Green Reading

Kim, Allenby square off again

The World Match Play Championship in Caseras, Spain, and golf fans around the globe get a treat on Halloween when Anthony Kim and Robert Allenby face each other in the semifinals of the tournament.
Kim won his quarterfinal match with a 3-wood to 4 feet on the 18th hole to set up the matchup. About a month ago at the Presidents Cup, Allenby called Kim a ``loose canon'' and golf's ``current John Daly'' after claiming Kim stumbled to his hotel room at 4 a.m. prior to the singles matches, then lost to him. The other semifinal pits Argentinian Angel Cabrera against Englishman Ross Fisher, but that's not the match that holds the intrigue.

Dyer pupil Streelman nearing huge payday

Kevin Streelman, whose swing coach is Alasdair Dyer of Barefoot Resort, is in position to make a smooth $1 million at the conclusion of the PGA Tour schedule on Nov. 15 via the winner-take-all $1 million Kodak Challenge. There is a Kodak Challenge hole most weeks on the PGA Tour, and players' scores on that hole in the four rounds are recorded. The player with the best score at the end of the season collects $1 million.
Last week's hole at the Frys.com Open was the 211-yard par-3 16th. Streelman's opening day birdie moved him to 16 under, but a few players made sure Streelman had company at the top of the leaderboard. Bo Van Pelt and Nathan Green both birdied to stay within striking distance of Streelman at 14-under, while Daniel Chopra, Jason Gore and Matt Bettencourt all moved up to 13 under. J.J. Henry failed to advance his score this week, but remains tied for second at 14 under.
Ted Purdy and Chad Campbell both scored holes-in-one on 16 during Saturday's play, marking the first time this season two golfers aced a Kodak Challenge hole on the same day. With just two holes remaining in the winner-take-all $1 million Kodak Challenge, the 532-yard risk-reward par-5 18th hole looms large at the Viking Classic this weekend. A final hole will be chosen during the season-ending Children's Miracle Network Classic from Nov. 12-15.

Johnson's 2009 PGA Tour season is over

Dustin Johnson's final tournament on the PGA Tour in 2009 was his attempted title defense at the Oct. 1-4 Turning Stone Resort Championship. Johnson is not playing in this week's Viking Classic in Mississippi, and does not intend to play in the season-ending Children's Miracle Network Classic near Disney in Orlando from Nov. 12-15.
Johnson will likely next play competitively in the 21st annual $3 million Shark Shootout Dec. 9-13 at Tiburon Golf Club at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla. He received an invitation to participate this week. The tournament field consists of 12 two-man teams, and Johnson is not sure who his partner will be. Kenny Perry and Scott Hoch are the defending champions and are returning to defend. The pairings are expected to be announced on or around Nov. 3.
In addition to the Perry-Hoch team, host Greg Norman said he's playing with Fred Couples. The two were opposing captains in this year's Presidents Cup. Other players committed to the event include Tim Clark, J.B. Holmes, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Jerry Kelly, Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Brian Gay, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Justin Leonard, Chad Campbell, Scott Verplank, Mark Calcavecchia, Chris DiMarco, Fred Funk, Nick Price, Jeff Sluman and Boo Weekley.

Gillis recalls time spent in Conway

Tom Gillis, who will graduate Sunday from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA Tour based on a finish inside the top 25 on the season-ending money list, spent two years at Coastal Carolina in 1989 and '90. He played a year on the golf team, which at the time played an unambitious schedule and didn't have particularly impressive finishes despite its weakness. Yet Gillis saw the potential in the program that 10-year coach Allen Terrell has realized, with an annual top-25 national ranking and four All-Americans on the roster in the past four years.
``I said when I first got there we should be a top-20 program,'' Gillis said Saturday at the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island Club. ``I said, `We have 100 golf courses to play. Who wouldn't want to come here? You could play any golf course. We can go putt on bentgrass if we're playing on bent that week, we can putt on Bermuda. We have endless opportunities.' ''
The Michigan native and resident was recruited from Oakland Community College in the Detroit area by then CCU coach Billy Bernier while playing a tournament in Arizona. ``I was there such a short time,'' Gillis said. `` . . . I just kind of came and went. I don't really have ties to the program.''
Gillis wasn't enamored with the program in his time spent on the Conway campus. ``When I was there it just wasn't a very good program,'' he said. ``We did a lot to try to raise money and they wanted to share the money with every other sports program. I just wasn't happy with a lot there at the time. I busted my [butt] to make it better and nobody wanted to make it better, and it used to [make me mad].''
Gillis remains friends with TPC of Myrtle Beach owner Chip Smith, who has given the CCU program its own practice facility on the back end of the driving range. After Gillis left CCU he returned to the Strand from time to time to practice at Prestwick Country Club, which Smith formerly was marketing at the time.
``He keeps trying to get me down there to the TPC,'' Gillis said. ``I haven't been up to the beach in probably eight years. It's not that I don't want to, I just haven't got around the area that much. . . . When I do I'll definitely stop in and see him.''
He envisions taking part in a CCU-related event at some point. ``Eventually I probably will do a little bit,'' he said.

ADT Skills Challenge gets creative

I'm not much for the silly season of golf, but at least some events are trying something new and potentially interesting. The ADT Golf Skills Challenge will introduce the ``Reverse Scramble'' format to its traditional situational shotmaking competition as eight PGA Tour pros compete for $800,000.
Four teams _ Kenny Perry/J.B. Holmes, Brandt Snedeker/Boo Weekley, Nick Price/Fred Funk and Hunter Mahan/Nick Watney _ will square off on Monday (Oct. 26) at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. It will be telecast on NBC Saturday, Dec. 26 and Sunday, Dec. 27.
Contrary to the traditional scramble format, the rules of the "Reverse Scramble" call for the opposing team to select which shot its rival twosome must play. All players are equipped with microphones throughout, so viewers will hear the decision-making process which will likely include some light-hearted ribbing.
I'm not saying I'll be watching, but it at least sounds interesting. Maybe something you can pull out with your friends on an empty golf course.

Tour saps interest from fued, and game

Just when we thought we had another worthwhile feud in golf _ see at different points over the past decade Tiger vs. Phil, Tiger vs. Vijay, Tiger vs. Rory Sabbatini, Colin Montgomerie vs. Sandy Lyle _ leave it to the PGA Tour to attempt to suck the life out of something that might have created some excitement in the game.
If you haven't heard, here's the squabble: Robert Allenby was quoted saying Anthony Kim was the ``loose canon'' of the U.S. team prior to losing to him in singles at the Presidents Cup, claiming Kim was out partying and Allenby's friends saw him arrive at the hotel ``sideways'' around 4 a.m. before the Sunday singles, only 6 hours before his tee time. Allenby said afterward he was mad he lost to Kim, and quipped he maybe should have gone out with him. Kim denied he was out late, and said if Allenby was upset about the loss, he should practice more.
Good stuff, right?
Apparently not to the PGA Tour. It issued a statement Wednesday, and it seems arranged an apology from Allenby to Kim. The statement, attributed to PGA Tour Executive Vice President & Chief of Operations Rick George, read in part: ``Robert Allenby and Anthony Kim were both part of a fantastic week at The Presidents Cup in San Francisco, representing the U.S. and International Teams, respectively, with utmost professionalism, competitive spirit and good sportsmanship. Concerning the reports published after the fact with unfortunate comments attributed to Robert regarding Anthony, we understand that both players have since spoken and have put the incident behind them.'' Exciting stuff, Rick.
For his part, Allenby used the old ``I feel like the comments published were taken out of context'' line and even went as far as saying he apologized to Kim for anything he said or inferred ``that could possibly portray Anthony as anything less than a professional of the highest caliber.'' It should be pointed out, Allenby made comments referring to Kim's lack of professionalism both before and after his singles match. For his part, Kim accepted Allenby's apology and said the dispute was history for all involved. Good, that puts to rest any chance someone will mistakenly construe a match at the Presidents Cup as intense and heated competition.
The PGA Tour needs to know that the game of golf in itself isn't really all that exciting. Nothing blasphemous or offensive was said. Only the kind of stuff that creates interest. In the future, let 'em go at it. This may be the only time I say this, but for once, if only once, take a lesson from NASCAR or boxing, sports that let their feuds simmer for the interest of the sports and their fans. Not to mention the writers.

International jr. tourney coming to Sage Valley

The international tourney announced Wednesday by Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville turned out to be a junior tournament. The Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club presented by Electrolux will offer the 50 top-ranked juniors from around the globe an opportunity to participate in a tournament designed to rival many of the most prestigious professional events. Tournament amenities will include roundtrip transportation to and from the event as well as special housing on exclusive private club's grounds. Many college golf coaches are anticipated.
The tournament is the brainchild of South Carolina entrepreneur and Sage Valley founder, Weldon Wyatt, and both Sage Valley and Electrolux have committed for three years to the tournament. Though tournament organizers had been in talks for the event for more than a year, the lack of a major sponsor prevented further planning and event development.
All net proceeds from the tournament will be donated to The First Tee and its local chapters, The First Tee of Augusta and The First Tee of Aiken, whose board members will serve as the driving force behind the tournament. The First Tee is a nonprofit organization created to help impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values and skills through the game of golf. Wyatt has been actively involved with the program's growth as a trustee of The First Tee.
In addition to three rounds of competition, the week will also feature an Am-Am event in which juniors will participate with three players in a tournament warm-up.

FedEx generous with playoff payout

Tiger Woods got all the headlines for winning the $10 million bonus in the FedExCup playoffs, but he wasn't the only player who prospered greatly from the playoff scenario. The PGA Tour is trying to give the playoffs importance in the best way it knows: by throwing gobs of money at players.
In a bewildering display of supernumerary spending in the midst of a recession, the FedEx-sponsored playoff system paid out $35 million in bonuses that aren't reflected in the tour's official earnings. Really, the $25 million aside from the $10 million Woods won is essentially hidden. How many people are aware Phil Mickelson earned an additional $3 million bonus for finishing second, or Sean O'Hair picked up a cool $1 million for finishing fifth in FedExCup points? Myrtle Beach resident Dustin Johnson grabbed $270,000 under the radar for finishing 14th.
FedEx paid up to the 150th spot in the standings. Players finishing between spots 126-150 collected $32,000, and those finishing between 100-125 earned $70,000 each. How I wish I could be the 125th best player on the PGA Tour.

Let's see what Rio's got

Looks like we'll see what kind of courses they have in Rio de Janeiro. The International Olympic Committee selected Rio as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, and golf is likely to be one of the sports being played. We should know for sure Friday.
Golf and rugby sevens emerged from a year-long evaluation of seven candidate sports and were recommended for the 2016 Olympic program by the IOC Executive Board following a meeting in Germany on Aug 13. The two sports will present their final case to the full IOC membership Friday before it votes that same day on whether to accept one, both or neither sport.
The International Golf Federation is coming full force with a group of executives and noteworthy players. Golfers Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Suzann Pettersen of Norway, Michelle Wie of the U.S. and 16-year-old British Amateur champion Matteo Manassero of Italy will participate in the final presentation before the IOC on Friday, along with Ty Votaw, Executive Director of the IGF Olympic Golf Committee, and Peter Dawson, chief executive of The R&A and joint secretary of the IGF.
Rio doesn't have a lot of quality courses. The Gavea Golf and Country Club is a four-star semi-private resort course that would make for good TV since it features nine holes carved out of the jungle and nine holes along the beach. It plays host to the International PGA Tour's Brazilian Open. Itanhanga Golf Club is a par-72, 6,618-yard private course 15-minutes from downtown Rio that has hosted the European PGA Tour's Rio de Janeiro 500 Years Open. If there isn't a suitable site in Rio, they have enough time to build a course specifically for the Olympics.

Lives will change in Charleston

The prospects for the 2010 golf season are going to improve dramatically for 25 players on Oct. 25 in Charleston. The top-25 money winners at the conclusion of the Nationwide Tour Championship on the Ralston Creek Course at Daniel Island from Oct. 22-25 will be awarded PGA Tour cards for 2010.
There was lot of movement on the money list after this past week's Soboba Classic. The winner, Jerod Turner of Hurst, Texas, took a huge leap from 150th to 17th because of the tournament's $1 million purse and $180,000 first-place check. Also moving into the top 25 were Craig Bowden (31 to 21), Brian Stuard (48 to 23) and Scott Gardiner (38 to 24) with their T8 or better finishes in Southern California. Vance Veazey dropped three and now sits on the fence at No. 25. Getting bounced outside the top 25 were Dave Schultz (from 21 to 26), Bubba Dickerson (23 to 28), Andrew Buckle (24 to 27) and Martin Piller (25 to 29).
The only full-field 2009 Nationwide events remaining are this week's Chattanooga Classic _ former Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday president Mickey McCamish is the tournament's manager _ and next week's Miccosukee Championship in Miami.
The next biggest number on the Nationwide money list is 60. Only the top 60 get into the Tour Championship at Daniel Island. B.J. Staten is No. 60 this week. He has a cushion of $3,917 over Brian Smock and only $558 separates Nos. 62-65. With its $1 million purse and $180,000 first prize, every player who makes it to Daniel Island will have a mathematical chance of playing his way into a PGA Tour card. Those who finish the season between 26 and 60 on the money list are fully exempt on the Nationwide Tour in 2010.