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Golf
Notes May 15 Tiger Woods won't be able to choose his own partner
if he decides to play in the World Cup for the fourth consecutive year. The
International Federation of PGA Tours recently changed the eligibility requirements
for the World Cup so there would be uniform guidelines, and to help the World
Golf Championships event get the best two players from every country. The
24-team field is determined by the world rankings. Ernie Els and Retief Goosen
of South Africa won last year in Japan and are automatically eligible as a team.
Under the new guidelines, players from the top 17 countries in the world
ranking on Sept. 23 will be paired with the next highest player in the ranking.
If the ranking stays the same, Phil Mickelson would have the first shot at going.
If Mickelson, or whoever else is the highest-ranked American behind Woods,
does not play, the next American available in the rankings would be offered the
spot. The EMC World Cup is Dec. 12-15 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Woods
said he has not decided whether he will play this year. He already is playing
the Grand Slam of Golf, the Skins Game and his own Target World Challenge in the
two weeks leading up to the World Cup. In previous years, Woods was able
to select his own teammate. He and Mark O'Meara won the 1999 World Cup
in Malaysia before it was part of the WGC series. Woods and David Duval, who was
No. 2 at the time, won the World Cup in Argentina the next year, and he and Duval
lost in a playoff a year ago. Why the change? ``Each one of the
(six) tours that had multiple countries couldn't come to grips with how to select
teams,'' said Mike Bodney, senior vice president of championship management for
the PGA Tour. ``We wanted to standardize it for the entire world.'' Bodney
said the various criteria made it difficult to get the best two players from each
country. For example, one tour sent the top player from the world ranking, and
the leading player from its money list. ``For South Africa, that would
have been Ernie Els and Darren Fichardt, when there might have been two or three
more qualified players (besides Fichardt),'' he said. ``This was to ensure we
could get the best players.'' PLAY GOLF AMERICA The PGA of America
and Golf Digest magazine are teaming for the fifth straight year to offer free
lessons in the ``Play Golf America'' program. PGA professionals are giving
free 10-minute lessons during the month of May. A year ago, more than 4,200 professionals
gave more than 70,000 free lessons at 3,677 facilities. Golf Digest has
published a partial list of PGA professionals involved in the program, along with
a certificate for a free lesson, in its May issue. A complete list can be found
at www.PGA.com or www.golfdigest.com. Play Golf America also includes a
sweepstakes in which amateurs are eligible to win a round of golf with PGA champion
David Toms. GREAT SCOTT Adam Scott has the same coach as Tiger Woods,
a similar swing and even hired the brother of Woods' caddie for a brief spell.
And even though they practice together, Scott has never played a tournament round
with Woods.
The Aussie is hoping that might change this week in the Deutsche
Bank-SAP Open in Germany, where Woods is defending champion and has won two of
the last three years. ``It would be a good learning experience for me,''
Scott said. ``But I will not lay down at his feet. I'd like to show him there
are guys out here trying to beat him.'' While Scott has special temporary
membership on the PGA Tour, don't look him for at least another year. ``I'd
like to be like Ernie Els and Greg Norman, who won a lot in Europe before going
on to America,'' he said. ``But I won't be going to America full-time this year
or next.'' CLOSING IN Bryce Molder was in a tie for 13th going into
the final round of the Byron Nelson Classic, needing to finish sixth or better
to earn enough money to take unlimited sponsors' exemptions the rest of the year.
On the second hole, his chip stopped on the shelf of a steep slope, 20
feet from the pin. As he stood over his next shot, the ball rolled back down the
hill. He made bogey, closed with a 2-over 72 and wound up in a tie for 22nd. Still,
the former Georgia Tech All-American made the most of this two weeks on tour,
earning $158,580. He still has four sponsors' exemptions remaining this year and
will need $121,297 to equal the money from No. 150 on the last year's money list. ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY Frank Lickliter once took a hunting trip to Alaska, where he killed
a bear. Lickliter, who last year at the Byron Nelson Classic caused a stir
when authorities found a rifle scope in his room at the Four Seasons, was asked
if he was confronted by environmentalists who protested his killing a bear. ``I
don't think you find any environmentalists in Alaska,'' he said. ``They're all
drinking coffee at Starbucks in California.'' DIVOTS The Office Depot
Championship on the LPGA Tour will increase its purse to $1.5 million next year.
... The latest book about Tiger Woods is ``Chasing The Tiger'' by Curt Sampson,
whose previous subjects include the Masters and Ben Hogan. A copy was left for
Woods in his locker at the Nelson Classic, although he didn't look impressed.
When a locker room attendant asked him to sign the book, Woods refused. ``It's
unauthorized,'' he said. Instead, Woods signed his hat and a shirt. ... Meg Mallon,
whose 13 LPGA victories include three major championships, will be inducted into
the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame on Sunday. ... Kemper Insurance Cos. have signed
a new deal that keep the sponsor tied to the event another four years. Kemper
is sponsoring the tournament for the 35th year, making it the longest-running
tour event continuously identified with its original sponsor. STAT OF THE
WEEK Five countries are represented in the top 10 on the PGA Tour money
list. FINAL WORD ``I would like to, but I really don't want to sleep
in my car.'' -- David Duval, on whether he plans to play the Black Course at Bethpage
before the U.S. Open. The course is known for having players wait in long lines
of cars to get a tee time.
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