General
Tiger boys golf team finishes sixth at Canby Invitational
Apr 2nd
CANBY — Newberg battled the elements to place sixth out of seven teams at the Canby Invitational on Tuesday at the Willamette Valley Country Club.
Senior Andrew Grove paced the Tigers with an 82 that placed him in a tie for fifth individually.
“(Grove) played pretty well considering the conditions,” head coach Branden Thompson said. “It rained pretty hard all day and some of the greens became flooded. It was a tough day, but I think it was good for the kids to battle the conditions.”
Newberg finished at 371, while the host Cougars won their own event by 10 strokes with a 317, thanks to medalist Bradley Kleinstuber (74) and runner-up Benson Winklebleck (79).
Westview was seco
nd at 327, followed by McMinnville (350), Gresham (356), Crescent Valley (357), Capitol of Olympia, Wash. (364), the Tigers and Wilson (400).
Rounding out the top five individually were Westview’s Nick Baines in a tie for second at 79, as well as McMinnville’s Grant Geelan and Gresham’s Austin Spicer, who tied for fourth at 80.
Steven Bell shot an 89 and Drew DeHaven posted a 96 for Newberg, but fellow sophomore Taylor Teich had to withdraw with an injury. Freshman Nolan DeHaven fired a 104 to post the Tigers’ final score.
“(Teich) had a sore shoulder and couldn’t complete his round, so that put some pressure on Nolan DeHaven in his first varsity event,” Thompson said. “I was pleased with how he responded.”
Newberg will return to Pacific Conference play Monday with a league meet at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains.
From www.newberggraphic.com
Experts say Tiger won’t win but can an Aussie?
Apr 2nd
It’s that time of the year again when true golf enthusiasts wake in darkness to watch on TV what is happening half a world away at Augusta National Golf Club where the azaleas are blooming.
The Masters is the only major an Australian has never won and, each first week of April, we live the dream of our golfers but so often it has become a nightmare. How Greg Norman has dispirited us.The Shark led into the final round but his boyhood hero, Jack Nicklaus, came home on the back nine in 30 to shoot 65 and beat our Greg and Tom Kite. But we forgave the Golden Bear, then the Olden Bear at 46, as he was the greatest. It was Nicklaus’s sixth green jacket, 23 years on from the first, and surely his most memorable.
Then there was 1996 when Norman lost the unlosable. He led by six going into the final round but was the victim of a clinical assassination by Nick Faldo – and his own nerves. Norman has three runner-up finishes, six top-threes and eight top-fives. His destiny, as the first Australian to win at Augusta, remains unfulfilled and always will.
We’ve had others who have finished second best – Bruce Crampton to Nicklaus in 1972 and Jack Newton to Seve Ballesteros in 1980. Craig Parry led by two with just 16 holes to play in 1992 but disintegrated under the vocal pressure for playing partner Fred Couples.
This year, we have Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Jason Day and Adam Scott but there is an added dimension to the 2011 Masters – Tiger Woods, a four-time champion at Augusta but winless in a major since the 2008 US Open. His has been a fall from grace in so many ways. Woods is again favourite with the bookies, has been since he won the 1997 tournament by a record 13 shots, but surely it is erring on the side of cautiousness. He is paying $9 to win with TAB Sportsbet, triple his odds of previous years; defending champion Phil Mickelson is next, on $12.
The Sun-Herald asked Australia’s foremost golf commentators – Ian Baker-Finch, Jack Newton and Peter Thomson – three questions, and they were unanimous in two – Woods cannot win, nor can an Australian.
Is Woods a sleeping Tiger or in terminal decline?
Newton: He’s in a bit of a mess both with his golf swing and his head. I don’t like the way he is swinging the golf club and I think it’s going to take him some time to sort that out. Plus there are the other issues like his kids, etc. No, I don’t seem him being a threat.
Thomson: Woods will never return to the dizzy heights of before and I’d give him a 20-1 chance to win the Masters. He’s not concentrating like he did prior to his crash and he is playing faster, which makes it obvious that he is not giving it the full study that he once did. I don’t know what’s in his head, I couldn’t possibly guess, but they are certainly not the thoughts he had a year or two ago.
IBF: I wouldn’t say Woods’s game is in terminal decline, I think he will come back to playing great golf again like he was in 2007-2008 and before that in 2000-2001. But I don’t think he’ll come back to that level because all his competition know he is human now. Intimidation was the 15th club in his bag – he knew that they knew he was better than them. It was almost like he knew he was going to win even before he won. He could tee it up knowing he had already won. And, it is not Tiger’s swing he has now. I could write a book, and I will one day, on all the things I tried with a lot less capability than Tiger Woods. At the moment it’s not his swing, he doesn’t have ownership of his swing.
Why hasn’t an Australian won at Augusta, and who are our best chances this year?
Newton: I always thought Greg [Norman] was a monte to win the Masters. He was a good driver of the ball and basically hit a draw that you need. The ideal way to play Augusta is to draw your driver and fade your irons. That is not easy to do with the modern equipment compared with older clubs where you could shape your shots. Plus, every year they tinker with the course, so some of the younger players who have only played one, possibly two, Masters, go back and find a different set of circumstances. The greens are slick so you have to have some pretty steely nerves with some of the putts. Adam Scott, for instance, certainly strikes the ball well enough, but there are question marks over his putting. I’ve always thought an Australian would win at Augusta as it is typical of our courses. Geoff Ogilvy should do well there, but his form has been a bit up and down. Aaron Baddeley is playing better now he’s gone back to [old coach] Dale Lynch and he’s probably the best putter we’ve got. Jason Day is a rough show for a big performance as he’s got the length and hits the ball high.
Thomson: There’s no particular reason why Australians haven’t won there. Geoff Ogilvy is our best chance as he has the game that should fit Augusta, hitting the ball high as he does. His putting comes and goes though.
IBF: What is happening is the pressure is building on Australians [when in contention] coming up the last few holes. We saw that with Stewie Appleby four or five years ago. That pressure becomes intense as not only is it the Masters and a green jacket, a major, but to be the first Australian to win – history beckons. None of the Australians are in sparkling form, though Aaron Baddeley won the Northern Trust Open [in February] and he’s got his old swing back, which I love. Appleby and Ogilvy would be our next best chances. I’m excited about Jason Day, he’s going to be like a bull at a gate in his first Masters.
Who do you think will win?
Newton: It is probably the most open Masters in years. A good each-way bet is Jim Furyk. He also seems to put himself thereabouts in the big stuff on difficult courses. And, I think Martin Kaymer is the best I’ve seen for a while. I’ve been predicting he’ll be No.1 [as he is now] for a couple of years. He would be my pick, but then there’s Dustin Johnson. Technically, he doesn’t look that good, he grabs the club like an axe, but the boys tell me he is frighteningly long and when he puts it together he can shoot low numbers.
Thomson: The winner will be one of those young Americans. There’s a batch of them playing exceedingly well, like Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Nick Watney, Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson. One of them will win it. And Martin Kaymer, he’s a much-admired player. I think he’s a beauty but I think you’ve got to play Augusta a few times before you can win there.
IBF: You can’t count out Phil Mickelson, who has won three times and is defending champion. He hasn’t been great so far this year, just showing flashes, but I know he has been working hard with [coach] Butch Harmon. I think he’ll put up a good defence.
From www.smh.com.au
Lady Wizards keep ‘game’ in golf experience
Apr 2nd
Windsor High School golfer Morgan Maack needed a one-hole playoff to make the cut for the state tournament last season, but this year, the experienced senior leads a confident group of golfers who hope that success this season won’t require nearly as much last-minute drama.
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In addition to Maack, who placed 44at the state tournament in 2010, the team will also welcome back returning golfers Amanda Pennington and Hannah Peterson from last season’s top five.
Windsor Golf Coach Bob McNamee likes the leadership and talent he has returning but said he’ll stick to his philosophy that golf is a game, and it’s got to be fun.
“We do a lot of work on the driving range with them,” said McNamee. “They also play a lot of holes, but they’re so young that I just want them to come out here and enjoy playing the game. If they’re athletic, they’ll get it.”
In a preseason tune up, Maack shot an 88, which is well in line with the kind of numbers she posted last season during her strong outings. She will be the team’s top golfer this season, followed by Pennington and Peterson.
McNamee also said that sophomores Melissa Sahl and Emily Augustine are strong enough to jump into the varsity mix early in the season.
The girls bowed out of a possible tournament appearance at Brush over Spring Break but will return after the break to play at Bunker Hill in a league match on April 5.
From www.coloradoan.com
Augusta an unhappy hunting ground for Australians
Apr 2nd
FOR Australians, it’s often been close … but no green jacket. But there could be a simple reason why we haven’t won golf’s ultimate prize.
THERE aren’t many gaps in Australian sport’s collective trophy cabinet.
An Olympic men’s sprint gold medal, soccer’s World Cup, the Tour de France and a men’s basketball world title aside, our global conquests know few bounds.
But among all the sports we hold dearly on an international level, there is one great chasm – the green jacket, the US Masters’ annual contribution to sporting greatness, if not fashion.
No fewer than 14 major championship trophies reside in Australia, but not one originates from Augusta National.
From Jim Ferrier to Greg Norman and Bruce Devlin to Stuart Appleby, we’ve come devilishly close so many times, but just can’t push our way into Butler Cabin to pick up what has become golf’s ultimate prize.
Australians have a staggering 37 top-10 finishes in 74 editions of the Masters, including an agonising nine “podium placings”, six of which belong to the inimitable Norman.
Of all the “traditional” tournaments still played on the US PGA Tour – notwithstanding name changes – the only two others not to have been held by Australian hands are the events now known as the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Farmers Insurance Open (formerly San Diego Open).
This against successes – most multiple – in 31 other events before what is now known as the Fall Series late in the American season.
Even relative golfing backwaters such as Fiji and Canada have saluted.
So why our continual failure at Augusta, especially when we have had a crop of golfers consistently in the world’s top 50 for much of the past three generations?
Surprisingly enough, the answer appears relatively simple.
To borrow from a phrase that has slipped into our sporting vernacular: can’t putt, can’t chip.”
Many of our best players, past and present, put it down to our inability to conquer the glassy Augusta greens and their intricate surrounds.
Jack Newton, himself a Masters runner-up to Spanish great Seve Ballesteros in 1980, goes a step further in saying we have become a country of golfers with fantastic swings, but little substance around the short grass.
“I’m amazed we haven’t won one,” Newton said.
“Especially when the course is not totally dissimilar to ones we play in Australia.
“But the big difference is the greens. The only comparison is Royal Melbourne in the old days when the greens were that hard and fast that they had this blue colour about them.
“To win at Augusta, you have to have a great putting week and we just haven’t had a bloke capable.
“What it tells me, especially now with so many good players around, is that we have become infatuated with swing looks.
“We’ve got great swings, great swing coaches, but just nobody who focuses on the short game. That’s where the Yanks have it all over us.”
Australia’s current No. 2 Robert Allenby agrees.
“Most Aussies on tour are good ball strikers, they always have been, as far as I can remember,” Allenby said.
“Which is telling me that our short games just aren’t good enough to win there. If you think back about who’s won at Augusta, there hasn’t been a bloke who hasn’t had a brilliant short game.
“(Phil) Mickelson has the best short game going around. Tiger (Woods) obviously is great around the greens, even Zach Johnson.
“And blokes like Mike Weir, he’s just an unbelievable putter.
“As well our guys hit it … I think it’s because we haven’t had anyone with one of those brilliant short games.”
Two other factors aren’t as immediately apparent.
Not unique to Augusta National, but foreign to most Australian courses, is that the partly rye grass around the greens is cut so that its grain runs away from the putting surface.
This makes short pitches treacherous with club faces regularly catching the grass before the ball, increasing the need for precision.
The second is that the course is accessible only to the special few each year, which Newton says works against overcoming its unique challenges.
“(So) if you’re not in, you don’t get to play it until the next time. You can go years without seeing it,” he said.
“Then, every year, they make subtle little changes and every time you see it, you spend a couple of rounds figuring out new nuances.
“That’s the same for everyone, obviously, but I think that’s part of it.
“And there’s no doubt the boys think about it and that probably builds up, as well.
“It will happen. We will win it. It might not be this year, it might be another five or 10, but the key for them all is to work on that putting.
“If you’re not a seriously good putter and have a hot week, you won’t win at Augusta. Simple as that.”
Testament to Newton’s theory is his own 1980 brush with history and Ballesteros.
He had fallen nine shots behind the Spaniard in the final group before the closing nine holes, but closed to within two with four to play.
But Seve’s brilliant two-putt from the back of the treacherous 14th green proved the difference.
“Then I three-putted 15 and that was the ball game – it’s all in the putter there, more than anywhere else.”
From www.heraldsun.com.au
Chadha bags Northern India amateur golf title
Apr 2nd
Chadha bags Northern India amateur golf title Font Size Express News Service Posted: Apr 02, 2011 at 0155 hrs IST
Chandigarh Chadha bags Northern India amateur golf title
Chandigarh: With a total of two-over 290, Abhijit Chadha, the current number one on the Indian Golf Union Amateur Circuit, emerged winner of the Northern India Golf Championship at Chandigarh Golf Club, on Friday. Chadha had a wonderful performance this year by winning Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in China. Meanwhile, Kapurthala lad Ashbeer Singh Saini took his total score to five-over 293 to finish joint second with Delhi’s Honey Baisoya. Gagan Verma shot seven birdies on the final day for a total of seven-over 295, and ended up taking the fourth position. Three shots behind was S. Chikkarangapa of Banaglore to finish at the fifth position. Amit Kumar shot the closest to pin on 14th hole with the distance of four feet five inch. Simarjeet Singh hit the straight drive on the 13th hole and got the Straight drive prize while Pranav Kaul got the longest drive prize as he shot 310 yards on the sixth hole.
Score-board:
Abhijit Chadha (71, 73. 74, 72) 290; Ashbeer Singh Saini (77, 69, 75, 72), Honey Baisoya (72, 71, 74, 76) 293; Gagan Verma (78, 75, 74, 68) 295; S. Chikkarangappa (72, 76, 77, 73), Simarjeet Singh (79, 74, 69, 76) 298; Siddharth Semwal (77, 74, 75, 73), Samaresh Sardar (76, 73, 75, 75), Manav Das (77, 72, 74, 76) and Varoon Parmar (75, 73, 74, 77) 299.
Sachin bags U-14 title
Chandigarh: Top seed Sachin Kumar of Chandigarh won his second title in a span of one week with a convincing 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-2 win over seventh seed Udayan Bhakar of Harvest Academy to bag the boys’ Under-14 title of the HTA-AITA Championship Series Tennis Tournament at Harvest Tennis Academy at Jassowal in Ludhiana. Meanwhile, Karandeep Singh of Punjab defeated Sumit Pal Singh of Jammu and Kashmir, 6-3, 6-1, in the Under-12 final. Prabhuti Singhania, the second seed, humbled fourth seed Isha Budwal of Madhya Pradesh, 6-3, 6-1, in the girl’s Under-14 final, while second seed Sruta Kirti Hanuganti of Andhra Pradesh edged past Mahika Yadav of Maharashtra 7-6(0), 6-4 to win the girls’ Under-12 title.
Tennis meet from tomorrow
Chandigarh: The Total Tennis Academy will organise the YMCA Total Tennis Tournament at YMCA Total Tennis Academy, Sector 11, for boys’ Under 10, 12, 14 and 18 singles category and girls’ Under 12, 14, 18 category, from April 3 to 5. Players from Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana will take part in the event. Interested players can enrol their names with Varun Kumar (7837668012 ,9023443338) or Narinder Singh (9501242325) till April 2 at 7 pm.
CGA initiate talent hunt programme
Chandigarh: To hunt talented golfers from amongst the government school students, the Chandigarh Golf Association has initiated Golf from Schools to Range, that was launched by Sandeep Hans, DPI (Schools) at the CGA Golf Range, on Friday. As many as 20 principals from different government schools were present during the occassion.
From www.expressindia.com
Freshman Teji Gill should have impact for Monroe golf
Apr 2nd
In college sports, it isn’t so rare anymore to witness what people like to call “impact freshman” athletes. Names like former Kentucky basketball player John Wall and former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett come to mind.
However, to witness it in high school boys sports is quite another thing. It almost never happens.
Well, keep an eye out, because you might be surprised.
Teji Gill, freshman golfer from Monroe High School could potentially be that impact freshman for Monroe High School’s golf team.
“I’m going to do the best I can,” Gill said. “You know, hopefully get to the GMCs and then after that maybe to the states and do well at the states. It’s one little step at a time. It’s a process. I can’t really expect myself to do anything right now at the beginning of the season. I’ll just work my way up and hopefully by GMC’s and states I’ll be where I want to be.”
With a handicap of 3.1, or the equivalent of shooting a round of 75, Gill is expected to step in and contend right away for the Greater Middlesex Conference title.
“He’s going to add a lot to us,” Monroe coach Dennis Kelleher said of Gill. “He’ll be our best player. He’ll be the number one for us. He’s going to come in and have a chance to win the counties.”
Going into the season there are plenty of high expectations for Gill. Considering that he’s only a freshman in high school, could the youngster be a little nervous heading into his first varsity season?
“I’m not nervous,” Gill said. “I’ve been playing well and during practice it’s just a whole different mindset than outside tournaments. It’s all about having fun, joking around, and having fun with friends. I’ve been playing a lot better and I’m feeling pretty confident about my season.”
Gill says that the golfer he tries to model himself after is Irish born Rory McIlroy. Not a bad golfer to look up to considering McIlroy is ranked eighth in the world by worldgolfranking.com.
“I really admire how studious he is on the golf course,” Gill says of McIlroy. “He’s very quiet, does his work and leaves. He’s never loud or outrageous; he just does his work and goes home. That’s something I really try to do.”
With a record of 12-8 last season, there’s no doubt that the addition of Gill’s workmanlike mentality will certainly add a boost to an already talented Monroe squad.
From www.dailyrecord.com
Golf-Tour life put into perspective for Lewis on Rwanda trip
Apr 2nd
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
RANCHO MIRAGE, California, April 1 (Reuters) – Stacy Lewis has already overcome more than her fair share of obstacles in professional golf, though a recent trip to Africa made her aware she is luckier than most with her lot in life.
In December, Lewis visited Rwanda with fellow American and former player Betsy King’s Golf Fore Africa charity and the plight of young children in that country left her with a lasting impression.
“I saw things there I never thought I’d ever see in my life,” Lewis told reporters after taking a three-shot lead in the second round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Friday.
“It was such a shock to me that people live the way that they do (there), but they are so happy and so grateful. It just makes me thankful for everything that I have.”
Lewis met a young girl in Rwanda who she sponsors through King’s charity and she firmly believes giving back to society in this way can make her golfing career more meaningful.
“It (that December trip) gave me a renewed purpose of what I’m doing out here,” said the 26-year-old, who was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11.
“And the better I play golf, the more I can help other people, the more I can inspire people.”
Asked what had made the most significant impression on her in Rwanda, Lewis replied: “Driving alongside the road you see kids with these huge buckets of water bigger than them. Continued…
From af.reuters.com
I’m ready to play best golf of my career, says bullish Harrington
Apr 2nd
The masters should look out. The game’s forgotten champion believes he is about to play the finest golf of his career and is ready to remind everyone of his major qualities at Augusta next week.
Padraig Harrington has a seven-under total here at the Shell Houston Open to back his claims. Doubtless the eyeballs will roll at this statement from the Irishman, who has made a habit of uttering the baffling. The latest is that, regardless of the three major titles he won in the 13 months from the 2007 Open, only now will his purple patch begin.
“I possibly am golf’s forgotten man but that’s not a bad thing because I believe I’m going to play the best golf of my career going forward,” said Harrington, who turns 40 in August. “I’ve had a lot of closure in the understanding of my game recently. This is the best place I’ve been in the last 20 years.”
A 69 left Harrington two off the early second-round pace set by Chris Kirk. After five birdies on his outward half (he started on the 10th) he admitted “falling asleep” with three consecutive bogeys. No matter, an eagle on his penultimate hole awoke him. A driver, five-iron to 15 feet and his renowned putting stroke did the rest. Harrington has won only one top-flight title since the USPGA in 2008, but the mojo is clearly back. The question must be: is the consistency?
The next two days will be telling. As they will for Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood. Last year’s one and two at Augusta went head-to-head again over the first rounds and with a 70 and a 72 respectively go into today’s third round level on four-under. They both had to bow to the brilliance of the other member of their group, Anthony Kim. The defending champion’s 64 hauled him to eight-under.
It will take a big effort for either Mickelson or Westwood to prevail, but both have greater motivation that a mere Masters tune-out. Westwood needs a top two finish to replace Martin Kaymer as world No 1, while all Mickelson needs to top Tiger Woods in the rankings for the first time in 14 years is a top-36 finish.
Woods is already aware he will no longer be rated a top-five golfer. England’s Paul Casey is guaranteed to leapfrog above him and Europe must now wait to see if for the first time in the 25-year history of the rankings they will boast the top five in the world.
From www.independent.co.uk
Sluman’s 66 ties record at Gulf Resort Classic
Apr 1st
Sluman’s 66 ties record at Gulf Resort Classic
By DAVID BRANDT
SAUCIER, Miss. (AP) Jeff Sluman tied a course record with a 6-under-par 66 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over Tom Lehman at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Fallen Oak.
Sluman had a bogey-free round, highlighted by an eagle from 154 yards on the par-4 No. 4. He used a 9-iron on the shot, dropping it about five feet from the hole before it rolled downhill and into the cup.
He knew it had a chance from the moment he hit it.
“I said ‘Boy, this is as good as I’ve got,’” Sluman said.
And the good shots never stopped for Sluman, who is currently fifth in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. He birdied two more holes on the front nine and two after the turn to finish a nearly flawless performance. He said his ball striking was so good that he rarely ran into trouble – and didn’t need any miracles on his birdie putts.
“The longest (birdie) putt I made was from three feet,” said Sluman, a three-time Champions Tour winner. “If I’m going to have a chance to contend in the golf tournament, I’ve got to make some putts over three feet. The greens are perfect.”
The second-year Champions event yielded some low scores, with 46 out of 79 golfers shooting par or better. David Eger won last year’s event, beating Tommy Armour III by one stroke, but struggled to a 75 on Friday.
Sluman said many golfers struggled last year because they were playing the Tom Fazio-designed course – built in 2006 – for the first time.
It also helped that conditions were nearly ideal on Friday, with plenty of sunshine and 80-degree temperatures, as opposed to the wind and rain that dominated last year’s tournament.
“Last year, I really had a nice feel for the golf course tee to green, but I didn’t putt very well,” Sluman said. “But I did like the golf course and the way it was set up.”
Even so, there were plenty of challenges. The field averaged 72.456 strokes in the first round, the highest on the Champions Tour so far this year.
Maybe the most daunting was No. 18, which ranked as the third-toughest hole on the course and put a sour ending to many rounds. Among the casualties: Chip Beck was at 3-under until the final hole, but a triple-bogey left him at even par.
Dan Forsman birdied four of five holes on the back nine to pull within one shot of Sluman before a bogey on 18 left him two shots back with a 68. The 460-yard par 4 has a fairway littered with obstacles, including deep bunkers on the left and the course’s signature fallen oak tree on the right.
The downhill approach isn’t any easier, with water to the left and behind the green swallowing several errant shots.
Sluman managed to escape the final hole with a par, keeping his round intact.
“Not only does (the green) run away from you, but it’s downgrain,” Sluman said. “So usually you’re hitting a longer cut shot in there to the green – it’s just a bear.”
Tom Lehman, who leads the standings, is in second place after a 67. His success followed Sluman’s theme: impeccable ball striking which led to reasonable putts. He also shot a bogey-free round.
“I’m always thrilled when I play a round without a bogey, whether I’m playing at home or playing out here,” Lehman said. “You’re doing a lot right when you do that.”
Forsman, Nick Price and David Frost are tied for third at 4 under.
The golfers had universal praise for Fallen Oak, which played long after heavy rain soaked the course earlier in the week. The weather for the next two days is expected to be sunny and warm, which should dry the course and make the greens faster.
“It’s matured,” Forsman said. “The greens are firm and much more consistent. They are in marvelous shape. There were a couple of spots last year with some growth issues but they certainly have that solved.”
Mark Brooks and Mississippi native Jim Gallagher Jr. both made their Champions Tour debut. Brooks shot 70 while Gallagher Jr. shot even par.
Sluman tied the course record set last year by Frost and Gary Halberg.
Updated April 1, 2011
From nationalpost.stats.com
Prof-Student Team Make Eco-Friendly Golf Balls Out of Lobster Shells
Apr 1st
They’re not exactly the environmental scourge of our time, but tens of thousands of golf balls made from the petrochemicals Surlyn or urethane end up in rivers, forests, lakes and oceans every year, and there they will stay for hundreds of years.
A professor-student team has tackled the problem of eco-unfriendly golf balls by making them out of lobster shells.
University of Maine professor David Neivandt and golfer and undergrad Alex Caddell have created a ball made from the byproduct of the lobster-canning industry, TV station WMTW reported.
The lobster golf balls solve two environmental problems, actually. “We’re using a byproduct of the lobster-canning industry, which is currently miserably underutilized — it ends up in a landfill,” Neivandt said.
Neivandt and Caddell see the golf balls as particularly useful on cruise ships. They can be used with both drivers and irons, Caddell told WMTW.
Biodegradable golf balls currently on the market sell for about $1 a ball retail; the raw materials for the lobster shell balls cost as little as 19 cents.
The University of Maine has filed a provisional patent for the lobster shell recipe, which can also be used to make things such as planters and surveying stakes that decompose.
To read more, go to WMTW.
From www.aolnews.com
