By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor
For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.
Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.
Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."
So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:
• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.
Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.
• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.
Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.
• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.
• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.
• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?
Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.
• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!
• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.
• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.
So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.
• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.
The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?
• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.
• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Jacobsen Win is a Victory for The First Tee of Portland
On February 23 and 24th in Kaanapali, Hawaii Peter Jacobsen and Fuzzy Zoeller rallied to win the Wendy’s Champion Skins Game, winning six skins and $320,000 in alternate shot play to beat defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. It was the second appearance for both Jacobsen and Zoeller and their first as a team.
It was a nice win for Jacobsen and Zoeller, but the real winner was The First Tee of Portland who this week received a $16,000 contribution from Peter Jacobsen as his designated charity for the event. Each player agrees to donate five percent of their winnings to the David Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and another five percent to the charity of their choice.
Jacobsen’s gift comes at a good time for The First Tee of Portland as they start spring clinics, after school programs, and the summer golf program at Heron Lakes Golf Course in North Portland. The money will be used in the organization’s outreach to inner city and minority participants. The First Tee provides year-round instruction by PGA Professionals and experienced volunteer instructors. Equipment and lessons are provided at little or no cost to each participant. Golf equipment and supplies are obtained through donations.
Quincy Heard, executive director of The First Tee of Portland credits program graduate Anna Jenks with securing the donation from Jacobsen during time she spent talking with him earlier in the year when she was a player at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open in Pebble Beach. Jenks, from Battleground, Washington, is a Senior at Prairie High who began golfing at age 10 and started with The First Tee program in 2003. An article from the Winter Issue of GolferGirl magazine is attached for additional information on Jenks’ trip to Pebble Beach.
The First Tee® of Portland (http://www.pyga.org/) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that began in 1994 as the Portland Youth Golf Association (PYGA). Our mission: to impact the lives of young people by providing educational and mentoring programs that incorporate life skills, character development, family values, and personal growth through the game of golf. Since its inception, PYGA has introduced the game of golf and its values to over 10,000 participants in the Portland metropolitan area.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Bristow & Little Lead Record-Breaking Day
LAS VEGAS – University of Oregon junior Cathryn Bristow and freshman Kendra Little capped a record-breaking day for the women’s golf team in final round action Wednesday in the UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in nearby Boulder City, Nev.
Bristow shot her third consecutive under-par round Wednesday to win the event by two strokes, and Little broke the school single round record with her five-under 67.
As a team, the Ducks ended with a three-round school best (292-291-286-869) and climbed two positions to finish in a third-place tie with No. 48 Texas Tech (292-286-291-869), while Washington State and tied for the team win (285-289-285-859) with No. 35 BYU (293-284-282-859).
Oregon scored its fifth individual victory the past three years courtesy of the Huapai, New Zealand native Bristow who shot a two-under 70 Wednesday to win the overall tourney title (69-69-70-208) by two strokes.
“I knew that as long as I put myself in the right position off the tee I’d give myself great opportunities,” Bristow said. “The course had wide fairways, so I was aggressive to give myself the best birdie putt chance. With my wedge game 100 yards in, I was hitting it fairly close to the pins consistently, so that allowed me to relax even if I did make a bogey. I was hitting the ball well on the greens, too, and reading the putts well.”
Bristow’s final day scorecard featured birdies on five holes, the seventh, 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th holes, bogeys on the third, 12th and 13th holes and par scores on the other 10 holes.
“After the two bogeys (early on the back nine), I was pretty annoyed with myself,” Bristow said, “and tried to refocus and stick to one shot at a time. That next hole I was able to keep it on the fairway and get par so that helped settle me down.”
Bristow began the day tied for the lead on the par 72, 6,202-yard course with Idaho’s Kelly Nakashima who shot a 76 Wednesday and finished in a tie for eighth place. Texas Tech’s Ulrika van Niekerk carded a 69 Wednesday to climb a position into second place (69-69-70). BYU’s Jade Bollinger (71-71-70-212) and Washington’s Christina Yoon (73-72-68-212) tied for third place.
“I knew the other girls around me were playing pretty well, but in reality I wasn’t worried about anyone else,” Bristow said. “I stayed focused on what I was trying to do. I was nervous to start with today, so I did my best to stay relaxed when I was out there and focus on staying on the fairway and the things that I’ve been working on in practice.”
Bristow celebrated her third career victory after she won twice by one stroke in 2005-06 - her collegiate debut, the fall OSU Invitational (70-74-73-217), and the spring regular season-ending Illinois Invitational (74-72-146).
Other Ducks to score wins the past two seasons include sophomore Felicia Eastick who opened the 2007-08 season with a win in the Giustina Memorial in Corvallis (74-69-74-217), and former teammate Kim McCready won the Baja Classic in Baja, Calif., to open the spring slate in 2007 (70-75-145).
Bristow’s three scores this tournament gives her six rounds of par or better among her 21 rounds this season. The pair of 69 scores tied her season best from the fall’s Stanford Intercollegiate, although that previous score was on the par 71 Stanford Golf Course. She also shot a pair of 1-under 71’s in the Heather Fall Memorial in Denver last fall.
Also making history, Duck freshman Kendra Little carded a school record 5-under 67 final round to jump into a tie for fifth place overall (72-74-67-213). Little’s score Thursday – the best of the tourney – bettered the previous Duck record of 4-under shot by Kim McCready in 2006 (67, -4), Paula Patterson in 1997 (68, -4) and Jerilyn White in 2001 (68, -4).
“Initially, I had no idea it was a record when Kate (Hildahl) told me,” Little said. “When we found out that we had a team school record, too, it was nice to be able to enjoy the moment together.”
Little staked her second top-five collegiate finish with her fourth-place Edean Ihlanfelt Invitational effort in Seattle last fall, and three more top-15 placings and another top-25 effort in her seven collegiate tournaments. Among her 21 collegiate rounds, the Eugene, Ore., native and Sheldon High School product has shot six rounds of 72 or better - a 67 (-5), two 69’s (-3, -2), a 71 (-1) and two 72’s (par).
“It was a lot of fun today, although the last two or three holes it was a little stressful,” Little said. “No matter how well you’re playing you can never relax for one second because you have to concentrate and keep your head steady. I got off to a poor start yesterday, so I wanted to set a good tone early today. On holes 9-12 I didn’t hit any of the greens, but was able to save par when bogeys were looming so that also gave me confidence. During the tourney, our team talked about how score-able the back nine. It was reassuring after I survived the previous rough stretches, so I knew I could still put up a good number. I’m glad to finish strong.”
On Wednesday, sophomore Kate Hildahl added UO’s third round of par or better on the day and improved to 42nd overall (78-74-72-224), nine places better than her overall ranking after the second round. Sophomore Felicia Eastick and Erica Omlid added final round scores of 77 Wednesday and finished in ties for 46th (75-74-77-226) and 56th places (76-75-77-228).
Thanks to its previous team season-low rounds of 291 and 292 on Tuesday and Monday, UO enjoyed a three-round tally of 869 that improved upon the previous school record of 885 that it shot once during the 1996-97 and 1999-2000 seasons. Oregon’s Wednesday round of 286 ( -2) also appears to be its best ever based on the records available.
“It was an incredible day. It was so fun to see them make so many birdies and play really solid,” Oregon head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “We really focused on getting relaxed before each round and staying that way. We tried to have the players go out with no expectations, and they took the day as it came. We weren’t trying to win the tourney or shoot ourselves in the foot the first day. We tried to let each day be itself, and take it one day at a time. This is a huge confidence booster going into our home event.”
Hole-by-hole results from each round are available at the www.GolfStat.com website, and more information on the event is located at UNLV’s www.UNLVrebels.com athletic department website.
Looking ahead, the Ducks look forward to the home tourney in 1 1/2 weeks, the Duck Invitational at Eugene Country Club, Monday-Tuesday, March 24-25
“I can’t remember if we’ve had a player shoot three rounds in the same tourney under par – so that says a lot about Cathryn’s performance,” Rouillard said. “Kendra also showed great maturity and attacked the course with confidence and skill. Felicia had two rounds of 75 or better and was knocking on the door. Erica (Omlid) is continuing to improve her game, and this was her first tourney with three rounds in the 70s so that’s a turning point for her, and she continues to get more competitive. She’s doing a great job and working hard and seeing those improvements as a results. Kate (Hildahl) has really taken a turn for the positive mentally. She’s learned that she can play a great round of golf and still score well even if she’s not hitting it perfect. “
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational
Boulder Creek Golf Club - Boulder City, Nev.
Par 72, 6,202 yards
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Team Standings – 1t, Washington State, 285-289-285-859. 1t, BYU, 293-284-282-859. 3t, Oregon, 292-291-286-869. 3t, Texas Tech, 292-286-291-869. 5, San Francisco, 291-290-289-870. 6, UNLV, 284-302-287-873. 7, UC Davis, 296-294-285-875. 8, Campbell, 297-293-293-883. 9, Idaho, 297-293-297-887. 10, Washington, 293-297-298-888. 11, Indiana, 295-299-295-889. 12, Fresno State, 301-293-296-890. 13t, Colorado State, 304-29-4303-901. 13t, Sacramento State, 299-300-302-901. 15, New Mexico State, 305-302-306-913. 16, Kansas State, 311-301-302-914. 17, Eastern Washington, 322-315-288-925. 18, Long Beach State, 321-309-312-942.
Individual Standings – 1, Cathryn Bristow, Oregon, 69-69-70-208. 2, Ulrika van Niekerk, Texas Tech, 70-71-69-210. 3t, Jade Bollinger, BYU, 71-71-70-212. 3t, Christina Yoon, Washington, 73-72-67-212. 5t, Kendra Little, Oregon, 72-74-67-213. 5t, Therese Koelbaek, UNLV, 71-71-71-213. 5t, Christina Stockton, San Francisco, 69-72-72-213. 8t, Kelly Nakashima, Idaho, 68-70-76-214. 8t, Jee Park, UC Davis, 71-71-72-214. 8t, Jessica Potter, San Francisco, 73-70-71-214. 8t, Chelsea Stelzmiller, UC Davis, 76-69-69-214. 8t, Daphne Vines, BYU, 72-71-71-214.
Oregon Individual Results – 1, Cathryn Bristow, Oregon, 69-69-70-208. 5t, Kendra Little, Oregon, 72-74-67-213. 42, Kate Hildahl, 78-74-72-224. 46t, Felicia Eastick, 75-74-77-226. 56t, Erica Omlid, 76-75-77-228.
ADDITIONAL PLAYER / COACH COMMENTS
Cathryn Bristow
“I knew the other girls around me were playing pretty well, but in reality I wasn’t worried about anyone else. I just stay focused on what I was trying to do. I was nervous to start with today, so I did my best to stay really relaxed when I was out there and focus on staying on the fairway and the things I’ve been working on in practice.”
“After the two bogeys, I was pretty annoyed with myself, and tried to refocus and stick to one shot at a time. That next hole I was able to keep it on the fairway and get par so that helped settle me down.”
“It was nice to be following Kendra all day and see her put up great scores – that gave me confidence that I could do the same.“
“I knew that as long as I put myself in the right position off the tee I’d give myself great opportunities. The course had wide fairways, so I was aggressive so I could give myself the best birdie putt chance. In my wedge game from 100 yards in, I was hitting it fairly close to the pins consistently so that allowed me to relax even if I did make a bogey. I was hitting the ball well on the greens, too, and reading the putts well.”
“We had great weather every day, around 75 degrees with just a little wind at most.”
Kendra Little
“It was a lot of fun today, although the last two or three holes it was a little stressful. No matter how well you’re playing you can never relax for one second because you have to concentrate and keep your head steady. Initially, I had no idea my score was a record when Kate (Hildahl) told me. When we found out that we had a team school record, too, it was nice to be able to enjoy the moment together. We’ll take what we can get, and it’s something we can build on.”
“I knew Cathryn was playing well during the round, and knew she would do well based on how she plays. It’s comforting to have someone behind you with that kind of experience and ability and that gives you more confidence in your game.”
“I got off to a poor start yesterday, so I wanted to set a good tone early today. After I made a birdie on the second hole, that was good. Then on holes 9-12 I didn’t hit any of the greens, but was able to save par when bogeys were looming so that also gave me confidence. During the tourney, our team talked about how score-able the back nine was. It was reassuring after I survived the previous rough stretches, I knew I still could put up a good number. I’m glad to finish strong.”
“After yesterday’s round I finally felt that I knew the course pretty well. The first round there were a couple holes I wasn’t sure about. Overall, I drove the ball particularly well this week. I knew that on this course it was key is to position yourself well off the tee. It was nice to get the rolls on the desert type course, something you might not get in Eugene this time of year.”
“Playing in the desert, it’s different coming out here, adjusting from the 55 and rainy weather to the dry, clear 75 and 80 temperatures. It can be a little shock if you let it. In the past, I’ve usually played well in hot weather so I was looking forward to it. It’s important to be able to adjust from cold to warm climates since we’ll probably face that again later in the spring.”
“I’ve been trying to work on my short game over the winter. I’m making the strides I need to and that comes from practice. One thing that held me back last year was my short game, and that helps keep your scoring consistent.”
Shannon Rouillard
“I can’t remember if we’ve had a player shoot three rounds in the same tourney under par – so that says a lot about Cathryn’s performance. Kendra also showed great maturity and attacked the course with confidence and skill.”
“Felicia had two rounds of 75 or better and was knocking on the door. Erica (Omlid) is continuing to improve her game, and this was her first tourney with three rounds in the 70s so that’s a turning point for her, and she continues to get more competitive. She’s doing a great job and working hard and seeing those improvements as a results. Kate (Hildahl) has really taken a turn for the positive mentally – she’s really matured. She’s learned that can play a great round of golf and still score well even if she’s not hitting it perfect. “
“For our team it was an incredible day. It was so fun to see them make so many birdies and play really solid. This is a huge confidence booster going into our home event. The practice round was the windiest day, but it was calm the last three days. We knew the golf course could be very score-able, so it doesn’t surprise me with all the under-par rounds. All the par 5 holes were reachable in two for Cathryn and Kendra, and Kendra may have even birdied all the par 5s one day. They had several opportunities for eagles during the tourney.“
“We really focused on getting relaxed before each round and staying that way. We tried to have the players go out with no expectations, and they took the day as it came. We weren’t trying to win the tourney or shoot ourselves in the foot the first day. We tried to let each day be itself, and take it one day at a time.”
“It was a pretty typical desert course, slightly hilly but not bad. The ball was rolling well. It was warm, and the course was quite firm - some of them even had problems getting their tee in on the third tee. The fairways and tee boxes were green, but everything else was brown. Not many trees, and there were some waste areas which you can hit out of – could be sand or rocks leading into the natural terrain – and we played those pretty well. There was a little bit of water and normal bunkers.”
Bristow shot her third consecutive under-par round Wednesday to win the event by two strokes, and Little broke the school single round record with her five-under 67.
As a team, the Ducks ended with a three-round school best (292-291-286-869) and climbed two positions to finish in a third-place tie with No. 48 Texas Tech (292-286-291-869), while Washington State and tied for the team win (285-289-285-859) with No. 35 BYU (293-284-282-859).
Oregon scored its fifth individual victory the past three years courtesy of the Huapai, New Zealand native Bristow who shot a two-under 70 Wednesday to win the overall tourney title (69-69-70-208) by two strokes.
“I knew that as long as I put myself in the right position off the tee I’d give myself great opportunities,” Bristow said. “The course had wide fairways, so I was aggressive to give myself the best birdie putt chance. With my wedge game 100 yards in, I was hitting it fairly close to the pins consistently, so that allowed me to relax even if I did make a bogey. I was hitting the ball well on the greens, too, and reading the putts well.”
Bristow’s final day scorecard featured birdies on five holes, the seventh, 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th holes, bogeys on the third, 12th and 13th holes and par scores on the other 10 holes.
“After the two bogeys (early on the back nine), I was pretty annoyed with myself,” Bristow said, “and tried to refocus and stick to one shot at a time. That next hole I was able to keep it on the fairway and get par so that helped settle me down.”
Bristow began the day tied for the lead on the par 72, 6,202-yard course with Idaho’s Kelly Nakashima who shot a 76 Wednesday and finished in a tie for eighth place. Texas Tech’s Ulrika van Niekerk carded a 69 Wednesday to climb a position into second place (69-69-70). BYU’s Jade Bollinger (71-71-70-212) and Washington’s Christina Yoon (73-72-68-212) tied for third place.
“I knew the other girls around me were playing pretty well, but in reality I wasn’t worried about anyone else,” Bristow said. “I stayed focused on what I was trying to do. I was nervous to start with today, so I did my best to stay relaxed when I was out there and focus on staying on the fairway and the things that I’ve been working on in practice.”
Bristow celebrated her third career victory after she won twice by one stroke in 2005-06 - her collegiate debut, the fall OSU Invitational (70-74-73-217), and the spring regular season-ending Illinois Invitational (74-72-146).
Other Ducks to score wins the past two seasons include sophomore Felicia Eastick who opened the 2007-08 season with a win in the Giustina Memorial in Corvallis (74-69-74-217), and former teammate Kim McCready won the Baja Classic in Baja, Calif., to open the spring slate in 2007 (70-75-145).
Bristow’s three scores this tournament gives her six rounds of par or better among her 21 rounds this season. The pair of 69 scores tied her season best from the fall’s Stanford Intercollegiate, although that previous score was on the par 71 Stanford Golf Course. She also shot a pair of 1-under 71’s in the Heather Fall Memorial in Denver last fall.
Also making history, Duck freshman Kendra Little carded a school record 5-under 67 final round to jump into a tie for fifth place overall (72-74-67-213). Little’s score Thursday – the best of the tourney – bettered the previous Duck record of 4-under shot by Kim McCready in 2006 (67, -4), Paula Patterson in 1997 (68, -4) and Jerilyn White in 2001 (68, -4).
“Initially, I had no idea it was a record when Kate (Hildahl) told me,” Little said. “When we found out that we had a team school record, too, it was nice to be able to enjoy the moment together.”
Little staked her second top-five collegiate finish with her fourth-place Edean Ihlanfelt Invitational effort in Seattle last fall, and three more top-15 placings and another top-25 effort in her seven collegiate tournaments. Among her 21 collegiate rounds, the Eugene, Ore., native and Sheldon High School product has shot six rounds of 72 or better - a 67 (-5), two 69’s (-3, -2), a 71 (-1) and two 72’s (par).
“It was a lot of fun today, although the last two or three holes it was a little stressful,” Little said. “No matter how well you’re playing you can never relax for one second because you have to concentrate and keep your head steady. I got off to a poor start yesterday, so I wanted to set a good tone early today. On holes 9-12 I didn’t hit any of the greens, but was able to save par when bogeys were looming so that also gave me confidence. During the tourney, our team talked about how score-able the back nine. It was reassuring after I survived the previous rough stretches, so I knew I could still put up a good number. I’m glad to finish strong.”
On Wednesday, sophomore Kate Hildahl added UO’s third round of par or better on the day and improved to 42nd overall (78-74-72-224), nine places better than her overall ranking after the second round. Sophomore Felicia Eastick and Erica Omlid added final round scores of 77 Wednesday and finished in ties for 46th (75-74-77-226) and 56th places (76-75-77-228).
Thanks to its previous team season-low rounds of 291 and 292 on Tuesday and Monday, UO enjoyed a three-round tally of 869 that improved upon the previous school record of 885 that it shot once during the 1996-97 and 1999-2000 seasons. Oregon’s Wednesday round of 286 ( -2) also appears to be its best ever based on the records available.
“It was an incredible day. It was so fun to see them make so many birdies and play really solid,” Oregon head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “We really focused on getting relaxed before each round and staying that way. We tried to have the players go out with no expectations, and they took the day as it came. We weren’t trying to win the tourney or shoot ourselves in the foot the first day. We tried to let each day be itself, and take it one day at a time. This is a huge confidence booster going into our home event.”
Hole-by-hole results from each round are available at the www.GolfStat.com website, and more information on the event is located at UNLV’s www.UNLVrebels.com athletic department website.
Looking ahead, the Ducks look forward to the home tourney in 1 1/2 weeks, the Duck Invitational at Eugene Country Club, Monday-Tuesday, March 24-25
“I can’t remember if we’ve had a player shoot three rounds in the same tourney under par – so that says a lot about Cathryn’s performance,” Rouillard said. “Kendra also showed great maturity and attacked the course with confidence and skill. Felicia had two rounds of 75 or better and was knocking on the door. Erica (Omlid) is continuing to improve her game, and this was her first tourney with three rounds in the 70s so that’s a turning point for her, and she continues to get more competitive. She’s doing a great job and working hard and seeing those improvements as a results. Kate (Hildahl) has really taken a turn for the positive mentally. She’s learned that she can play a great round of golf and still score well even if she’s not hitting it perfect. “
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational
Boulder Creek Golf Club - Boulder City, Nev.
Par 72, 6,202 yards
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Team Standings – 1t, Washington State, 285-289-285-859. 1t, BYU, 293-284-282-859. 3t, Oregon, 292-291-286-869. 3t, Texas Tech, 292-286-291-869. 5, San Francisco, 291-290-289-870. 6, UNLV, 284-302-287-873. 7, UC Davis, 296-294-285-875. 8, Campbell, 297-293-293-883. 9, Idaho, 297-293-297-887. 10, Washington, 293-297-298-888. 11, Indiana, 295-299-295-889. 12, Fresno State, 301-293-296-890. 13t, Colorado State, 304-29-4303-901. 13t, Sacramento State, 299-300-302-901. 15, New Mexico State, 305-302-306-913. 16, Kansas State, 311-301-302-914. 17, Eastern Washington, 322-315-288-925. 18, Long Beach State, 321-309-312-942.
Individual Standings – 1, Cathryn Bristow, Oregon, 69-69-70-208. 2, Ulrika van Niekerk, Texas Tech, 70-71-69-210. 3t, Jade Bollinger, BYU, 71-71-70-212. 3t, Christina Yoon, Washington, 73-72-67-212. 5t, Kendra Little, Oregon, 72-74-67-213. 5t, Therese Koelbaek, UNLV, 71-71-71-213. 5t, Christina Stockton, San Francisco, 69-72-72-213. 8t, Kelly Nakashima, Idaho, 68-70-76-214. 8t, Jee Park, UC Davis, 71-71-72-214. 8t, Jessica Potter, San Francisco, 73-70-71-214. 8t, Chelsea Stelzmiller, UC Davis, 76-69-69-214. 8t, Daphne Vines, BYU, 72-71-71-214.
Oregon Individual Results – 1, Cathryn Bristow, Oregon, 69-69-70-208. 5t, Kendra Little, Oregon, 72-74-67-213. 42, Kate Hildahl, 78-74-72-224. 46t, Felicia Eastick, 75-74-77-226. 56t, Erica Omlid, 76-75-77-228.
ADDITIONAL PLAYER / COACH COMMENTS
Cathryn Bristow
“I knew the other girls around me were playing pretty well, but in reality I wasn’t worried about anyone else. I just stay focused on what I was trying to do. I was nervous to start with today, so I did my best to stay really relaxed when I was out there and focus on staying on the fairway and the things I’ve been working on in practice.”
“After the two bogeys, I was pretty annoyed with myself, and tried to refocus and stick to one shot at a time. That next hole I was able to keep it on the fairway and get par so that helped settle me down.”
“It was nice to be following Kendra all day and see her put up great scores – that gave me confidence that I could do the same.“
“I knew that as long as I put myself in the right position off the tee I’d give myself great opportunities. The course had wide fairways, so I was aggressive so I could give myself the best birdie putt chance. In my wedge game from 100 yards in, I was hitting it fairly close to the pins consistently so that allowed me to relax even if I did make a bogey. I was hitting the ball well on the greens, too, and reading the putts well.”
“We had great weather every day, around 75 degrees with just a little wind at most.”
Kendra Little
“It was a lot of fun today, although the last two or three holes it was a little stressful. No matter how well you’re playing you can never relax for one second because you have to concentrate and keep your head steady. Initially, I had no idea my score was a record when Kate (Hildahl) told me. When we found out that we had a team school record, too, it was nice to be able to enjoy the moment together. We’ll take what we can get, and it’s something we can build on.”
“I knew Cathryn was playing well during the round, and knew she would do well based on how she plays. It’s comforting to have someone behind you with that kind of experience and ability and that gives you more confidence in your game.”
“I got off to a poor start yesterday, so I wanted to set a good tone early today. After I made a birdie on the second hole, that was good. Then on holes 9-12 I didn’t hit any of the greens, but was able to save par when bogeys were looming so that also gave me confidence. During the tourney, our team talked about how score-able the back nine was. It was reassuring after I survived the previous rough stretches, I knew I still could put up a good number. I’m glad to finish strong.”
“After yesterday’s round I finally felt that I knew the course pretty well. The first round there were a couple holes I wasn’t sure about. Overall, I drove the ball particularly well this week. I knew that on this course it was key is to position yourself well off the tee. It was nice to get the rolls on the desert type course, something you might not get in Eugene this time of year.”
“Playing in the desert, it’s different coming out here, adjusting from the 55 and rainy weather to the dry, clear 75 and 80 temperatures. It can be a little shock if you let it. In the past, I’ve usually played well in hot weather so I was looking forward to it. It’s important to be able to adjust from cold to warm climates since we’ll probably face that again later in the spring.”
“I’ve been trying to work on my short game over the winter. I’m making the strides I need to and that comes from practice. One thing that held me back last year was my short game, and that helps keep your scoring consistent.”
Shannon Rouillard
“I can’t remember if we’ve had a player shoot three rounds in the same tourney under par – so that says a lot about Cathryn’s performance. Kendra also showed great maturity and attacked the course with confidence and skill.”
“Felicia had two rounds of 75 or better and was knocking on the door. Erica (Omlid) is continuing to improve her game, and this was her first tourney with three rounds in the 70s so that’s a turning point for her, and she continues to get more competitive. She’s doing a great job and working hard and seeing those improvements as a results. Kate (Hildahl) has really taken a turn for the positive mentally – she’s really matured. She’s learned that can play a great round of golf and still score well even if she’s not hitting it perfect. “
“For our team it was an incredible day. It was so fun to see them make so many birdies and play really solid. This is a huge confidence booster going into our home event. The practice round was the windiest day, but it was calm the last three days. We knew the golf course could be very score-able, so it doesn’t surprise me with all the under-par rounds. All the par 5 holes were reachable in two for Cathryn and Kendra, and Kendra may have even birdied all the par 5s one day. They had several opportunities for eagles during the tourney.“
“We really focused on getting relaxed before each round and staying that way. We tried to have the players go out with no expectations, and they took the day as it came. We weren’t trying to win the tourney or shoot ourselves in the foot the first day. We tried to let each day be itself, and take it one day at a time.”
“It was a pretty typical desert course, slightly hilly but not bad. The ball was rolling well. It was warm, and the course was quite firm - some of them even had problems getting their tee in on the third tee. The fairways and tee boxes were green, but everything else was brown. Not many trees, and there were some waste areas which you can hit out of – could be sand or rocks leading into the natural terrain – and we played those pretty well. There was a little bit of water and normal bunkers.”
Monday, March 3, 2008
2008 Senior Open Can Boast Of Volunteers From All 50 States
Far Hills, N.J. - Ron Diltz and Mike Kelly first became acquainted when their sons began playing high school football in Anchorage, Alaska. They quickly discovered a mutual love for outdoor activities – hunting, fishing and even golf – and their friendship soon extended beyond Friday night games.
Even after Kelly moved back to his native
This summer, the get-together will take place a little closer to Kelly’s backyard in
“I sucked him in,” said Kelly. “I only live a couple of miles from [The Broadmoor], so it seemed like the right thing to do.”
Diltz will be one of many individuals making a long trek to Colorado Springs this July to be part of the 3,000-plus volunteer force for the Senior Open (July 31-Aug. 3). In fact, this year’s championship will have volunteers from all 50 states. It’s the first time that a volunteer from every state has participated in the same championship.
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| The USGA would have a difficult time conducting championships without volunteers' participation. (John Mummert/USGA) |
The participation from near and far even had the management company that handles the U.S. Senior Open for the USGA pleasantly surprised.
“It’s very unusual [to have all 50 states represented],” said Jeff Yeager, the volunteer manager for Bruno Event Team. “I would say 40 to 45 states [is normal], but to get over the 45 mark, it’s something of a unique status.”
Part of the lure is this year’s site. The Broadmoor is a world-class resort located in an area where there are plenty of alternative activities when people are not on-site working. Yeager said The Broadmoor, which attracts guests from throughout the world, also solicited volunteers through various means of communication.
“We had started a waiting list of about 100 volunteers, but after looking at a few numbers, we have almost added all 100 of those [people] from our waiting list,” said Yeager. “So it’s been really terrific.”
Some people love being a part of the championship so much that they keep coming back.
“We’ve made the Senior Open part of our summer vacations so we can get out and see new parts of the country,” said Cato, who is retired. “This will be our first visit to
In 2005, the two served on the transportation committee. Last year, they were walking scorers. Cato went with Jim Thorpe and R.W. Eaks in the final round. In ’05, Cato said he drove Gil Morgan, Fuzzy Zoeller and Thorpe. He also got to meet Tom Watson. This year, they will be on-course marshals, just like in 2006 at Prairie Dunes in
“Especially in transportation, you get to meet a lot of [contestants] because you are right there with them,” said Cato. “When you are working out on the course, you see them but you don’t necessarily get to talk with them.
“But we’ve enjoyed it and it’s been a good experience. We haven’t decided if we are going to do it next year [at Crooked Stick] or not. We’ll probably make that decision after this year’s tournament.”
Of course, having the championship in a smaller market like
The retired Kelly moved back to
“You can get lost in places like
Just seeing a major golf event in person is a big opportunity for Diltz.
Diltz admitted that his outdoor activities of choice are hunting and fishing. But he does enjoy an occasional round of golf, including an indoor version played on a simulator.
“I’m just a weekend hacker,” said Diltz, a sales manager for an office supply company in
Pronghorn Recognized As One Of America's Top Communities
Pronghorn, the premier private golf community in the Pacific Northwest, is proud to announce that Travel & Leisure Golf has named Pronghorn in the magazine’s "
Fairways & Greens and Golf Digest have recognized Pronghorn as their top pick for private golf courses in the U.S and among the top five for "
Pronghorn is ranked No. 8 in Travel & Leisure Golf’s "Top 100 Golf Communities" which represents the best golf communities in the country based on amenities, real estate offering, and challenge and playability of each course.
Also, Pronghorn’s Tom Fazio course recently ranked No.4 in Golf Digest’s "
In addition to Pronghorn’s top-ranked Fazio course, their Jack Nicklaus course has past been ranked in Golf Digest as the No.2 pick in 2004 for best new private course in
OSU wins golf tournament
Under cloudy and windy conditions, the
Both teams were competing with their junior varsity squads.
Despite the windy weather conditions combined with added distance off of the tees and difficult pin locations, the Beavers finished 10-strokes better than the competition with a 297.
“The conditions were very tough today, probably added five or six shots from yesterday. Anything around par today was a great score,” OSU coach Brian Watts said. “Our guys battled and fought hard and came away with a win, I’m proud of those guys and it was a lot of fun to watch them compete this week.”
Alex Williams, playing as an individual, took home the first-place prize, finishing 1-over par with a 143.
“Alex is very patient out on the golf course and usually plays within himself. I don’t think he ever got himself into too much trouble today and played very solid golf,”
Jeremiah Oliver and Tyler Simpson finished in a tie for second place with matching scores of 144. Oliver posted a 73 and Simpson a 75 on the second day.
Clayton Moe finished the tournament tied for 8th after being 8-over for the day. He shot a 2-under 69 in the first round. Freshman Brandon Taylor finished in 12th place, shooting a 6-over 77.
The Beavers will compete Monday at the USC Collegiate Invitational.
Team scores: 1. OSU 282-297-579 (+11); 2.
Hole-in-one
Dan Van Dusen of
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