Two golfers with strong Charlotte connections -- Patty Moore and Terry Florence -- have been elected to the Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame.
Moore has been one of the area's top women's players for years, piling up victories almost routinely. In addition to dominating area tournaments, Moore has been a fine player on the national level, also.
She lives in Charlotte and plays out of Carmel Country Club but also spends a good deal of time in Pinehurst.
Florence is a Charlotte native who is among the best players the city has produced. He was instrumental in developing Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms, S.C., into a top-level golf destination. In recent years, Florence has been director of golf at Bulls Bay in Awendaw, S.C.
Moore and Florence will be inducted during Aug. 17 ceremonies in Pinehurst.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Feherty gets it right about Tiger
Leave it to David Feherty to get it right when it comes to the ripple of controversy stirred by Tiger Woods expressing his frustrations while missing the cut at the British Open two weeks ago.
More than once, Woods was shown slamming a club or barking at himself as shots went astray at Turnberry. He was angry and it showed. It's not the first time Tiger has let his emotions show and it won't be the last.
Some critics have scolded Woods for not biting his tongue or gently putting his driver back in the bag after a lousy tee shot. They're overreacting.
In an interview this week with the Argus Leader in South Dakota, Feherty was quoted saying, "Those critical forget about what he did a couple of weeks before for the troops at the tournament he put on (the AT&T National). All the things he did at Walter Reed, all the things that tournament is about. And he bangs his club here or there?...
"I was fly fishing in Colorado - I didn't see any of it. I've read about it since then. If you play golf for a living and you don't swear or throw the occasional club, you should be disqualified.
"It's not that kind of a game - it's not meant to be played with all the hushed tones. You're supposed to show your emotions."
Tiger gets criticized for being too cold and distant by some people and flogged by others (or maybe the same ones) who prefer he channel his frustration differently. I like him the way he is.
More than once, Woods was shown slamming a club or barking at himself as shots went astray at Turnberry. He was angry and it showed. It's not the first time Tiger has let his emotions show and it won't be the last.
Some critics have scolded Woods for not biting his tongue or gently putting his driver back in the bag after a lousy tee shot. They're overreacting.
In an interview this week with the Argus Leader in South Dakota, Feherty was quoted saying, "Those critical forget about what he did a couple of weeks before for the troops at the tournament he put on (the AT&T National). All the things he did at Walter Reed, all the things that tournament is about. And he bangs his club here or there?...
"I was fly fishing in Colorado - I didn't see any of it. I've read about it since then. If you play golf for a living and you don't swear or throw the occasional club, you should be disqualified.
"It's not that kind of a game - it's not meant to be played with all the hushed tones. You're supposed to show your emotions."
Tiger gets criticized for being too cold and distant by some people and flogged by others (or maybe the same ones) who prefer he channel his frustration differently. I like him the way he is.
Tucker gets another crack at U.S. Senior Open
Charlotte's Chris Tucker didn't expect to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open this year.
He'd never played TPC Sugarloaf, site of his sectional qualifying round, but it didn't matter. Tucker shot 70 to lead the field and earn a spot in the U.S. Senior Open which begins Thursday at Crooked Stick near Indianapolis.
"I had no expectations," Tucker said.
Now that he's in the field, Tucker does have some expectations. He's not putting himself among the favorites but the former PGA Tour player has some positive vibes going at the place where John Daly introduced himself to the world.
"I have a good feeling because Opens are better for me," said the 51-year old Tucker. "Most of the time par is a decent score. I'm driving it better than I did last year (when he missed the Senior Open cut by a stroke)."
Tucker has no status on the Champions Tour though he intends to make another run at qualifying for the tour later this year. He's stayed busy playing Carolinas PGA section events and has received sponsorship help from John Love of Red Rocks, NASCAR driver/owner Michael Waltrip and former driver Phil Parsons.
He'd never played TPC Sugarloaf, site of his sectional qualifying round, but it didn't matter. Tucker shot 70 to lead the field and earn a spot in the U.S. Senior Open which begins Thursday at Crooked Stick near Indianapolis.
"I had no expectations," Tucker said.
Now that he's in the field, Tucker does have some expectations. He's not putting himself among the favorites but the former PGA Tour player has some positive vibes going at the place where John Daly introduced himself to the world.
"I have a good feeling because Opens are better for me," said the 51-year old Tucker. "Most of the time par is a decent score. I'm driving it better than I did last year (when he missed the Senior Open cut by a stroke)."
Tucker has no status on the Champions Tour though he intends to make another run at qualifying for the tour later this year. He's stayed busy playing Carolinas PGA section events and has received sponsorship help from John Love of Red Rocks, NASCAR driver/owner Michael Waltrip and former driver Phil Parsons.
Monday, July 27, 2009
As Buick goes away, Tiger comes back
Two items of interest surrounding the PGA Tour's Buick Open this week (if the rain-soaked Canadian Open ever ends):
-- This is apparently the end of the Buick Open after 51 years, a victim of GM's financial problems;
-- It's the first of three straight tournaments for Tiger Woods, who will follow the Buick by playing in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone and the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
As for the Buick Open, it seemed inevitable that tournaments would suffer given the economic problems and now it's happening. According to reports, the PGA Tour has another sponsor waiting to take the spot on the schedule but it has to be disturbing news around the tour offices to see a long-time event expire.
The long-term question is how the tour will be impacted when it begins negotiating new television deals down the road. There have been suggestions that purses should be cut and I can see that happening, though reluctantly.
From an image standpoint, it might help the tour.
Commissioner Tim Finchem has already raised the notion of some future 'flex' scheduling with a few events, in an effort to get more players to play tournaments they might otherwise pass. It's just a concept, Finchem said, but it's an interesting one.
As for Tiger, this week immediately became more interesting when he entered (and, by the way, he no longer has ties to Buick so it's not a contractual thing). Obviously, he wasn't sharp at Turnberry and this looks like an effort to play himself back into form leading into the PGA.
It will be interesting to see how his season looks three weeks from now.
-- This is apparently the end of the Buick Open after 51 years, a victim of GM's financial problems;
-- It's the first of three straight tournaments for Tiger Woods, who will follow the Buick by playing in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone and the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
As for the Buick Open, it seemed inevitable that tournaments would suffer given the economic problems and now it's happening. According to reports, the PGA Tour has another sponsor waiting to take the spot on the schedule but it has to be disturbing news around the tour offices to see a long-time event expire.
The long-term question is how the tour will be impacted when it begins negotiating new television deals down the road. There have been suggestions that purses should be cut and I can see that happening, though reluctantly.
From an image standpoint, it might help the tour.
Commissioner Tim Finchem has already raised the notion of some future 'flex' scheduling with a few events, in an effort to get more players to play tournaments they might otherwise pass. It's just a concept, Finchem said, but it's an interesting one.
As for Tiger, this week immediately became more interesting when he entered (and, by the way, he no longer has ties to Buick so it's not a contractual thing). Obviously, he wasn't sharp at Turnberry and this looks like an effort to play himself back into form leading into the PGA.
It will be interesting to see how his season looks three weeks from now.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Huntersville's Harrell shows he belongs
Huntersville’s Logan Harrell went into the U.S. Junior Amateur golf championship this week with the goal of winning.
He didn’t quite reach that but Harrell’s run to the semifinals still brought plenty of satisfaction.
“My goal was to win and my other goal was to play well. I exceeded the second part because I played about as well as I ever have,” said Harrell, a rising senior at Hopewell High.
Harrell was eliminated in the semifinals Friday afternoon 1-up by his 15-year old friend Jordan Spieth of Dallas, Tex.
In the quarterfinals Friday morning at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., Harrell defeated Cameron Wilson of Rowayton, Cal., 2-up.
Against Spieth in the afternoon, Harrell found himself 4-down after six holes but four birdies in a five-hole stretch allowed him to pull even with five holes remaining before Spieth pulled away again.
Harrell, who plays at Cowans Ford Country Club and will attend the University of South Carolina, had a top-10 finish in the prestigious Foot-Joy Invitational AJGA event earlier this summer and reached the round of 16 in the Carolinas Amateur.
“I proved I can play with the best of them,” Harrell said.
He didn’t quite reach that but Harrell’s run to the semifinals still brought plenty of satisfaction.
“My goal was to win and my other goal was to play well. I exceeded the second part because I played about as well as I ever have,” said Harrell, a rising senior at Hopewell High.
Harrell was eliminated in the semifinals Friday afternoon 1-up by his 15-year old friend Jordan Spieth of Dallas, Tex.
In the quarterfinals Friday morning at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J., Harrell defeated Cameron Wilson of Rowayton, Cal., 2-up.
Against Spieth in the afternoon, Harrell found himself 4-down after six holes but four birdies in a five-hole stretch allowed him to pull even with five holes remaining before Spieth pulled away again.
Harrell, who plays at Cowans Ford Country Club and will attend the University of South Carolina, had a top-10 finish in the prestigious Foot-Joy Invitational AJGA event earlier this summer and reached the round of 16 in the Carolinas Amateur.
“I proved I can play with the best of them,” Harrell said.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A banker comes to golf's defense
It's nice to see Seth Waugh, the CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, standing up for the value of his company's investment in the PGA Tour event it hosts.
Golf has become a dirty word in some circles these days but Waugh defended spending company money on a golf tournament.
"You can think of the golf tournament as a silly little thing in terms of what's going on in the world but these are the bricks that can build the economy back up. Nobody in the world is going to want to take $70 million less."
Waugh was referring to studies citing the economic impact of the Deutsche Bank Championship at between $40 and $70 million annually. He was speaking to Boston business and charity leaders on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
Last year, the Deutsche Bank Championship donated $3.5 million to charity.
There has been no word from Wells Fargo or Quail Hollow Championship officials about any potential change in the terms of their agreement for the PGA Tour event held here each May. Wells Fargo officials have maintained they intend to honor the terms of the contract they inherited in their purchase of Wachovia, which covers the tournament through 2014.
While the furor over financial institutions, particularly those that received federal bailout money, has subsided to some degree, it's still a tender subject.
A high-ranking official from a prominent resort recently told me that no company wants to be associated with the words golf or spa when it comes to business travel or entertaining, at least not right now.
There are modest signs of improvement, the executive said, but the impact has still been immense on the hospitality industry, which in turn impacts restaurant and hotel workers, course operators and many others.
Golf has become a dirty word in some circles these days but Waugh defended spending company money on a golf tournament.
"You can think of the golf tournament as a silly little thing in terms of what's going on in the world but these are the bricks that can build the economy back up. Nobody in the world is going to want to take $70 million less."
Waugh was referring to studies citing the economic impact of the Deutsche Bank Championship at between $40 and $70 million annually. He was speaking to Boston business and charity leaders on Wednesday, according to The Associated Press.
Last year, the Deutsche Bank Championship donated $3.5 million to charity.
There has been no word from Wells Fargo or Quail Hollow Championship officials about any potential change in the terms of their agreement for the PGA Tour event held here each May. Wells Fargo officials have maintained they intend to honor the terms of the contract they inherited in their purchase of Wachovia, which covers the tournament through 2014.
While the furor over financial institutions, particularly those that received federal bailout money, has subsided to some degree, it's still a tender subject.
A high-ranking official from a prominent resort recently told me that no company wants to be associated with the words golf or spa when it comes to business travel or entertaining, at least not right now.
There are modest signs of improvement, the executive said, but the impact has still been immense on the hospitality industry, which in turn impacts restaurant and hotel workers, course operators and many others.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunrise...sunset
Some people like to play golf early in the morning when there's still dew on the ground and the greens are as good as they'll be all day. I get that, but as someone whose day gradually improves with my coffee intake, you can have the first tee time.
And the second, third, fourth and fifth, unless it's the Starbucks Open.
Tiger Woods likes to tee off just after dawn. Out of bed. Out of the car. Straight to the first tee without any practice balls. Cold shaft it.
I prefer late afternoon when the shadows are stretching, the edge is coming off the heat and the only thing you're racing is the sunset. Sure, the greens are a little scruffy by that time of the day with bunker sand splashed in your putting line and poorly repaired ball marks dotting the surface.
But there's a peace about golf late in the day, especially if you're out there alone, bag on your shoulder, hoofing it around nine holes playing two balls. You may be by yourself but you're not alone. There's always a demon's voice or two in your head when you're playing.
Even the most ordinary golf course looks pretty late in the day. You can see the contours in the fairways and on the greens. I've seen gators, fox, deer, hawks and rabbits on the course -- and that's without leaving the fairway.
I have a friend who spends his days at the golf course and one day early in his marriage, his wife asked him what time he'd be home that evening.
The man walked to the back porch, opened the door and threw a golf ball in the yard.
"See that golf ball?" he asked his wife. "When it's too dark to see that ball, I'll be home 30 minutes after that."
Theirs has been a long and happy marriage.
And the second, third, fourth and fifth, unless it's the Starbucks Open.
Tiger Woods likes to tee off just after dawn. Out of bed. Out of the car. Straight to the first tee without any practice balls. Cold shaft it.
I prefer late afternoon when the shadows are stretching, the edge is coming off the heat and the only thing you're racing is the sunset. Sure, the greens are a little scruffy by that time of the day with bunker sand splashed in your putting line and poorly repaired ball marks dotting the surface.
But there's a peace about golf late in the day, especially if you're out there alone, bag on your shoulder, hoofing it around nine holes playing two balls. You may be by yourself but you're not alone. There's always a demon's voice or two in your head when you're playing.
Even the most ordinary golf course looks pretty late in the day. You can see the contours in the fairways and on the greens. I've seen gators, fox, deer, hawks and rabbits on the course -- and that's without leaving the fairway.
I have a friend who spends his days at the golf course and one day early in his marriage, his wife asked him what time he'd be home that evening.
The man walked to the back porch, opened the door and threw a golf ball in the yard.
"See that golf ball?" he asked his wife. "When it's too dark to see that ball, I'll be home 30 minutes after that."
Theirs has been a long and happy marriage.
