmer wins the Mobile Sertoma Open for his eighth PGA Tour victory of the season. 1965: LPGA Tour member Danielle Ammaccapane is born in Babylon, N.Y. 1966: Kathy Whitworth wins the Titleholders Championship. 1983: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson play in the first Skins Game. Player wins. 1988: Raymond Floyd wins the Skins Game.
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Note: The Wire will not be published Thursday or Friday because of the Thanksgiving holiday. The next issue of The Wire will be delivered on Monday, Dec. 2.
Tournaments
Two qualifications changes will affect the 2003 Masters Tournament.
The 10 leaders on the Official PGA Tour Money list and the 50 leaders
on the Official World Golf Ranking the week before the tournament will
now be eligible.
For
more...
The PGA Tour, JELD-WEN,
tournament founder Lyle Anderson and Peter Jacobsen Productions announce
that The Tradition, one of the major championships on
the PGA Tour's Champions Tour, has a new home in Portland, Ore., and a
new title sponsor, JELD-WEN.
For
more...
Bandon Dunes Golf
Resort in Bandon, Ore., has been chosen as the site of the 2006
Curtis Cup Match and the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship,
the United States Golf Association has announced.
For
more...
Spain's Jose Maria
Olazabal starts the defense of his Omega Hong Kong Open
title at the Hong Kong Golf Club tomorrow, joining Nick Faldo and other
European golfers in the joint sanctioned tournament.
For
more...
Events
PGA Worldwide
Golf Exhibitions, a division of Reed Exhibitions, announces a modification
of previously released date and format information for the 2003
PGA Fall Expo. This year's event will now be staged Aug. 5-7.
San Diego and the San Diego Convention Center remain as the event host
city and venue.
For
more...
Public Relations
Read
The Greens' Director of Public Relations Vanessa Price announces
that the company has been selected by best selling author Gay Hendricks
and Rodale Publishing, to provide public relations and promotional support
services for his soon to be released golf book, CONSCIOUS GOLF.
For
more...
Equipment
The new Dr. "FEEL" Titanium Square Face Driver from FEEL
Golf will debut in January at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.
The club, offered in a 3 and 5 degree loft for the world's long drive
competitors, is formulated from a hybrid 15-3-3-3 and other special Titanium
for a hard face.
For
more...
FEEL Golf also introduces
its newest wedge and first real oil-can wedge in the industry. The Midnight
Series wedges have a jet black finish that offers less resistance in deep
rough and sand.
For
more...
Photography
World renowned photographer Larry Lambrecht announces
the arrival of his new 2003 collection in time for the holiday gift giving
season. The Emerald Gems collection are the first fine art prints produced
on the world famous golf venues of Ireland.
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more...
Courses
International Golf Maintenance signs an agreement with
Highland Woods Golf and Country Club in Bonita Springs,
Fla. Designed by Gordon Lewis, Highland Woods is a semi-private, 18-hole,
par-72 course measuring 6,971 yards and managed under Coral Beach Hotels
and Clubs. IGM is currently overseeing maintenance operations at several
other courses under Coral Beach management.
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more...
Publications
Luxury Publishing, in conjunction with the Nicklaus Companies, will launch
a new U.S. lifestyle magazine Dec. 5 called NICKLAUS
and inspired by the career, the life and the lifestyle of Jack Nicklaus.
For
more...
People
The Greg Norman Collection promotes Suzy Biszantz to
president. She is responsible for overseeing product design and development,
product and brand marketing and sales operations and will report to Reebok
president and COO Jay Margolis.
For
more...
The Virginia State
Golf Association joins the golfing community in mourning the loss of long-time
Meadowbrook Country Club head PGA professional Jimmy McFarlane,
61, who passed away on Sunday night of complications from kidney disease.
For
more...
Associations
Dave Barnes, Frank Ellenburg, Doug Simmons and Kevin Trent are headed
to Taipei, Taiwan Dec. 17-18 on behalf of the Arizona Golf Association
to compete in the 12th Golf Association of the Republic of China Presidents
Cup International Amateur Golf Club Team Championship. Also, Sean O'Malley
and Tom Walinski will team up at the Delta Airlines Cup VI-International
Championship Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in Bogota, Columbia.
For
more...
Briefly
The R.A.M. Marketing Group, manufacturer of Golfers Mate
the renowned tee shot accessory, is pleased to announce its appointment
of Michael Silvester as sole sales agent for Australia and New Zealand.
...
Louisville Golf offers patriotic maple mallet-style putters in five designs: Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and USA True Blue. All the putters feature America Blue Stain, a Cherry Red Insert and are face-balanced for $99 each. ...
Graphite Design International unveils its new "YS-5" ultralight, high-performance shafts designed for driver and fairway wood golf clubs. ...
NatCom Inc., publisher of GOLF ILLUSTRATED Magazine, purchases Bettergolf.net, which consists of more than 550,000 opt-in e-mail subscribers who've agreed to receive four weekly e-newsletters specifically about golf-related topics. ...
Geoff Mangum of the PuttingZone.com announces a World Q-School Report for all the professional golf tours. The Report covers the PGA Q-school regionals and the up-coming Finals at La Quinta, California, December 4 - 9, 2002, as well as reporting on Q-school results from Canada, Latin America, Europe, the LPGA, and many other tours. ...
Sabona of London, Inc., manufacturer of copper and magnetic bracelets, reports healthy sales increases for the first three quarters of 2002. Sales of Sabona products in golf accounts in particular have increased 25 percent through September 2002, while Sabona sales overall have increased 20 percent during the same period.
Commentary
Oh,
the Tension
During the offseason in most sports, players are traded, free agents sign with new teams, a few guys retire. The faces in the games change.
Golf's version of that change is more gradual, taking place all year, as players jockey for positions inside the top 125 of the PGA Tour's money list. The apogee of that change (or the nadir) occurs next week in the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, the tour's version of a soap opera.
Already some players who were grinding it out week after week on tour last year have lost their spots for 2003. Of the 36 players who earned their playing cards in last year's Q-School, 26 failed to earn enough to keep their cards. At least one of those, 18-year-old Ty Tryon, has a medical exemption for next season.
Four of the 10 who managed to retain their cards -- Luke Donald, Bob Burns, Phil Tataurangi and Ian Leggatt -- won on tour in 2002.
Q-School medalist Pat Perez had a couple of runner-up finishes, but Pete Jordan and Kenneth Staton, who tied for second with Burns, were not so lucky. Staton will have to endure the six rounds of hell at La Quinta on the PGA West Stadium Course and the Nicklaus Course, but Jordan failed to make it past stage two.
Boo Weekley, who captured a lot of attention at the 2001 Q-School with his penchant for wearing rain pants and tennis shoes every round, failed to get beyond the second stage this year. Likewise, Gary Nicklaus, who had an awful season on tour, did not make it past the second stage. Their appearances in PGA events in 2003 will be limited at best.
Among some others who did not make it to the final were Grant Waite, 2001 NCAA champion Nick Gilliam, Canadian veteran Richard Zokol, David Edwards, Ronnie Black, former Clemson University star Chris Patton, Lee Porter, Jim Gallagher Jr., Willie Wood, Guy Boros and 2001 U.S. Amateur champ Bubba Dickerson.
As usual, the field for Q-School is filled with familiar names, unknowns, should-have-beens, could-have-beens and assorted others. Former tour regulars are abundance, hoping that this time is the last time (sounds like a Dwight Yoakam song).
Among the players we have grown accustomed to seeing over the years who will try once again for a shot at cash and glory on tour are former Ryder Cup member Steve Pate; Ken Green, a five-time tour winner; Curt Byrum; Brandel Chamblee; Russ Cochran; Gary Hallberg, who won on the Buy.com Tour last year; John Maginnes; Casey Martin; Tom Scherrer; and Tommy Tolles.
There's a story for every name if you look hard enough. Rob Bradley, a 28-year-old former tour player and Buy.com player, failed to regain his card last year and was left with few options to practice his chosen profession in 2002. Forced to advance through both opening stages, all Bradley did was tie for medalist honors in the first stage and win them outright in the second stage on two of the toughest courses around -- the Bayonet and the Black courses in Seaside, Calif.
At the other end of the age spectrum is the 44-year-old Hallberg, a former college All-American at Wake Forest. Hallberg's game hit the skids in the mid-'90s, and he has been trying to find his way back ever since. The last time the three-time tour winner finished inside the top 125 in money was in 1994.
Among the young are Matt Weibring, son of tour regular D.A. Weibring, and Andy Miller, son of major champion Johnny Miller. Matt, a star at Georgia Tech, got the last available spot in his qualifier at Stonebridge Country Club in McKinney, Texas. Andy, who had impressive outing at the U.S. Open, then won on the Buy.com Tour, advanced through Oak Valley in Beaumont, Calif.
Then there's the former college baseball player who's trying to regain his tour card (Ryan Howison), the 44-year-old son of a college basketball coach (Steve Haskins) and the loser of the 1998 British Open playoff (Brian Watts).
There is no shortage of stories, and neither will there be a shortage of drama and gut-wrenching tension as the tournament reaches its conclusion. Q-School is simply the most arduous event most of these guys will ever play.
Let the stomach spasms begin and the sphincter muscles tighten.
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Reader's
Forum Annika Sorenstam just won her 11th LPGA Tour event and 13th worldwide event Sunday when she collected the ADT Championship trophy. Is Annika as much of, or more a force on her tour than Tiger Woods is on his? Is she doing all she can to promote women's golf? What, if any, responsibility does she have to speak out on issues like Augusta National admitting a woman member? If you were in her position, what would you do to improve the profile of the LPGA Tour and life for women golfers? Let us know your opinions by sending your responses to info@gpagolf.com with the subject line RE: Annika. Also include your first initial and last name, along with your city and state or country. |