Today was yet again another emotional cut day on the PGA Tour for Jack Nicklaus. The Memorial Tournament could quite possibly be Jack’s last PGA event on American soil. Nicklaus finished his career at the Memorial in a rather disappointing fashion when it comes to scoring. He opened with a 75 and ended today with a 77.
“It will probably close out my golf in the United States in regular tournament golf, more than likely,” Nicklaus said. “I may come back here, but I certainly wouldn’t plan on it.”
First round leader Jeff Sluman, whom opened with a 65 (-7), was able to maintain his position atop the leaderboard in the second round of the Memorial Tournament.
Continue reading “Sluman Holds Second Round Lead while Some Big Names are on Their Way Home”
Juli Inkster (65) has been playing at the Shoprite Classic every year since it began and was the tournament’s first winner in 1986. Both she and Annika are two-time winners of the event. The two ladies entered the clubhouse admirably after a rain-soaked round with Sorenstam just two strokes behind Hall-of-Fame member Inkster.
Jesper 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.
I 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 
Jack 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.
The LPGA cruises down to the Jersey shore to compete at the Mariott Seaview Resort and Spa. On its 20th anniversary, the 54-hole tournament is being played on the par-71 6071 yard Bay Course and features a $1.4 million purse with $195,000 going to the champion.
With The Memorial coming up this week, I started thinking about the great events on the PGA Tour schedule each year that aren’t considered major championships. The four majors are of course The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship. These four tournaments are obviously the best and most important each year and for great reason. The following is a list of events I feel are just a small step behind the major championships but still very special to all the PGA Tour players. There is only room for five, so some great tournaments missed the cut including the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the Mercedes Championship, Bank of America Colonial, and the upstart Wachovia Championship.