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Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 02:07:32 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Children's Hospital, Thursday through Sunday, The Ohio State University Scarlet Course, Columbus, Ohio. First-round score: 2-under-par 69. Position: Putnam is tied for 10th, two strokes behind co-leaders Kelly Grunewald, Bill Lunde and Bryce Molder. Recap: An all-around solid day by the Tacoma native, on one of the most difficult courses the tour goes to during the season. Putnam hit 12 of 14 fairways (No. 2 in the field), and two birdies on par-5s (Nos. 5 and 12), and finished up with another birdie on the par-4 ninth. It is the third time in the past four tournaments that Putnam has started with a round in the 60s. Tee time Friday: 4:20 a.m. PDT off the first tee.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 04:16:27 pm
Advertisement and truth can paint two different shades of color. For months, organizers of the inaugural 2008 American Amateur Championship (AAC), which takes place starting Thursday around the South Sound, claim this all-handicap, four-round event will be held on the best courses in the Northwest. The courses? Chambers Bay Golf Course, site of the 2015 U.S. Open. That is a big go-ahead for the AAC's final round Sunday. Gold Mountain Golf Complex, which hosted the 2008 NCAA West Regional tournament and 2006 U.S. Public Links (except the AAC will go to the older Cascade Course, not the higher-profile Olympic Course). The Classic Golf Club, home to Puyallup's PGA Tour hopeful Ryan Moore and host to select USGA events. Two of the top Scott Oki-owned courses – Trophy Lake Golf and Casting and Hawks Prairie – are in the rotation as well. So is McCormick Woods. But if you've been tracking this event for months, and visiting the AAC's Website (http://americanamgolf.com/index.html), you'd know other courses have not only been mentioned, they've been profiled. What happened to Oakbrook Golf and Country Club? Fell through. And Auburn Golf Course? Not going.
Categories: Local golfers, NW courses
Posted by Todd Milles @ 01:46:32 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour’s Children’s Hospital Invitational, Thursday through Sunday, The Ohio State University Scarlet Course, Columbus, Ohio. World ranking: 561st. 2008 earnings: $67,154 (58th on the Nationwide Tour). Last tournament: A golden opportunity slipped throug the Tacoma product’s fingers last week at the Price Cutter Charity Championship. He was two strokes off the lead heading into the final round, and shot 72 to finish tied-for-23rd. He’s averaging nearly four birdies made per round, which ranks 13th on tour. Maybe a little bit of good fortune from last week’s winner – and this week’s playing partner – Colt Knost will rub off on him. Tee time Thursday: 9:10 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee with Kris Blanks and Knost.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 03:52:16 pm
 Both parties hoped all along to reunite what was a huge success: Returning the BMW Northwest Skins game to Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place. And they worked all of that out last week to make that happen. Thought to be held at host Ryan Moore's home course – The Classic Golf Club – the second annual skins game will, indeed, go back to the site of the 2015 U.S. Open on Sept 13. "That is where we wanted it all along," said Jeremy Moore, the brother of the PGA Tour golfer, and partner in Moore Sports Management. "It's the right venue, and a fantastic place for spectators. "We had been working on the conflict for quite a while, and got it resolved last week." The skins game will tee off at Chambers Bay at 9 a.m. on Sept 13. Moore, Australian Aaron Baddeley, Floridian Bubba Watson and fellow Northwest native Ben Crane will partake in the event. The pro-am, and junior clinic will still be held Sept. 12 at The Classic in Spanaway. Tickets for the skins game will be $20, and will be on sale starting Aug. 1 – online at nwgolf.org, or over the counter at The Classic or select Pro Golf Discount stores in the area.
Categories: Ryan Moore, NW courses
Posted by Todd Milles @ 12:56:59 pm
PGA TOUR's Canadian Open Site: Oakville, Ontario. Schedule: Thursday-Sunday. Course: Glen Abbey Golf Club (7,112 yards, par 72). Purse: $5 million. Winner’s share: $900,000. FedEx Cup points: 25,000. Winner’s share: 4,500. Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, noon-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m.). Last year: Jim Furyk successfully defended his title at Angus Glen, taking the lead with a hole-in-one and finishing with a 7-under 64 for a one-stroke victory over Vijay Singh. In 2006, Furyk won at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. Last week: Ireland’s Padraig Harrington became the first European since James Braid in 1905-06 to win the British Open two years is a row, pulling away from Greg Norman and holding off Ian Poulter at Royal Birkdale. Harrington closed with a 1-under 69 in windy conditions for a four-stroke victory at 3-over 283. … Sweden’s Richard S. Johnson won the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee for his first PGA Tour title, finishing with a 6-under 64 to beat Ken Duke by a stroke. Notes: Furyk and Singh, a playoff winner over Canadian star Mike Weir in 2004 at Glen Abbey, are in the field along with Weir, fellow Canadian star Stephen Ames, Anthony Kim, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Scott Verplank and Camilo Villegas. … Furyk, winless since his victory at Angus Glen, tied for fifth in the British Open. … Pat Fletcher was the last Canadian winner, taking the 1954 event at Point Grey in Vancouver, British Columbia. … Jack Nicklaus-designed Glen Abbey is hosting the event for the 24th time. It also was the site from 1977-79 and 1981-00 and 2004. … The World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational is next week at Firestone, opposite the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open. Michelle Wie will play in the Nevada event. … The PGA Championship is Aug. 7-10 at Oakland Hills. On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com
Categories: General
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 05:10:48 pm
First, a "Big Break" title. Now, a women's professional tournament championship. The past two weeks for Kim Welch, a former standout golfer from Washington State University, who was crowned the champion of The Golf Channel's reality-television show, "Big Break Ka'anapali" has been a flurry of action, to say the least. Welch, a native of Sacramento, clinched the Duramed Futures Tour's Alliance Bank Golf Classic on Sunday in a four-hole playoff in Syracuse, N.Y. Welch edged out Jin Young Pak (71) of Kang Leung, South Korea, and overcame separate weather delays to claim a $12,600 check and finish the tournament at 9-under par 204. On the fourth playoff hole, Welch stuck a gap wedge from 107 yards out to about six feet from the pin as Pak faced an 18-foot putt. Left with an uphill putt with slight break, she left her birdie putt short, but tapped in her par attempt and put the pressure on Pak, who lipped out to give Welch the victory. "I'm so excited and really proud of myself," Welch said. "I've known all year that I could do it and now that the season is coming down to the end, I knew I had to get a win to try and get into the top five."
Categories: Local golfers
Posted by Todd Milles @ 02:52:19 pm
 When it came down to making birdies on a course open for many of them, Jeff Coston made one more than the rest of the field. Coston closed with a 4-under-par 67 to overcome Ryan Benzel and win his third Rosauers Open Invitational title at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane. The longtime club professional from Semiahmoo Golf Resort near Blaine finished at 14-under 199, a stroke ahead of Benzel, who had a final-round 72. Coston won $11,000 for first place. With his win, Coston became the all-time leading winner of this event, claiming his third title and breaking the tie of two titles with Greg Whisman. Coston also won in 1997 and 2006. Defending champion Cody Upham, an amateur from Portland, finished tied for 51st at 212. Tacoma's Derek Barron (201) was tied for third, and the tournament's low amateur. He is a graduate of Emerald Ridge High School, and recently placed third in the Tacoma City Amateur. The Rosauers has been taking place since 1988, and has donated more than $1.5 million to local charities. For full results, click here.
Categories: Local golfers, NW courses
Sunday, July 20th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 02:30:52 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship, Thursday through Sunday, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo. Fourth-round score: Even-par 72. Position: Putnam (14-under 274) finished tied for 23rd, 12 strokes behind winner Colt Knost (262). Recap: The field went low, and the Tacoma native had to fight all afternoon just to shoot even-par. That is why he lost 18 spots on the leaderboard after getting into contention with a 65 on Saturday. His putting took another step in the right direction this week as his 1.679 putt per green hit in regulation ranked tied for 15th, although he finished with 31 putts Sunday. Next: Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational starting next Thursday at The Ohio State University's Scarlat Course in Columbus, Ohio.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 08:30:18 pm
The Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. – Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley overcame an eight-shot deficit over the final two rounds, then birdied the first playoff hole to win his second Southern Amateur on Saturday. The Clemson junior and former Bellarmine Prep standout finished at 14-under, tied with Mike Van Sickle, but holed a 35-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole at Lake Nona Country Club. “I can hardly describe the feeling,” said Stanley, who joined Bobby Jones, Lanny Wadkins and Justin Leonard among those who have won the storied tournament more than once. “That’s such an honor to join that list.” Stanley, who won the Southern Amateur two years ago in Birmingham, birdied the final hole to finish off a round of 6-under 66 and set up the playoff. His birdie on the first extra hole also assured him a spot in the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational next spring. George Bryan of South Carolina, Matt Savage of Florida State, and Australian Tim Stewart were two shots back at 12-under 276. Bryan tied the Lake Nona course record with a 9-under 63, becoming the first amateur to go that low. Blake Trimble of San Diego had lowered the amateur mark to 64 on Friday. He finished in a tie for seventh, four shots off the lead.
Categories: Local golfers
Posted by Todd Milles @ 04:22:59 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship, Thursday through Sunday, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo. Third-round score: 7-under-par 65. Position: Putnam (14-under 202) is tied for fifth with four other golfers, two strokes behind leader Colt Knost (200). Recap: The Tacoma native tied for the second-best round of the day behind David Branshaw's 64, and moved up 16 spots on the leaderboard, and into contention for his first victory a second time this season. Putnam birdied the four par-5s, ended his round with three in a row (Nos. 16-18) and his 17 birdies through three rounds are tied for ninth in the field. Tee time Sunday: 10:05 a.m. PDT with Branshaw.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Friday, July 18th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 01:26:47 pm
A trip to Seattle is no longer necessary. Next week, Tacoma will debut its own golf show. Spokane-based "Par 5 Events" is not only bringing the American Amateur Championship to 10 courses in the South Sound, the casual golfer will have an opportunity to shop for equipment deals, get tips on the game and win rounds of golf.  The 2008 Tacoma Golf Show – or the "19th Hole" of the AAC – will take place for three days starting next Friday at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center in downtown Tacoma. Daily adult tickets are $8, and children 13-and-under are $6. A three-day adult pass is $12, and for children, it is $10. Here is a cool catch: Every person who purchases a ticket will have a chance to win a free round of golf at Mount Si Golf Resort, Auburn Golf Course, Port Ludlow Golf Resort, Dungeness and possibly at Chambers Bay Golf Course by participating in a spin-the-wheel game (limit two spins per day). The schedule for the golf show is 4-6 p.m. Friday (July 25), 10-6 p.m. Saturday (July 26) and 11-4 p.m. Sunday (July 27). To purchase tickets, or need information, call (509) 456-7275, or visit the Website at www.americanamgolf.com/TacomaGolfShow.html
Categories: General
Posted by Todd Milles @ 12:59:27 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship, today through Sunday, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo. Second-round score: 1-under-par 71. Position: Putnam (7-under 137) is tied for 23rd, six strokes behind leader Colt Knost (131). Recap: Five birdies on his first nine holes – three converted from tap-in putting distance – and the Tacoma native was in the lead alone at 11-under for the tournament. Then, after his 3-iron approach on the par-5 first (his 10th hole) found the back fringe, he ended up taking four shots from there, and took a bogey. And then he made double bogey on the par-4 second after being in the middle of the fairway with a pitching wedge in his hand. "I gave away three shots, maybe four (on those two holes)," he said. Putnam said he's really starting to putt better – he had 28 putts for the second consecutive day. "Now I just need to clean up some of those bogeys," he said. He hit eight of 14 fairways Friday, and 10 of 18 greens in regulation.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 04:58:03 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship, Thursday through Sunday, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo. First-round score: 6-under-par 66. Position: Putnam is tied for third with eight other golfers, two strokes behind leader Colt Knost (64). Recap: Stick around this sport long enough, and something rare happens. For the first time in competitive golf, the Tacoma native had two eagles in one round, which was the biggest reason he tied his best opening score of the season (shot 66 at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic in April). Putnam holed out his wedge approach from 115 yards out on the 400-yard, par-4 third, and eagled the par-5 11th. Putnam doubled his output on eagles this season – his only other one came in the final round of the Mexico Open in February. The last time Putnam eagled a par-4 hole was the third round of the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh. Tee time Friday: 5:10 a.m. PDT off the 10th tee.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 02:02:15 pm
 The secret finally got to come out, one that Kim Welch did not find all that difficult to keep quiet about. Being tight-lipped about the conclusion of The Golf Channel's reality television show, "Big Break: Kaanapali" wasn't a big deal, even though family members in Sacramento inquired constantly about Welch's fate. She kept surviving. And on the series finale July 8 (the show was taped in Hawaii in December), she won the whole bonanza by defeating France's Sophie Sandolo, 4-and-3, in 18 holes of match play at the Royal Course and Kai Course. "I'm a good secret-keeper," Welch said Tuesday, the day before leaving for the Alliance Bank Golf Classic, the Duramed Futures Tour stop in Syracuse, N.Y. "This was just fun for me. I turned it into something that was entertaining, because I told my family to bring their tissues every week."
Posted by Todd Milles @ 01:32:25 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship, Thursday through Sunday, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo. World ranking: 549th. 2008 earnings: $61,730 (56th on the Nationwide Tour). Last tournament: It's not only time to start thinking about Putnam's standing on the money list, it might be time to be anxious. Putnam is making cuts – he made his third in a row at last week's Nationwide Tour's Players Cup – but he needs a few top-10 finishes coming down the home stretch to shrink the gap between himself ($61,730) and the 25th-ranked Chris Anderson ($121,607), whom the Tacoma resident in grouped with for the first two rounds this week. The Life Christian Academy graduate is almost a full stroke higher on this season's scoring average (71.41) to his 2006 Nationwide Tour campaign (70.47). Tee time Thursday: 10:10 a.m. PDT off the first tee with Anderson and Todd Fischer.
Categories: Michael Putnam
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 03:25:31 pm
 The 50-and-over folks, many of whom were yesteryear's stars on the PGA Tour, are entering the demanding stretch of their schedule – three major championships in five weeks – but do recognize some of the cool stops on the Champions Tour. One of them is the increasingly popular Boeing Classic, which will enter its fourth year. Anyway, the official "Media Day" for the 54-hole tournament was held Monday. Here is a quick-hit information chart about the event, plus some pre-tournament notes and observations. BOEING CLASSIC Where: TPC Snoqualmie Ridge (7,264 yards, par 72). Defending champion: Denis Watson (9-under 279, defeated six other men in largest sudden-death playoff in professional golf history). Schedule: The NFL's "Rumble at the Ridge" starts at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 18 (Monday), followed by Champions Tour practice rounds. … Champions Tour practice rounds continue on Aug. 19 (Tuesday) at 9 a.m., followed by a golf clinic. … The two-day Seahawks Pro-Am tournaments (Aug. 20-21) have the same 7:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. shotgun sessions. … Tee times for the tournament (Aug. 22-24) begin daily at 10 a.m., with action concluding at 6 p.m. Tickets: Adult daily passes are $20, with children 13-and-under and senior citizens paying $14. A tournament pass costs $40 for adults, and $20 for children/senior citizens. Website: www.BoeingClassic.com.
Categories: NW courses
Posted by Todd Milles @ 03:24:17 pm
 One of Kyle Stanley's favorite amateur tournaments is The Players Championship. And it's an event he's come up a little short in. He finished third twice in 2006 and 2007, and was just one stroke off the pace last weekend, but eventually settled for a tied-for-21st at 5-under-par 275 at Belfair Golf Club in Bluffton, S.C. Mark Anderson won the title, closing with an incredible 10-under 60 on the East Course, which erased the course record of 63, held by three golfers, including Stanley. "A 60 anywhere is pretty good," said Stanley on Tuesday. "I used to have the course record. I still have the other one." Stanley, heading into his junior season up the road at Clemson, holds the West Course record (63), set in last year's final round of the Players Am. He is playing in this week's Southern Amateur, then has the Western Amateur starting at the end of July. He'll take two weeks off to prepare for the U.S. Amateur in August at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Tacoma teenager Andrew Yun, who captured the AJGA title at the Verizon Junior Heritage, got into the Players Amateur, and placed tied for 22nd at 276.
Categories: Local golfers
Posted by Todd Milles @ 11:31:25 am
ROYAL & ANCIENT GOLF CLUB OF ST. ANDREW Site: Southport, England. Schedule: Thursday-Sunday. Course: Royal Birkdale Golf Club (7,173 yards, par 70). Purse: $8.24 million. Winner’s share: $1,487,000. FedEx Cup points: 27,500. Winner’s share: 4,950. Television (all times PDT: TNT (Thursday-Friday, 4 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 4-6 a.m.; Sunday, 3-5 a.m.) and ABC (Saturday, 6-11 a.m.; Sunday, 5-10:30 a.m.). Last year: Ireland’s Padraig Harrington won at Carnoustie, beating Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff. Harrington lost a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole by twice hitting into the Barry Burn on his way to a double bogey. Last week: Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell won the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, beating South Africa’s James Kingston by two strokes. Ernie Els tied for ninth, and Phil Mickelson tied for 38th. … Kenny Perry won the John Deere Classic for his third PGA Tour victory in five starts. The 47-year-old Perry, skipping the major tournament to play in Milwaukee, beat Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson with a par on the first playoff hole. Adamonis and Williamson hit into a greenside water hazard in the playoff. Notes: Tiger Woods, sidelined by a knee injury, is missing the tournament for the first time since Turnberry in 1994. He won at St. Andrews in 2000 and 2005 and Royal Liverpool in 2006. … Mark O’Meara won the last British Open at Royal Birkdale, beating Brian Watts in a playoff in 1998. Peter Thomson (1954, 1965), Arnold Palmer (1961), Lee Trevino (1971), Johnny Miller (1976), Tom Watson (1983) and Ian Baker Finch (1991) also are Royal Birkdale winners. … The 2009 tournament will be played at Turnberry. The 2010 event is set for St. Andrews. On the Net: http://www.opengolf.com PGA Tour site: http://www.pgatour.com PGA European Tour site: http://www.europeantour.com
Categories: General
Sunday, July 13th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 05:25:28 pm
This week: PGA Tour's John Deere Classic, Thursday through Sunday, TPC Deere, Silvis, Ill. Fourth-round score: 2-over-par 73. Position: Moore (2-over 286) finished tied for 74th, 18 strokes behind Brad Adamonis, Kenny Perry and Jay Williamson (268). Perry won his third PGA Tour title this season on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Recap: The Puyallup golfer made up for shoddy ball-striking (hit six of 18 greens in regulation) with plenty of one-putts (24 putts in his round). He still didn't give himself many birdie chances. He earned a paycheck of $8,106. Next: Moore is off this week, and likely will return to the tour starting July 24 for the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey GC in Ontario, Canada.
Categories: Ryan Moore
Posted by Todd Milles @ 05:24:24 pm
This week: Nationwide Tour's Players Cup, Thursday through Sunday, Pete Dye Golf Club, Bridgeport, W.Va. Fourth-round score: 1-over-par 73. Position: Putnam (1-over 289) finished tied for 57th, 16 strokes behind Chris Anderson and Rick Price (273). Price won the title in a sudden-death playoff. Recap: The Tacoma native just never got anything going after finishing his first round with a double bogey to shoot 70. He opened his round Sunday with back-to-back bogeys, and later added a double bogey on the first hole. He certainly drove the ball (hit 41 of 46 fairways for the week, and all 14 Sunday) better than he scored. Putnam earned $3,100 for his finish, and dropped three spots on the money list, to 56th. Next: The Price Cutter Charity Championship starting Thursday at Highland Springs CC in Springfield, Mo.
Categories: Michael Putnam
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The Green Scene
Todd Milles has been with The News Tribune since 1994, covering local colleges, high schools, auto racing, Washington State and golf. You will find news and observations on Pacific Northwest courses and updates on local standouts on this blog. Category
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