Golf Notes August 28

Although the PGA Tour might lose at least three tournaments next year because of economic-driven sponsorship issues, LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw delivered an optimistic message to his players earlier this month.

“The worst case scenario, we’ll have the same number of tournaments, with probably somewhere between $2 million and $3 million more in prize money,” Votaw said.

The best-case scenario? Two new events, with anywhere from $3 million to $4.5 million in additional prize money.

The PGA Tour still offers far more prize money — the LPGA offers an average of $1.1 million per tournament, which is a little more than Craig Parry won last week at the NEC Invitational — but Votaw is happy with the direction women’s golf is going in tough economic times.

“We feel pretty good in this environment,” he said. “We’ll have other challenges. But at the end of the day, we’re going to see 2003 as a year where we maintain or grow a little bit, with a number of significant prospects for 2004.”

GONE FISHING

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, working overtime this year to shore up sponsorship issues and Senior Tour grumblings, finally took off Sunday evening to go fishing for salmon in Alaska.

Among those joining him were Davis Love III and TV analyst Mark Rolfing.
Love said despite the many issues facing Finchem, the commissioner would be able to get his mind off work for at least a couple of days.

“He can get away and shut it down a little bit,” Love said. “He’s so focused, he can concentrate on relaxing. He’s one of the best time managers I’ve ever seen.”

CADDIEMASTER

Jesper Parnevik’s relationship with U.S. Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange goes back further than most players.

Parnevik said he was 15 when he caddied for Strange during an exhibition in Sweden.

“That was in his mean years, because he almost hit me,” Parnevik said of a two-time U.S. Open champion known for his intensity.

Parnevik said he sees a lot of similiarities between Strange and European captain Sam Torrance.

“Sam is a little more lighthearted,” he said. “But they’re both pretty funny, and they’re going to be good captains.”

A DIFFERENT CUP

Three of the four Presidents Cups have been decided by at least eight points. The last seven Ryder Cups have been decided by two points or less.
Davis Love III, who has played in both matches every year since 1993, has an explanation.

“There’s just a little more intensity,” he said, trying to contain a grin. “When you get down in that one (Presidents Cup), you’re like, ‘Geez, we’re going to get killed.’ ”

The U.S. team was down 10-6 going to the last day at the Ryder Cup when Ben Crenshaw uttered his infamous “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

“We were getting killed, but Ben was like, “All right, you guys can win.’ And we said, ’Yeah, we can win it.’ Rather than Jack coming up in Australia saying, ’All right guys, what do we have to do?”’

THE OTHER CUP

Tom Lehman and Paul Azinger will be newcomers to the U.S. team in the UBS Warburg Cup, the made-for-television matches that feature six players 50 and over and six players between the ages of 40 and 49.

Returning for the Americans will be Scott Hoch, Mark O’Meara, Curtis Strange, Raymond Floyd, Tom Watson, Hale Irwin and captain Arnold Palmer. Three other players have not been determined.

The team from the “Rest of the World” includes Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sam Torrance, Ian Woosnam, Stewart Ginn, Rodger Davis, Isao Aoki, Eduardo Romero and captain Gary Player.

The matches will be held Nov. 15-17 on the Seaside Course at Sea Island in Georgia. The Americans won last year, 12½-11½.

ROOKIE RACE

Peter Lonard of Australia and Pat Perez are in a close race for PGA Tour rookie of the year.

Perez has two runner-up finishes, most notably at Pebble Beach when he took triple bogey on the final hole to finish two strokes back, but Lonard is $90,000 ahead on the money list while playing four fewer tournaments.

Lonard also has this in his favor: He hasn’t missed a cut in his 19 starts. Tiger Woods is the only other fulltime PGA Tour member who hasn’t missed a cut this year.

DRESS CODE

Scott Hoch says he caught some grief for wearing his Stars & Stripes shirt during the final round of the U.S. Open, but — as always — he makes no apologies.

Hoch wore the shirt as a symbolism of patriotism for a U.S. Open played in New York, and it got a lot of attention when he tied for fifth and made an ace in the final round.

“That was a special shirt for that occasion,” he said. “I wore it then and on the Fourth of July, and then it was retired.”

Hoch said he got hate mail after the U.S. Open, one letter from a veteran who fought in World War II.

“He said, ‘How dare you wear the American flag when you use Japanse clubs. I bet you also drive a Japanese car,’ ” said Hoch, who uses clubs made by Japan-based Yonex. “The guy felt bad because he saw his friends killed by the Japanese, but I think that’s going too far.”

DIVOTS

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk are the only players who have finished in the top 10 at all four NEC Invitationals. ... Arnold Palmer remains the King in the third annual Golf Personality Index published by Golf World Business, which ranks golfers on their familiarity, likability and credibility. ... The Canadian Open has sold out of Sunday tickets and weekly badges for the second straight year. Tiger Woods isn’t expected to play this year, although the field includes Phil Mickelson for the first time since 1994.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Only 10 of the 24 players on both Ryder Cup teams broke par over four days at the NEC Invitational.

FINAL WORD

“Are you kidding me? They give you free money here.” — Rich Beem, on whether he considered skipping the NEC Invitational — which has no cut — the week after winning his first major. Beem tied for sixth and got $150,000.

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