Green Reading

Myrtle Beach National takes over management of Wachesaw East

Struggling to maintain profits as an independent golf course, Wachesaw Plantation East has joined the largest golf course ownership and management company on the Grand Strand.
Myrtle Beach National took over management of the Murrells Inlet course Friday, giving it 11 area courses.
``It's getting more difficult being a stand-alone facility, especially in this current environment we're trying to survive in,'' said Wachesaw East general manager and head professional Rob Mosser. ``With diminishing package rounds and lack of growth of rounds, the rounds are just getting swapped and getting taken up by the larger players in the market, so why not become part of a group that is doing very well and has done very well for a while.''
Myrtle Beach National will oversee the outside operations, pro shop, food and beverage, maintenance and marketing of Wachesaw East, though Mosser said all current course workers will remain employees of Wachesaw Golf LLC, a Prosser family company.
Myrtle Beach National owns nine of the 11 courses it manages. Only Wachesaw East and Blackmoor Golf Club, which the company began operating in September 2008, are solely managed by the company.
Wachesaw Plantation East is a 13-year-old Clyde Johnston design featuring TifEagle Bermudagrass greens. It is carved from the hunting grounds of a historic rice plantation and hosted an LPGA Tour event from 1997-2000.
``It's a quality golf course and fits into our price range,'' said Jim Woodring, Myrtle Beach National's vice president of golf marketing and operations. ``It's certainly not at the bottom and not at the upper end of the courses in Myrtle Beach, so it fits in our group very nicely.''
Mosser believes Wachesaw East will benefit greatly from Myrtle Beach National's extensive marketing and package operations through affiliated companies including www.myrtlebeachgolf.com and the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort, which is one of the largest tee time providers for the South Strand.
``We're really excited about it,'' Mosser said. ``I just think there's a lot to gain. I've been working for the current owners for a long time and we've hung in there, but it's just a difficult market.''
Myrtle Beach National owns and operates three courses at the Myrtle Beach National facility on U.S. 501, Long Bay Club, River Club, Willbrook Plantation, Litchfield Country Club and 27-hole facilities Waterway Hills Golf Club and Aberdeen Country Club. The company runs approximately 13 percent of the 96 18-hole equivalent public courses along the coast from Georgetown to Southport, N.C., and could further expand.
``If the right opportunities came up it would certainly be something we would consider,'' Woodring said.
MyrtleBeachGolf.com will further expanded its presence in the market on Oct. 15 when it assumes management of the customer service areas in the lobbies of both Martin's PGA Tour Superstore locations on the Strand. Golfers will be able to book tee times and rooms or make other travel arrangements at the kiosks.

Hunt inspired by McPherson's success

Though Little River's Lauren Hunt says she never met Conway native and LPGA Tour member Kristy McPherson, she once called her before attending North Carolina to ask questions about college golf and can use McPherson's career as inspiration. McPherson played for the United States Team in the Solheim Cup last week.
``She's a southern girl from the Myrtle Beach area, so we have that in common,'' said Hunt, who is turning pro in early September. ``She went to South Carolina, I went to North Carolina, we both had pretty good college careers, so hopefully I can have some of the success she's had.''
Hunt has compiled an impressive amateur resume over her college years at UNC from 2005-2009. She was on the All-ACC Team in 2007, won an event as a sophomore, won the Carolinas Woman's Amateur and Carolinas Woman's Amateur Match Play.

Johnson, McPherson in action this week

Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson is paired with Rory Sabbatini and Jim Furyk in the first two rounds of the $7.5 million The Barclays, the first of four events in the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedExCup. The group goes off the first tee at 12:49 p.m. in today's first round and off the 10th tee at 7:59 a.m. in Friday's second round. Johnson enters the playoffs 19th in FedExCup points. He tied for 22nd in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and tied for 10th in the PGA Championship before taking last week off. Johnson is sure to finish better in the playoffs than he did in his rookie season last year, when he missed the cut at The Barclays and was eliminated.
The course in Jersey City, N.J., will be one of the stars of the event. It is a Tom Kite and Bob Cupp design built atop a landfill along the Hudson River with the Statue of Liberty some 1,000 yards in the distance. Tiny greens and deep bunkers are the trademark of several holes on the 7,400-yard layout, so the short game may determine the winner.
Conway native Kristy McPherson is also playing this week in the $1.7 million Safeway Classic, which is a 54-hole event that tees off Friday at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore. She tees off the 10th tee at 12:27 p.m. Eastern time with Stacy Lewis and Wendy Ward. McPherson was on the winning U.S. Team last week in the Solheim Cup and enters the tournament 14th on the LPGA Tour money list.

McPherson paired with Lincicome in Solheim Cup debut

Conway native Kristy McPherson was paired with good friend Brittany Lincicome for her Solheim Cup debut in an alternate shot match this afternoon. They took on the European duo of Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist. McPherson's game is accurate and steady while Lincicome is a long hitter. They dropped the first two holes to quickly fall behind, birdied the par-3 third and fifth holes to pull even, but fell 3 and 2 as the U.S. maintained its one-point advantage by splitting the two afternoon matches.
The U.S. held a 2 1/2 to 1 1/2 advantage after the morning best ball matches. Lincicome teamed with Brittany Lang to dominate a match against Laura Davies and Becky Brewerton 5 and 4, while Hjorth halved a match with partner Catriona Matthew against Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie. McPherson and Nordqvist didn't play in the morning.
The other afternoon alternate shot matches featured:
Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson, Europe, vs. Christina Kim and Natalie Gulbis, United States.
Becky Brewerton and Gwladys Nocera, Europe, vs. Angela Stanford and Nicole Castrale, United States.
Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie, Europe, vs. Paula Creamer and Juli Inkster, United States.

Right now, Johnson not likely to be one of Couples' picks

Dustin Johnson's chances of making the U.S. Presidents Cup Team aren't looking too good right now, though that could change based on how Johnson plays in the first two PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoff events following this week's Wyndham Championship. Johnson is not entered in the Greensboro, N.C., event, though he didn't hurt his chances with a final-round 70 and tie for 10th Sunday in the PGA Championship.
The top 10 on the team points list through Sunday's final round of the PGA Championship automatically qualified, and Couples makes two additional selections on Sept. 8. Johnson moved up from 16th to 15th Sunday. Lucas Glover is No. 11 on the points list you would think he's all but assured of a spot on the team. He's the reigning U.S. Open champion, finished fifth Sunday and he also tied for second at the Quail Hollow C'hampionship and third at the Buick Invitational. Also ahead of Johnson on the points list are Brian Gay and Hunter Mahan. Gay has won twice this year to Johnson's one win, and last week Couples actually told reporters that Mahan would get a pick if he didn't make the team. The 27-year-old played in the 2007 Presidents Cup and 2008 Ryder Cup and is hot, with four top-six finishes in his last six starts. He tied for 16th in the PGA Championship, giving him three top-16 finishes in majors this year.
If Couples is looking for experience, he has David Toms two spots behind Johnson on the points list. Winning one of the two playoff events prior to Couples' selections will surely get him on the team, and if he plays well in both, he might convince Couples to take him as a hot player. Otherwise, Johnson has a good start on making the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup Team with his performance this year. He's 19th on the PGA Tour money list with more than $2.34 million earned.

Wyndham has a few stars, though no Johnson

The 70th Wyndham Championship, the final PGA Tour event of the year in the Carolinas and the final tour event prior to the FedEx Cup Playoffs, is being skipped by many of the top players on the PGA Tour and in the world, though there are a few stars participating. Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Charles Howell III and Ryan Moore were among the final commitments on Friday. They are joining players including Rich Beem, Stuart Appleby, former Myrtle Beach resident Kris Blanks, Jonathan Byrd, KJ Choi, Tim Clark, John Daly, David Duval, Steve Flesch, U.S. Open champ Lucas Glover, Tommy Gainey of Bishopville, Rocco Mediate, Jeff Maggert, defending champion Carl Pettersson, Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker, David Toms, Bubba Watson and Boo Weekley.
Paul Azinger sustained an injury at the PGA Championship today and was forced to with draw from the Wyndham Championship.
Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson, coming off a tie for 10th and a final-round 70 Sunday in the PGA Championship, is taking the week off after playing two consecutive weeks.
The Wyndham is being held this week at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.  Tickets are available online. The tournament office number is 336-379-1570.

Clock ticking on Reserve Club deal

McConnell Golf owner John McConnell said he's still interested in making the Reserve Club in Pawleys Island the sixth private course he's acquired since 2003, but he's not going to wait out a drawn out court case.
McConnell reached an agreement to purchase the club and Greg Norman-designed course in April, but the sale is stalled by a class action lawsuit initiated by four resigned members seeking reimbursement for membership fees.
The plaintiffs claim there are approximately 100 resigned members who are to be reimbursed their initiation fee as a certain number of new members join the club, and they would not be entitled to the reimbursement under terms of the sales agreement.
``Our company is still interested in The Reserve but will not get reengaged until all legal issues have been resolved,'' McConnell said in an email. ``If those issues are not put to rest in the next few weeks, we will move on to other opportunities.''

On eve of Olympic golf decision

Golf Channel will break into regular scheduled programming at 9 a.m. Thursday for a live news conference that will update the fate of golf in the 2016 Olympics. The news conference will include Joe Steranka, chief executive officer of The PGA of America, and Ty Votaw, executive vice president of international affairs and communications for the PGA Tour. At 11 a.m., Votaw will join Live From the PGA Championship to discuss the decision of golf becoming an Olympic sport.

Johnson begins PGA Championship at 8:05 a.m.

Coming off a final-round 69 Sunday to tie for 29th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational to earn nearly $75,000, Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson tees off at 8:05 Thursday in the first round of the 91st PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. Johnson is paired with Australian Robert Allenby and Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland. The threesome goes off the 10th tee Friday at 1:15 p.m. The first two rounds are being telecast live on TNT from 2-8 p.m.
Johnson is 18th on the PGA Tour with nearly $2.2 million earned, leads the tour in birdies with 4.27 per round, and leads the tour in percentage of holes under par at 24.63 percent.

Tiger toot exposes shortcomings in TV commentary

Tiger Woods or his caddie Steve Williams  broke wind while standing in the 18th fairway just prior to finishing off Woods' victory in the Buick Open last weekend, and everyone watching the broadcast knew it. As soon as the loud and enduring fart was picked up on sensitive hand-held microphones in the fairway that are meant to hear conversations between caddie and player, Woods and Williams began chuckling like naughty schoolchildren. CBS commentators refused to recognize the fart, even though millions of viewers could hear it and see Woods' reaction. The incident and the reaction of CBS' talent _ or lack thereof _ is another example of golf commentators refusing to even peer outside the box in their coverage. They'd rather discuss someone's swing than one of the most interesting things that happened during coverge because it might reflect poor taste by a player. I was watching a couple years ago when Sergio Garcia spit into the cup after taking his ball out, and the announcers that day paused when it happened because they obviously saw it, but chose not to comment on it. Cameras cut away and nothing was ever said about it during the contest.
It was discussed on talk shows and shown on the Internet and other programs afterward, as was Woods' fart. Why should announcers pass on the opportunity when they have the first chance to comment? If it happens during the telecast, the viewers see it and its interesting, acknowledge it please.