|
Dean Wilson was among those given a special exemption to the PGAChampionship, and he doesn’t take those lightly. It was only hissecond exemption into any tournament, amazing considering he isranked 60th in the world. Then again, Wilson is an American who plays exclusively on theJapan Golf Tour. “You would think my world ranking is high enough to get somestarts, but it doesn’t evolve around that,” said Wilson, aHawaiian who recently moved to Las Vegas. “Being an American, theworld ranking doesn’t mean anything.” The ranking didn’t come by accident.Casual Discussion The 31-year-old Wilson won three times on the Japan Golf Tourlast year and finished third on the money list, and he already haswon twice this year. Still, he didn’t play in a PGA Tour event until qualifying forthe U.S. Open last year at Southern Hills (he tied for 30th).Wilson couldn’t even get an exemption into the Sony Open inHonolulu, making the field only through Monday qualifying. His only other exemption? The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. Wilson will try to make the most out of playing in the PGAChampionship. Along with a big purse (at least $5.2 million), astrong showing could move him into the top 50 in the world and gethim into the World Golf Championship at Sahalee ($5 million purse). The money could go a long way toward helping him follow in thesteps of fellow American Brian Watts, who also played in Japanuntil he earned a ticket to the PGA Tour through his runner-upfinish in the 1998 British Open. “I took careful note of that,” Wilson said. Tiger for sale Bob Ritonya, a postal clerk in Omaha, Neb.,thought he hit paydirt when a pack of Upper Deck trading cards herecently bought included a ticket to play golf with Tiger Woods.Callaway golf Ritonya figured he could sell the round on eBay and get anywherefrom $100,000 to $150,000 to pay for his children’s collegeeducation. There were no takers. He told the Omaha World-Herald that a Las Vegas man bid$100,100. When Ritonya contacted him, the winning bidder said hewas just joking. Ritonya said he is deciding whether to put the card up for bidat a number of auction houses. He might try eBay again. And if allelse fails, Ritonya and his 13-year-old son can always play a roundof golf with Woods this fall. “I don’t think the problem is going to be selling it,” Ritonyasaid. “The problem is: How do you get the word out to the peoplewho can afford it?” In April, an unidentified person bid $450,000 on eBay to playgolf with Woods at Isleworth Country Club. A year ago, a financierpaid $2.1 million at an Irish auction for the same privilege.Callaway Drivers Augusta on his mind Jack Nicklaus was asked before themade-for-TV “Battle at Bighorn” what he thought aboutnon-conforming clubs. “I think each club has a right to make its own rules,” hesaid. “One of the first things I did at Muirfield Village, whichwas my own club, was to have every nationality, every religion, menand woman, and that was in the early ’70s. That was what I believein. What somebody else does and how they make their rules, it’s notmy position to criticize.” When Nicklaus finally stopped talking, the reporter clarifiedhis question. He wanted to know about golf clubs, as in thin-faceddrivers; not private clubs, as in Augusta National. Notes The Salesmanship Club of Dallas raised $5.77 millionfor charity through the Byron Nelson Classic, ending twoconsecutive years of going over the $6 million mark. Still, its netproceeds for charity top $69 million since 1973, the most of allPGA Tour events. The official Web site of the 2002 British Openattracted 1.8 million visitors, a 200 percent increase from lastyear, and generated more than 229 million page views, twice as manyas the previous year.Golf Driver City Joanne Carner has been named Ambassadorof Golf by the International Federation of PGA Tours, an awardgiven annually to a person who has enriched golf around the world.< Stat of the week Chip Beck earned $34,000 for his third-placefinish in the http://www.golfdrivercity.com/ Omaha Classic last week. It was his largestpaycheck from a tournament since he won $40,000 after tying for15th in the 1999 Canadian Open. Final word “When they can play three holes without chasing afrog.” — Jack Nicklaus on when kids are ready to play golf on aregulation course.
Related Articles -
golf,
| 
