Author: Erik J. Barzeski

Wie Qualifies to Play Men’s PubLinks

Michelle Wie seems to enjoy losing, but does losing beget losing?

Michelle WieMichelle Wie became the first woman to qualify for an adult male USGA championship two days ago after tying for first place in a 36-hole U.S. Amateur Public Links sectional qualifying tournament in Pennsylvania.

Wie, who finished second Sunday at an LPGA major, tied Artie Fink Jr. at +1 145 in Altoona, PA to qualify. Wie and Fink earned the only two spots available in the 85-player qualifier for the PubLinks, to be held July 11-16 at Shaker Run Golf Club in Lebanon, OH.

Why is Michelle Wie playing against the men again? The Masters. Specifically, the PubLinks champion traditionally receives an invitation to compete in The Masters, and Augusta officials have said that if Michelle were to win the PubLinks, she’d be warmly welcomed to Augusta National next April.

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On Location at the 2005 U.S. Open – Wednesday Practice Round

Dave Koster checks in from Pinehurst and the Wednesday practice round at the 2005 U.S. Open.

This report comes to us from Pinehurst #2 courtesty of Dave Koster, scratch golfer, North Carolina resident, and friend of The Sand Trap.

Pinehurst is a special place. There is no doubt about it. I have been there only one other time. I played #5 and got to enjoy watching a good friend of mine play a game of croquet at their famous courts. That was during a cold day in December a couple years back. My second trip was different.

Fast forward to June 2005. The word of the day: Hot. Well, maybe there are two words of the day. The first is ‘Hot’ and the second should be ‘Water’. One was in high demand and the other was not. I think that you can guess which one is which. That’s enough about the weather and reminiscing about times past. On to the good stuff.

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Tour Jackass of the Week: Rory Sabbatini

Ben Crane may play slowly, but that in no way excuses what Rory Sabbatini did to him over the final two holes of the 2005 Booz Allen Classic.

Rory SabbatiniRory Sabbatini plays quickly. Ben Crane, a Tour winner, has a reputation for playing rather slowly. Like oil and water, the two often don’t mix, and when the group is put on the clock, a fast player quickly comes to resent the slow player.

Tour officials put the Sabbatini/Crane group on the clock Sunday at the Booz Allen Classic, but both players had caught up by the 17th hole and were off the clock. When Sabbatini hit his approach into the water, he walked behind the green and prepared to make his drop before Ben Crane could hit his approach shot. Sabbatini was nearly directly behind the flag, standing there, waiting for Crane to hit his shot. As soon as Crane’s ball stopped moving, Sabbatini dropped, played his chip, walked onto the green, marked his ball, and then put his ball down and putted out. He then walked to the 18th tee before Crane finished out. He was booed, and booed again as he approached the 18th green (where Crane birdied from 50 feet away and Sabbatini managed to two-putt).

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Sergio Drinks up Victory at the Booz Allen

For the second straight year, Sergio Garcia has won the PGA Tour event immediately before the U.S. Open.

Sergio GarciaWeeks after his record-setting final-round collapse at the Wachovia Championships, Sergio Garcia pulled off a nifty 65 to surge to victory at the Booz Allen Classic. It marks the second year in a row the young Spaniard has won the event prior to the U.S. Open. “I guess they should move the U.S. Open one week earlier,” said Garcia. “It is the tougher courses I feel good playing.” No player has ever won the U.S. Open after winning the week before.

Garcia’s victory was not without some slip-ups. He missed the green on the last hole, the famous par-3 finisher at Congressional, and nearly chipped across the green. Adam Scott, playing in the group behind him, had unfortunately caught a flyer into the water right and long on 17, but was only two behind until he got wet. Sergio’s collapse at Wachovia fresh in his mind, he two-putted for bogey, all but assuring the victory.

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Sluman Surges to First-Round Lead at The Memorial

Nine players finished the first round of the Memorial Tournament within two shots of the lead. Jack finished a little further back than that.

Jeff Sluman And Tourcast GuyJesper Parnevik four-putted the second green after leaving his 35-foot birdie putt four feet short and lipping out his next two putts. Jeff Sluman had no such troubles en route to a blistering 65 in sometimes drizzling, sometimes windy conditions at Muirfield Village Golf Club in the first round of The Memorial Tournament.

Of course, Thursday and Friday at The Memorial are more a part of Jack Nicklaus’ collective ego stroke than anything, and the media will no doubt fawn over Jack’s +3 75. As well they should if for no other reason than his 75 beat world #1 Vijay Singh and Charles Howell III (77) by two, Mike Weir and John Daly by one (76), and Davis Love III (78) by three. Local knowledge had its advantages as Jack bounced two consecutive approach shots to within six inches (and bounced one tee shot off of a spectator’s jaw, sending him to the hospital). He later finished with three bogeys on the final four holes to move from even to +3.

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Women’s Golf Week Comes to Town

Women’s Golf Week starts June 4 and will give women the opportunity to get into the game of golf.

Women's Golf WeekI once heard that golf was a 4-letter acronym. It stood for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. Being a golfer myself and having worked in the industry since I was 15 I can tell you this isn’t true. However, many women who have never played before might fall prey to the idea that golf is a man’s world. Thankfully, people like Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie are helping to turn this stereotype around. There are not alone in their quest to prove that golf is a gender-neutral sport. Women’s Golf Week, a Play Golf America initiative, is also dedicated to getting women involved in the sport.

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Jack’s Tournament on the PGA Tour Contraction Chopping Block

The Memorial – due to Jack’s reputation with the powers-that-be – may find its neck on the chopping block come “contraction” time.

Memorial Jack Nicklaus HeadshotJack Nicklaus has built a fine career for himself, and one of the crowning jewels in his lustrous golden cap is his own tournament, The Memorial. With one of the strongest fields in non-major golf, Jack’s tournament is regarded by many as one of the best of the season.

That view, I’ve come to learn, may not be shared by the Tour elite. I’m not talking about Tiger, but Tim. Not a guy from Fiji, but a guy named Finchem. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem and his very astute, very capable team of executives haven’t lost much love for Jack Nicklaus through the years. In fact, it’s safe to say they never really had much to begin with.

In fact, Nicklaus is so far on the outside of Finchem’s camp that, should the PGA Tour season contract this winter, The Memorial may find its neck on the chopping block.

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On Location at The Memorial – Tuesday

The Memorial Tournament has begun near Columbus, OH and I’m in the audience. As proof, I offer these pictures.

I’m on location this week near Columbus, OH to watch The Memorial Tournament, a tournament Jack Nicklaus has attempted to craft into his very own Masters tournament. There’s the course, a 7300-yard test with small greens, a meandering stream, hills left and right (and fore and back), and a 165-yard 12th hole over water to a diagonal, peanut-shaped green. There are the caddies, who all wear white overalls. There are the trash bags, all tents, and the course conditions – green, green, and green. There’s even the name of the club at which the tournament is played – “town name” Golf Club (I guess Jack forgot the word ‘National’). Nicklaus, winner of six Masters, has created a tournament that draws big fields, I’ll give him that. But The Memorial is no Masters.

Heck, it may not even be a PGA Tour stop after this year… but more on that tomorrow.

Memorial Jack Nicklaus Waist

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Reid on Target at Senior PGA

Mike Reid – known affectionately as “Radar” on tour – wins the Senior PGA Championship in a three-way playoff.

Mike ReidThe man once and forever known as “Radar” – as much due to the fact that he looked like his M.A.S.H. counterpart as he was accurate with his irons – quietly walked away with the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday. In true tortoise-meets-hare fashion, Mike Reid plodded along, firing three consecutive rounds in the 70s to enter the final round two back.

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