Mountaineers Cap Big 12 ChampionshipApril 26, 2018Mountaineers Cap Big 12 Championship TULSA Okla. (April 25, 2018) – Freshman Mark Goetz shot one-over par in the cold, wet conditions of the final round to help the West Virginia University golf team post its best-ever finish at the 2018 Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Wednesday. The Mountaineers finished ninth place in just their third season of varsity competition. They shot 303-288-297-299=1187 to finish 67 over par and three strokes ahead of Kansas State. Defending National Champion Oklahoma claimed the team title at 19-over par with a 72-hole total of 1139, while No. 14 Texas and top-ranked Oklahoma State tied for second at 27 over (1147). Four golfers shared medalist honors, as No. 11 Doug Ghim (Texas), Jeremy Gandon (K-State), No. 56 Grant Hirschman (Oklahoma) and No. 49 Kristoffer Venture (Oklahoma State) all tied for three-over par with scores of 283. “Finishing ninth is a positive step forward for our program,” coach Sean Covich said. “It’s good to see our freshmen playing well. We’ve been getting better every year. I look forward to bringing the premier conference tournament in college golf to The Greenbrier next year.” Goetz posted the best round of the day for the Mountaineers, but fellow freshman Matthew Sharpstene led WVU in the tournament and just missed All-Big 12 accolades with an 11th-place finish – the best-ever by a Mountaineer. He shot five over in the final round to card a 72-hole total 73-67-72-75=287 for seven-over par. With a pair of birdies on the back nine, Goetz registered a 71 in the final round, tying for the third-lowest round of the day, to finish one-over on the day. He finished the tournament with a score of 77-77-72-71=297, moving up six spots to tie for 36th place. Sophomore Etienne Papineau also carded a pair of birdies on the back nine, finishing six-over par on the day. His score of 76-72-77-76=301 put him in a tie for 41st place at 21 over. Senior Avery Schneider finished 11 over on the day and 27-over par in the tournament. He shot 77-73-76-81=307 to tie for 45th place in his final collegiate event. Junior Max Sear finished 49th overall, shooting 81-76-79-77=313 at 33-over par. West Virginia will host the 2019 Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, next April. Follow @WVUSports and @WVUGolf on Twitter...Read More & CommentTitleist AVX Golf BallsApril 26, 2018 Titleist AVX Golf Balls Titleist’s latest is the AXV, a super premium ball that it says provides a softer feel than the Pro V1 and V1x, while offering pro level performance. According to Titleist, the ACX is the “lowest flying, lowest spinning and softest feeling high performance ball in the Titleist line.” In the center is a high speed, low compression core, while the cover is cast urethane for soft feel and durability. In between, a “high flex casing layer” is designed to enhance speed and control spin for more distance. “Golfers have spoken loud and clear about the performance of AVX,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “While our R&D team is constantly exploring new golf ball technologies, only a limited number of prototypes ever make it past the initial machine and player testing phases. AVX stood out from the beginning. Ultimately, it was important to let golfers decide whether this golf ball had a place in our line and the results of our test market were emphatic. Many golfers were waiting for a product like AVX – our lowest flying, lowest spinning and softest feeling high performance golf ball – to help them play their best.” The balls are expensive, though, hitting the shelves at $47.99. Titleist’s specs: AVX TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE: Featuring a proprietary multi-component construction, AVX delivers remarkable distance and penetrating flight, very low long game and iron spin, exceptionally soft feel and premium scoring controlthrough the following new technologies:Innovative high speed, low compression core technology results in a powerful engine to drive remarkable distance with exceptionally soft feel. The invention of a new high flex casing layer enhances speed and controls spin to promote even greater distance. The proprietary GRN41 thermoset cast urethane elastomer cover has been specifically formulated by Titleist Golf Ball R&D to deliver premium scoring control with exceptionally soft feel and long lasting durability. A unique catenary aerodynamic design delivers a piercing, low trajectory while providing a consistent ball flight on all shots. AVX is made by Titleist associates in the company’s state-of-the-art Ball Plant 3 manufacturing facility to the highest performance and quality specifications in the industry, ensuring the most consistent performance ball to ball, and dozen to dozen. AVX is offered in both white and high-optic yellow....Read More & CommentNational Golf Day Celebrates Golf’s Economic Impact #NationalGolfDayApril 25, 2018National Golf Day Celebrates Golf’s Economic Impact The golf economy totals $84 billion in direct activity and $191.9 billion in total economic activity, including some 1.89 million jobs and $58.7 billion in wages and benefits, according to We Are Golf, an industry coalition. The study, by TEConomy Partners, highlights 2016 data. To bring these statistics to the attention of policy makers and the public, the coalition celebrates the 11th Annual National Golf Day on April 25, 2018. The study found that golf’s annual contributions to America’s economy in 2016 included:$34.4B in revenue from golf courses, clubs, resorts, driving ranges and other facilities (2.9% compound annual growth rate since 2011) $25.7B in tourism spending (4.6% CAGR) $7.2B in new home construction in golf communities (18.5% CAGR) $6B in sales of golf equipment, apparel and supplies (1.4% CAGR) $2.4B in professional tournaments, associations and player endorsements (3.16% CAGR) $1.9B in investment in existing golf facilities (4.6% CAGR) $3.94B in charity raised through tournaments and other activity.In contrast, a 2011 study commissioned by the NFL claimed the sport generated $5 billion for local economies and created 110,000 jobs. The cynic in me says that the NFL put its best face on this, so the results likely are inflated. On the other hand, the NFL study likely does not measure the same things the golf study does, so it is hard to compare. The We Are Golf report was announced in conjunction with National Golf Day, the industry’s pinnacle event of the year that brings leaders to Capitol Hill to meet with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and federal agencies to discuss golf’s social, economic and environmental benefits to society. Overall, the golf industry shows a 22% increase in economic activity from 2011 to 2016. Note that all of the categories above show growth between 2011 and 2016. While data of this sort necessarily lags, the trend suggests slow-but-steady growth over the long run. Investors don’t want to hear it, but I’ll take slow-but-steady over flashy quarterly results any day. WE ARE GOLF is an industry coalition created in 2010 to promote golf’s economic impact. The organizational also focuses on charitable and environmental impact as well as the game’s health and wellness, affordability and accessibility. We Are Golf targets members of Congress, the Executive Branch and regulatory agencies to ensure laws and regulations are fair and appropriate to the golf industry. Part of that effort is highlighting the economic impact of the game. ...Read More & CommentOdyssey White Hot Super Stroke Flatso #7 PutterApril 25, 2018 Odyssey White Hot RX Super Stroke Flatso #7 Putter The Odyssey White Hot RX Super Stroke #7 Putter features:White hot feel. Callaway took the legendary white hot insert to the next level, combining it with a dual layer injected molded insert that has a softer core for a putter with better speed and feel Better roll from the oval pattern elastomer insert: the oval design that created quicker, better roll in our Metal-X and Odyssey works models is in white hot RX Tour Proven head shapes and a new v-line fang. Callaway took head shapes that have proven themselves around the world such as the #1, #7 and 2-ball and added in the new v-line fang ...Read More & CommentWVU Golf’s Sharpstene Fourth After 54 Holes At Big 12sApril 24, 2018WVU Golf’s Sharpstene Fourth After 54 Holes At Big 12s TULSA Okla. (April 24, 2018) – Freshman Matthew Sharpstene continued to impress at the 2018 Big 12 Championship as he sits tied for fourth place after three rounds of play at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Tuesday. Sharpstene birdied a pair on the front nine to move into sole possession of first place at the turn. He bogeyed No. 12 and No. 16 to drop back down into a tie for second but rebounded with a birdie on 17 to head into the final hole one-under par. However, a double bogey on 18 put him at two over with a 72 on the day. Sharpstene enters the final round tied for fourth with a 54-hole total of 73-67-72=212 and two-over par. The Mountaineers jumped as high as eighth place on Tuesday but dropped to 10th after tallying a third-round score of 297 for 17 over. Their 54-hole total reads 303-288-297=888 for 48 over par as they sit five strokes out of ninth (K-State) and nine out of eighth (No. 44 Kansas). No. 3 Oklahoma took the team lead at 12-over with an 852. Iowa State is two strokes back with an 854 for 14-over par, while No. 1 Oklahoma State and No. 14 Texas are tied for third at 18-over-par (859). Sophomore Etienne Papineau started with a birdie on the first hole but moved to even par with a bogey on the next. After making par on eight straight holes, he struggled on the back nine to finish seven-over with a 77 on the day. Papineau is currently in 41st place with a score of 76-72-77=225 for 15 over. Freshman Mark Goetz had his best showing of the tournament in the third round, using four birdies to finish two-over par with a 72. He is tied for 42nd place with a 54-hole total of 77-77-72=226 for 16-over. Teammate Avery Schneider is also 16 over with a 226, shooting 77-73-76. Senior Max Sear scored a trio of birdies, but couldn’t overcome a rocky start and finished the day nine-over par. His tournament scorecard shows 81-76-79=236 for 26 over par as he sits in 50th place. West Virginia is again paired with K-State for the third and final round of play on Wednesday. The Mountaineers will tee off of No. 10 in tee times starting at 10:07 a.m. EST, starting with Sear. Follow @WVUSports and @WVUGolf on Twitter...Read More & CommentCanada Goose Attacks High School StudentApril 24, 2018Canada Goose Attacks High School Student The Golf Blogger long has maintained that Canada Geese are vicious, hostile, and nasty creatures that have long overstayed their protected position under the Migratory Waterfowl Act. In Michigan, at least, they are as common as squirrels and skunks and less welcome than either. Canada Geese flock by the hundreds on golf courses, destroying the turf and leaving behind piles of poo. They also don’t migrate, but stay year-round as permanent residents. They thrive in human-created habitats, such as golf courses, public parks, corporate campuses, airports and other places were there is maintained grass and ponds, pools, retention or drainage systems. In such areas, their natural predators are unable to keep their populations in check. Even worse than the waddling flocks and poo is their hostile attitude. Canada Geese hiss, flap their wings and occasionally charge anyone who ventures too near. That makes it difficult to play the ball as it lies. It is as if a herds of alligators decided to populate large swaths of golf fairways in Florida and refused to move aside for man or golf cart. Golfers on foot are particularly susceptible. Isaac Couling of Concord High School recently ran afoul of one of those foul fowl and has become a media sensation. The savage crime occurred at Wolf Creek Golf Course in Adrian, just south of GolfBlogger World Headquarters in Ann Arbor.The lad was caught unaware by the monster as he was keeping his eyes on another of the threatening beasts in front of him. They apparently have now evolved to hunt in packs, like wolves.The demon bird then tackled him, and when he tried to get up, knocked him down again (top photo) I know golfers who have been bitten by Canada Geese and they report that it is extremely painful. Golfers are not the only ones to suffer from this invasive species. Bacteria from their droppings infect waters, causing potential human illness. Flocks will plunder fields of crops. The geese also are a hazard to aircraft navigation. In 1995, 24 USAF crew members were killed when a flock knocked out both engines of their E-3 Sentry. And famously US AIr Flight 1549 suffered partial power loss after hitting flying geese, causing the plane to make a forced landing in the Hudson. I am calling on the Michigan Congressional Delegation and the Trump Administration to declare Canada Geese in urban and developed area a “pest species.” That will let them be shot for food year-round, instead of the clearly inadequate fifteen days in September the law currently permits. Canada Geese are considered good eating in some quarters, so they wouldn’t go to waste. Any excess could be donated to food banks. We can prevent a future tragedy only if we act now. 😉...Read More & CommentVolvo China Open Winners and HistoryApril 24, 2018The Volvo China Open is part of the OneAsia Tour, and has been co-sanctioned by the European Tour since 2004. It has not, however, been co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour since 2009. This is the result of a dispute between between OneAsia and the Asian Tour, in which the China Open, Pine Valley Beijing Open, Korea Open and China Classic were removed from the Asian Tour schedule. Asian Tour players participating in those events are penalized, risking membership on the Asian Tour. A list of past Volvo China Open winners follows:Year Course Winner Country Score2017 Topwin Golf and Country Club Alexander Lévy (2) France 271 (−17) PO2016 Topwin Golf and Country Club Li Haotong China 266 (−22)2015 Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club Wu Ashun China 279 (−9)2014 Genzon Golf Club Alexander Levy France 269 (−19)2013 Binhai Lake Golf Club Brett Rumford Australia 272 (−16)2012 Binhai Lake Golf Club Branden Grace South Africa 267 (−21)2011 Luxehills International CC Nicolas Colsaerts Belgium 264 (−24)2010 Suzhou Jinji Lake GC Y.E. Yang South Korea 273 (−15)2009 Beijing CBD International GC Scott Strange Australia 280 (−8)2008 Beijing CBD International GC Damien McGrane Ireland 278 (−10)2007 Shanghai Silport GC Markus Brier Austria 274 (−10)2006 Beijing Honghua International GC Jeev Milkha Singh India 278 (−10)2005 Shenzhen GC Paul Casey England 275 (−13)2004 Shanghai Silport GC Stephen Dodd Wales 276 (−12)2003 Shanghai Silport GC Zhang Lian-wei China 277 (−11)2002 Shanghai Silport GC David Gleeson Australia 272 (−16)2001 Shanghai Silport GC Charlie Wi South Korea 272 (−16)2000 Shanghai Silport GC Simon Dyson England 275 (−13)1999 Shanghai Silport GC Kyi Hla Han Burma 273 (−15)1998 Shanghai SunIsland Int’l GC Ed Fryatt England 269 (−19)1997 Beijing International GC Cheng Jun China 280 (−8)1996 Beijing International GC Prayad Marksaeng Thailand 269 (−19)1995 Beijing International GC Raúl Fretes Paraguay 277 (−11) ...Read More & CommentDetroit PGA TOUR Event Is Likely In 2019April 24, 2018Detroit PGA TOUR Event Is Likely In 2019 By all accounts, the PGA TOUR is coming to Detroit in 2019 for a Quicken Loans sponsored tournament. To be held at the Detroit Golf Club, it would be the first PGA TOUR event within Detroit city limits. The last PGA TOUR event in Michigan was the Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc. That tournament ended after 2009. Warwick Hills will be the site of a Champions Tour event starting in 2018. The Ally Challenge will be there for at least three years. With the addition of the Champions Tour and the PGA TOUR events, Michigan will have four top tier professional golf events, including the Volvik LPGA Championship, and the Meijer LPGA Classic. Michigan also is host to two Symetra Tour events: The Island Resort Championship in Harris and the Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek. The Detroit News article suggests that the entire operation is couched in some sort of secrecy, citing anonymous PGA TOUR sources. It wasn’t much of a secret, though. When I played Detroit’s Palmer Park course last summer, an employee told me that the Detroit Golf Club was in negotiations to buy or rent the back nine of the Palmer Park course to create extra space for an upcoming professional event. According to the employee, the back nine, which is across the street from the Detroit Golf Club, would be used for tour vans, tv setup, media parking and such. I wrote about it in my review of the Palmer Park Golf Course. If a minimum wage employee knows, lots of people know. The Detroit Golf Club has been working to attract a PGA TOUR event since 2010. The club’s Wikipedia page gives some details, which include extending some holes and removing trees around tee boxes to improve sight lines. The Detroit Golf Club dates to 1899 and features two Donald Ross courses. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn, who is known as the “Architect of Detroit.” I have sadly not had the chance to play there. A Detroit PGA TOUR event would be terrific for Michigan, and for the city. I look forward to it....Read More & CommentCallaway Superhot Bold Matte Golf BallsApril 24, 2018Callaway Superhot Bold Matte Golf Balls Callaway’s entry into the hot (if you will forgive the pun) matte golf ball market is the Superhot Bold. It features:3 piece construction Soft ionomer cover HPF Ionomer mantle layer to limit spin and reduce hooks and slices HEX Surface geometry dimple pattern 332 Dimple pattern for accuracy and control Low drag and optimal lift aerodynamics Matte finish...Read More & CommentWVU Golf’s Sharpstene T-2nd Midway Through Big 12sApril 23, 2018WVU Golf’s Sharpstene T-2nd Midway Through Big 12s TULSA Okla. (April 23, 2018) – Freshman Matthew Sharpstene shot three-under-par in the second round to sit in a three-way tie for second place through two rounds of play at the 2018 Big 12 Golf Championship, hosted by Oklahoma at Southern Hill Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Monday. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native carded a pair of birdies in the first round of play to shoot three-over par with a 73. Starting on 10 in the second, he carded three birdies on the back nine before adding two more on the front nine to tie for the lowest score of the second round with a 67. He boasts a two-round score of 140 for even par. West Virginia sits in ninth place as a team. The Mountaineers shot 303-288=591 to end the day at 31 over par. They sit three strokes ahead of K-State (594) and three back from TCU (588). Iowa State sits atop the team leaderboard at nine over with a 569, followed by No. 3 Oklahoma in second at 571 for 11-over par. No. 1 Oklahoma State sits third at 14-over par with a 574. Sophomore Etienne Papineau is tied for 31st overall after two rounds. After shooting six over in the first round with one birdie for a 76, he carded three straight birdies on his way to a 72 in the second. Finishing two over in the second, he ended the day at eight-over with a 36-hole total of 148. Senior Avery Schneider sits 10-over par with a two-round total of 150. Despite a pair of birdies, he shot seven over in the first with a 77 before improving to three-over par with a 73 in the second to finish the day tied for 41st place. Making his Big 12 debut, freshman Mark Goetz tied for 45th place at 14 over with a two-round tally of 154. He shot seven-over par in both rounds, carding matching scores of 77. Senior Max Sear is in 49th place at 17 over with a score of 157. Struggling in the first 18, he shot 11 over with an 81 before improving to six-over par with a second-round score of 76. West Virginia will tee off starting at 10:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday for the second round of play. The Mountaineers are again paired with K-State and will start on No. 10 with Schneider leading things off. Follow @WVUSports and @WVUGolf on Twitter...Read More & CommentZurich Classic Winners and HistoryApril 23, 2018Zurich Classic Winners and History In 2017, the Zurich Classic has adopted a new playing format, becoming team event. Eighty teams of two will compete with alternate shot in the first and third rounds, and better ball in the second and fourth rounds. The cut line is 35 teams and ties. The lead member of each team is chosen according to Tour priority rankings. Partners must either be a PGA TOUR member, or gain entry through a sponsor’s exemption. Professional golf has been played off and on in the Crescent City since 1922. In that year, Gene Sarazen won the inaugural Southern Spring Open, which had a purse of $1,000. The tournament took a hiatus from 1923 to 1937 and then returned in 1938 as the Crescent City Open. The next year, it became the New Orleans Open, and stayed that way until 1948. There was another pause from 1949 to 1957, when it returned as the Greater New Orleans Open Invitational. It’s been played every year since. The original location for the tournament was New Orleans City Park. From 1963 to 1988, it was played at Lakewood Country Club, and then English Turn Golf & Country Club from 1989 to 2004. In 2005, it moved to the TPC Louisiana, but then had to return for a year to English Turn because of the damage from hurricane Katrina; 2,000 trees were destroyed in the storm. It came back to the TPC Louisiana in 2007. 2016 Zurich Classic LogoNine players have two wins each at the Zurich Classic: Henry Picard: 1939, 1941 Byron Nelson: 1945, 1946 Bo Wininger: 1962, 1963 Frank Beard: 1966, 1971 Billy Casper: 1958, 1975 Tom Watson: 1980, 1981 Chip Beck: 1988, 1992 Ben Crenshaw: 1987, 1994 Carlos Franco: 1999, 2000 Interesting facts: Only one Louisiana native, David Toms, has won Louisiana’s professional golf tournament. Nineteen of the tournaments winners are in the World Golf Hall of Fame. A list of Zurich Classic winners follows:...Read More & CommentCallaway Chrome Soft 2018April 23, 2018 Callaway Chrome Soft 2018 For 2018, Callaway has a new version of their soccer-ball patterned Chrome Soft golf balls. I played with one of these that I found on a course last year and thought it worked pretty well. The ball features:Increased Focus and Visibility Fast Ball Speeds & Low Spin Off The Driver Distance & Control Through The Bag Pinpoint Greenside Control Ultra-Soft Feel...Read More & CommentWVU Set for Big 12 Golf ChampionshipApril 22, 2018WVU Set for Big 12 Golf Championship TULSA Okla. (April 22, 2018) – The West Virginia University golf team travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma, this week to compete in the 2018 Big 12 Golf Championship. The event will run Monday through Wednesday at Southern Hills Country Club. The 2018 season marks the third Big 12 Championship for WVU, as the Mountaineers resumed varsity competition in the 2015-16 season. They enter the event as the No. 9 seed and will be paired with Kansas State for the first two rounds of play. The Mountaineers and the Wildcats will tee off starting at 10:30 a.m. ET on Monday, playing 36 holes on the first day of action. Tuesday’s third-round pairings will be based on Monday’s scores, while Wednesday’s final-round pairings will be based on 54-hole totals with the leaders teeing off last. The par-70, 7,151-yard Southern Hills Country Club has played host to seven major championships. It previously hosted the U.S. Open in 1958, 1977 and 2001, and played host to the PGA Championship on four occasions, most recently in 2007. Five of the Big 12’s 10 teams rank inside the top 20 of the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. No. 1 Oklahoma State leads the way, followed by defending National Champion Oklahoma, who comes in at No. 4. No. 10 Baylor, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 18 Texas are also at the top of the rankings. “We’re looking forward to the Big 12 Championship,” WVU coach Sean Covich said. “It’s a major championship for college golf. We’re excited to get out to Southern Hills and we’re starting to play well. It’s been a year of improvement, and everybody on the team has gotten better. That’s what it’s all about when you’re starting a program from scratch. The Big 12 Championship is just a great opportunity – it’s why you come to West Virginia, to play in this tournament.” Junior Max Sear and sophomore Etienne Papineau return for their third and second Big 12 Championship appearances, respectively. Senior Avery Schneider, along with freshmen Mark Goetz and Matthew Sharpstene, will all make their debuts at the tournament. Sear posted the program’s best-ever individual finish at the event as a freshman in 2016, finishing 12th overall to narrowly miss earning All-Big 12 accolades (top 10). He currently leads the Mountaineers with a 72.35 scoring average for 0.65 vs. par. Sear boasts five top-10 finishes on the season, most recently finishing as the runner-up at last weekend’s Rutherford Intercollegiate at Penn State. Papineau is second on the team with a 73.06 stroke average. He’s posted four top-20 finishes this season, including a top-10 finish at Penn State last week. Sharpstene enters the tournament with a 73.26 scoring average and four top-20 finishes on his resume. In February, he set a new WVU program record with a low round of 64 on his way to a runner-up finish at the Martin Downs Collegiate. Goetz, his classmate, had tied the program low round with a 66 prior to Sharpstene’s performance. Goetz is averaging 74.04 strokes per round and brings a trio of top-20 finishes into the event. Schneider ranks fourth on the team with a 73.83 scoring average. He’s posted a pair of top-20 finishes through six events, scoring a 54-hole low of 214 at the Martin Downs Collegiate in February. Follow @WVUSports and @WVUGolf on Twitter...Read More & CommentTrophee Hassan II Winners and HistoryApril 22, 2018Although a European Tour event only since 2010, the Trophee Hassan II Golf Tournament has been played most years since 1971. It was established in 1971 by the late King Hassan II, and continues “under the patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.” The tournament is played at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. The tournament drew interest almost immediately, counting Sam Snead and Johnny Miller among the big names at the inaugural edition. That year, Orville Moody finished first. Over the years, the tournament has had its hare of big name winners, including Billy Casper (1972 and 1975), Lee Trevino, Vijay Singh, Payne Stewart, Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington. Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros have put in appearances. The tournament currently offers a prize of 1.5 million Euros. Interestingly, the Ladies European Tour event Lala Meryem Golf Cup is played the same week at Golf de l’Ocean in Morocco. In November 2016, checked off a bucket list opportunity when I had the opportunity to visit Morocco and one of the courses that I played was Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, the host of the tournament....Read More & CommentHugel-JTBC LA Open Winners and HistoryApril 22, 2018Hugel-JTBC LA Open Winners and History New for 2018 on the LPGA Tour is the Hugel-JTBC LA Open. The tournament is held at the Wilshire Country Club and will feature a field of 144 vying for a $1.5 million purse. It has been ten years since the LPGA had a tournament in the Los Angeles area. Wilshire has previously hosted tournaments on the LPGA, PGA Tour and Champions Tour. The course opened in 1919. Hugel is a South Korea based maker of beauty products, including botox treatments. JTBC is a South Korean cable company with golf specialized channels. “HUGEL and JTBC are very excited to sponsor a new tournament in downtown L.A. and bring it to historic Wilshire Country Club,” said Tournament Chairman Sung Bum Hong. “I hope this tournament will provide a valuable opportunity for female professional players to show their best talents and abilities, and hope to do my part to make it into one of the prominent tournaments on the LPGA tour.” Hong is the founder of HUGEL, and President/CEO of Shanghai Seouleaguer Hospital. The inaugural winner was Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who shot a 272 (-12) to win by two strokes....Read More & CommentValero Texas Open Winners and HistoryApril 22, 2018Valero Texas Open Winners and History The third oldest event on the PGA Tour, the Valero Texas Open started life as the Texas Open in 1922. While it has always been played in San Antonio, the venue as well as the name have changed over the years. It was variously known as the Texas Open, San Antonio Texas Open, Texas Open Invitational, San Antonio Open Invitational. It was the HEB Texas Open from 1990 – 1993, the La Cantera Texas Open from 1995 – 1997, the Westin Texas Open from 1998 – 2000 and since 2002, the Valero Texas Open. Valero is a Fortune 500 oil and gas company based in San Antonio. In spite of the rumors in my area, it is NOT owned by the dictators in Venezuela. The name comes from Misión San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo. The Texas Open has been held at a large number of venues over the years. It was played at Brackenridge Park Golf Course from 1922 to 1940, with a brief 1927-1928 switch to the Willow Springs Golf Course. It returned to that course from 1941 – 1949. Willow Springs Golf Club was the host from 1941 – 1949; and then either Brackenridge Park or the Ft. Sam Houston Golf Course until 1960. From 1961 – 1966, it was played at Oak Hills Country Club, before moving for the 1967 – 1970 seasons to Pecan Valley Golf Club. The years 1972 – 1976 found the tournament at Woodlake Golf Club. Oak Hills Country Club got the tournament back from 1977 to 1994. From 1995 – 2009, it was played at the Resort Course at La Cantera. Finally, in 2010, it began playing at the TPC at San Antonio. The tournament is notable for several reasons. First, it was there in 2003 that Tommy Armour set a PGA Tour record low score of 254 for a 72 hole tournament. The Tour’s first 60 was shot there in 1951 by Al Brosch. It’s also the site of Texas native and PGA Tour legend Ben Crenshaw’s first Tour victory. The List of Valero Texas Open Winners Follows:...Read More & Comment
