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.

Club at Olde Stone to host Jr. Ryder Cup

n September 2008 the golf world will descend on Kentucky as Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville hosts the Ryder Cup Matches. A week after those matches, the Jr. Ryder Cup visits the Club at Olde Stone outside Bowling Green.

It could be argued the youngsters are getting the better end of the deal. The Club at Olde Stone, laid out in Alvaton by Toledo, Ohio-based Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates (AHSF), has received considerable attention since opening for member play in spring 2006. Just 18 months old, Olde Stone has landed golf's premier junior event, been named among the top courses to open nationwide over the past three years, and is ranked among the country's top 35 real estate courses, old or new.

At Olde Stone, AHSF partners Arthur Hills and Drew Rogers were charged with creating the best course in Kentucky. "To have an event of this magnitude coming to Bowling Green says a lot about Olde Stone and the potential for hosting major events in the future," said Steve Newman, Olde Stone's golf professional. The Jr. Ryder Cup is set for September 14-16, 2008.

"The course is getting rave reviews from the various raters who have played the course, and they've arrived here by the dozens. The word is clearly out. They have specifically commented on the variety of the holes, the greens and surrounds. And many of them have said this is the toughest rough they have ever played."

The raters have indeed been to Alvaton in force. This fall Golfweek ranked the Club at Olde Stone 14th on its list of the top 50 courses to open since 2004. In late October, The Wall Street Journal, in partnership with Golfweek, ranked it 33rd on its list of America's Top 100 Real Estate Golf Courses. Olde Stone's ascension in this ranking can be attributed to its golf course as well as its unique master plan: a New Urbanist approach that called for development of an actual village center filled with public space, light retail and a range of housing spiraling out from the center. This concentrated approach allowed Rogers and Hills create a "core" golf course unimpeded by home sites and road crossings.

"As a firm, we don't really design golf courses with rankings or 'best new' awards in mind - but in the case Olde Stone, it was a stated directive from our client. So this sort of attention, inside and outside of Kentucky, is extremely gratifying," said Rogers, a University of Kentucky graduate. "I think it's important to remember that the Club at Olde Stone is only 18 months old. The golf course is only going to get better with time because of all Olde Stone has going for it, the strongest element of this project was the land itself - it features a stunning diversity of terrain."
Holes 2 through 7 are located in a floodplain of Drake's Creek. The remaining holes sit higher on the property, where dramatic elevation changes, bold feature-shaping, accents of golden fescue and classic design strategies provide a different feel and challenge. The PGA of America, which administers both Ryder Cup events, has affirmed these qualities by selecting the facility to host the Jr. Ryder Cup.

Olde Stone's most significant and lasting achievement, however, may well be something far more mundane: its turfgrass. It features bentgrass greens, tees and fairways in a southerly region where wall-to-wall bent - a turf that normally thrives only in cooler climates - wasn't thought possible. Rogers worked closely with superintendent Wyatt Warfel and Oliphant Golf Construction to build each fairway in the fashion of a putting surface: creating extensive subsurface drainage, then capping each fairway with an 8- to 10-inch layer of sand. This extra measure added six weeks and $1 million to the construction process. But it enabled the wicking away of moisture that normally dooms bentgrass during steamy summer months in the infamous Transition Zone.
"I think owner Jim Scott and his team are to be congratulated for really seizing the opportunity at Olde Stone," Rogers said. "They knew they had a spectacular piece of land and, for someone else, maybe it would have been enough to build a first-rate golf course and some nice housing. But this place breaks the mold. The bentgrass sets it apart from every golf course in the South, and the land-planning methodology here allowed us to maximize use of that terrain without having to account for excessive housing lots and other trappings of traditional subdivisions, which is very rare these days."

This sort of creativity and innovation, along with national and international design laurels, routinely distinguish the recent work of Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates. Olde Stone's growing reputation is complemented by those of Sand Golf Club, just more than year old but already ranked by Golf Digest among the world's Top 100 courses outside the United States (No. 82), and Hills Golf Club, named by Travel+Leisure Golf magazine among the top 10 courses to open worldwide in 2005. Both were designed by AHSF partner Steve Forrest, current president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Closer to home, Wolfdancer Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Austin, Texas - designed by Hills/Forrest partner Chris Wilczynski - was named to GOLF Magazine's "Top 10 New Courses You Can Play" for 2006.

"These course honors show that our partners are among the finest architects working today," said Arthur Hills, 77, founder and principal of AHSF. "I also feel strongly that each time a course of ours is praised, it vouches for the collaborative approach we bring to all our projects."

Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest & Associates now has more than 40 projects underway in Mexico, Canada, the United States and Europe. It boasts nearly 200 original designs worldwide, along with more than 130 major renovations.

"We have built Hills/Forrest into one of the top four or five course architecture firms in the world by working to together to design outstanding golf courses that amateurs and professionals alike love to play," added Hills. "My name has been out on the shingle - for 40 years now - but I didn't design 190 golf courses around the world by myself! We've always relied on the talent we've worked hard to assemble here. We've made a point of giving our partners the sort of responsibility and artistic autonomy that inspires them and keeps them here."

For more information about Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates, call 419/841-8553 or visit www.arthurhills.com.

OVC CO-MALE GOLFERS OF THE WEEK

GRANT LEAVER · AUSTIN PEAY

CENTERVILLE, TENN. · SENIOR

Captured his fifth career medalist honor by winning the Middle Tenn. Intercollegiate, played Monday and Tuesday in Murfreesboro, Tenn., at Old Fort Golf Club. He overcame difficult weather and course conditions to shoot a five-under 211 (71-69-71) to win the tournament by three strokes. Leaver now has three tournament titles in 2007-08 and added to his school record for most career tournament medalist honors.

JESSE MASSIE · EASTERN KENTUCKY

LOUISVILLE, KY. · JUNIOR

Massie claimed the individual title and led Eastern Kentucky to the team title at the Hoosier Invitational hosted by Indiana University. He shot a three-under through two rounds (74-65) before the third round was rained out. His 65 in the second round was his lowest of the season and the lowest by any Colonel this Spring. The junior now has four top-10 and six top-20 finishes in nine events this season.

Pair of BIG EAST Golfers Claim Individual Titles

Louisville senior Derek Fathauer and St. John’s senior Keegan Bradley both posted the low individual scores at their respective tournaments last week. Fathauer won the General Jim Hackler Championship with a 217. Bradley tied for first at the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate in Puerto Rico with a 211.

Friend of Kentucky Golf Passes Away

Salvia, a 23-year-old North Hardin High School graduate and member of Western Kentucky University’s men’s golf team who was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma shortly before Christmas 2005, died Saturday at Norton Hospital in Louisville.

Hundreds of miles away, Salvia’s death had shaken the top of his college’s administration.

“It’s a tragedy. It’s a shame,” said Western Kentucky athletics director Dr. Wood Selig, who was attending the men’s basketball team’s Sun Belt Tournament game Sunday night against North Texas in Mobile, Ala. “We talk about the Western Spirit, but Jared had a spirit for life. He was a great kid and he fought a heck of a battle with his illness. He showed strength and inspiration throughout his ordeal.”

The cancer kept Salvia from attending the 2006 Sun Belt Conference Championships in Florida, but it didn’t keep his team from succeeding.

Although Salvia wasn’t there in body, his coach, Brian Tirpak, said he didn’t have to be.

“The first thing I’ll remember about Jared was his ability to pull our team together. Everyone on the team had so much love for him. He was the binding force on our team,” Tirpak said. “When we landed at the airport, we drove right to the hospital to share our trophy with him. He never left our team’s thoughts.”

The NCAA gave Salvia a medical redshirt to allow him to complete his final two seasons of eligibility. Salvia had actually practiced with the team recently and despite dropping more than 80 yards off his tee shot, was still competitive.

“Jared had game. He had the ability to go low on days where no one else had the ability to go low. Even when he was coming back, he was very weak, but he could still shoot a 72 or a 73 just because he was so determined,” Tirpak said. “He is going to be with us in spirit. He had so much courage and you never heard him complain. Even with all he went through, he was always thinking about other people first. If my team had half the courage he had, we’ll be one of the most amazing teams in the country.”

At North Hardin, Salvia qualified for State three consecutive years.

“Jared was a good kid. He came from a good family. I coached his sisters as well. He was an outstanding young person. He worked hard on the golf course and he worked hard everywhere else, too. It’s a shame. He was a young boy. It’s a real shame,” said former North Hardin coach Johnny Skaggs. “He had a lot of support (during his fight with cancer). He didn’t give up. He didn’t give up on golf or on anything. That’s just the way he was. He was a battler. On the golf course, he never left a bad shot get to him and that’s the same way he dealt with cancer, I guess.”

North Hardin plans to hold a moment of silence for Salvia prior to the Lady Trojans’ game at 5:30 tonight at Ron Bevars Gymnasium against Elizabethtown in the Girls’ 5th Region Tournament championship.

“He was a wonderful young man. He had his goals in front of him and was loved by everyone at school,” said North Hardin athletics director Alan Campbell. “I remember his smile and the way to reacted to people, which was always positive no matter who it was. The quote about ‘He was a friend of everyone’ is truly correct in his case.”

As of Sunday night, a caringbridge.org site set up for Salvia had registered more than 55,000 visits. It had 20 guestbook signatures Sunday alone.

“He was an absolute gentleman and I am so honored to say I was his coach. He was a credit to our team, our school and to the game of golf,” Tirpak said. “Just go look at how many hits that are on that Web site and you’ll be amazed. It’s a staggering number of people that he’s touched.”

Visitation is from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday and after 9 a.m. Thursday at Coffey & Chism Funeral Home in Vine Grove, where there will also be a prayer service at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Vine Grove. Burial will follow in the St. Brigid Cemetery.

News-Enterprise sports writer Greg Crews contributed to this report. Nathaniel Bryan can be reached at 505-1758 or at nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com

The Club at Olde Stone Opens in Kentucky

The Club at Olde Stone, conceived to boldly go where no development had gone before, officially got there on June 1, when it opened for member play in Alvaton in south-central Kentucky.

"It will take time for all the course-raters and pundits to see what's been created here, but we're confident they'll be blown away by what they find," said Club at Olde Stone owner Jim Scott, who estimates that $13 million was spent on the golf course alone. "The layout Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates have designed here is second to none – not just in Kentucky but this entire region. What we've done is take that quality foundation and built on it, by daring to do what others had not."

The Club at Old Stone does indeed show what's possible when spectacular terrain is exposed to expert course architecture, cutting-edge agronomics and innovative land-planning tenets.

Designed by Toledo, Ohio-based Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates, Olde Stone's 7,372-yard layout is distinguished immediately by its playing conditions: bentgrass greens, tees and fairways in a southerly region – the infamous Transition Zone where wall-to-wall bentgrass wasn't thought possible. Working closely with Hills/Forrest and Olde Stone superintendent Wyatt Warfel, Oliphant Golf Construction built each fairway in the fashion of a putting surface: creating extensive subsurface drainage, then capping each fairway with an 8- to 10-inch layer of sand. This extraordinary measure added six weeks and $1 million to the construction process, but it enabled the wicking away of moisture that normally dooms bentgrass during steamy summer months in the Transition Zone.

"Anytime you can get the moisture out of that plant through these hot spells, you're better off," said Drew Rogers, the Hills/Forrest partner who directed the Olde Stone project. "To this point, it's been nothing short of amazing. Wyatt has had no disease. No pythium on tees and fairways because they drain so well. And little to no poa annua infestation."

Bentgrass fairways in particular also allowed Rogers to design a firm-and-fast course that emphasizes the ground game. The 15th, a 472-yard par-4 called "Symphony," illustrates the dynamic: A cross-bunker sits 20 yards short of the green, daring players to simply clear the hazard and roll the ball onto a narrow, undulating putting surface that would repel most aerial approaches. "Without the bounce and firmness provided by the bentgrass and subsurface conditions, you would not tend to arrange a green complex like that," Rogers explained. "Those types of greens are more apt to be found on some of our older, classic courses from the 1920s, or in the British Isles where the ground is inherently firm and well-drained."

The Club at Olde Stone is also unique for its overall master plan, a New Urbanist approach that called for the development of an actual village center amenitized with public space and light retail. This village is stocked with an array of smaller housing units (cottages, duplexes, even lofts located upstairs of shops) and surrounded by solely residential neighborhoods where, in transect planning fashion, lot sizes tend to get larger the farther from the village green, which spreads out before an opulent stone clubhouse. Automotive use within the community is discouraged in favor of foot and bicycle paths.

This novel development tactic allowed more lots than a traditional scheme would have (to date, 69 of the 384 lots have been sold; less than 100 of a targeted 350 golf memberships remain available). Just as important, this concentrated, New Urbanist approach allowed Rogers and Hills/Forrest to create a core golf course unimpeded by home sites and road crossings.

"The strongest element of this project was the land itself – it features a stunning diversity of terrain," Rogers explained. "The land-planning methodology here allowed us to maximize use of that terrain without having to account for excessive housing lots and other trappings of traditional subdivisions, which is very rare these days."

Holes 2 through 7 at Olde Stone are located in the expansive floodplain of Drake's Creek, allowing holes like the double-fairwayed, par-5 7th ("Wishbone"). The remaining holes sit higher on the property, where dramatic elevation change, accents of golden fescue and vintage design strategies provide a wholly different feel and challenge.

While most premium course designs today feature a driveable par-4, Olde Stone has one on each side – and they couldn't be more different. With its super-wide fairway snaking around a gaping cross-bunker at right, the level 6th, called "Oxbow," invites a half-dozen options off the tee; only when standing on the riverside green – an elegant, almost triangular plateau with a brontosaurus tail slithering back toward the fairway – does the player realize it can be driven. At "Vesuvius," the steeply downhill 14th, a question-mark fairway fairly well begs players to eschew the lay-up and drive the volcano putting surface, over a pond.

"I think Jim Scott and his team are to be congratulated for really seizing the opportunity at Olde Stone," Rogers said. "They knew they had a spectacular piece of land and, for someone else, maybe it would have been enough to build a first-rate golf course and some nice housing. But this place breaks the mold."

Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest & Associates is one of golf's most prolific and respected course architects, with more than 40 projects underway in Mexico, Canada, the United States, Europe and the Middle East. The Wolfdancer Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort also opened for play June 1, near Austin, Texas; Hills Golf Club in Sweden, named by Travel+Leisure Golf magazine among the top 10 courses to open worldwide during 2005, will celebrate its grand opening this fall, just north of Gothenburg; and ground was just broken on the new Garden River Golf Club near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

Club at Olde Stone to host Jr. Ryder Cup

In September 2008 the golf world will descend on Kentucky as Valhalla Golf Club in LouisvilleBowling Green. hosts the Ryder Cup Matches. A week after those matches, the Jr. Ryder Cup visits the Club at Olde Stone outside

It could be argued the youngsters are getting the better end of the deal. The Club at Olde Stone, laid out in Alvaton by Toledo, Ohio-based Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates (AHSF), has received considerable attention since opening for member play in spring 2006. Just 18 months old, Olde Stone has landed golf's premier junior event, been named among the top courses to open nationwide over the past three years, and is ranked among the country's top 35 real estate courses, old or new.

At Olde Stone, AHSF partners Arthur Hills and Drew Rogers were charged with creating the best course in Kentucky. "To have an event of this magnitude coming to Bowling Green says a lot about Olde Stone and the potential for hosting major events in the future," said Steve Newman, Olde Stone's golf professional. The Jr. Ryder Cup is set for September 14-16, 2008.

"The course is getting rave reviews from the various raters who have played the course, and they've arrived here by the dozens. The word is clearly out. They have specifically commented on the variety of the holes, the greens and surrounds. And many of them have said this is the toughest rough they have ever played."

The raters have indeed been to Alvaton in force. This fall Golfweek ranked the Club at Olde Stone 14th on its list of the top 50 courses to open since 2004. In late October, The Wall Street Journal, in partnership with Golfweek, ranked it 33rd on its list of America's Top 100 Real Estate Golf Courses. Olde Stone's ascension in this ranking can be attributed to its golf course as well as its unique master plan: a New Urbanist approach that called for development of an actual village center filled with public space, light retail and a range of housing spiraling out from the center. This concentrated approach allowed Rogers and Hills create a "core" golf course unimpeded by home sites and road crossings.

"As a firm, we don't really design golf courses with rankings or 'best new' awards in mind - but in the case Olde Stone, it was a stated directive from our client. So this sort of attention, inside and outside of Kentucky, is extremely gratifying," said Rogers, a University of Kentucky graduate. "I think it's important to remember that the Club at Olde Stone is only 18 months old. The golf course is only going to get better with time because of all Olde Stone has going for it, the strongest element of this project was the land itself - it features a stunning diversity of terrain."

Holes 2 through 7 are located in a floodplain of Drake's Creek. The remaining holes sit higher on the property, where dramatic elevation changes, bold feature-shaping, accents of golden fescue and classic design strategies provide a different feel and challenge. The PGA of America, which administers both Ryder Cup events, has affirmed these qualities by selecting the facility to host the Jr. Ryder Cup.

Olde Stone's most significant and lasting achievement, however, may well be something far more mundane: its turfgrass. It features bentgrass greens, tees and fairways in a southerly region where wall-to-wall bent - a turf that normally thrives only in cooler climates - wasn't thought possible. Rogers worked closely with superintendent Wyatt Warfel and Oliphant Golf Construction to build each fairway in the fashion of a putting surface: creating extensive subsurface drainage, then capping each fairway with an 8- to 10-inch layer of sand. This extra measure added six weeks and $1 million to the construction process. But it enabled the wicking away of moisture that normally dooms bentgrass during steamy summer months in the infamous Transition Zone.

"I think owner Jim Scott and his team are to be congratulated for really seizing the opportunity at Olde Stone," Rogers said. "They knew they had a spectacular piece of land and, for someone else, maybe it would have been enough to build a first-rate golf course and some nice housing. But this place breaks the mold. The bentgrass sets it apart from every golf course in the South, and the land-planning methodology here allowed us to maximize use of that terrain without having to account for excessive housing lots and other trappings of traditional subdivisions, which is very rare these days."

This sort of creativity and innovation, along with national and international design laurels, routinely distinguish the recent work of Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates. Olde Stone's growing reputation is complemented by those of Sand Golf Club, just more than year old but already ranked by Golf Digest among the world's Top 100 courses outside the United States (No. 82), and Hills Golf Club, named by Travel+Leisure Golf magazine among the top 10 courses to open worldwide in 2005. Both were designed by AHSF partner Steve Forrest, current president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Closer to home, Wolfdancer Golf Club at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Austin, Texas - designed by Hills/Forrest partner Chris Wilczynski - was named to GOLF Magazine's "Top 10 New Courses You Can Play" for 2006.

"These course honors show that our partners are among the finest architects working today," said Arthur Hills, 77, founder and principal of AHSF. "I also feel strongly that each time a course of ours is praised, it vouches for the collaborative approach we bring to all our projects."

Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest & Associates now has more than 40 projects underway in Mexico, Canada, the United States and Europe. It boasts nearly 200 original designs worldwide, along with more than 130 major renovations.

"We have built Hills/Forrest into one of the top four or five course architecture firms in the world by working to together to design outstanding golf courses that amateurs and professionals alike love to play," added Hills. "My name has been out on the shingle - for 40 years now - but I didn't design 190 golf courses around the world by myself! We've always relied on the talent we've worked hard to assemble here. We've made a point of giving our partners the sort of responsibility and artistic autonomy that inspires them and keeps them here."

BIG EAST Golf Teams Tee'd Off Opening Weekend

BIG EAST golfers hit the links this past weekend to open the spring season as 12 of 19 league teams were in action.

Louisville senior Derek Fathauer was named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list for the 2008 season. The Hogan is the most prestigious award in men’s college golf and is presented annually to the top men’s golfer. The Hogan Award semifinalists will be announced April 16 and three finalists will be selected on May 7. The final three will be invited to Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Hogan Award presentation May 18. Last season Fathauer became the first UofL golfer to earn All-America honors.

In its mid-season publication, Golf World named Marquette junior Mike Van Sickle as the “Best Player You’ve (Maybe) Never Heard Of” by senior collegiate writer Ryan Herrington.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats men’s squad finished 12th with a 618 (312-306) and the women placed ninth at 611 (312-299) in the rain-shortened two-day Cuthbert Cup in Kiawah Island, S.C. UNC-Wilmington won the men’s side with a 579 and College of Charleston claimed the women’s crown with a 583. Freshman Joe Kastelic tied for 28th with a four-over 148 (74-74). Leading the women’s team was Bambee Dela Paz who fired rounds of 75-76 for a 151 to finish tied for 22nd. The men return to action March 3-4 at the Grover Page Classic in Jackson, Tenn., while the ladies head to the Rio Verde Invitational in Rio Verde, Ariz.

Connecticut (Men): The Huskies finished in 10th at the Argonaut Invitational, which concluded Feb. 26. UConn shot a three-round total of 915 (303-304-308). Host West Florida claimed the team title with a total of 847. Senior A.J. Siekierski finished in a tie for 29th with a 223 (75-75-73) to lead the Huskies. Next up for UConn is the Spring Kickoff Tournament at Coosaw Creek Country Club in Charleston, S.C., March 3-4.

DePaul (Men): The Blue Demons finished the Texas-San Antonio Intercollegiate tied for eighth. DPU carded an 890 (303-299-288). Mississippi State won the event with an 864. Junior Cory Blenkush closed out his 219 total with a par-71 to finish in a tie for 12th. He carded identical scores of 74 in the first two rounds. DePaul returns to action Feb. 29-March 2 at the Ron Smith Invitational at Lake Jovita Country Club in Dade City, Fla., hosted by USF.

Georgetown: The Georgetown women finished eighth of 17 squads at the Fighting Camel Classic in Buies Creek, N.C. The two-day event was shortened to one after rain forced the cancelation of day two. Junior Carly Hunt shot a 79 to tie for 17th. GU carded a team total of 325, with host Campbell posting a winning score of 301. The ladies return to action March 7-8 at the NIU/Springlake Classic in Sebring, Fla.

The Hoya men kick off their season March 17-18 at the William & Mary Invitational to be played at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va.

Louisville: The Cardinals finished the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational in third place, with a five-under par total of 859 (288-285-286). Host Central Florida won the event with an 846. Fathauer finished in a tie for fourth after shooting three rounds of 70. Next up for UofL is the Seminole Invitational March 2-4 in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Louisville women earned their second 2nd-place finish of the spring season, carding an 872 (290-286-296) at the Lady Gator Invitational. Florida won with an 849. Junior Cindy LaCrosse was the runner-up medalist with a 212, three strokes off the pace. The Cardinals earned a second-place finish at the Qdoba Invitational earlier in the week. UofL travels to Baton Rouge, La., for the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic March 14-16.

Marquette (Men): The Golden Eagles tee off their spring schedule at the Ron Smith Invitational hosted by USF Feb. 29-March 2.

Notre Dame: The Irish began their spring season Feb. 17-19 at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. ND carded a three-day total of 903 (306-301-296) to finish 15th. Alabama won the team title with an 873. Junior Josh Sandman and sophomore Doug Fortner each finished tied for 29th with a 224 (+8) to lead the squad. Sandman carded rounds of 73-76-75, while Fortner tallied 74-73-77. Notre Dame is back in action March 3-4 at the USC Collegiate Invitational to be held at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, Calif.

The ND women carded a three-round total of 929 (315-300-314) at the Central District Invitational Feb. 18-19. The Irish finished in 10th in the event held at the River Wilderness Golf Club in Parrish, Fla. Michigan State won the team crown after posting an 892. Junior Lisa Maunu posted a 12-over 228 (77-74-77) to finish in a tie for 15th. The Irish returns to the links March 7-9 at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the Rio Verde Golf Club.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have yet to tee it up this season. The men will take to the course March 29-30 at the Towson Lacrosse Homes Invitational in Towson, Md., while the women hit the links March 28-29 at the Cincinnati Invitational in Crystal River, Fla.

St. John’s: The Red Storm men’s squad took fourth at the Bethune-Cookman Spring Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla. STJ carded a 591 (299-292), while Florida Gulf Coast posted an eight-under 568 to claim the crown. Senior Keegan Bradley finished seventh with a one-under 143 (74-69). The Red Storm head to Huaracoa, Puerto Rico, to host the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate March 10-11.

The women’s team will launch its spring season March 7-9 at the NIU/Springlake Invitational at the Springlake Golf Course in Sebring, Fla.

Seton Hall (Men): The Pirates open the 2008 season at the Lonnie D. Small Tournament hosted by Campbell University March 3-4 in Buies Creek, N.C.

USF: The Bulls’ men’s team finished in 17th place at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational with a total of 903 (299-304-300). Host Central Florida won the event with an 846. Senior Jason Elliot finished tied for 21st with a three-round total of 217 (73-75-69). USF will host the Ron Smith Invitational Feb. 29-March 2 at the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club.

The women tallied a three-round total of 920 (306-302-312) to finish tied for 10th at the Lady Gator Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 22-24. Florida took home the team title with an 849. Senior Christina Jones led the ladies with a 227 (73-73-81) to finish tied for 31st. The Bulls will next tee it up at the Pinehurst Challenge March 9-11 in Pinehurst, N.C.

Villanova (Men): The Wildcats will hit their first strokes at the Palmas Del Mar Intercollegiate hosted by St. John’s in Huaracoa, Puerto Rico, March 10-11.

Cardinals Finish Third at UCF

Orlando, Fla. - The University of Louisville men's golf team team finished its first tournament of the spring season with a third-place finish at the UCF Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Fla.

The Cardinals shot a 5-under par 288-285-286=859 to place third, 13 shots behind Central Florida and one shot behind second-place Wichita St.

Senior Derek Fathauer paced the Cardinals as he tied for fourth-place overall after shooting 70-70-70=210.

Sophomore Lewis Kirton tied for 21st overall after carding a 73-71-73=217, while senior Daryl Fathauer rebounded to tie for 27th with 74-72-72=218.

Senior Adam Rainaud also tied for 27th-place with 71-74-73=218, while junior Adam Hadwin cared a 76-72-71=219 to tie for 34th.

The Cardinals will compete at the Seminole Invitational on March 2-4.

3 Louisville, U. of 288 285 286 859

T 4 Derek Fathauer 70 70 70 210

T 21 Lewis Kirton 73 71 73 217

T 27 Daryl Fathauer 74 72 72 218

T 27 Adam Rainaud 71 74 73 218

T 34 Adam Hadwin 76 72 71 219

Fin. School Scores

1 UCF 287 274 285 846 -18

2 Wichita State Univ. 284 283 291 858 -6

3 Louisville, U. of 288 285 286 859 -5

4 Mississippi, U. of 280 290 292 862 -2

5 North Florida, U. of 295 289 283 867 +3

6 UT-Arlington 290 288 290 868 +4

7 Iowa State Univ. 292 282 296 870 +6

8 Southern Mississippi 291 292 288 871 +7

9 Ohio State Univ. 288 289 297 874 +10

10 Kentucky, U. of 293 286 296 875 +11

11 Tenn.-Chattanooga 291 289 297 877 +13

Memphis, U. of 295 283 299 877 +13

13 Tulsa, U. of 288 298 293 879 +15

14 South Alabama, U. of 297 293 295 885 +21

15 Old Dominion Univ. 295 293 303 891 +27

16 Mercer University 298 292 302 892 +28

17 So. Florida, U. of 299 304 300 903 +39

18 Arkansas State U. 315 296 295 906 +42

Fathauer Named to Hogan Watch List

Louisville, Ky. - Senior Derek Fathauer of the University of Louisville men's golf team has been named to the watch list for the 2008 The Ben Hogan Award for the second straight season. The most prestigious award in men's college golf, The Hogan is presented annually to the top men's NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer taking into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the last 12 months.

Fathauer has had an outstanding career for the Cardinals, becoming the first U of L player to earn All-America honors. He owns a career stroke average of 72.32 and has four tournament wins in his career.

Returning PING First-Team All-America selections Billy Horschel of Florida, Southern California's Jamie Lovemark and Kyle Stanley of Clemson, British Amateur champion Drew Weaver of Virginia Tech and Walker Cup participants Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State and Wake Forest's Webb Simpson highlight the list. Others on the 24 player watch list include Florida State's Jonas Blixt, Ryan Brehm of Michigan State, UCLA's Kevin Chappell and Lucas Lee, Jonas Enander Hedin and Stefan Wiedergruen of Charlotte, Georgia's Harris English and Brian Harman, Derek Fathauer of Louisville, Stanford's Rob Grube, Chesson Hadley and Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech, UNLV's Seung-su Han, Mark Harrell and Michael Thompson of Alabama, Minnesota's Clayton Rask, Joel Sjoholm of Georgia State and Sonoma State's Jarin Todd.

The Hogan Award semifinalists will be announced April 16. Three finalists named on May 7 will be invited to Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, for the Hogan Award presentation on the evening of May 18. The 1964 U.S. Open winner and former CBS golf analyst Ken Venturi will be the keynote speaker.

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A limited number of corporate tables and individual tickets are available for the Hogan Banquet. For more information, contact Colonial at (817) 840-2219.

2008 The Ben Hogan Award Watch List
(in alphabetical order)
Jonas Blixt, Florida State
Ryan Brehm, Michigan State
Kevin Chappell, UCLA
Jonas Enander Hedin, Charlotte
Harris English, Georgia
Derek Fathauer, Louisville
Rickie Fowler, Oklahoma State
Rob Grube, Stanford
Chesson Hadley, Georgia Tech
Seung-su Han, UNLV
Brian Harman, Georgia
Mark Harrell, Alabama
Billy Horschel, Florida
Lucas Lee, UCLA
Jamie Lovemark, Southern California
Clayton Rask, Minnesota
Webb Simpson, Wake Forest
Joel Sjoholm, Georgia State
Kyle Stanley, Clemson
Michael Thompson, Alabama
Jarin Todd, Sonoma State
Cameron Tringale, Georgia Tech
Drew Weaver, Virginia Tech
Stefan Wiedergruen, Charlotte 

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."

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."

Best Kentucky Golf Courses

Rank	Golf Course	Location
1	Valhalla Golf Club - Valhalla Course	Louisville, KY
2	Kearney Hill Links - Kearney Hill Links Course	Lexington, KY
3	Golf Club of The Bluegrass - Widows Watch Course	Nicholasville, KY
4	The Club At Olde Stone - Club at Olde Stone Course	Alvaton, KY
5	Griffin Gate Golf Resort - Marriott's Griffin Gate Course	Lexington, KY
6	Hurstbourne Country Club - Hurstbourne Course	Louisville, KY
7	Tates Creek Golf Course - Tates Creek Course	Lexington, KY
8	Houston Oaks Golf Course - Houston Oaks Course	Paris, KY
9	The Cardinal Club - Cardinal Course	Simpsonville, KY
10	Lexington Country Club - Lexington Course	Lexington, KY
11	Louisville Country Club - Louisville Course	Louisville, KY
12	Andover Golf & Country Club - Andover Course	Lexington, KY
13	Idle Hour Country Club - Idle Hour Course	Lexington, KY
14	Battlefield Golf & Country Club - Battlefield Course	Richmond, KY
15	Lakeside Golf Course - Lakeside Course	Lexington, KY
16	Glenmary Golf Country Club - Glenmary Course	Louisville, KY
17	Heritage Hill Golf Club - Heritage Hill Course	Shepherdsville, KY
18	Audubon Country Club - Audubon Course	Louisville, KY
19	University Club of Kentucky - Wildcat Course	Lexington, KY
20	Picadome Golf Course - Picadome Course	Lexington, KY
21	Nevel Meade Golf Course - Nevel Meade Course	Prospect, KY
22	Seneca Golf Course - Seneca Course	Louisville, KY
23	Indian Springs Golf Club - Indian Springs Course	Louisville, KY
24	The Bull At Boone's Trace - Bull Course	Richmond, KY
25	Lassing Pointe Golf Course - Lassing Pointe Course	Union, KY

Golf Kicks off Spring With Win at Pat Hicks Invite

SAINT GEORGE, Utah -- The Kentucky men’s golf team kicked off its spring season with a clutch victory at the Pat Hicks Invitational. The Wildcats shot a 280 in the final round to finish at 14-under par for the tournament, securing UK’s first tournament title of the season, finishing with a score of 562 (282-280).

“This was a great way for us to start the spring semester,” said coach Brian Craig. “We had excellent consistency throughout the lineup and some clutch play down the stretch when the competition was close. Hopefully, this will lead to a strong semester as a team.”

Freshman James Kania shot a team-leading four-under par 140 for the tournament, finishing tied for eighth overall. Over the course of the two-day tournament, Kania's statistics included one eagle, eight birdies and 21 pars on the par 72, 6,781 yard course.

Kentucky led the tournament in several categories including par-5 scoring, firing a 12-under on all par-5 holes with a 4.70 stroke average and finished first on par-4 stroke average with 3.95. To combine with these impressive stats, Kentucky had a tournament high of three eagles. Junior Andy Winings finished the tournament in second place overall for average scores on par-5 holes with 4.38 stroke average.

Cale Barr entered into his final spring season as a Wildcat besting his career-low round of 69, setting a new career high with a thundering 5-under par 67.

Senior Brad Doster led Kentucky in pars with 28 and finished the tournament tied for 16th place with a final score of 143 (72-71). Fellow Kentucky teammates, sophomore Brian Belden (73-70) and sophomore Derek Oldham (71-72), shared the 16th spot with Doster.

The Wildcats return to action Feb. 25-26 at the Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Fla.

AGATE
1. University of Kentucky 562 (282 280); 2. ULM 564 (278 286); 3. Denver, U. of 570 (287 283); 4. Oral Roberts Univ. 574 (290 284); 5. Utah, Univ. of 575 ( 290 285); 6. Rice University 576 (294 282); 7. UC Riverside 577 (287 290); 8. Campbell University 578 (287 291); 9. Brigham Young Univ. 579 (293 286); 10. Southern Utah Univ. 581 (290 291); 11. UMKC 586 (297 289); 12. Weber State Univ. 597 (298 299); 13. Grand Canyon Univ. 600 (314 286); 14. Dixie State CC(Utah) 604 (295 309) 15. Utah Valley State 608 (314 294); 16. Utah State Univ. 617 (309 308); 17. Idaho State Univ. 619 (307 312) 18. Centenary College 626 (312 314)

UK Individuals
T-8 – James Kania – 140 (71-69)
T-13 – Andy Winnings – 142 (72-70)
T-13 – Cale Barr – 142 (67-75)
T-16 – Brad Doster – 143 (72-71)
T-16 – Brian Belden – 143 (73-70)
T-16 – Derek Oldham – 143 (71-72)

PGA welcomes eight new members to Association's Board of Directors --Junior Bridgeman of Louisville, Ky. and Mike Thomas of Goshen, Ky. sworn in

Eight new members of The PGA of America's Board of Directors were sworn in Wednesday, Jan. 16, at The Association's 91st Annual Meeting at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Junior Bridgeman of Louisville, Ky., Ray Cutright of Macon, Ga., Rod Loesch of Easton, Conn., David Mocini of Harbor Springs, Mich., Derek Sprague of Malone, N.Y., Mike Thomas of Goshen, Ky., and Roger Wallace of Polston, Mont., will each serve three-year terms. Tour professional Brad Faxon of Barrington, R.I., a two-time Ryder Cup Team member, was appointed Player Director.

The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the Association's President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors. The Directors include representatives from each of The PGA's 14 Districts, two Independent Directors and a member of the PGA Tour. New District Directors are elected by their local PGA Sections.

Junior Bridgeman, 54, a former University of Louisville and NBA standout, is one of the most respected restaurant entrepreneurs in the country. After retiring from a 10-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, Bridgeman established himself in the business world.

He is the chief executive officer of Bridgeman Foods Inc., which he founded in 1988, and is the owner and president of Manna Inc., and oversees the administration and operation of 160 Wendy's restaurants in five states and 103 Chili's restaurants in seven states. He is a 1975 graduate in psychology from the University of Louisville.

Bridgeman succeeds Lt. Gen. Norm Lezy of Garden Ridge, Texas, as an independent director.

Ray Cutright, who succeeds Tony Austin of Orlando, Fla., as District 13 Director for the Georgia, North Florida and South Florida Sections, was elected to membership in 1976 and earned PGA Master Professional status in 1991. Since 1993, he has served as PGA director of golf operations at Idle Hour Golf Club in Macon, Ga.

Cutright, 56, has served as a member of the PGA Board of Control from 2000 to 2004, and was an original staff member of the PGA Professional Golf Management Program. He served as president of the Georgia PGA Section from 1996-97; and spent six years as Education Chairman in the Section.

Cutright was the 2003 national Horton Smith Award winner, and the 1992 and 1997 Georgia PGA Golf Professional of the Year. He was honored by Golf Digest in 2000, '03 and '04 as one of the Best Teachers in the state of Georgia.

Rod Loesch, a PGA member since 1981, has served since 1984 as the PGA head professional at Connecticut Golf Club in Easton, Conn. He succeeds Ted O'Rourke of Convent Station, N.J., as District 2 Director for the New Jersey, Philadelphia and Metropolitan PGA Sections.

Loesch, 53, is a 1976 graduate of Ohio State University, where he competed on the Buckeyes' golf team. He competed in the 1982 PGA Championship and competed in four PGA Professional National Championships.

Since 1993, he has been a member of the Metropolitan PGA Section Board of Directors; and served as Section president from 1999-2002. Loesch was a PGA District 2 Director in 2001; and served as a PGA Board of Control member from 2002 to 2006; a member of the 2006 PGA Code of Ethics and Assistant Professional Task Forces; and serves as a co-chairperson of the PGA Membership Committee.

David Mocini, a PGA member since 1987, has been a general manager and PGA director of golf since 2004 at True North Golf Club in Harbor Springs, Mich. He is a 1977 graduate of Hillsdale (Mich.) College and is an original faculty member of the PGA Professional Golf Management Program and a three-time Section Horton Smith Award winner. Mocini, 52, served for more than 12 years on the Michigan PGA Board of Directors and was Growth of the Game Chairman. He is a past president of the Section, a member of the PGA Education Committee (2001-04); and served from 2004 to 2005 as a member of the President's Council.

Mocini will succeed Joe Flogge of Norton, Ohio, as District 5 Director for the Michigan, Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio PGA Sections.

Derek Sprague, 40, has served since 1989 as the general manager and PGA head professional at Malone (N.Y.) Golf Club. A graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., Sprague was elected to PGA membership in 1993, and has served since 1995 on the Northeastern New York PGA Board of Directors, including as Section president from 2003 to 2004. He is a two-time Section Merchandiser of the Year award winner; a three-time Section Bill Strausbaugh Award winner and was the 2005 Section Golf Professional of the Year.

In 2006, Sprague achieved Certified PGA Professional status in General Management. He will succeed Donnie Lyons as District 1 Director for the Connecticut, New England and Northeastern New York PGA Sections.

Mike Thomas, 48, a PGA Master Professional, has served the past 18 years as the PGA head professional at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Ky., and will succeed Zack Veasey of Durham, N.C., as District 10 Director for the Carolinas, Kentucky and Middle Atlantic PGA Sections.

Elected to PGA membership in 1985, Thomas has served since 1993 on the Kentucky PGA Board of Directors and was Section president from 2002 to 2003. He was the 1997 Section Golf Professional of the Year and the 1999 Section Horton Smith Award winner.

Thomas serves on the National Disabled Golfer Committee and is co-chair with fellow PGA Board member Derek Sprague on the Affinity Affiliate Committee.

Thomas has been the chair of the Section's Communications and Education Committees; and was co-chair of the Tournament Committee. From 2000 to 2005, Thomas was a member of the Kentucky Golf Association-PGA board of directors.

Roger Wallace, 47, is PGA director of golf at Polson Bay Golf Course in Polson, Mont. A graduate of Eastern Washington University, Wallace competed on the golf team and was the Pacific Northwest Golf Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year.

Wallace was elected to PGA membership in 1987, and was a member of the Pacific Northwest PGA Board of Directors from 1990 through 2002, and served as Section president from 1998 to 2000. Since 2005, Wallace has served on the Western Montana Chapter PGA Board of Directors.

He is a two-time Pacific Northwest PGA Golf Professional of the Year and a two-time Section Bill Strausbaugh Award winner. He is a member of the PGA Employment Committee, and from 1999 to 2001 served on the PGA Awards Committee. Wallace will succeed Kevin Lewis of Green Valley, Ariz., as District 14 Director for the Pacific Northwest and Southwest PGA Sections.

Brad Faxon, 46, who succeeded Joe Ogilvie as Player Director, has been a member of the PGA Tour since 1983. He competed on the 1995 and 1997 U.S. Ryder Cup Teams, and is the winner of eight Tour titles between 1991 and 2005, and 11 other career victories including the 1993 Heineken Australian Open. Since 1991, he has teamed with Tour professional Billy Andrade for the Billy Andrade/Brad Faxon Charities for Children Inc., which has donated more than $7 million to youngsters in the Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. The organization received the 1999 Golf Writers Association of America's Charlie Bartlett Award for unselfish contributions by playing professionals to society.

Faxon and Andrade also host the CVS Charity Classic, which has raised more than $10 million for charity, and is serving his third term on the PGA Tour Policy Board. Faxon was the recipient of the 2005 Payne Stewart Award for his respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game's heritage for charitable support and his professional presentation of himself and the sport.

Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold; to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the $195 billion golf industry.

By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.