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.
E-mail Todd.

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The News Tribune's golf blog
Monday, August 18th, 2008
Posted by Todd Milles @ 06:01:40 pm

Brothers can be cool.

And ones who can play golf as well as Nationwide Tour professional Michael Putnam are no dime a dozen.

The Putnam siblings – Michael and Andrew, who grabbed the overnight lead at the 108th U.S. Amateur at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina – had a few practice sessions last week on vacation at hospitable Sunriver, Ore.

They had putting games, iron-striking competition and more than one discussion about how to approach Pinehurst's table-top, turtle-shaped greens, some of the most unique in the country.

"They are such unique courses, so some of the flop shots and tight wedge shots from around the greens are key," Michael said. "That is the biggest thing getting around Pinehurst, is getting up-and-down."

Andrew Putnam's late-charging, 3-under-par 67 at Pinehurst No. 4 featured a chip-in birdie, one of four that came on the closing seven holes to tie Wesley Bryan, of Chapin, S.C., for the lead. Bryan is a freshman at the University of South Carolina.

=> Read more!

Categories: Local golfers
Posted by Todd Milles @ 06:00:55 pm

For the third consecutive year, a handful of Champions Tour professionals will conduct a 90-minute shotmaking clinic Tuesday morning starting at 10:30 a.m. at American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Lakewood.

Ed Dougherty, Allen Doyle, Lonnie Nielsen, Dana Quigley and Jim Thorpe, up in the area for this week's Boeing Classic, will be on hand to offer a few tips to military veterans.

The clinic is free for the public, including parking around the course.

The Boeing Classic starts Thursday at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Denis Watson is the defending champion.

Categories: NW courses
Posted by Todd Milles @ 10:23:11 am

Here is a story field late Sunday:

SUNRIVER,Ore. – Even with a widening lead in the final found of the JELD-WEN Tradition, Fred Funk pretended he was trailing.

"We were going down the second fairway and my caddie, Mark (Long), said 'Let's say you are four behind,'" Funk said. "We were trying to make it as if we were behind all day. Don't protect anything and fire at all the flags."

The aggressive Funk won his first Champions Tour major title, closing with a 3-under 69 on Sunday for three-stroke victory over Mike Goodes at the Crosswater Club.

The 52-year-old Funk, also the winner of the season-opening MasterCard Championship in Hawaii, had a 19-under 269 total. He shot a bogey-free 65 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Senior PGA Championship winner Jay Haas into the final round.

"He wasn't going to be denied today," said Haas, who shot a 72 to tie for third, with Tom Watson (70). "He got to 6 up after 15 and I just took my foot off the gas."

Funk is part of a great field expected this week at the fourth Boeing Classic at TPC Snoqualmie. However, Germany's Bernhard Langer and Oregon's Peter Jacobsen pulled out after the JELD-WEN final round Sunday.

=> Read more!

Categories: NW courses