Chip shots
COLLECT CALL: So how did Naree Song break the news to her family? "I called my dad and told him I won, but I don't think he believed me," said the 18-year-old, who had the check to prove that she had indeed captured last week's Futures Tour event in Merrillville, Ind. Though less heralded than her twin, Aree, who is a rookie on the LPGA Tour, Naree beat her sister into the winner's circle of a professional tournament. The victory was worth $9,800 and moved her to No. 3 on the money list in just six events. Last fall, Naree left the University of Florida to join Aree in the world of professional golf.
NO HANDICAP: Rarely does a golfer's exploits generate electricity worthy of a standing ovation, but Kevin Hall authored such a performance recently. The Ohio State golfer stormed to an 11-shot win in the individual phase of the Big Ten tournament, and that in itself was quite a feat. But what prompted the respect was the fact that Hall is deaf. "The bottom line is, he's a great player. He lapped the field," said teammate Zach Doran.
OUT OF THE MONEY: At first glance, it appeared to be a perfect matchup between athlete and city. Except the athletic venue in Louisville, Ky., was a golf course (Valhalla GC), not
LOTS OF WATER, NO FLOW: The 2004 Senior PGA Championship, by the way, will hardly go down as one of the great tournaments of all time, not with everything from torrential rain to floods to threats of a tornado overshadowing what should have been a splendid competition. So disrupted was the tournament that it took five days and more than a half-dozen stoppages in play to get it in. It featured three disqualifications and 11 withdrawals, including those by Arnold Palmer (after one round), Jack Nicklaus (after three), and Ben Crenshaw (after three).
A TRUE COLLECTIBLE: His name is ChariTee, and he's the newest member of the famous Beanie Baby collection. A brown bear adorned with a tartan plaid driving cap (Hoganesque, of course), ChariTee is the result of a partnership between the PGA Tour and Ty Inc., with the intent to bring attention to the charitable initiatives undertaken by the PGA Tour. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the ChariTee Beanie Babies will benefit charities.
Compiled by Jim McCabe
