HOT SPRINGS,
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
OUACHITA BAPTIST BEGINS SPRING SEASON
Arkansas Golfers Finish Tied for Eighth at Burns Intercollegiate
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.
On the team leaderboard, the team from
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.
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
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)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Arkansas Golfers Finish Tied for Eighth at Burns Intercollegiate
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.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Mickelson adds Riviera to collection of West Coast wins
LOS ANGELES (Map, News) - Phil Mickelson had played 10 tournaments at
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
But he has won at every stop on the West Coast, from the ocean courses of Torrey Pines and
"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
Until last year, Mickelson had missed the cut four out of eight times, including the 1995 PGA Championship. He loved the look of
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.
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
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
Friday, February 15, 2008
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.
