By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor
For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.
Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.
Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."
So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:
• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.
Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.
• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.
Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.
• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.
• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?
Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.
• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!
• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.
• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.
So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.
• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.
The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?
• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.
• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Big 12 Golfers of the Month Named for March
April 9, 2008
IRVING, Texas -- Trent Leon (Oklahoma State) and Nacho Elvira (Texas A&M) has been named the Big 12 Men's Golfers of the Month while Pennapa Pulsawath (Iowa State) has been chosen as the Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Month for tournament play in the month of March, the conference office announced.
Trent Leon, Oklahoma State, Jr., Dallas, Texas
Leon recorded two top-20 finishes and fired three rounds below 70 during the month of March. The junior claimed his first career win at the U.S. Collegiate Championship with his three-round score of 8-under 208 (69-69-70). The honor marked his sixth career top-10 finish. Leon was named the Southern Golf Association's National Amateur of the Month following his victory. The Dallas, Texas native also tied for 17th at the Puerto Rico Classic.
Nacho Elvira, Texas A&M, Fr., Santander, Spain
Elvira earned three top-13 finishes including two top-six performances while shooting par or better in seven of nine rounds played in March. The freshman captured the individual title at the Barona Collegiate Cup with a 12-under 204 (67-71-66), just one stroke off the school record for 54 holes. He led his team to a first place finish and received National Player of the Week honors from Golfweek and Golf World. Elvira tied for sixth at the U.S. Collegiate Championship with a one-under 215 and opened up the month with a tie for 13th at the Southern Highlands Collegiate.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Conference USA Player of the Week
MEN'S GOLFER OF THE WEEK
KELLY KRAFT - SMU
Fr., Denton, Texas (Ryan)
Kraft continued his strong freshman run, finishing second at 3-under 210 at the 2008 Diet Pepsi Shocker Golf Classic at the par-71 Wichita Country Club. Kraft carded rounds of 69, 69 and 72. As a team, SMU finished second to host Wichita State. The weekly honor is the second of Kraft's young career (Mar. 12).
KELLY KRAFT - SMU
Fr., Denton, Texas (Ryan)
Kraft continued his strong freshman run, finishing second at 3-under 210 at the 2008 Diet Pepsi Shocker Golf Classic at the par-71 Wichita Country Club. Kraft carded rounds of 69, 69 and 72. As a team, SMU finished second to host Wichita State. The weekly honor is the second of Kraft's young career (Mar. 12).
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Tarleton State Women Ranked #3
Adjusted Avg. Rank
Division Scoring Drop Versus# of
Team *Record Average Score Top 25 Sced Wins@
1 Rollins College 102- 0 75.96 80.02 13- 0 185 3
2 Nova Southeastern U. 101- 1 76.15 80.84 12- 1 201 1
3 Tarleton State 100- 2 77.93 83.31 13- 0 327 8
4 Florida Southern 99- 3 75.35 81.31 11- 2 222 4
5 Barry University 98- 4 76.83 81.81 11- 4 209 1
6 Lynn University 97- 5 78.47 86.01 9- 4 205 1
7 Ferris State Univ. 96- 6 77.74 83.59 7- 5 242 3
8 Grand Valley State 95- 7 77.33 82.54 4- 1 217 3
9 Northeastern State U 93- 9 80.96 88.37 11- 3 265 0
10 Upper Iowa Univ. 92- 10 80.27 89.43 5- 3 306 3
Friday, March 14, 2008
Van Niekerk Sizzles in Nevada
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech junior golfer Ulrika Van Niekerk continued her hot streak Wednesday, firing a final-round 69 to finish second at the UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational in Boulder City, Nevada. The top ten finish was her second in six days as the Capetown, South Africa, native also finished among the top ten at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational in Arizona on Sunday.
Van Niekerk shot a three-round total of 210, 6-under par, finishing two strokes behind tournament medalist Cathryn Bristow of Oregon. Van Niekerk in the last six days had four rounds under par, including all three at the UNLV event.
Stephanie Smith finished in an 18th-place tie with a 1-over 217, while Gloriana Soto tied in 39th place with a 223. Alex Gibson shot a 226 and tied in 46th place and Megan Dowdy carded a 232 and a 68th-place tie. Rosalyn Kim, playing as an individual, posted a 2-over 218 and finished in a 21st-place tie.
Texas Tech, which posted a school-record 286 in the second round, tied with Oregon in third place as both teams finished with 5-over 869s. The finish marked the second top three showing for the Lady Raiders in the last two events as the team claimed the runner-up spot at the Rio Verde tournament Sunday. Washington State and No. 35 BYU tied atop the team leaderboard, finishing 10 strokes ahead of Tech and Oregon with a pair of 859s.
San Francisco (870) finished fifth, followed by host UNLV (873), UC Davis (875), Campbell (883), Idaho (887) and No. 46 Washington (888) among the top ten. No. 45 Indiana (889), Fresno State (890), Colorado State (901), Sacramento State (901) and New Mexico State (913) were 11th through 15th, respectively, while Kansas State (914), Eastern Washington (925) and Long Beach State (942) rounded out the field of 18.Complete results and standings are on-line at www.golfstat.com.
Texas Tech will take spring break off from competition, before heading out for another back-to-back tournament swing in the southwest. The Lady Raiders will compete in the Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz., March 29-30 and the BYU/Dixie Classic in St. George, Utah, April 1-2. The events will be the final tune-ups prior to the Big 12 Conference Championships in Stillwater, Okla., April 25-27.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Applications for 2008 Southern Texas PGA Foundation scholarships now available
The Southern Texas PGA Foundation, which has distributed $263,000 in scholarships to 118 students since 1999, has made applications for its 2008 scholarships available. At least a dozen scholarships with a total value of $21,500 will be disbursed this year.
Applications for the scholarships can be secured here or by stopping by the STPGA office at Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring (
Applications for all 2008 STPGA Foundation scholarships must be submitted to the STPGA office by Apr. 2, 2008, to be considered— winners will be announced on May 16, 2008.
“Our scholarship program has grown by leaps and bounds over the past eight years and it’s something I think we can take great pride in,” said Doug DeSive, head golf professional at Corpus Christi Country Club and chairman of the STPGA Scholarship Committee. “We have dedicated ourselves to providing financial aid to as many deserving students as possible and continually seek new means to secure funds that will assist our scholarship efforts. Personally, I think it is one of our most important and rewarding causes, and I’m sure our members feel exactly the same."
The scholarships to be awarded by the STPGA Foundation in 2008 (as of Mar. 2, 2008) include:
The Nicholas Battle Scholarship, named after a junior golfer who passed away in an accident, is valued at $3,000 and is available to applicants throughout the Southern Texas PGA’s geographical territory.
Three Tommy Aycock Scholarships, named after the late PGA Professional who won the STPGA Section Championship six times, will be presented in 2008. Valued at $1,000 each, the Tommy Aycock scholarships will be awarded to students residing in the five-county area (
A $2,000 Hardy Loudermilk Scholarship, named for a long-time
The Joe Finger Scholarship, valued at $2,000, was created in 2004 by the members of Riverhill Country Club in
The Byron Nelson Scholarship was created in 2004 by members of Riverhill Country Club— Mark Caldwell, Riverhill’s head golf professional, heads up fundraising efforts for the scholarship. The scholarship is named for the record-setting Hall of Fame professional golf, who teamed with Joe Finger to design Riverhill’s golf course. The scholarship, valued at $2,000, will be presented to a resident of
The Joe Moore Scholarship, valued at $1,000, is available to all STPGA Foundation Scholarship applicants. It is named for and was created by a
A pair of George Hannon Scholarships, valued at $2,500 each, will be presented to students whose primary residence lies with the
Established this year, the Ross T. Collins Scholarship, is valued at $1,000. It was created by the members of
The new Bill Sitton Sr. Scholarship, valued at $2,500 annually and renewable for up to four years, is available to all STPGA Foundation scholarship applicants. It was created to “assist aspiring college-bound students with furthering their educations.” Billy Sitton Jr., the managing director of Club Corp’s international office, said the scholarship honors “a hard-working guy who enjoyed golf and introduced me to it.” The Bill Sitton Sr. Scholarship is available to all applicants.
To be eligible for scholarship consideration, applicants must reside within southern
For additional information, please click here.
D-FW golf is in full boom
Barney Adams used to sell his custom clubs out of Hank Haney's Golf Ranch in
About a decade later, Plano-based Adams Golf has 16 staff pros, the leading hybrid club on three tours combined, and sixth-best market share in iron sales. Haney's empire includes the industry's biggest giant, Tiger Woods.
Adams and Haney are two examples of the
D-FW is steeped in history and overflows with quality courses, Tour players, teachers, agents, trainers, course designers and turf experts. Retailers continue to multiply, satisfying our high- tech needs regardless of the economy.
Talented juniors hone their swings with instructors from the nation's largest pool of PGA professionals. Well-run junior tournaments flourish on three tours.
Almost every week, it seems a local pro or amateur is contending for a trophy somewhere.
Connect the dots
Nowhere else do neighboring cities rival the golf-rich tradition of
To understand the impact our area has on golf, you need only connect the dots.
In
The $10 million center sits a football field away from Leonard Golf Links, a driving range owned by Marty Leonard. Her father, Marvin Leonard, founded Colonial Country Club. The storied course along the
Another Leonard, Justin, is not related, although you might think so as he's never missed a Colonial cut in his 11-win career.
A talented shotmaker like Hogan, Leonard played Hogan clubs until the Ben Hogan Company was sold. Leonard can now be found launching shots on test monitors outside Stites' office.
Rory Sabbatini, a South African who lives in Southlake, was using Nike clubs when he won last year's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. But he will wear an Adams Golf cap when he defends his title in May.
D.A. Weibring, another member of
That's where
Nelson, who developed his game working as a caddie with Hogan, befriended the teenaged Verplank, taking him to play at Northwood Club, site of the 1951 U.S. Open.
Verplank won the U.S. Amateur in 1984. Leonard won the national championship in 1992.
The Four Seasons is also Trip Kuehne's home course. Kuehne never turned pro after losing to Woods in the U.S. Amateur final two years after Leonard's victory.
But last year, Kuehne won the U.S. Mid Amateur, the U.S. State team title with Terrence Miskell, and played on the winning U.S. Walker Cup team.
Kuehne's brother, Hank, won the 1998 U.S. Amateur, and sister Kelli captured U.S. Women's Amateur titles in 1995 and '96.
As youngsters, the Kuehnes were taught by Haney at Stonebridge Ranch in
Major champions
Legends Nelson, Hogan and Ralph Guldahl won majors in the 1940s and '50s, followed by Don January and Lee Trevino, and then Leonard at the 1997 British Open.
Each generation has passed the torch, helping grow the game by encouraging young players.
Nelson remained an ambassador until his death in 2006. January still donates to the Junior Foundation of the Northern Texas PGA. And Leonard has been an NTPGA spokesman for 12 years.
Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth, the LPGA's career leader in wins, has been a major supporter of amateur golf.
The NTPGA boasts the largest regional office under the PGA of America umbrella. The organization includes 750 club pros, 2,750 juniors and 250 senior associates.
The NTPGA runs 250 junior tournaments a year, and has infiltrated 150 schools.
The Northern Texas PGA, Texas Golf Association and Legends Junior Tour provide competitive and developmental programs for amateurs of all ages.
"The PGA Tour players have been extremely helpful with their time and effort," said Darrell Crall, executive director of the NTPGA. "All the guys who live in the area support us in some way. Being validated by a star means a lot to a young player."
'A giant'
Dallas-Fort Worth was fourth in a recent ranking of Best Golf Cities in
The magazine listed D-FW's median green fee at $38, noting that "
There are about 135 courses and 37 driving ranges in and around
At the PGA Merchandise Show on Jan. 17-19 in
Everything from high-performance shafts at United Sports Technologies in
Long Drivers of America is based in
Need sand for bunkers or gravel for construction or maintenance? Try Neese Materials in
Major retailers Golfsmith, Edwin Watts and Golf Galaxy have multiple locations. And two PGA Tour Superstores opened last year in
A place for the pros
In terms of Tour players, D-FW probably has the second most of any metropolitan area, behind only
Pros have settled here because of the central location, international airport, relatively calm weather and lack of state taxes.
The Vaquero Club in
No telling who might be on the range at Royal Oaks in
Corey Pavin, B.J. Staten and Kris Cox are based in
Australians Rod Pampling and John Senden are neighbors in Flower Mound, Aussie Nathan Green lives in
Top teachers
If you want to find a top-100 national teacher, you don't have to travel far.
Haney has three facilities with a strong stable of instructors. Randy Smith of Royal Oaks, who recently reunited with Leonard, works with Frazar and Colt Knost.
Smith, Northwood's Bob Elliott and Bent Tree's David Price have made huge contributions locally and nationally.
Price has been one of the PGA's top rules officials since 1987. He has made important rulings in Masters, PGA Championships and Ryder Cups.
Smith and Elliott began raising money for junior golf more than 25 years ago. Smith's 24-hour marathons and other programs have raised about $1 million for the NTPGA Junior Golf Scholarship Fund.
More in store?
Back when
An infomercial for his Tight Lies fairway metals pushed sales to $36.7 million in 1997, and then overall sales reached $84.6 million the next year.
"It took me 11 years to become an overnight success,"
Woods has won five of the last 16 majors, leading many to believe he could win the Grand Slam this season. Considering Haney lives in
Fire Destroys Almost Completed Clubhouse at UT Golf Club
If there is, as it is said, something to the notion that buildings are made of more than brick and mortar and wood, then there is no way to judge the range of emotions being felt this week at the
Members of the UT Golf Club, located in Steiner Ranch about 15 miles from the university's main campus in Austin, are trying to put the pieces and their hopes back together after a new clubhouse - which was about 70 percent complete - burned nearly to the ground December 26. No one was injured in the fire and the new clubhouse was the only building affected by the blaze.
Strong wind gusts fueled by a cold front that ran through the
"With the wind gusting like it was at 20-25 miles an hour, it was impossible to do any more that we were able to do," said Dale Faust, with the Hudson Bend Fire Department. "The fire pushed and jumped its way throughout the entire structure."
For most of the afternoon, smoke from the fire was near the street level, and the wind was so strong and the heat of the fire so intense it caused more of the building to ignite.
Witnesses say workers were going about their day when, at about 12:30 p.m., flames broke out in the middle of the building. With high winds feeding the fire, the entire place went up in flames in a matter of minutes. Golfers out on the nearby course saw the blaze several miles away and called for help.
"We turned around and went 'Oh my God, there's a fire,' " golfer Diane Herbert said. "We were right there - it happened instantly." By the time firefighters arrived there was nothing they could do to save the building.
The golf course is in western
The 16,000-square foot clubhouse has been under consideration and then construction from the day the UT Golf Club opened its doors in 2002. The club's membership - which has used a small clubhouse that is little more than a pro shop and grill - anticipated getting into their new digs in the first quarter of the new year.
Work began about 14 months ago on the new structure. The two- and three-story building, which overlooks the 18th green, was to include men's and women's locker rooms, a 1,400-square foot pro shop, meeting space, a dining room for up to 75 people, and a private dining room for members.
The temporary clubhouse now being used - which sits right across a wide cement path from the new building - wasn't damaged, and team facilities for the Texas men's and women's golf teams (which sit at the far end of the course's driving range in a private, short-game practice area) also escaped harm. The club is scheduled to host an NCAA women's regional tournament in the spring, and it is not yet known how the fire will impact those plans.
Steve Termeer, the general manager and director of golf at UTGC, said only the concrete slab and some steel remained. Termeer said he didn't know what could be salvaged. "It's too early to tell right now," he said.
Roy Bechtol, the course's architect and a member since its opening, said he could see the fire from the patio of his home some 15 miles away and across
Steve Habel is an Austin, Texas-based journalist. Since 1990, he has traveled around the globe covering news, business and sports assignments for various news bureaus, newspapers, magazines and websites. He also contributes to Business District magazine in
TexAnn golf wins Lady Rattler Roundup by 27 strokes
The TexAnns, who had a commanding 13-stroke lead after the first day of competition at Dominion Golf Club in
Tarleton shot a 638 (313-325) in the 36-hole event to defeat runner-up California State-Monterey Bay (326-339=665). St. Edward’s (332-337=669),
Southwestern Oklahoma was the only other Lone Star Conference school in the tournament, and the Lady Bulldogs finished ninth (354-355=709).
The TexAnns also defeated NCAA Division I Texas-San Antonio, which shot a 699 (347-352) and finished eighth as a team.
Carla Cooper finished second in the tournament with a 155 (78-77), nine strokes out of the lead. Shraddhanjali Singh finished in third (77-82=159) and Andrea Lowe tied for fourth (80-82=162) for the TexAnns. Melanie Tham (78-85=163) tied for sixth and Maury Shock tied for 15th (85-84=169).
Tarleton will return to action March 3-4 at the St. Edward’s Invitational at Circle C Golf Club in
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Bulldogs Claim Roadrunner Intercollegiate Championship
SAN ANTONIO – The Mississippi State men's golf team claimed their first tournament championship since the 2006 fall season Tuesday, winning the Roadrunner Intercollegiate after a three-round score of 864 at the par-71 Oak Hills Country Club.
The Bulldogs had not won a tournament championship since the Callis Communications Intercollegiate in fall 2006, and has now won three tournaments overall in the Clay Homan era.
In round one this week, MState shot an 8-over-par 292 and stood in fifth place. The Bulldogs then rebounded in round two, firing a 275 - the fourth lowest round in school history - and moved into first place. The Bulldogs maintained the top position in round three after notching a 297, beating runner-up Texas Tech by nine strokes.
"We did not play as well today but the wind had a large role in that," said Homan. "We were able to hang in there and we did what we had to do to earn this win."
MSU's Noah Goldman claimed the individual championship of the event after a 1-under-par, three-round score of 212. The Longwood, Fla., native also notched a career-low, one-round score of 64 in round two.
"The second round really helped Noah (Goldman) and helped our team out," said Homan. "Noah was able to hang in there in the third round and pick up the individual title."
Senior Josh Oller tied for fifth after shooting 1-over-par with a 214, including a career-low 68 in round two. Senior Jake Lambert finished 11th with a 5-over-par 218, including a 1-under-par performance in round two. Junior Josh Bevell shot consistent rounds of 75, 74 and 72 for an 8-over-par showing. Junior Matt Fast tallied a 76, 73 and 80 through three rounds for the Bulldogs.
Runner-up Texas Tech finished nine strokes behind MSU with an 873, followed by Oklahoma with an 874. Wichita State tallied a score of 875 followed by Louisiana-Monroe going 29-over-par. Rounding out the field was Sam Houston State, Air Force, DePaul, host Texas-San Antonio, Central Arkansas, Stephen F. Austin State, Illinois State, Texas State, Marshall, Rhode Island, Texas-San Antonio (B-Team) and McNeese State.
MSU will resume competition on March 2 when the Bulldogs will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to compete in the Seminole Intercollegiate.
Team Results
1.Mississippi State U. 292-275-297=864, +12 2. Texas Tech U. 286-287-300=873, +21 3. Oklahoma, U. of 291-297-286=874, +22 4. Witchita State U. 288-298-289=875, +23 5. Louisiana-Monroe, U. of 289-299-293=881, +29 6. Sam Houston State U. 300-285-302=887, +35 7. Air Force Academy 303-301-284=888, +36 T8. Texas-San Antonio, U. of 303-287-300=890, +38 T8. DePaul U. 303-299-288=890, +38 T10. Central Arkansas 305-290-301=896, +44 T10. Stephen F. Austin State 301-297-298=896, +44 12. Illinois State U. 302-302-300=904, +52 T13. Marshall U. 311-298-299=908, +56 T13. Texas State U. 306-299-303=908, +56 15. Rhode Island, U. of 305-303-312=920, + 68 16. Texas-San Antonio, U. of (B-Team) 326-296-299=921, +69 17. McNeese State U. 326-302-303=931, +79
MSU Individual Results
1 Noah Goldman 73-64-75=212, -1
T5 Josh Oller 71-68-75=214, +1
11 Jake Lambert 73-70-75=218, +5
T18 Josh Bevell 75-74-72=221, +8
T53 Matt Fast 76-73-80=229, +16
Friday, February 15, 2008
Texas Golf Takes Eighth In Arizona
(UWIRE) AUSTIN, Texas — In a display of both poise and potential, the University of Texas’ men’s golf team concluded its first event of 2008 with a small but noticeable comeback.
The youthful Longhorns finished the Ping Arizona Intercollegiate Monday evening, saving their best score for the final round. Texas opened the final round of the competition tied for a meager 11th place, but a strong collective effort helped the Longhorns advance three spots to take eighth in the 16-team tournament, which was won by Tennessee.
Senior Jace Moore accumulated five birdies in the event’s closing round, earning Texas’ top individual finish. Moore finished the tournament tied for 16th place overall, carding a team-best 1-under-par with 212 strokes.
The veteran’s solid play pleased coach John Fields.
"Jace had a consistent tournament this week, and this is what we’ve been looking for out of Jace," Fields said.
Sophomores Charlie Holland and Lance Lopez also overcame early setbacks and each carded a 3-under 68 in the final round.
"Charlie gave us a great effort in the last couple of rounds, coming off the 80 in the first round," Fields said. "He showed us with the 70 and 68 that this is the kind of golf he can play."
Their improvements provided a theme for the rest of the Longhorns at the tournament. While their early play suggests otherwise, Fields believes his team possesses a high level of talent and promise.
"We got off to a poor start this week, but we came back in the second round with a really good 284 before following with a 279, which was more like the golf we know we can play," Fields said. "We’re not happy with finishing in eighth place, but we’ve got a lot left in the tank and a lot of reasons to believe we’re starting to play well."Bobby Gates Leads Texas A&M Golf In 2008
(UWIRE) COLLEGE STATION, Texas — When Tiger Woods arrived on the scene in 1996 and uttered his famous "Hello world," golf exploded onto the national scene as something that didn’t belong to 55-year-old doctors and lawyers at hoity-toity country clubs near scenic beaches. In 1996, Texas A&M senior Bobby Gates was 11 years old, and silently swinging his way towards the top of the junior golfing world.
Gates, born on Dec. 31, 1985, grew up in the heart of Gator country in Gainesville, Fla. His father, Bob Gates, a professional in his own right, was a major factor in the young Gates’ development as a golfer.
"Growing up, my dad taught me everything," Gates said. "He started me out with little clubs, and just kinda went from there. Around 8th or 9th grade I really found a passion for the game, and decided it was something I wanted to pursue."
Senior Bobby Gates' swing in a series of slow motion still shots. (photo: Jonny Green)
Standing at 6-feet-6-inches, Gates said he played basketball through junior high and into high school, but never found a passion for it like he did with golf.
"Besides," Gates said with a sly smile, "golf is more fun than those other sports. And its something I can play for the rest of my life."
During his amateur career, Gates collected a slew of honors and victories. In 2001, Gates won the Florida State Junior Championship and finished runner-up the following year. At Buchholz High School, Gates finished third in 2003 and sixth in 2000.
"He is one of the reasons this program has progressed so fast," said A&M men’s head coach J.T. Higgins. "He was such a great junior golfer that it drew many others to the program. He has been one of the building blocks of this program over the past four years."
Gates was a first team American Junior Golf Association All-American in 2004, and Golfweek ranked him as the No. 6 junior golfer in the country.
"I really enjoyed playing different places as a kid," he said. "My dad and I got to go to a lot of cool courses. Plus in those tournaments the competition was really stiff and it helped improve my game in all areas."
Gates also competed in team competitions as a junior golfer, and said that those style events taught him how to play as a piece of a unit and spilled over when he came to A&M.
Then, during his senior year in Florida, Gates received a letter from A&M, showing interest in having him on their team.
"I really hadn’t thought about playing college golf," Gates said. "Then, one day I got a letter from [A&M Head Coach] Higgins. They showed me the plans for the current facility and it sparked my interest. I took a visit out here, as well as to TCU and Florida, but I really loved the people here and felt it was a perfect fit."
Now, almost four years later, Gates is in his final semester as an Aggie, and he and the team are poised to make a run at the Big 12 and into the NCAA tournament.
"Bobby is an awesome player," head coach Higgins said. "He is so physically gifted. The challenge for him now is to make this semester the best one ever. He has done so many great things for us and has always been a positive role model and a great leader — we are really going to be sad to see him go."
The team has been spending the offseason and the first part of 2008 sharpening their skills.
"Everyone is working as hard as they have ever worked right now," Gates said. "We are working on the little things that we have gotten away from and our focus is as sharp as it’s been. When those big moments come, we will be ready."
The Aggies tee it up for their first competitive round during the last week in February in Hawaii, and have about two months until they take on the conference in the Big 12 Tournament in Trinity, Texas.
With Gates at the helm and a solid core around him, including junior phenomenon Bronson Burgoon, fresh off a semester in academic ineligibility, the Aggies will attempt to make some serious noise around the country come May.Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tech men's golf finishes 5th after leading early
The Texas Tech men's golf team finished fifth in the Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate tournament at Waikoloa Village Golf Club last week.
Coach Greg Sands said he believes this disappointing finish will provide motivation for his team.
"We started really well, we were tied for first," Sands said. "We ended up dropping to fifth. The guys seem pretty motivated to not let that happen again. It was fifth out of eighteen, so we can't act like it was a bad performance. The guys are just so hungry to win tournaments that they were pretty disappointed that they didn't get the job done."
Junior golfer Garrett Merrell turned in one of his top outings of the year by finishing in the Top 10. He shot the tournament's third lowest round total Thursday with a six-under 64.
"Off the top of my head, I guess that's his best performance," Sands said. "We really are working on just doing well as a team, and he is obviously a team player. He has had three straight Top 10 (finishes), and I think he is playing real consistent and has got a lot of confidence right now. It's hard to judge from field to field which is the better performance, he is just playing really good right now."
The team ended day one of the tournament in a tie for first place with Arizona State but saw that lead disappear over the next two days. Sands said he believes some of his golfers tried too hard to win the tournament.
"I think for the most part, more than anything, we just probably tried a little bit too hard," he said. "Mentally I think they tried to win the golf tournament on the second and third day instead of just going out and playing. Sometimes in golf you can get ahead of yourself, not stay in the present, so to speak, and focus on each shot - they were thinking too far ahead."
Sands said he thought his team was well prepared, but they were just unable to finish.
"Sometimes you just don't do as well as you hoped," he said. "Like I said, we played well at first, we just didn't finish it. Most of those guys are from last year. Most of the guys have played on Bermuda greens, and it was windy one day. Obviously we were prepared for that, being (from) Lubbock."
Sands said he believes his team needs to hold on to a lead when it can get one, but he believes that will come with maturity.
"Basically I just - we are trying look at it like 'hey we are going to get the job done, but we are learning lots of different things from our experience' and in the long run we think it's going to make us better," he said. " Each one of the guys has something I think they can take from that and get better. Ultimately, we just don't want to be satisfied with being in the lead and not holding on to it."
Along with Merrell leading the team with a 7-under 203, Chris Ward shot a 4-under 206 to tie for 13th place in his first event as a Red Raider. Will Griffin and Santiago Rivas both carded a 2-over 212 while freshman Sergio Franky finished with an 8-over 218.
No. 10 Stanford won the event while No. 8 USC and Arizona State finished tied for second place.
Coach Greg Sands said he believes this disappointing finish will provide motivation for his team.
"We started really well, we were tied for first," Sands said. "We ended up dropping to fifth. The guys seem pretty motivated to not let that happen again. It was fifth out of eighteen, so we can't act like it was a bad performance. The guys are just so hungry to win tournaments that they were pretty disappointed that they didn't get the job done."
Junior golfer Garrett Merrell turned in one of his top outings of the year by finishing in the Top 10. He shot the tournament's third lowest round total Thursday with a six-under 64.
"Off the top of my head, I guess that's his best performance," Sands said. "We really are working on just doing well as a team, and he is obviously a team player. He has had three straight Top 10 (finishes), and I think he is playing real consistent and has got a lot of confidence right now. It's hard to judge from field to field which is the better performance, he is just playing really good right now."
The team ended day one of the tournament in a tie for first place with Arizona State but saw that lead disappear over the next two days. Sands said he believes some of his golfers tried too hard to win the tournament.
"I think for the most part, more than anything, we just probably tried a little bit too hard," he said. "Mentally I think they tried to win the golf tournament on the second and third day instead of just going out and playing. Sometimes in golf you can get ahead of yourself, not stay in the present, so to speak, and focus on each shot - they were thinking too far ahead."
Sands said he thought his team was well prepared, but they were just unable to finish.
"Sometimes you just don't do as well as you hoped," he said. "Like I said, we played well at first, we just didn't finish it. Most of those guys are from last year. Most of the guys have played on Bermuda greens, and it was windy one day. Obviously we were prepared for that, being (from) Lubbock."
Sands said he believes his team needs to hold on to a lead when it can get one, but he believes that will come with maturity.
"Basically I just - we are trying look at it like 'hey we are going to get the job done, but we are learning lots of different things from our experience' and in the long run we think it's going to make us better," he said. " Each one of the guys has something I think they can take from that and get better. Ultimately, we just don't want to be satisfied with being in the lead and not holding on to it."
Along with Merrell leading the team with a 7-under 203, Chris Ward shot a 4-under 206 to tie for 13th place in his first event as a Red Raider. Will Griffin and Santiago Rivas both carded a 2-over 212 while freshman Sergio Franky finished with an 8-over 218.
No. 10 Stanford won the event while No. 8 USC and Arizona State finished tied for second place.
Nicklaus/PGA teaching grants awarded to 18 chapters of The First Tee --Texas Chapter is Recipient
To date, 155 of the 206 active chapters of The First Tee nationwide have been recipients of either a PGA of America or Nicklaus/PGA teaching grant. The combined PGA and Nicklaus/PGA grants total $1,810,000.
Since 2001, The PGA of America and Nicklaus have partnered to create a $2 million endowment to provide teaching grants to certified chapters of The First Tee that utilize PGA Professionals for instruction.
"The PGA of America is proud to kick off this New Year with our partner Jack Nicklaus to extend Nicklaus/PGA Teaching Grants coast to coast," said PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. "The wonderful messages and reports we receive are that these grants continue to produce success stories in communities. The First Tee momentum has helped grow the game of golf and brought many young people into the game."
The program continues to highlight The PGA of America's commitment to partner with its PGA Professionals to grow participation in golf.
The current Nicklaus/PGA teaching grants totaling $5,000 each have been awarded to The First Tee Chapters in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.
Since its inception in 1997, there are 206 chapters of The First Tee in operation and 264 golf-learning facilities that have introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 2.2 million participants and students (which include the students of the National School Program). The focus is to give young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.
The PGA Growth of the Game Program is one of a number of initiatives administered by The PGA of America through its PGA Foundation
The PGA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, is dedicated to enhancing lives through the game of golf. The Foundation provides people of every ability, race, gender, and social and economic background an opportunity to experience the game and learn vital life lessons. The PGA Foundation achieves its mission through programs which provide instruction and access to playing the game of golf along with enriching those lives by providing educational, employment and scholarship opportunities.
For more information about the PGA Foundation, visit www.pgafoundation.org, or call (561) 624-7612.
Nicklaus/PGA of America Teaching Grant - $5,000 awarded to each chapter
The First Tee of Greater Trenton - Hamilton, N.J.
The First Tee of The Tri-Valley - Pleasanton, Calif.
The First Tee of Myrtle Beach - Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The First Tee of Columbia Basin - Pasco, Wash.
The First Tee of New Orleans - New Orleans, La.
The First Tee of Albany - Albany, Ga.
The First Tee of Clearwater - Clearwater, Fla.
The First Tee of Modesto - Modesto, Calif.
The First Tee of Metropolitan NY/Essex County - Newark, N.J.
The First Tee of Northern Nevada - Reno, Nev.
The First Tee of Eagle County - Edwards, Colo.
The First Tee of Idaho - Boise, Idaho
The First Tee of the Lake Norman Region - Cornelius, N.C.
The First Tee of Central Louisiana - Pineville, La.
The First Tee of Harford County, Md. - Aberdeen, Md.
The First Tee of Metropolitan NY/Nassau County - East Meadow, N.Y.
The First Tee of Metropolitan NY/Golf Club at Chelsea Piers - New York, N.Y.
The First Tee of Brazoria County - Lake Jackson, Texas
Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.
By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the $195 billion golf industry.
By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere.
The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.
Northern Texas PGA's Crall is selected to head the PGA Foundation
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Darrell Crall, who has served since 1995 as executive director of the Northern Texas PGA Section while developing and guiding a wide range of members programs, junior golf and fundraising initiatives, has been named the executive director of the PGA Foundation.
Crall, who will continue his Section duties while living in Dallas, Texas, will assume the responsibility of building the PGA Foundation enterprise-wide through transferring best practices and leveraging current assets. Additionally, he will guide the promotion of the economic impact of The PGA of America, its membership, facilities and Sections in the charitable arena, and establish benchmark goals for major gifts and fundraising events.
"I am humbled by the opportunity to build upon past success of the PGA Foundation," said Crall. "I look forward to working alongside the Association's more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals and through its Sections as we grow the game of golf, making it accessible to all segments of every community, enhancing the lives of youth, the disabled and building diversity."
A native of Ashland, Ohio, Crall is a 1989 graduate of Duke University, where he captained the men's golf team. He joined the Carolinas PGA Section headquarters in 1990 as junior golf/tournament manager, and served from 1992-93 as director of education and employment. Crall was named director of tournament operations in 1993, where he was responsible for the largest golf professional tournament operations at the Section level.
He was named Northern Texas PGA executive director in 1995, and made an immediate impact by elevating the Section's annual budget, directing the marketing, promotion and management of the Section and Junior Golf Foundation, which includes an active membership of more than 5,000 PGA Professionals, junior golf and association members.
Crall organized and branded the nationally-recognized Help-A-Kid Play Golf and Golf In Schools Program, which introduces golf to more than 25,000 inner-city youngsters at city recreation centers and elementary, middle and high schools. From 1996 through 2007, Crall established and conducted the Ewing Charity Classic fundraiser to generate $2.6 million for children's charities; and since 1998, created and annually managed the Deloitte Justin Leonard Scholarship Program, raising $1.2 million for the academic and financial need-based college assistance for junior golfers.
Crall and his wife, Lane, live in Dallas, and are the parents of daughter Sarah Caroline, 5, and a son, Davis, 3.
The PGA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, is dedicated to enhancing lives through the game of golf. The Foundation provides people of every ability, race, gender, and social and economic background an opportunity to experience the game and learn vital life lessons.
The PGA Foundation achieves its mission through programs which provide instruction and access to playing the game of golf along with enriching those lives by providing educational and employment opportunities.
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