KAPALUA, MAUI, Hawaii—On the heels of the tournament’s recent announcement regarding their 2012 direct-charity beneficiaries, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions announced the launch of a new program, Golf for Maui Charities giving 501(c)3 organizations the opportunity to promote the sale of tickets to this year’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions. One-hundred percent of the net proceeds from the sale of the ticket will go back to their charity.
The Golf for Maui Charities program was announced on Oct. 27 at a charity reception at Cafe O’Lei at The Dunes at Maui Lani, attended by representatives from more than 30 Maui charities. This is the program’s first year.
“Maui is extremely proud to be hosting the Hyundai Tournament of Champions again in January. Our Maui County Office of Economic Development realizes that events such as this one continue to put Maui on the map as not only a world class destination, but a orld class place to hold athletic and sporting events,” said MCOED Director Teena Rasmussen. “The economic ripple effect of this tournament is a huge boost for our businesses and workforce.
Representing Sacred Hearts School, Joanna Stockham added, “We’re going to sell more tickets than anyone. We’ve got plans to totally renovate our cafeteria/auditorium and are so appreciative of this opportunity to participate in the Golf for Maui Charities.”
The ticket available through Golf for Maui Charities is a weekly grounds ticket for $40. All proceeds from the sale go directly to the local charity promoting the sale of the ticket. This weekly ticket is good for all competitive rounds of the event from Jan. 6-9, 2012.
All children 18 and younger are admitted free of charge with a ticketed adult (one child per adult). All children over the age of 18 must have a ticket to enter the tournament.
If charities want to receive tickets on consignment to distribute or sell to their supporters, they can do so by filling out a participation agreement, providing their 501(c)3 Internal Revenue Service determination letter and filling out a ticket order form.
Proceeds from the Hyundai Tournament of Champions directly impact local charities. The host organizations of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions have bestowed nearly $3.8 million since the tournament’s move to Kapalua Resort in 1999.
Attending charities included:
Aloha House
American Heart Association
American Red Cross
Boy Scouts America
Habitat for Humanity
Hale Kau Kau
Hale Makua
Hawaiian Kamali'i
Hope Chapel
Horizon's Academy
Hospice Maui
JW Cameron Center
Ka Lima O Maui
Kula School PTA
LHS Foundation
Maui Aids Foundation
Maui Cheer All Stars
Maui Family YMCA
Maui Farms
Maui Humane Society
Maui Jr. Golf Association
Maui Medical
Maui Support Family Services
Maui United Way
Mediation Services of Maui
Montessori Hale O Keiki
National Kidney Foundation
Pacific Pride
Sacred Hearts
Saint Anthony HS
Seabury Hall
Theatre Theatre Maui
Women Helping Women
Note: All 501(c)3 organizations interested in being a part of this program should contact the Hyundai Tournament of Champions tournament office at 808-665-9160 or toll-free at 888-665-9160 for more information.
Hyundai Tournament of Champions Announces Golf for Maui Charities
BMW PGA Championship, Wentworth
19 May, 2011 - 22 May, 2011
Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey
The fine West Course at Wentworth has hosted this flagship event of the European golf tour since 1984.
The Wentworth Golf Club has three championship courses, set in Surrey heathland surrounded by ancient, deciduous woods. The West Course was designed by Harry Colt, and was recently modernised by Ernie Els.
Wentworth is a members' club, but welcomes visitors year-round. The Wentworth Grill, which is run by Caprice Holdings (of Ivy and Le Caprice fame), provides gastronomic dining in elegant surroundings.
It has been the scene of legendary battles between such notables as Jacklin, Langer, Ballesteros, Faldo, Montgomerie and Woosnam. The 2009 tournament was won by Paul Casey.
The BMW Championship is the beginning of the championship golf season in mainland Britain, and a must for golf enthusiasts.
In 2010 the champion was the English player, Simon Khan. 2011 dates are provisional.
http://www.wentworthclub.com/championship
2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Bay Hill Club & Lodge
9000 Bay Hill Boulevard, Orlando, Florida
Late March, 2011
407-876-7774, 1-866-764-4843
The Arnold Palmer Invitational (formerly known as the Bay Hill Invitational) draws the world’s top professional golfers on the PGA Tour. The event traces its history back to 1966 when it began as the Florida Citrus Open Invitational. Tiger Woods, who lives in nearby Windermere, captured an unprecedented four consecutive Bay Hill championships from 2000 to 2003. Woods also won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2008 and 2009. Ernie Els won the 2010 Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Admission is charged. For more information about the 2011 Arnold Palmer Invitational, visit www.arnoldpalmerinvitational.com.
Arnold Palmer Invitational News
Ernie Els wins Arnold Palmer Invitational, looks ahead to Masters - March 29, 2010
Palmer disappointed in Woods' decision - Golf Digest, March 16, 2010
Tiger Woods will return to Masters; Arnold Palmer says Tiger won't play Bay Hill - Orlando Sentinel, March 16, 2010
Tiger Woods Keeps PGA in Suspense Over Return to Golf - The Guardian, March 16, 2010
PGA Boss: Tiger's Return Still Unknown - USA Today, March 15, 2010
Colin Montgomerie Coming to Bay Hill - Orlando Sentinel, March 15, 2010
Tiger Woods Will Return at Bay Hill, Report Says - Orlando Sentinel, March 11, 2010
Past Winners of the Arnold Palmer/Bay Hill Invitational
2010 - Ernie Els
2009 - Tiger Woods
2008 - Tiger Woods
2007 - Vijah Singh
2006 - Rod Pampling
2005 - Kenny Perry
2004 - Chad Campbell
2003 - Tiger Woods
2002- Tiger Woods
2001 - Tiger Woods
2000 - Tiger Woods
1999 - Tim Herron
1998 - Ernie Els
1997 - Phil Mickelson
1996 - Paul Goydos
1995 - Loren Roberts
1994 - Loren Roberts
1993 - Ben Crenshaw
1992 - Fred Couples
1991 - Andrew Magee
1990 - Robert Gamez
1989 - Tom Kite
1988 - Paul Azinger
1987 - Payne Stewart
1986 - Dan Forsman
1985 - Fuzzy Zoeller
1984 - Gary Koch
1983 - Mike Nicolette
1982 - Tom Kite
1981 - Andy Bean
1980 - Dave Eichellberger
1979 - Bob Byman
Will Greenwood: Adam Gee winning European Tour card the beginning of great things – and I was in at the start
Will Greenwood followed the action from Girona as his friend Adam Gee won a European Tour card after just one season on the Challenge Tour. Here he recalls one of his happiest days in sport.
Team Gee. One of my happiest days in sport. Absolutely no doubt about it. We have been part of something special.
We wanted to raise more money, we didn’t, the reasons for that are many. But to you merry few, to you believers, I say thank you for your support, thank you for your belief in a man I know can go on to great things.
I met Adam a long time ago now and have had the pleasure of seeing him battle demons, get up off the canvas, force himself to sell his soul a little for webackyou, but ultimately achieve the dream.
His video we made at The Wisley back in March says it all. When I asked him where do you see yourself in 18 months time, his answer instantaneous. On the tour. He has done it in his first season!!! Stick that in your pipe anyone who questioned our man.
For make no bones about it, he is OUR man. To all those Manchester United supporters out there who joined the dirty reds when they had won titles we say booooooo. We are Manchester City, we always believed, when Adam was in the lower leagues fighting for form, we were there. We always knew our kid could live the dream.
Adam Gee has allowed us to relive our youth, our golfing dreams, vicariously through him. To quote his favourite band:
“Today is gonna be the day, that they’re gonna throw it back to you.
“By now you should’ve somehow realised what you gotta do.
“I don’t believe that anybody, feels the way I do about you now.”
Today was his day, a day that he can draw strength from, look back on, ultimately know that when it comes down to he can deliver on!
I am currently sat on a train from Liverpool to London, a quiet train, people minding their own business, but I want to stand up and shout: “Today, Adam Gee announced himself on the golfing world. Gee Force is coming, be prepared, be ready, his sarcasm, dry wit, occasional grumpiness is about to stand tall on the world stage, and we few, we very few, were there when it all began”
European Challenge Tour event in January 2011
The 2011 European Tour is underway in South Africa with the staging of the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at the Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane.
This will be the last year the European Tour starts its schedule in the late weeks of the previous year with all events in 2012 looking to come under a calendar year.
It is perhaps disappointing that the opening event of the year will not contain any of those players currently battling it out at the European Tour School as events of this nature do provide early season opportunities for starts for such players. That sort of clash can hopefully be avoided in the future.
The leader after the opening round is the South African Anthony Michael who leads by one over England’s Robert Rock, Germany’s Sebastian Buhl and Dawie Van der Walt.
New Zealand’s Mark Brown heads the Australasians following his round of 69 while recent recruit to the European Tour, Daniel Gaunt opened with a round of 71. Lismore’s Matthew Zions, also a recent Challenge Tour graduate, recorded a round of 74.
Ogilvy holds one-shot lead as rain stops a Tiger slide at Doral
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods finally looked human Saturday at the CA Championship.
Then came some help from the heavens.
Woods couldn't make a putt, scowled more than he smiled, and was struggling to stay at par on a day when the Blue Monster was yielding birdies. What stopped his slide was a rumble of thunder and a torrential storm that dumped 3 inches of rain and suspended the third round until Sunday morning.
Geoff Ogilvy was at 14-under par through 11 holes and kept his one-shot lead, only now it was Adam Scott on his heels, not the world's No. 1 player who has won every tournament he has played since September.
Woods was at 11 under, even for the day, the only player among the top 18 who was not under par for the round.
Scott was practically flawless, making up five shots in five holes against Woods, taking the outright lead with a 25-foot birdie putt that swirled around the cup before falling, looking confident with every hole he played. Ogilvy still hasn't made a bogey this week, and two late birdies allowed him to regain the lead.
And then it rained.
"If it was our day," Scott said, "it was cut off way too short."
They will resume play Sunday at 8:30 a.m. - if conditions allow - to finish the third round, with the final round of this World Golf Championship scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The break could not have come at a better time for Woods, who three-putted his first three holes, had two other putts spin off the lip and picked up his only birdie when his wedge stopped 30 inches away on No. 7.
``I'm right there, only three back,'' Woods said. ``A lot of holes to be played tomorrow. And hopefully, I can get it going and get hot for the rest of the day.''
The CA Championship looked like it might be a three-man race, but now is loaded with possibilities. Although the third round is incomplete, Woods headed back to his yacht in a three-way tie for third place.
Vijay Singh was 8 under for his round through 16 holes and faced a 7-foot birdie putt on the 17th when he returned. Also at 11 under for the tournament was Tim Clark, who was 7 under through 15 holes. Graeme Storm nearly made an ace on the par-3 15th that put him at 10 under with three holes remaining. Jim Furyk was 10 under through 13 holes.
Five shots separated eight players when the third round was stopped.
No one was complaining.
``Look, it's where you want to be,'' Ogilvy said. ``You want to be leading with 25 holes to play. I'm happy with where I'm at. If I can keep playing the way I'm playing and putt well, you never know.''
All signs pointed toward Woods seizing control of this tournament. He is the three-time defending champion at Doral and at this WGC event, he was swinging well, making every important putt and had the good vibes of winning six straight official events around the world.
Woods gets weary when people anoint him before the trophy is handed out, and he showed what can happen Saturday.
He reached the back of the green on the par-5 opening hole, but left himself 70 feet on the fringe. He lagged to about 4 feet, but his birdie putt banged off the back lip. That ended Woods' streak of 18 consecutive birdies or better on the first hole at Doral.
Then he three-putted the next hole, lipping out from 3 1/2 feet and making bogey.
``To three-putt the first two holes right out of the gate, never a good thing,'' Woods said.
Scott, meanwhile, looked determined to erase those two bogeys he made at the end of the second round. He holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the third hole, and raised his putter when a 25-foot birdie dropped on the fifth. He missed two other birdie putts inside 8 feet.
Ogilvy couldn't find the fairway, but kept his rhythm with par after par until making a 4-foot birdie on the seventh. He couldn't help but notice that Woods was lagging behind.
``He was hitting it very well. He just didn't putt like he normally putts,'' Ogilvy said. ``It was just one of those stretches that was probably frustrating the hell out of him. He was playing fine. He just didn't make anything.''
The break in play could prove beneficial to Woods, as if he needs any help.
He has trailed going into the final round only twice during this winning streak, by one shot at the BMW Championship and by four shots at the Dubai Desert Classic. But it looked for the longest time on a short day Saturday that Ogilvy and Scott had a chance to put some room between them and Woods.
``I would have liked to get the round in,'' Scott said. ``My round had gone a little stale after a fast start, and I was looking forward to getting to the 12th, a par 5, and giving myself a chance to get moving in the right direction. Geoff just got a little momentum going toward the end of the front nine. And yeah, Tiger was struggling a little bit to get it going.
``It would have been nice to keep playing more holes. But my attitude is the day is over. We'll start tomorrow just like we did today, and hopefully, I get off to a fast start and set the tone.''
The Associated Press
Els takes command in Dubai
Ernie Els, the master of the Emirates Golf Club, hit his stride in the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic with a blistering seven under par 65 to take the lead as he chases an unprecedented fourth title.
The final day is poised to be yet another classic over the Majlis Course with Els on 11 under par 205 and leading the defending champion, Henrik Stenson, by a shot with the current European Number One, Lee Westwood, and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell a further two shots behind.
World Number One Tiger Woods was totally out of sorts as he struggled all day, shooting a one over par 73, his first over par round in five visits to Dubai. That left him on seven under par 209, four shots off the lead and sharing fifth place with five other players including Damien McGrane, who can hold his head high after outscoring his illustrious playing partner.
Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, winner of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship two weeks ago, Peter Hedblom and Shiv Kapur are also on five under par
Els clearly loves coming to Dubai and a tournament he has won three times – in 1994, 2002 and 2005 – and finished runner-up the last two years.
And, in his first event of the year, he once again played at his imperious best to rise to the top of the leaderboard. Five birdies and a magnificent eagle on the tenth decorated his card and the World Number Five moved to the top of the leaderboard.
"I enjoyed it today," said Els. "It was a round that I really needed. I was a bit disappointed with my round yesterday. I felt I probably needed two 64s to have half a chance in the tournament, and as it turned out, a 65 today, and probably need a really low one tomorrow. I can't see Henrik with Tiger and the other guys, not shooting low. So just got to keep going tomorrow."
Els is clearly comfortable in Dubai, where he opened his course at Dubai Sports City on Monday, The Els Club.
Stenson feels even more at home as he lives in Dubai and after two second place finishes in his first two events of the year in the Gulf, he is right on form and has no intention of relinquishing the title lightly.
The Swede got off to a flying start with three opening birdies although his momentum was slowed with a bogey on the fifth. But two birdies coming home completed a round of 68 and put him on ten under par 206.
"I'm looking forward to tomorrow," he said. "It's always hard to defend a title and I think especially this one will be hard. I'm very happy with the job I'm doing so far, so I'm proud of that, and just looking forward and hopefully I can go out and play a solid round again.
"It's all about positioning yourself and hopefully being a couple of shots into the lead, going into the back nine, give yourself chances to win tournaments, and at least so far, I'm in with a good chance."
Westwood is another form-horse having secured three top five finishes this season and eight top tens in his last nine European Tour events. Two birdies to finish put him at eight under par and only three off the lead.
Similarly McDowell has being showing promise recently and lies alongside the Englishman after a 69.
Woods looked out of sorts from the moment he missed a four foot birdie putt on the first hole. The precision of the first round was lost as he struggled to find fairways and greens. A bogey on the last, when he hit his second into the water, pretty much summed up an uncharacteristic off day.
"I didn't play well today," he admitted. "I didn't hit the ball close enough on the greens, and consequently I was lag putting a lot. Never really gave myself a lot of looks at birdies. I have to go out and play a good round of golf and play better than I have the last two days and obviously start making some putts."
McGrane might have found himself in unchartered water playing with the best player in the world but outscored Woods with a 72 to Woods' 73. McGrane lies 318 places below Woods in the Official World Golf Ranking but battled hard and kept himself in the tournament at seven under par.
Stephen Ames Wins His Third PGA Tour
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.Canadian Stephen Ames has won the Children's Miracle Network Classic that took place at Disney and which he had played until the last hole, on Sunday.
Ames won his last PGA Tour 17 months ago, at The Players Championship last year, where he made a double bogey and still blew away the toughest field in golf by six shots at the TPC Sawgrass.
Despite a winless season, the Calgary resident already considered this year a success because he revamped his swing to eliminate nagging back issues. He twice contended in majors, when he was tied for the lead on the final day at Oakmont and played in the final group at Southern Hills.
One last trip to escape the chill of Alberta turned into so much more Sunday.
Ames ran off three straight birdies on the back nine at Disney, the last one a 4-iron that was close to perfect, then saved par from 65 feet away in a bunker on the closing hole for a one-shot victory in the Children's Miracle Network Classic.
"I came down here to work on my golf swing," Ames said. "Here I am winning an event, which is awesome."
Ames closed with a 4-under 68, and that bunker shot to three feet for par on the 18th hole at the Magnolia Course was enough to hold off hard-charging Tim Clark in the final PGA Tour event of the season.
Clark birdied six of his last 10 holes for a 66, the lowest score on the weekend of a tournament that no longer is a pushover.
"I didn't everything I could, and it wasn't enough," Clark said.
Ames won for the first time this year, and he had to work hard for it. Seven players were tied for the lead at some point in a final round filled with sunshine, and even a one-shot lead with three holes to play was no bargain.
"It was a grind coming down the stretch," Ames said. "The way I finished with three pars, I'm quite happy I did."
Ames, who grew up in Trinidad & Tobago and moved to Calgary 13 years ago, heads home to a winter of freezing temperatures, plenty of work in the gym and an earlier start to next year than he anticipated.
After previously hitting a bunker around 65 feet away from the hole, having Tim Clark only one shot behind him. However, he succeeded to blast out to three feet and make the par for a 4-under 68, coming to the end of an already successful season, since he already had a victory in the final PGA Tour of the year.
Verplank shared the 54-hole lead with Ames and was tied with four holes to play until he couldn't match Ames' birdie on the 15th and three-putted the 16th from about 70 feet. He shot 71 and tied for third with Tag Ridings (70) and Robert Gamez (68).
Ames earned 828,000 dollars for his third PGA Tour win and moved to 31st on the year-end money list, four spots ahead of Weir.
Kevin Stadler won the consolation prize, tying for 15th to move into the top 125. He finished the 124th.
Ames’ victory was said to be difficult to predict and along with Mike Weir's title in Arizona two weeks ago, they made the first couple of Canadians who won the PGA Tour in the same year since 50 years ago, when Al Balding and Stan Leonard accomplished the same thing.
Ames declared that his next destinatination is Maui, where he planned to go for his Christmas vacation, but now has one more reason to do so, referring to the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship that kicks off the PGA Tour season in January.
U.S. win shares spotlight with Weir beating Woods
By Doug Ferguson
Associated Press
MONTREAL The Presidents Cup didn't end in another tie, but it sure felt that way yesterday.
The Americans celebrated another victory, taking more than enough singles matches at Royal Montreal to make a winner out of captain Jack Nicklaus again and capture their first cup on international soil in 14 years.
Even more rowdier were those Canadians crammed into the bleachers and pressed against the ropes, waving the Maple Leaf flag, cheering and chanting at every turn as their beloved Mike Weir won the last two holes to take down Tiger Woods.
"When he won on 18, you could hear it all the way to Kansas City," International captain Gary Player said.
The final cheer was for the consolation prize.
The Presidents Cup went to a United States team that was overwhelming in the team matches and good enough in singles for its second straight victory over the International team, 19 1/2 -14 1/2 .
David Toms earned the most points. Scott Verplank won all four of his matches. Woody Austin drew the most laughter, falling into a lake on the 14th hole Friday and making fun of himself by wearing a swimming mask as he walked down the same fairway yesterday.
As usual, the inspiration and laughs came from Nicklaus, a seven-time runner-up at the Canadian Open who finally left the Great White North with a shiny gold trophy.
"I've always loved playing for Jack, and hopefully, he'll come back," Woods said. "He's the greatest player of all time, and to have him as your captain to lead us, it doesn't get any better than that."
The Canadians found something equally special.
The cheers were relentless on a spectacular autumn day, and they carried the former Masters champion from a sudden collapse to an unlikely victory. Woods was 1 up with two holes to play when Weir made a 10-foot birdie putt to win the 17th, then watched as Woods pulled a tee shot that splashed into a pond -- right in front of a Canadian flag that fans were holding behind the ropes.
"It's mixed emotions for sure," Weir said. "Our team didn't win. I won a point. It's only one point."
But what a point it was.
Woods beat Greg Norman when the Presidents Cup was in Australia, and he beat Ernie Els in South Africa four years ago. Weir only made the team as a captain's pick, but he was the International team's best player -- especially yesterday.
"Obviously, winning the Masters was such a thrill," Weir said. "But to play Tiger ... he's the best player there is, and I had to play my absolute best today to beat him."
Woods and Weir shared a hug on the 18th green after Woods conceded the hole as the gallery filled the air with chants of "Mike! Mike! Mike!"
"I told him I was proud of how he handled himself," Woods said. "He had to carry an entire country on his shoulders. Not too many people can play as well as he did. He handled it magnificently."
The Americans were superb, too.
Verplank completed a 4-0 week with birdies on the 16th and 17th to beat Rory Sabbatini, 2 and 1. Phil Mickelson hammered Vijay Singh, closing him out on the 14th hole while wearing soft spikes. Stewart Cink delivered the cup-clinching point after birdies on the first five holes led to a 6-and-4 victory over Nick O'Hern.
"We came into this week with a little score to settle up in the international golf arena," Cink said. "I think we showed everybody that we can play again."
U.S. Senior Open
Brad Bryant;
* Age: 52
* Hometown: Lakeland
* 2006 money list: No. 3
* ACE moment: Tied for second with R.W. Eaks behind Loren Roberts last year.
* Senior moment: Won the Toshiba Classic and Regions Charity Classic in 2006.
* Scouting report: Bryant was one of the steadiest players on the tour last year and is off to a solid start again.
Haven - The juxtaposition was poignant, almost surreal. Behind the clubhouse at Whistling Straits, as a somber Tom Watson described his final-round collapse in the U.S. Senior Open, the trophy presentation was taking place on the 18th green.
"It's a very special tournament to me and I had it in my grasp," Watson said.
His words were partially drowned out by cheering from below, as winner Brad Bryant stepped to the microphone.
"It doesn't get any better than this," Bryant said.
One man was reliving a nightmare, the other living a dream. One of the greatest players of all time had come completely unglued while a journeyman had played the round of his life.
Pressure crushes. It also makes diamonds.
"This is America, man," Bryant said later Sunday evening, still in shock, still clutching the U.S. Senior Open trophy. "I am the guy that our guys in Iraq are fighting for. You all can print that. Only in America can a guy like me get to where I am today."
He got there by firing a 4-under-par 68, the best round of the day, on a brutally difficult golf course in 95-degree heat in the final round of a United States Golf Association championship.
To be fair, he also got there because Watson fell apart, not only blowing a three-stroke lead with eight holes left but playing those holes in a hard-to-watch 8 over par.
"I just didn't have it on the back nine," Watson said. "I just put the ball in trouble way too many times to have a chance to win the golf tournament."
It wasn't the heat, it was the humility.
"I'm fine," the 57-year-old Watson said of his physical condition. "No problem there."
Bryant, 52, of Lakeland, Fla., finished at 6-under-par 282 and earned $470,000. Ben Crenshaw shot a 70 and was second at 285, his best finish on the Champions Tour. Loren Roberts shot a 74 and finished third at 286 and Watson limped home with a 78 and was fourth at 287.
Bryant was the only player in the field to shoot even par or better all four rounds (71-72-71-68). He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in the final round.
"He's shot a lot lower scores than that in easier conditions but as far as I'm concerned that's the best round he's ever played," said Tony Smith, Bryant's caddie of four years.
After Watson birdied the ninth and 10th holes to get to 9-under, he had a three-stroke lead over Bryant and was five shots clear of Roberts. At that point a betting man would have put everything he owned on Watson, the winner of eight majors on the PGA Tour and one of the game's great ball-strikers and champions.
He would have lost it all.
Watson's drive leaked right and into a bunker on the par-5 11th. A lay-up left him in perfect position but his 9-iron came up short, he chipped weakly and then three-putted from the fringe, fanning his 6-foot bogey putt so badly it never came close to the hole.
"He birdied nine and 10 and I thought he was off to the races," said Roberts, who played with Watson. "On 11, if he drives the ball in the fairway he probably knocks it on the green in two and makes a birdie and goes on to win the tournament. It seemed to me like 11 was such a body blow and he compounded it with a three-putt. It just kind of took the wind out of his sails."
Over the last seven holes, not only did the wheels come off for Watson, but the transmission fell out and the engine blew up. He bogeyed Nos. 12 and 13 and double-bogeyed Nos. 15 and 18 for an ugly back-nine 43.
"Well, 43 ain't very good," Watson said succinctly.
Bryant, who shot a 32 on the front nine thanks to what he called some of the best wedge play of his life, never looked at a scoreboard on the back and didn't know he had a three-shot lead as he stood in the 18th fairway.
"On 18, Tony asked me, 'Do you want to know where you stand?' " Bryant said. "I looked at him and said, 'I think we're one up.' He said, 'No, you're not.' And I said, 'Do you mean we're tied?' And he said, 'You're three up.' "
From the elevated fairway, Bryant stared across the hazard at the massive green below. The flagstick was on the left-front lobe, guarded by bunkers.
"I said, 'Let's aim right,' " Bryant said. "Tony said, 'Yeah, let's do.' "
He made his par and for all practical purposes clinched the title when Watson failed to birdie the par-5 16th.
Watson now has six top-10 finishes in the Senior Open without a victory. He was the runner-up in 2002, 2003 and 2006.
As he left the podium, a USGA official put his arm around him and said, "You'll just have to keep trying."
Watson stared straight ahead.
"Yep," he said. "That's what I'll have to do."
Bryant, meanwhile, put an exclamation mark on one of the great comebacks in recent golf history. It took him 474 starts to win his only tournament on the PGA Tour, the 1995 Walt Disney Oldsmobile Classic. By 2000, he was a part-time player and would tee it up only 19 times over the next five years.
Smith met Bryant, full of self-doubt, at a Nationwide Tour event in Greenville, S.C.
"The first thing he told me was, 'Tony, I'm a little rusty. I've been retired so let's get this out of the way: Don't expect nothing out of me,' " Smith said. "He shot a 66 the first round and we've been together ever since."
Bryant's standing line was that he was the second-best player in his family; his younger brother, Bart, is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour. Smith calls Brad a "professional self-deprecator."
But Bryant has found new life on the Champions Tour. He won twice in 2006 and won his third title, the Regions Charity Classic, earlier this year.
"I think in the last five years, I've matured a lot," he said. "And the game has changed fairly significantly as well. The equipment, the way we play the game now, fits me better than the way we played the game 25 years ago.
"I've learned an awful lot about how to play golf, too. Years ago, I thought you had to hit great golf shots to win. Now I find out - Guess what? - you can hit a couple bad shots and make a couple good putts and all of a sudden you win a golf tournament."
All of a sudden Sunday, he won the biggest golf tournament an over-50 golfer can win. His name goes on the Francis Ouimet Trophy alongside the names Palmer, Player, Trevino and Nicklaus.
"Let's face it, guys, I'm not in their league," Bryant said. "I never was and, as far as golf goes, I never will be. These are the greats of the game. I'm a journeyman who happened to have a really great week."
Grips with success
Stroke Solutions Inc., a small golf equipment company in Grafton, had a huge role in K.J. Choi's victory at the AT&T National on Sunday.
Choi installed an over-sized SuperStroke grip on his putter and went on to win the inaugural event at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
He finished second in the field in putts per green in regulation (1.685) and fifth in total putts (115).
Choi bought the SuperStroke after seeing it advertised in an infomercial.
"He just sat on it for a while," said Ron Creten, president of Stroke Solutions. "He said it was big and ugly and he didn't know if he wanted to put it in play.
"His agent called us Friday and said K.J. was like a kid in a candy store, he was so happy."
At about 1½ inches in diameter, SuperStroke is twice the size of a conventional putter grip. The mass helps reduce two of the biggest causes of missed putts: Too much grip pressure and too much wrist action. SuperStroke can be installed on any putter.
"When you watch infomercials, half the time you don't believe it, half the time you believe it and you don't know what's right," Choi said after his second victory of the year. "But I just kept on watching it and I was convinced that it might work for me. So I ordered one."
Creten said several PGA Tour players had practiced with the grip but none had used it in a tournament.
Since Choi's nationally televised victory, however, the company Web site ( www.superstrokegrip.com) has been deluged.
"Response has been off the charts," Creten said.
Callaway Golf ordered a dozen grips and plans to ship them to Scotland for its staff members who are playing in the British Open next week. Edwin Watts will begin selling the grips and Creten is negotiating with Golf Galaxy.
SuperStroke was invented by Harold Roelke of Elm Grove. He called the grip "Fatso" and it was named best new product at the PGA Merchandise Show. But he had problems marketing the grip, eventually ran out of money and sold his company to Creten, Keith Miller and majority owner Chris Doerr.
"We had a family reunion in Alaska and I didn't see any part of the tournament," said Roelke, a minority partner in Stroke Solutions. "As my wife said, even if nothing else happens from this point forward, I invented something that helped somebody win a PGA Tour event."
Golf Tournament
Looking for tips on planning a charity golf tournament? There are many factors to consider, so I'll stick to the four main ones for this article. The success of your charity golf event revolves around maximizing player turnout, increasing pledge sizes, obtaining sponsored prizes, and planning tips.
Player Turnout
Your success depends on how many players your golf event draws and how actively you have your players solicit sponsors for their own rounds.
To maximize turnout, you need to get major publicity for your event. That means putting out multiple press releases, getting local media coverage from newspapers and television stations, and placing ads in the sports section of the local paper.
For the best results, put your press releases out through PR Web. Appoint a spokesperson to handle all media contacts and follow-up. For more tips, read my article on fundraising publicity.
Charity Pledges
The key is getting each player to collect a certain amount of pledges. I recommend a minimum of $100 per player in pledges. I've also played in tournaments where that number was $250 per player.
Obviously, you want to motivate the participants to raise as much money as possible. Some groups offer incentives for the top pledge getters. Others seek corporate sponsorships for that firm's players.
Pledge amounts determine the success of your charity golf event, so get input from experienced golfers and golf pros in your area.
Top Golfer Prizes
Generally speaking, you'll draw more golfers if you have great prizes for longest drive, closest to the hole, hole in one, lowest team score, lowest actual score, and best adjusted score (handicap).
You solicit local merchants to sponsor those prizes. Work with an insurance-related prize company for things like the hole-in-one contest. That way you can offer a bigger prize for a much lower outlay.
Aim to get 100 golfers (25 foursomes) and your small group could easily raise $10,000 or more. Larger turnouts will net even more with some charity golf tournaments drawing 500 golfers competing for big prizes.
Plan Ahead
Obviously, bigger pledges, more golfers, corporate sponsorships combined with massive publicity will work wonders for the bottom line of your charity golf tournament. With the right combination of these factors and good advance planning, you can certainly raise $75,000 or more for a charitable cause.
Contact local courses for group rates. Be sure to mention that you are planning a charity event and ask for discounts on cart and greens fees. Once you decide on your preferred location, reserve the date and tee times well in advance.
Charity Golf Event - Final Tips
Plan ahead to maximize the success of your charity golf event. For best results, pick a weekday when courses and large blocks of tee times will be easier to reserve. You'll often get the best rates by going to the course in person and talking to the pro or pro shop manager.
Corporate sponsors are another good way to go. Get some celebrities to golf with corporate bigwigs and you can easily raise $100k-$150k. Of course, convincing celebrities to donate their time takes some doing, but it's well worth it.
If it's your first golf tournament, be open to suggestions from other golfers. Consider working with a fundraising consultant who specializes in organizing charity golf tournaments. They work for a percentage of the gross, but you usually end up raising more funds due to their experience and sponsor contacts.
Greg reynolds writes about planning a charity golf tournament and other non-profit fundraisers at FundraiserHelp.com. Browse the site today for hundreds of great fundraising tiips.
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