Lady'Back Linksters travel to NCAA West Regional

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The seventh-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team was selected to participant in the NCAA West Regional Championship hosted by Sacramento State May 8-10, it was announced Monday.
Arkansas is coming off a program-best second place team finish at the 2008 Southeastern Conference Championships in which senior Stacy Lewis earned medalist honors with a three-round 214 for the one-stroke victory.
“I’m excited about the West Regional,” said Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor. “I tried to be strategic in my schedule planning and we played both the Central and East courses but it didn’t work out,” Estes-Taylor laughed.
“We haven’t played Lincoln Hills but we will try and gather as much information about the course as we can. We’ll prepare as we have all year long and see what happens.”
The 2008 selection is the seventh in the 13-year program history and the sixth consecutive. It is the second time the Lady Razorbacks have traveled to the West Regional. They were also in the West in 2006 when they played at Washington National in Auburn, Wash. Arkansas finished eighth and advanced to the NCAA Championship that year.
This year, Arkansas faces the challenges of Lincoln Hills Golf Club in Sacramento, Calif., and takes on a field that includes No. 3 Southern California, No. 4 Arizona State, No. 12 Arizona, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 17 California, No. 21 Michigan State and No. 23 Stanford as the other seeded teams at this regional.
The rest of the field includes No. 27 BYU, No. 29 Tulsa, No. 34 North Carolina, No. 36 Ohio State, No. 38 San Jose State, No. 41 Oklahoma, No. 44 Oregon, No. 46 UNVL, No. 53 UC-Davis, No. 60 UC-Irvin, No. 77 Fresno State, No. 97 Oral Roberts and No. 142 Portland State.
The top eight from each of the three regional sites advance to the 2008 NCAA Championship in Albuquerque, N.M., May 20-23.
“Our goal is to try and go out there and win the tournament,” said Estes-Taylor. “That’s our goal in every event we play and that strategy won’t change. I know they advance the top eight but if we strive to win we should advance without any problems.”
For more information about Arkansas women’s golf, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.



East Regional

The East regional will be played May 8-10 at the UGA Golf Course, Athens, Georgia, hosted by the University of Georgia. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution.

Teams:
1. Duke (ACC)
2. Florida ( SEC)
3. Georgia
4. Auburn
5. Wake Forest
6. Tennessee
7. Virginia
8. New Mexico (Mt. West)
9. Vanderbilt
10. Louisville
11. South Carolina
12. Furman (Southern Conf.)
13. East Carolina
14. Georgia State
15. UCF
16. Missouri
17. Indiana
18. NC-Wilmington (CAA)
19. Jacksonville State (OVC)
20. Charleston Southern (Big South Conference)
21. Jackson State (SWAC)

Individuals:
1. Dori Carter, Mississippi
2. Emma Degroot, Chattanooga
3. Paula Hurtado, Florida Intn’l

Central Regional

The Central regional will be played May 8-10 at the University of Texas Golf Course, Austin, Texas, hosted by the University of Texas. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution.


Teams:
1. UCLA
2. Purdue (Big Ten Conference)
3. Alabama
4. Denver (Sun Belt Conference)
5. Kent State (MAC)
6. Pepperdine
7. LSU
8. Texas A&M
9. Notre Dame (Big East Conf.)
10. Texas
11. TCU
12. Florida State
13. North Carolina State
14. East Tenn. State (Atlantic Sun)
15. Texas Tech
16. Washington
17. Nebraska
18. Harvard (Ivy)

19. Texas State (Southland)
20. Illinois State (MVC)
21. Fairleigh Dickinson (NE Conf.)



Individuals:
1. Steffi Kirchmayr, College of Charleston
2. Sara Wikstrom, UALR

3. Araceli Felgueroso, Coastal Carolina



West Regional

The West regional will be played May 8-10 at the Lincoln Hills Golf Club, Lincoln, California, hosted by Sacramento State University. Conference automatic qualifiers are indicated in parenthesis next to the institution.


Teams:
1. Southern California (Pac-10)
2. Arizona State
3. ARKANSAS
4. Arizona
5. Oklahoma State (Big 12)
6. California
7. Michigan State
8. Stanford
9. BYU
10. Tulsa (Conference USA)
11. North Carolina
12. Ohio State
13. San Jose State
14. Oklahoma
15. Oregon
16. UNLV
17. UC Davis
18. UC Irvine (Big West)
19. Fresno State (WAC)
20. Oral Roberts (Summit)
21. Portland State (Big Sky)

Individuals:
1. Mallory Blackwelder, Kentucky
2. Danielle Cvitanov, San Francisco
3. Emily Powers, Kansas

Ultimate springtime golf fitness tips for "real" golfers

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.

Immelman’s Steely Nerves Win Masters

Trevor Immelman's swing has been compared to Ben Hogan by one of golf's great players, Gary Player, a three-time Masters Champion.

There is another quality Immelman shares with Hogan that until Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club probably had not received enough attention.

Hogan, also a Masters Champion, was recognized as golf's Wee Ice Mon for his steely nerves. Immelman demonstrated over 72 holes at Augusta National that he has the same kind of determination and cool demeanor.

Immelman shot a final-round 75 Sunday for a 280 total, eight-under-par, and a three-shot victory over four-time Champion Tiger Woods. It is the highest final round score by a winner since Arnold Palmer shot 75 in 1962.

Immelman made it look easy at times, but everybody knows winning the Masters certainly is anything but. He showed resolve and perseverance at every turn. When he needed to hit a key shot or make a clutch putt to ward off challengers, he did. It was quite a display of golf.

Immelman underwent surgery last December 18 to remove a non-cancerous tumor lodged beneath his ribs. He didn't touch a golf club for six weeks and then only was allowed to hit a few pitches and chips.

Now, less than four months later, he is at the pinnacle.

"I made a pretty fast recovery, got back out on tour eager to play, but my game wasn't quite there," he said. "I wasn't happy with the way I was playing. I felt I had to start from zero again. Here I am after missing the cut last week Masters Champion. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of."

Immelman knew the conditions would be difficult, with a blowing, swirling wind.

"It was a tough day out there," Immelman said. "I knew it was going to be tough out there for us and I knew I had to stick to my game plan, play one shot at a time, and just be tough. I'm proud of myself for doing that.

"This has been the ultimate roller coaster ride and I hate roller coasters."

Two American challengers with six Masters titles between them - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson - were poised to challenge Immelman but came up short.

They shot even-par 72 in the final round. Woods was runner-up by three shots; Mickelson finished at 286, six strokes behind the winner.

"I just didn't quite have it this week," Woods said. "I didn't make the putts I needed to make this entire week."

Mickelson, winner in 2004 and 2006, posted three rounds at par or better, including a second-round 68. His inability to play the par 3s with efficiency was costly. He made double-bogey and bogey the final two rounds at the 16th hole. He also had two bogeys each at the par-3 sixth and 12th holes.

"I hit two good shots today and made bogeys on four and 16, putting them in a tough spot and three-putting," Mickelson said. "Another three feet and the ball could have rolled down and I could have had a good opportunity (for birdie) both times. Some of it might have been play but some of it might have just been unfortunate."

Mickelson's most unfortunate break came at the par-5 eighth hole during Saturday's third round. His third shot hit the flagstick and caromed away. Instead of a short birdie putt, he three-putted. His charge had ended and try as he might, there was little he could do in the final round.

"I was hoping to make more of a run than I did," Mickelson said. "But it was a tough day and I felt like I had to fight pretty hard to keep it around par. But I certainly had some chances that could have brought it lower. It just doesn't look like it would have been enough anyway.

"I thought I struck the ball pretty well this week and it's encouraging that playing the majors I'm striking the ball better than probably I ever have. My chipping came around this week. It hasn't been where I wanted it."

Vartan Kupelian is the golf writer at The Detroit News.

Arkansas' Lewis is SEC Women's Golfer of the Week

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --Arkansas senior Stacy Lewis has been named the Southeastern Conference Women's Golfer of the Week, conference officials announced on Wednesday.

Lewis, the 2007 NCAA champion, carded a three-round score of 216 and won the Bryan National Collegiate Championship, held March 28-30, at the Bryan Park Champions Golf Course in Brown Summit, N.C.

The Woodlands, Texas, native, shot an opening round 70 and followed it up with a 69 in the second round, which was three shots better than any other golfer in the round. She fired a final round 77, battling tough conditions, to defeat Duke's Amanda Blumenherst, who is ranked the nation's top golfer by Golfweek, by one shot. The Razorbacks finished in fourth place in the event.

With the win, Lewis has now won five tournaments during the 2007-08 season and 11 during her collegiate career. This week's honor is her third SEC Golfer of the Week award this season.

For the season, Lewis has a team-best 71.88 stroke average through nine events, also leading the SEC this season. She is currently ranked second in the nation by the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index.

Arkansas will next play in the SEC Championships on April 18-20 at the Tennessee National Golf Course in Louden, Tenn.

Arkansas Golfers Head to Oregon for Duck Invitational

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Fresh off securing the team title in its last outing at the Border Olympics, the Razorback golf team will tee off Monday at the two-day Duck Invitational. Playing in its ninth event, Arkansas will be looking for it seventh top-five finish of the season. The event will take place on the par-72, 6,873-yard course at the Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Ore.

Junior Andrew Landry has played in each of Arkansas’ eight previous events and leads the team with a 72.29 scoring average. At the Border Olympics, he posted a season-best finish as he tied for second place with a two-under-par 214. On the season, Landry has posted six top-10 results and four rounds in the 60s, both figures also lead the team.

Like Landry, sophomore David Lingmerth has competed in all eight of the Razorbacks’ events heading into the Duck Invitational. He is second on the team with a 73.04 scoring average and two top-10 finishes. In his first season at Arkansas, Lingmerth has placed in the top 20 six times and tallied a season-best result at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate where he tied for fourth place. He finished in a tie for 11^th place at the Border Olympics.

In the fourth event of his Razorback career, Sam Chavez tied for second place at the Border Olympics, a career-best result. The freshman from Hillsborough, Calif., moved into third on the team with a 73.92 scoring average after carding a two-under-par 214 in his last outing. Chavez has picked up two top-20 finishes in four events played this season.

Along with Landry, Lingmerth and Chavez, the Razorback lineup in the previous two events has included Will Osborne and Jason Turner. Osborne, a junior from Wichita Falls, Texas, earned a share of 13^th place at the Border Olympics. Turner’s 74.06 scoring average is fourth on the UA team. The junior from Little Rock captured his first career win earlier this season at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate.

In the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, Arkansas has a No. 36 ranking. Other top-50 teams in the field are San Diego State (No. 35) and Oregon State (41). The rest of the field at the Duck Invitational includes Idaho, Northern Colorado, host-team Oregon, Pacific, Portland, UC Davis, Washington and Washington State.

Monday’s first round is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT as the first 36 holes will be played on day one. Log on to www.hogwired.com for complete results.

Arkansas Women Ranked #10

NCAA Women's: Division I Teams

Division II - Division III

                                   Adjusted   Avg.            Rank 
                        Division   Scoring   Drop   Versus#   of  
   Team                  *Record   Average  Score   Top 25   Sced  Wins@
  1 Duke University       233-  0    72.45   77.25    20- 0     2     3
 2 UCLA                  232-  1    72.99   77.68    20- 1    13     3
 3 Southern California   230-  3    73.23   78.02    18- 3    14     1
 4 Arizona State         230-  3    73.52   80.26    16- 3     8     1
 5 Florida, U. of        230-  3    73.48   78.00    20- 3    19     2
 6 Arizona, U. of        227-  6    74.50   79.73    15- 6    11     0
 7 Purdue University     227-  6    73.52   81.31    15- 6     6     0
 8 Auburn University     225-  8    74.25   79.26    16- 8     5     0
 9 Wake Forest Univ.     223- 10    74.35   79.67    10-10    12     1
10 Arkansas, U. of       223- 10    74.33   79.71    13- 9    24     1
11 Alabama, U. of        222- 11    74.08   79.46    11- 9    26     2
12 Denver, Univ. of      222- 11    74.84   80.53     9-10    35     2
13 Kent State            221- 12    74.97   79.89     9- 7    39     1
14 Georgia, U. of        221- 12    74.03   78.33    10-11     7     0
15 Oklahoma State Univ.  221- 12    74.23   79.28    11-12     3     1
16 California, U. of     217- 16    74.86   80.21     3- 9    42     2
17 Pepperdine            217- 16    75.10   80.56     6-16     9     0
18 Tennessee, U. of      216- 17    73.98   79.93     6-15    16     0
19 Louisiana State U.    215- 18    74.66   79.83     6-17    15     0
20 Vanderbilt Univ.      213- 20    75.45   82.78     2-18     1     0
21 Michigan State U.     213- 20    75.47   80.98     3-17    36     3
22 Notre Dame, U. of     212- 21    74.84   79.11     3- 6    53     4
23 Stanford University   211- 22    76.00   80.99     3-16     4     0
24 Virginia, Univ. of    209- 24    75.05   80.08     2-14    21     0
25 Texas A&M University  208- 25    75.84   81.63     0-21    32     0 

UCA SECOND IN UALR TOURNEY

LITTLE ROCK _ The University of Central Arkansas men's golf team, led by senior Ryan Lecuyer, is in second place after the first two rounds of the UALR/First Tee Collegiate being played at Chenal Country Club.

Lecuyer, a senior from Edmonton, Alberta playing his first tournament of the spring, shot rounds of 72-73 for a 145 and is tied for second place overall. UCA carded rounds of 302-298_600 and is in second place behind Sam Houston State.

Oral Roberts is third (603), followed by UMKC (607), UALR (609), ULM and Missouri State (611), Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State (618), Northern Illinois (620), Stephen F. Austin (621), UA-Fort Smith (632), UTSA (636), Northern Colorado (638) and Centenary College (676).

Freshman Gideon Pienaar is tied for seventh place after shooting 75-73_148. Senior Scotty Campbell shot 77-73_150 and is tied for 12th place, while sophomore Drew Richards is tied for 55th place at 78-83_161. Freshman Jad Sinclair shot 86-79_165 and is tied for 68th.

Sam Houston's Beau Willis is the overall leader at 72-71_143. Lecuyer is tied with Oral Roberts' Austin Hannah at 145.

OUACHITA BAPTIST BEGINS SPRING SEASON

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Ouachita Baptist men’s golf team began the spring season Monday afternoon in the Doyle Wade Classic, hosted by Henderson State, by placing eighth after the first round with a 32-over-par 320.

Rob Greer is the only Ouachita Baptist golfer in the top 20 as he is 17^th after the first round. Greer fired a 5-over 77. Blake Sisson is tied for 27^th after a 79 and Klayton Seyler is tied for 31^st with an 80. Jeremy Huges and Dax Demaree are tied at 41^st with 84s.

Northeastern State is in first and two strokes ahead of host Henderson State with a 294. Arkansas Tech is third after firing a 299. Paris Community College (300) and Delta State (305) round out the top five, respectively. Harding (309), Christian Brothers (318), Ouachita Baptist (320), Missouri-St. Louis (327) and Southwest Baptist (341) round out the 10-team field.

Arkansas Golfers Finish Tied for Eighth at Burns Intercollegiate

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Andrew Landry and David Lingmerth tied with five other golfers for tenth place as the Razorback golf team finished in a tie for eighth place at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate in Schofield Barracks, Oahu. The UA golfers carded carded a final-round 282 to complete the event at 17-under-par.

Landry earned his fourth top-10 finish of the season, while Lingmerth finishes in the top 10 for the second time of his Razorback career. The group of seven golfers tied at tenth place posted a score eight-under-par 208.

Arkansas’ third finisher was freshman Sam Chavez who finished tied for 59^th place after shooting a one-over-par 217 event score. He carded a final-round 71, his best round of the tournament. Seniors Allen McFerran and Barrett Lais were among of group of eight tied at 70^th place. The two Razorbacks were three-over-par (219) during the three-day event.

On the team leaderboard, the team from Auburn claimed the first-place result with a tournament record 44-under-par 820. Stephen Hale of California posted a 15-under-par 201 to earn the individual title. UTEP and defending event champion BYU were the two teams tied with the Razorbacks.

Arkansas will return to action March 10-11 at the Callaway Invitational in San Diego, Calif. Log on to www.hogwired.com for continued coverage of Razorback golf.

Whittle Takes Medalist Honors At All-American Classic

SPRING, Texas – UALR sophomore Brian Whittle captured the individual title at Houston’s All-American Golf Classic on Tuesday, helping the Trojans to a second-place finish in the team standings. Whittle was the only golfer in the 66-player field to finish under par for the event, capturing medalist honors with a five-under par 211 total.

Whittle, who fired a career-low 68 in the second round, carded a 73 on the final day to finish eight strokes up on second-place Ben Moser of Houston (73-71-75 – 219). The individual title was the first of Whittle’s career.

A native of Golden City, Mo, Whittle was joined in the top-20 by sophomore Keith Becker, Jr., who earned a share of 17th place with a 225 total (74-74-77). Freshman Dylan Raines finished four strokes back of Becker, Jr., with a 229 total (77-74-78).

The Trojans led the 12-team event after 36 holes, but dropped into second place after carding a 305 in the final round to finish at 892 for the event (295-292-305). Middle Tennessee edged UALR by a single stroke to capture the team championship, finishing with an 891 total after carding the lowest score of the final round (297).

The Trojans return to action March 17-18 when they host the UALR/First Tee Collegiate Classic at Chenal Country Club.

The Society of Hickory Golfers Announces The US Hickory Open Championship

The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG) is pleased to announce its first annual US Hickory Open Championship to be conducted at Mimosa Hills Golf and Country Club in Morganton, NC from July 21 through July 23, 2008. Donald Ross, the famed Scottish-born golf course architect, created Mimosa Hills in 1929, taking painstaking advantage of Morganton's natural beauty and phenomenal panoramic mountain views. They recently completed a thorough restoration of the entire course, preserving the integrity of his design while keeping an eye on the future of the game. Mimosa is the home course of the famed amateur, Billy Joe Patton who almost won the 1954 Masters and finished one shot behind Ben Hogan and Sam Snead.

The US Hickory Open shall comprise a practice round on Monday, July 21 followed on Tuesday and Wednesday by two 18 hole medal score competitive tournament rounds. There will be at least three divisions: Open, Reserve and Senior with a Female Division if six or more ladies compete. Appropriate trophies will be awarded following the conclusion of medal play on Wednesday.

Mark your calendars and make appropriate commitments to attend this inaugural event. Since we plan to limit the field to 72 competitors you’ll need to send in your application soon after it is available on the SoHG website in early January 2008. More details will be forthcoming as they become available.

Far and Sure,

The Tournament Committee (Bill Engelson, Frank Boumphrey, Chris Deinlein, Barry Markowitz and Michael Fay)

Arkansas Golfers Finish Tied for Eighth at Burns Intercollegiate

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Andrew Landry and David Lingmerth tied with five other golfers for tenth place as the Razorback golf team finished in a tie for eighth place at the John A. Burns Intercollegiate in Schofield Barracks, Oahu. The UA golfers carded carded a final-round 282 to complete the event at 17-under-par.

Landry earned his fourth top-10 finish of the season, while Lingmerth finishes in the top 10 for the second time of his Razorback career. The group of seven golfers tied at tenth place posted a score eight-under-par 208.

Arkansas’ third finisher was freshman Sam Chavez who finished tied for 59th place after shooting a one-over-par 217 event score. He carded a final-round 71, his best round of the tournament. Seniors Allen McFerran and Barrett Lais were among of group of eight tied at 70th place. The two Razorbacks were three-over-par (219) during the three-day event.

On the team leaderboard, the team from Auburn claimed the first-place result with a tournament record 44-under-par 820. Stephen Hale of California posted a 15-under-par 201 to earn the individual title. UTEP and defending event champion BYU were the two teams tied with the Razorbacks.

Arkansas will return to action March 10-11 at the Callaway Invitational in San Diego, Calif. Log on to www.hogwired.com for continued coverage of Razorback golf.

Mickelson adds Riviera to collection of West Coast wins

LOS ANGELES (Map, News) - Phil Mickelson had played 10 tournaments at Riviera dating to his first appearance 20 years ago as a teenager. Never before had he arrived with such good vibes, mostly because of a minor change that he didn't reveal until he won.

It wasn't his close call last year, when he bogeyed the final hole and lost in a playoff.

Nor was it the playoff loss two weeks ago in Phoenix, a sign that his game was on the right track.

Rather, it was a noise only Lefty could hear.

He switched golf balls this year to a softer cover for more spin, and figured he had made all the adjustments until he struggled with his speed on the greens at Pebble Beach last week, which held him back. That's when he decided to change the insert in his putter.

"When I had putted with the insert I had, it was a quieter sound when the ball was coming off and I couldn't hear it, and I was giving it a little too much," Mickelson said. "Consequently, my speed was going well by the hole. By putting in the firmer insert, I was able to hear it, and my speed and touch came back.

"Now I hear it and it feels great."

The putter was key for Mickelson, who closed with a 1-under 70 for a two-shot victory over Jeff Quinney that gave him yet another PGA Tour title on the Left Coast.

He now has 33 career victories, with 16 of them in California and Arizona.

But as much as the putter helped Mickelson, it went from a magic wand to a ball-and-chain for Quinney.

He made four straight putts, three of them for birdie, from outside 10 feet that took him from a two-shot deficit to a brief lead and ultimately to a duel alone the final seven holes. But Quinney again had trouble down the stretch.

He bogeyed three straight holes, starting with back-to-back par putts that he missed from 7 feet, that gave Mickelson a two-shot lead and some comfort as he played the final holes. Quinney lost all hope with a three-putt from 20 feet on the par-5 17th, and his 25-foot birdie on the final hole only made it look close.

He shot a 71 for his first runner-up finish in his two years on tour.

"I had two (putts) that I'd like to have back," Quinney said. "I just put a little too much pressure on the putter on the back nine."

Mickelson, meanwhile, was solid throughout the week.

His putting kept momentum in his round of 64 on Friday to seize control, and in his 70 on Saturday to stay in the lead. And after a two-shot swing that gave Quinney the lead on the ninth hole Sunday - Quinney made a 12-foot birdie, Mickelson missed the green well to the right and made bogey - Lefty responded with clutch putts.

The first came at the 310-yard 10th hole, where Mickelson hit driver over the green and a flop shot to the skinny part of the green, the ball stopping 6 feet away. Quinney saved par with a 10-foot putt, and Mickelson made his on top of him to tie for the lead.

Mickelson pulled away when Quinney made the first of three straight bogeys, and the tournament turned on the par-3 14th.

Quinney went over the green and chipped 7 feet by the hole. Mickelson hit into a bunker and blasted out to the same distance, a few inches farther away. That meant he went first, and Mickelson poured it in for par.

Quinney missed his, the lead was two shots, the tournament effectively over.

Mickelson didn't make it a clean sweep of the West Coast Swing. He has never won in Hawaii, and only goes to Hawaii on vacation. He has never won the Accenture Match Play Championship, although he gets another shot starting Wednesday.

But he has won at every stop on the West Coast, from the ocean courses of Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach to soggy La Costa Resort to the desert tracks in Phoenix, Palm Springs and Tucson.

"I do enjoy the West Coast," Mickelson said. "I'm excited to play golf and I practice very hard on the West Coast when the season is coming around and I haven't played for awhile, I've got a lot of energy and I'm excited to get back out. I think all of these things, plus the fact that I grew up here and used to walk these fairways on the outside, I just have a great love for the West Coast.

"I've been fortunate to play well here."

It should be no surprise that Riviera took so long.

Until last year, Mickelson had missed the cut four out of eight times, including the 1995 PGA Championship. He loved the look of Riviera, but was confounded by the sticky kikuya grass that could grab the ball as it was approaching the green.

There's an art to his course off Sunset Boulevard, and he was a slow learner.

"I didn't understand the nuances of this golf course, where you can and can't hit it," he said. "And learning those nuances and how to hit the shots into some of these greens has helped me over the years. Last year was when I started to put it together, and I'm fortunate to break through this year."

Sweeter still is having his name on the roll call of a champions, a list that includes Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead. And it's a list that doesn't include Tiger Woods, or even Jack Nicklaus.

And now that another victory is in the bag, he's hungry for more.

"It's not quite to where I believe I can get it, but I feel like it's been much better than in the past, so I feel like I'm getting better," Mickelson said of his game. "I can taste where I want to get to. But I'm not quite there yet."

Hock Takes Playoff; Wins Back-To-Back On Champions Tour

Naples, FL (AHN) - Scott Hoch made an eight-foot birdie putt on No.18 to force a four-hole playoff, then rolled in another eight-footer on the first playoff hole to win The ACE Group Classic for his second straight Champions Tour victory on Sunday.

The 52-year-old Hoch picked up the top prize of $240,000 a week after winning the Allianze Championship in Boca Raton. He now has three Senior titles. He won 11 times over a 25-year PGA career.

Hoch, Tom Jenkins, Tom Kite and Brad Bryant all finished regulation at 14-under par 202. Jenkins, Kite and Bryant had all made pars on No. 18 before Hoch made his birdie.

On the playoff hole, Jenkins and Kite both missed chip shots after going over the green. Bryant lipped out a birdie putt.

Said Hoch, "I just said, 'Let's end it here. I don't want to play anymore. Anything else could happen."

Trojans Golf Team Finishes 10th in Mexico

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico -- The UALR men's golf team opened its 2008 spring season by tying for 10th place at the North Texas/GADO Classic in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Junior Linus Gillgren and freshman Dylan Raines both placed in the top 20 to lead the way for UALR.

Gillgren was the Trojans' top finisher, tying for 14th place with a 1-over par 217 total after carding a 71 in the final round. Raines finished three shots back of Gillgren, earning a share of 18th place with a 220 total (76-72-72).

Louisiana-Lafayette easily captured the team title after finishing with a 16-under par 848 total (278-288-282). The Ragin' Cajuns, who placed four golfers in the top 15, earned a 22-stroke victory over second-place Cal State-Northridge (870 total).

Cal State Northridge's Kyle Nicolson took home medalist honors after firing a 5-under par 67 in the final round. Nicolson finished at 9-under par 207 for the event (69-71-67), two strokes up on second-place Jose Toledo of New Orleans (70-70-69).

UALR tied Missouri for 10th place at the 14-team event after carding an 894 total (297-301-296). The Trojans were down a man in the second round, as sophomore Keith Becker Jr. had to withdraw. The Mountain View native was 5-over par in the other two rounds, carding a 76-73.

The Trojans return to action next week (Feb. 25-26) at the All-American in Houston.

Best Arkansas Golf Courses

Rank	Golf Course	Location
1	Mountain Ranch Golf Club - Mountain Ranch Course	Fairfield Bay, AR
2	Alotian Golf Club - Alotian Course	Roland, AR
3	Blessings Golf Club - Blessings Course	Fayetteville, AR
4	Pleasant Valley Country Club - Pleasant Valley 3 Course	Little Rock, AR
5	Lions Den Golf Club - Lions Den Course	Dardanelle, AR
6	Country Club of Little Rock - Little Rock Course	Little Rock, AR
7	Prairie Creek Country Club - Prairie Creek Course	Rogers, AR
8	Shadow Valley Country Club - Shadow Valley Course	Rogers, AR
9	Belvedere Country Club - Belvedere Course	Hot Springs National Park, AR
10	Diamondhead Golf & Country Club - Diamondhead Course	Hot Springs, AR
11	Pinnacle Country Club - Pinnacle Course	Rogers, AR
12	Pine Valley Golf Course - Pine Valley Course	North Little Rock, AR
13	Lost Springs Golf and Athletic Club - Lost Springs Course	Rogers, AR
14	Big Sugar Golf Club - Big Sugar Course	Pea Ridge, AR
15	Foxwood Golf Club - Foxwood Course	Jacksonville, AR
16	Chenal Country Club - Founders Course	Little Rock, AR
17	Rebsamen Park Golf Course - Championship Course	Little Rock, AR
18	Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club - Stonebridge Meadows Course	Fayetteville, AR
19	Fayetteville Country Club - Fayetteville Course	Fayetteville, AR
20	Springdale Country Club - Springdale Course	Springdale, AR
21	Paradise Valley Athletic Club - Paradise Valley Course	Fayetteville, AR
22	Hindman Golf Course - Hindman Park Course	Little Rock, AR
23	Golf Club At Valley View - Valley View Course	Farmington, AR
24	StoneLinks Golf Course - Stonelinks Course	North Little Rock, AR
25	Burns Park Golf Course - Tournament Course	North Little Rock, AR

ASU Announces Restructuring of Golf Programs

JONESBORO (2/14/08) - Jonesboro natives Wixson Huffstetler and Adriane Duke have been named interim coaches for Arkansas State’s men’s and women’s golf programs, Dr. Dean Lee announced Thursday.

As part of a restructuring of the golf programs for the spring semester, Huffstetler and Duke will assist Interim Director of Golf Operations and men’s head coach Steve Johnson. Duke will serve as interim women’s coach, while Huffstetler will serve as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s programs. A national search for a head women’s coach will be conducted this spring.

Huffstetler was a standout golfer at Arkansas State from 2000-2004. He had two collegiate wins during his career at ASU and joined the Adams Golf Pro Tour in July 2005.

The two-time All-Sun Belt performer was also a four-time all-conference and all-state selection at Jonesboro High School. Huffstetler graduated from Arkansas State in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management.

Duke has worked in the golf shops at RidgePointe Country Club in Jonesboro and The Course at Eagle Mountain in Batesville. She has toured professionally with the Duramed Futures Tour, a development tour for the LPGA, since January 2006.

Duke was a four-year letterwinner in golf at Lyon College and earned All-America Honors in 2001-2002. The Westside High School graduate earned a bachelor's degree in biology and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lyon in 2005.

Former head women’s coach Chris Adams announced her resignation from Arkansas State on Jan. 23. She accepted a similar position at Middle Tennessee.