Green Reading

Compton simply an amazing, uplifting story

An incredible story on the Nationwide Tour will be an incredible story on the PGA Tour next season.

Erik Compton, who is a two-time heart transplant recipient – in 1992 and 2008 – earned his first Nationwide Tour in 95 starts on Sunday at the Mexico Open presented by Banamex. He shot a 7-under-par 65 in the final round to win by two strokes at 17 under, vaulting him to second place on the 2011 Nationwide Tour Money List and all but assuring he will have a PGA Tour card for the first time next year. The top-25 players on the Nationwide Tour Money List at the end of the season earn full-time status on the PGA Tour for 2012. The victory was Compton’s first as a professional.

Compton’s previous best Nationwide Tour finishes were a runner-up in Wichita, Kan. in 2004 and a third in Canada in 2005. The Miami native/resident has also competed in 28 PGA Tour events dating back to 2000, including four this year in which he’s made all four cuts. He’s competing in this week’s AT&T National at Aronimink on a sponsor’s exemption, as well.

Compton began the 2011 season with only conditional status on the Nationwide Tour, yet he’s managed seven top-20 finishes in nine events. The former University of Georgia All-American finished his third round on Sunday morning two shots back of a trio of leaders.

Compton has had to say goodbye to his family on a couple occassions in case he never came out of surgery, his body rejected the heart, etc. On winning, Compton said: “This tournament has kind of summed up my life.  There was a lot of adversity to overcome in this tournament, just like what I’ve dealt with personally.  To win this is everything to me.  I never thought I’d play golf again, at least not at this level, and I proved to myself I’m more than just a guy with two heart transplants…..I’ve been playing professionally since I was 20-years old and never won so I feel like it’s a monkey off my back….I realize how lucky I am.  To be able to say I’ll be playing on the PGA Tour only four years after my heart transplant is unbelievable.  I don’t really know what my future is in life.  Hopefully I can win out on the PGA Tour now.”

Johnson collects prior to U.S. Open

Dustin Johnson didn’t play as well as he would have liked in last week’s U.S. Open, but he was victorious in his money game in Tuesday’s practice round.

Johnson and Hunter Mahan were paired against Phil Mickelson and Jeff Overton in the practice round, and according to reports, Mickelson and Overton were 1 down on the 18^th tee.

Mickelson attempted a risky shot into the 18th green, going after a dangerous back pin, but his big draw landed on the bank left of the green, kicked backward and trickled into the water.

Mickelson admitted in the press center following the round that he and Overton lost. The stakes weren't revealed.

 

Garcia is searching for something, anything

Will Sergio Garcia ever reach the heights most in the golf world thought he was capable of reaching? Probably not.

Will we ever again even see the slightly underachieving Garcia that has won seven PGA Tour events and eight European Tour events, finished in the top three 51 times on the two tours combined and finished second in three majors? Maybe.

But based on his recent actions at age 31, a question regarding how long Garcia may continue playing isn't unwarranted.

Garcia is the epitome of a golfer searching for something. He took three months from the game last year to clear his head, and last weekend in the U.S. Open, he eschewed practicing prior to tournament rounds. He entered the third round in the second-to-last group at 2 under, with a chance to chase eventual winner Rory McIlroy. He chose the strategy of not warming up before the round, so the first ball he hit Saturday was on the first tee.

Playing a major without warming up? He should have asked for two balls off the first tee if needed since he didn't warm up. That's usually my excuse when I roll out of the car just before my tee time.

Garcia missed the fairway on the first tee but impressively shot 69 and followed that with a 70 Sunday to tie for seventh at 5-under 279.

One has to wonder what Garcia will try next.

 

A look inside the player-caddie relationship

Ever wonder about the financial relationship between a professional golfer and his caddie? LPGA Tour caddie Matt Gelczis, who lived on the Grand Strand from 1999-2004, offered some insight into that relationship recently.

Gelczis has caddied on the LPGA Tour since 2003 and has occasionally caddied on the Nationwide Tour as well.

He said the salary of an LPGA Tour caddie is generally $1,000 per week, it’s likely less on the Nationwide Tour and more on the PGA Tour.

Then there is the common percentages of 10-7-5: 10 percent for a win, 7 percent for a top 10, 5 percent for a finish outside the top 10. Gelczis said the Nationwide is probably less than $1,000 per week because the purses are smaller, and PGA Tour is probably more.

Travel expenses such as flights are often thrown in, though caddies are usually on their own for hotels and rental cars. “Quite honestly, there’s only about five [LPGA] caddies making money any more,” Gelczis said.

 O'Toole has the tools

Gelczis started the year caddying for Kristy McPherson and has bounced around since. One player he looped for that he was particularly impressed with was Ryann O’Toole.

She turned pro in 2009 out of UCLA, won two 2010 Futures Tour events and appeared on Golf Channel’s Big Break Sandals Resorts show last year.

“I think there are Solheim Cups in her future,” he said. “She’s incredibly long and a really aggressive player. If she learns to dial it down at the right time and improves her short game, she’ll be someone you’ll hear from.

“My advice to her was spend this year working with different caddies, find what you like, then next year make a call.”

O’Toole is proving Gelczis to be prophetic. Her 3-under-par 69 in Thursday’s opening round of the Wegmans LPGA Championship has her tied for seventh in the LPGA’s second major of the season.

McPherson looking to recapture major magic

Conway native Kristy McPherson is teeing off with Seon Hwa Lee and Candie Kung in the first two rounds of the $2.5 million Wegmans LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y. It's the second LPGA major of the year.

The group goes off the first tee at 8:32 a.m. in Thursday’s first round and off the 10^th tee at 12:36 p.m. in Friday’s second round.

Golf Channel is airing live coverage from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 4-7 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Replays are from midnight to 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and 9:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

McPherson had three top-10s in majors in 2009, including a runner-up in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, but had just one top-20 in majors last year and tied for 41^st in the first major this season, the Kraft Nabisco.

McPherson is fourth on the LPGA Tour money list in 2011 with $71,776 earned and is still seeking the best her game has to offer, particularly on the greens.

Byrd struggles in first round of Open, optimistic about Friday

Zack Byrd of Murrells Inlet shot a 6-over 77 and is tied for 127^th in his first PGA Tour event. He was even par through seven holes with a bogey and birdie, and bogeyed six of his final 11 holes. He believes it could have been a lot better based on the way he hit the ball. He said he missed only four of 14 fairways.

“I played a whole lot better than 77, which is very frustrating in my first real big tournament. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I was going to be and got off to a pretty good start and got through the difficult part of the golf course at 1 over and was pretty happy with that. I played really well and just putted terrible.

“It seemed like the whole day I hit it on the wrong side of the hole . . . where I couldn’t be aggressive.”

Byrd teed off on the back nine and said he made good par putts on the 11^th and 14^th holes. He said he got a bit unlucky on a few holes, including the fifth where a shot kicked to one side into a bunker leading to a bogey, the seventh when his approached bounced off the back of the green for a bogey, and the eighth where a par putt horseshoed out. “It was just one of those days that nothing went right.” Byrd said. “I hit it really well. [Caddie] Frank [Starace] and I discussed if you get in trouble just don’t make a double. I didn’t make a double, I just didn’t think I’d make that many bogeys and not make any birdies.

He’s encouraged by what he saw and believes making the cut Friday isn’t out of the question. “It’s out there if I hit it as good as I did and the putter wakes up,” Byrd said. “I can get it under par on this golf course. As much went wrong I still have a legitimate chance to make the cut.”

Heritage is saved

My favorite work week of the year has been secured. Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has stepped up as title sponsor of the Heritage tournament, held every year the week after the Masters. Thank God. The Lowcountry and seaside setting and laid back atmosphere at Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Resort are ulike any other tournament on the PGA Tour schedule. The five-year sponsorship agreement includes Boeing as a presenting sponsor.

Said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem: "I can tell you personally as a fan, this is one of my favorite tournaments to watch all year because of the uniqueness of the golf course, the amount of short game shots you get to see, and it's just been a fantastic part of the PGA TOUR over the years and we are delighted that it's going to continue with great sponsorship."

Johnson, Byrd get U.S. Open tee times

Coastal Carolina alums Dustin Johnson and Zack Byrd are both going off the 10th tee in the first round and first tee in the second round of the 111th U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

Johnson is in a heavy-hitter pairing with Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy, and they tee off at 1:35 p.m. Thursday in the first round and 7:55 a.m. in Friday's second round.

Byrd is paired with lesser-knowns Matthew Edwards and amateur Brad Benjamin, who is a winner of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. They tee off at 8:50 a.m. Thursday and 2:30 p.m. Friday.

 

Sun News Educational Foundation tourney on June 27

 

The 22nd annual John Ribar Sun News Educational Foundation Tournament will be played June 27 at the Members Club at Grande Dunes. The two-person captain’s choice event has a 10 a.m. shotgun start.

Players must have a handicap and teams will be pre-flighted. The entry fee of $110 per person includes range balls, food, gifts, awards and non-alcoholic refreshments. The event provides funding for college scholarships to area high school students. Contact Peggy Studds at 626-0250 or pstudds@thesunnews.com for more information.

World Am discounted deadline extended

Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has extended the discounted early entry deadline for the 28th annual GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship to June 21.

First-time players registering before the deadline save $50 off the $550 entry fee and returning players pay $450. The World Am will be held on more than 60 Myrtle Beach area golf courses Aug. 29 through Sept. 2.