PGA Tour clients are fickle, and Tacoma's Brian Mogg hasn't seen a steady flow of them come his Brian Mogg Performance Center in Windermere, Fla.

But one of the few he has is South Korea's Y.E. Yang, who chased down Tiger Woods to become the first Asian-born golfer to win a professional major.

Mogg wasn't at Hazeltine National Golf Club at the time Yang rolled in his final birdie on the 72nd hole for a three-stroke victory over Woods, but was immediately grabbed for interviews by The Golf Channel back home in Florida.

And the Lakes High graduate said throughout practice rounds, he saw that Yang's game was so sharp, he said he told a few in the circles of golf that his golfer would be a factor for the title.

Mogg has been Yang's instructor for more than a year.

In a few words – class act.

Those were the comments made by Fircrest's Ken Still on Saturday afternoon, when asked about his impressions about playing with Tom Watson, the 59-year-old who leads the British Open after 54 holes at Turnberry in Scotland.

Still said he played with Watson "about eight times" in the latter stages of his PGA Tour career, when Watson was a 20-something out of Kansas City who attended Stanford University.

The longtime pro from Tacoma said after the completion of the third round, he phoned Jack Nicklaus at his home in Florida to talk about the tournament. Nicklaus said he normally doesn't watch golf on television, but rather plays a "couple of sets" of tennis instead.

But Nicklaus said he stayed tuned into the action Saturday, and would see if Watson can complete the impossible, becoming the oldest golfer in history to win a major championship.

A federal judge in Portland denied a professional, online poker player's request Tuesday to have his amateur golfer status reinstated.

Dusty Schmidt had filed a complaint seeking a preliminary restraining order that would have allowed him to keep his United States Golf Association amateur status and play in a series of events in the Pacific Northwest.

The USGA has maintained that Schmidt gave up his amateur status when he threw down a $1 million challenge to anyone who could beat him at 72 holes of golf and at poker.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman turned down the request, saying Schmidt did not meet a legal standard of having a contract with the USGA.

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USGA'S UNITED STATES OPEN

Site: Farmingdale, N.Y.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Bethpage State Park, Black Course (7,426 yards, par 70).
Purse: TBA ($7.5 million in 2008). Winner’s share: TBA ($1.35 million in 2008).

Television (all times PDT): ESPN (Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-noon, 2-5 p.m., 5-8 p.m.; Monday, if necessary, 9-11 a.m.) and NBC (Thursday-Friday, noon-2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Monday, if necessary, 11 a.m. to playoff conclusion.).

Last year: Tiger Woods won his 14th major title, playing with a double stress fracture in his leg and on a left knee with torn ligaments that would require season-ending surgery a week later. He holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation at Torrey Pines to force an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate, birdied the 18th hole to extend the playoff, then won with a par at No. 7 — the 19th hole.

Last week: Brian Gay played his way into the U.S Open as a two-time winner in the last calendar year, leading wire-to-wire for a five-stroke victory over David Toms and Bryce Molder in the St. Jude Classic. Gay also won at Hilton Head in April.

Notes: Woods led wire-to-wire in the 2002 tournament at Bethpage, shooting 67-68-70-72 to finish at 3-under — three strokes ahead of Phil Mickelson. Also the 2000 winner at Pebble Beach, Woods is coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Memorial, his second win of the year and 67th PGA Tour title. … Mickelson tied for 59th last week in Memphis, shooting 68-70-68-75 in his first tournament since wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. He has two victories this year. … Masters champion Angel Cabrera won the 2007 tournament at Oakmont. … The Washington brigade of entrants including Puyallup's Ryan Moore, Gig Harbor's Kyle Stanley and University of Washington junior Nick Taylor. Moore played at Bethpage in 2002 as an amateur, missing the cut. … The par-4 seventh (525 yards) is longer than the par-5 fourth (517 yards). … At 74.901, the 2002 scoring average was the highest on the PGA Tour that season. … The 90-hole Bethpage complex is the largest public golf facility in the country. … The 2010 tournament will be played at Pebble Beach, and the 2011 event is set for Congressional in Bethesda, Md. … The Travelers Championship is next week in Cromwell, Conn. where Stanley will make his professional debut.

On the Net: http://www.usopen.com
PGA Tour site: http://www.pgatour.com
PGA European Tour site: http://www.europeantour.com

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PGA TOUR's St. Jude Classic

Site: Germantown, Tenn.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: TPC Southwind (7,239 yards, par 70).

Purse: $5.6 million. Winner’s share: $1,008,000.

Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday, 12:30-3:30 p.m., 7-10 p.m.; Friday, 11 p.m.-2 a.m., 12:30-3:30 p.m., 7-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m., 10-11:30 a.m., 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10-11:30 a.m., 7:30-9:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m.).

Last year: Justin Leonard beat Trevor Immelman and Robert Allenby with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff. Leonard, a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, also won in 2005 at TPC Southwind.

Last week: Tiger Woods broke out of a four-way tie for the lead in the Memorial with birdies on his final two holes, the last a 7-iron that stopped a foot away for a 7-under 65 and a one-shot victory over Jim Furyk. Woods won Jack Nicklaus’ event for a record fourth time, finishing at 12-under 276 for his 67th PGA Tour victory.

Notes: Phil Mickelson is returning to competition three weeks after suspending his schedule when wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The second-ranked Mickelson, preparing for the U.S. Open next week at Bethpage Black on Long Island, tied for 55th in The Players Championship in his last start. He has two victories in 10 events this year. … Area resident John Daly is returning to the PGA Tour after a six-month suspension for a series of off-course events. Second last month in the Italian Open, Daly failed to earn a U.S. Open spot in qualifying Monday, shooting 70-73. … Leonard also is in the field along with Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Henrik Stenson, Camilo Villegas, 2007 winner Woody Austin and 2003-04 champion David Toms. … Al Geiberger shot the first 59 in PGA Tour history in his 1977 victory at Colonial Country Club. … John Cook had a tournament-record 26-under 258 total in 1996, shooting 64-62-63-69. … Stanford Financial dropped out as the title sponsor in March after its assets were frozen during a federal investigation into fraud.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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PGA TOUR's The Memorial

Site: Dublin, Ohio.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club (7,366 yards, par 72).

Purse: $6 million. Winner’s share: $1.08 million.

Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, noon-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Sunday, 9-11 a.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.).

Last year: Kenny Perry joined Tiger Woods as the only three-time Memorial winner, beating Jerry Kelly, Justin Rose, Mathew Goggin and Mike Weir by two strokes for the first of his three 2008 victories. Perry, also the 1991 and 2003 Memorial champion, became the event’s oldest winner at 47.

Last week: Steve Stricker won the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, for his fifth PGA Tour title, birdieing the second hole of a playoff with Tim Clark and Steve Marino.

Notes: Woods, the 1999-01 winner, is making his first start since finishing eighth in The Players Championship. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March for his 66th PGA Tour title. … Puyallup's Ryan Moore is in the field. … Jack Nicklaus founded the event in 1976 and won the 1977 and 1984 titles. He made his last competitive appearance in the tournament in 2005. … World Golf Hall of Famers JoAnne Carner and Jackie Burke Jr. are the tournament’s honorees. … The Stanford St. Jude Championship is next week in Memphis, Tenn. (preceded by U.S. Open sectional qualifying), followed by the U.S. Open at Bethpage State Park on Long Island.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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PGA TOUR's Byron Nelson Championship

Site: Irving, Texas.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas (7,166 yards, par 70).

Purse: $6.5 million. Winner’s share: $1,152,000.

Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, noon-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10-11:30 a.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m.).

Last year: Australia’s Adam Scott won the last of six PGA Tour titles, topping Puyallup's Ryan Moore with a 48-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff.

Last week: Zach Johnson successfully defended his Texas Open title, beating James Driscoll in San Antonio with a 10-foot birdie on the first hole of a playoff. Johnson, the FedEx Cup points leader, also won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.

Notes: Phil Mickelson, the 1996 winner, is coming off a 55th-place tie in The Players Championship. He won this year at Riviera and Doral. … Scott has dropped from third to 32 in the world ranking in the last year. … Scott Verplank won his hometown event in 2007. … Nelson died in September 2006 at 94. He won a record 11 consecutive events in 1945. … England’s Ian Poulter is skipping the European tour’s Wentworth stop to play in the event. … Moore and Tacoma's Troy Kelly are in the field. … The Colonial is next week in Fort Worth, followed by the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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PGA TOUR's Texas Open

Site: San Antonio.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: LaCantera Golf Club, Resort Course (7,153 yards, par 70).

Purse: $6.1 million. Winner’s share: $1,098,000.

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: Zach Johnson followed a third-round 62 with a 64 for a two-stroke victory over Charlie Wi, Mark Wilson and Tim Wilkinson in the October event.

Last week: Sweden’s Henrik Stenson won The Players Championship, closing with a 6-under 66 for a four-stroke victory over Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter. Tiger Woods shot a 73 in the final round to finish eighth, seven strokes back.

Notes: The tournament, played in San Antonio since 1922, was last held in the spring in 1969. Next year, the event will move to the Greg Norman-designed AT&T Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio. … Johnson won the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. … Tommy Armour III broke the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record in 2003, finishing at 26-under 254. He shot 64-62-63-66. … Tacoma's Troy Kelly is entered in this week's field. … Mike Souchak won the 1955 event at Brackenridge Park at 27-under 257. … Former University of Texas star Justin Leonard won in 2000, ’01 and ’07. … Bart Bryant won the 2004 event for his first PGA Tour title, shooting a course-record 60 in the third round. … The tour will remain in Texas the next two weeks for the Byron Nelson Championship and Colonial.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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PGA TOUR's The Players Championship

Site: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: TPC Sawgrass, Players Stadium Course (7,215 yards, par 72).

Purse: TBA ($9.5 million in 2008). Winner’s share: TBA ($1.71 million in 2008).

Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 6-9 p.m.) and NBC (Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Last year: Sergio Garcia won his seventh PGA Tour title, making a clutch par putt to force a playoff and hitting the island green 17th on the first extra hole to beat Paul Goydos. After Goydos hit into the water in the playoff, Garcia hit to 4 feet.

Last week: Sean O’Hair won the Quail Hollow Championship for his third PGA Tour victory. O’Hair closed with a 3-under 69 in blustery conditions to beat Bubba Watson and Lucas Glover by a stroke. Tiger Woods was fourth, two strokes back.

Notes: Woods won the 2001 tournament, his last top-10 finish at TPC Sawgrass. He won the first of his record three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles in 1994 on the Stadium Course. … Phil Mickelson won in 2007, beating Garcia by two strokes. … Twenty-four of the top 25 players in the world ranking are in the field, with only No. 16 Lee Westwood missing. … Fred Funk won in 2005 to become the oldest champion at 48. In 2004, Adam Scott became the youngest winner at 23. … Greg Norman set the tournament record in 1994, opening with a 63 and adding three 67s for a 24-under 264 total. … Jack Nicklaus is the only three-time champion, winning in 1974 at Atlanta Country Club, 1976 at Inverrary and 1978 at Sawgrass Country Club. … The Pete Dye-designed course was renovated after the March 2006 event. … The tour will be in Texas the next three weeks for the Texas Open, Byron Nelson Championship and Colonial.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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Late last week, Nationwide Tour officials began E-mailing professional golfers, including Tacoma’s Michael Putnam, about the growing outbreak of the swine flu virus in Mexico, and how it would affect its annual stop to the country next month.

And without hesitation Wednesday, the Mexico Open, originally scheduled for May 18-24 at its new site at El Bosque Golf Club, was postponed until the fall.

The rescheduling of the event at El Bosque Golf Club, located 200 miles northwest of Mexico City, might heavily backload Putnam’s fall schedule, but he understands the rationale behind the tournament postponement.

“If it’s not safe to go down there, and obviously the Mexican government is canceling some other event, too … the (Nationwide Tour) is going to keep us in their best interest,” Putnam said.

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PGA TOUR's Quail Hollow Championship

Site: Charlotte, N.C.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Quail Hollow Club (7,442 yards, par 72).

Purse: $6.5 million. Winner’s share: $1.17 million.

Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday, noon-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., noon-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 p.m.-midnight, 10-11:30 p.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10-11:30 a.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m.).

Last year: Anthony Kim won his first PGA Tour title, finishing with a tournament-record 16-under 272 total for a five-stroke victory over Ben Curtis. Kim also won the AT&T National in July.

Last week: Jerry Kelly won the Zurich Classic in Avondale, La., for his third PGA Tour victory and first since 2002. Kelly finished at 14 under, a stroke ahead of Rory Sabbatini, Charlie Wi and Charles Howell III.
Notes: Tiger Woods is making his fourth appearance in the event. He won in 2007, then sat out the 2008 event because of a knee injury. … Masters champion Angel Cabrera is making his first tour start since winning at Augusta National. … Second-ranked Phil Mickelson also is in the field along with No. 3 Sergio Garcia, No. 4 Geoff Ogilvy, No. 7 Padraig Harrington, No. 8 Vijay Singh and No. 10 Camilo Villegas. Singh won the 2005 event. … Puyallup's Ryan Moore is playing in back-to-back tournaments. … The Players Championship is next week in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., followed by the Texas Open.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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PGA TOUR's Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Site: Avondale, La.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: TPC Louisiana (6,973 yards, par 71).

Purse: $6.3 million. Winner’s share: $1,134,000.

Television (all times PDT): Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, noon-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10-11:30 a.m., 6:30-8:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, noon-3 p.m.).

Last year: Argentina’s Andres Romero won in his 12th career PGA Tour start, finishing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Peter Lonard.

Last week: Brian Gay won the Verizon Heritage for his second PGA Tour victory, closing with a 7-under 64 at Harbour Town to win by 10 strokes. Gay broke the 13-year-old tournament scoring record, finishing at 20-under 264.,

Notes: Danny Lee is making his pro debut. The 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander missed the cut in the Masters as an amateur. He broke Tiger Woods’ mark as the youngest U.S. Amateur champion last year and became the European tour’s youngest winner in February at the Johnnie Walker Classic. … Nick Watney won the 2007 title. … Puyallup's Ryan Moore and Tacoma's Troy Kelly are expected to play. … The 2006 tournament was played at English Turn after Hurricane Katrina damaged the Pete Dye-designed TPC Louisiana. … The Quail Hollow Championship is next week in Charlotte, N.C., followed by The Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

On the Net: http://www.pgatour.com

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