US Open Golf Events

For Immediate Release

2007-10-26T19:50:00.001-07:00

*********** For Immediate Release **********

ReliefSpark.org is pleased to announce a new message board to help
provide an online place for evacuees and volunteers to connect and share
information.

Have something to donate? Need practical FEMA information? Looking for a place to
stay? Visit our new message board at:

http://www.reliefspark.org/messageboard/

Other topics on the message board include:

-Fire News
-Long Term Recovery Needs
-Donations Offered
-Donations Requested
-Donation Drives
-Free Services Available
-FEMA Information
-Insurance Company Information
-Temporary Housing Solutions
-Temporary Pet Housing Solutions
-Volunteer Information
-Non-Profits Helping Out
-Information on Fraud, Price Gouging, Scams and Ripoffs

Visit the message boards today! :)

http://www.reliefspark.org/messageboard/

-------------------
About Relief Spark:
-------------------

Relief Spark is a non-profit that provides marketing, PR and volunteer support to
grassroots organizations in New Orleans, LA and Southern CA that assist with
helping communities respond and rebuild during and after natural disasters.

We are a network of volunteers that span across the world. We create channels of
distribution, we collect information and provide resources for volunteers and
individuals alike.

For more information please visit our website:

http://www.ReliefSpark.org

Dream Year Over

2006-11-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe anything could top Michael Campbell's 2005.
After becoming the first New Zealand-born player to win the U.S. Open, and just the second Kiwi to ever triumph in a major (Bob Charles won the 1963 British Open), his star power increased exponentially.
How much?
Consider this: In his native Wellington, Campbell's family was treated like royalty as they paraded about in an open-topped bus. It spoke volumes that Parliament suspended operations to revel in the celebratory event. New Zealand's prime minister, Helen Clark, sent him a congratulatory message. The natives also felt inclined to give him a street name (Michael Campbell Drive), even though he has split residences in Wellington and Brighton, England. By the tail end of the year he had snatched up New Zealand's esteemed Maori Sportsman of the Year award and was honored as the European Tour Golfer of the Year.
His victory galvanized his already-growing A-list celebrity, joining the All Blacks (rugby), yachting and mussels as the most recognizable items associated with the island nation.
Rest assured, had Campbell done nothing else the rest of the year his status as King Kiwi wouldn't have changed a smidgen. Of course, he didn't exactly rest on his laurels. He notched two top-10 finishes in the season's final two majors before altering history a little more.
In winning the HSBC World Match Play Championship last November in England, he followed in the footsteps of Gary Player (1965), Hale Irwin ('74) and Ernie Els ('94) as the only players to win the U.S. Open and Match Play Championship in the same year.
"Seems so long ago," said the 37-year-old Campbell of his recent successes.
Tiger Woods, left, and Michael Campbell were able to laugh a bit after the two positioned themselves to win the championship last year. (John Mummert/USGA)
One could be led to believe that there could be two disparate reasons for that. The first can be traced to his beliefs in spiritual healing, which helps him stay in the present and keep him buoyed by the power of positive thinking. He adopted the mindset soon after seeing his career come perilously close to flat-lining in 1998. A severe wrist injury in 1995 served as the catalyst before he lost his card on both the Australasian and European Tours. At that point, he said, he was tempted one day after a particularly poor showing to chop up his clubs. It had gotten so bad that he dropped to 360th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
But his wife Julie gave him a pep talk, leading to a renaissance of sorts. In '99, with no playing status, he was offered sponsor's exemptions on the Australasian and European Tours. Since then he's won eight times, including his U.S. Open victory, which became his second win on American soil.
In a bit of irony his Open victory reaped an Honorary Life Membership on the European Tour last year.
The second reason why it might seem "so long ago" is that, like '05, Campbell has gotten off to an inauspicious start in four showings this season. He contended at the Mercedes Championships, tying for fourth. Other than that, he's missed the cut at the Johnnie Walker Classic; tied for 33rd at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship (lost in second round), and followed those events by missing the cut at the Bay Hill Invitational, Players Championship and The Masters.
The rocky beginning surely hasn't helped his cause for the PGA Tour to bend a quirky rule that currently applies to him. He sits in golfer's purgatory, in a sense, hoping to one day hold dual status on the European and PGA Tours.
Because he fell one tournament short of the required 15 events when he joined the PGA Tour in 2003, he was slapped with a five-year penalty in which he can only play 10 events in the U.S. Which means his PGA Tour schedule is already finished for the year. He can play in the four major championships, the three World Golf Championships and three other selected PGA Tour stops. The Mercedes, Bay Hill Invitational and Players Championship accounted for those three events.
Campbell has pled his case to the PGA Tour, but to no avail.
"I think if I make more than 150th from last year, 125th, whatever it is, from last year's Order of Merit, I'm [in an] unlimited events," he said.
Still, the man who received strange looks after ducking into a number of portable johns to ward off nerves by partaking in eye exercises during the U.S. Open's final round remains unfazed. He instead has tried keeping his focus on stuff that happens inside the ropes. Despite woes this season, his confidence remains intact.
"How far is it from here to the moon?" said Campbell. "I mean, there's no comparison. I've told you guys all the stories about how I changed my whole attitude and my mindset. I don't want to be a scratched record, but that's what changed my whole way of thinking. When you get results, that builds up to more confidence, sort of like climbing a ladder. Right now I feel like I'm halfway to the moon right now with my confidence.
"Pretty much to the point where I think I can win every week now going into a major, going into any tournament."
That self assurance has helped his World Ranking skyrocket to No. 22 from 80th a week before the Open last year. In many ways, the Open validated his dreams and beliefs that he had the game that, not only could compete, but could win a major on his 29th try.
Campbell wasn't exempt from qualifying and he wasn't planning on coming to the U.S. to play 36 holes just to get into the field. But since the USGA had decided for the first time to conduct international qualifiers – one was held in Japan and the other in England – Campbell chose to play on the advice of his agent. You can say it was a worthwhile decision.
Now Campbell has never been a bomber off the tee, nor has his short game exactly conjured up comparisons to Jose Maria Olazabal. So how in the world could someone with two huge deficiencies, someone who missed playing into the weekend 61 percent of the time in majors, win the U.S. Open?
The answer lied in his masterful ball-striking and putting, which overshadowed the other weaknesses.
Realizing The Dream
Entering that final round last June, Campbell remained a mere afterthought – another one of those forgettable players that might cause a stat hound years down the road to raise an eyebrow when looking at the official results. Campbell trailed two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen by four strokes on a Pinehurst layout that wasn't wielding fortuitous scores. Lo and behold, though, Goosen proved to be mortal, imploding while Campbell, as is his nature, quietly hung tough.
Campbell sensed something special was brewing when he birdied the first hole, the only player in the last 16 groups to do so. While Goosen helplessly went head-over-heels like tumbleweed in a tornado, Campbell became resolute.
"All of a sudden, after about four or five holes, I thought to myself, ‘Whoa, I've got a chance here of winning the U.S. Open,' " said Campbell, the first sectional qualifier to capture the Open since Steve Jones in '96. Campbell needed to be persuaded just to play in the sectional, but since this was the first time the USGA held qualifiers oversees (one in Japan and one in England), he decided to play. "So I decided to just key my focus and try and have some fun at the same time."
But how much fun could anyone have with a Tiger lurking? Albeit late, Woods made another legendary charge. Hanging on by a thread, Woods fell eight shots off the lead with consecutive bogeys on the first two holes.
Birdies on the fourth and seventh holes gave way to new life.
"I figured if I could make one or two more birdies coming in," said Woods, "I might have a chance to win outright or in a playoff."
With nine holes to go, Campbell wrested control of the championship by darting to a two-stroke lead. Registering a long birdie putt on the par-5 10th hole fed his inner confidence the way a malnourished lion feasts on its unfortunate prey.
"I had all these affirmations, all these thoughts in my mind through the last nine holes," said Campbell. "I said to myself, ‘I'm good enough to win this tournament. I'm good enough to win this tournament.' I said it probably five times per hole.
"I had the best player in the world, Tiger, coming at me with all guns blazing."
Yet, as it turned out, the cagey Woods blinked first when the pressure mounted. On the penultimate hole, Woods missed a 4-foot comebacker that ultimately led to an untimely bogey.
When Woods' putting betrayed him at the worst of times, Campbell's became his best friend. Over the final holes he took just 12 putts, dropping a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th that gave him a three-shot cushion heading to No. 18.
"I had my opportunities to win that championship," said Woods, a two-time winner. "I did not. I did not get it done. Michael did. He did what he needed to do to win a championship."
Said Campbell: "It was one of those dreams I always felt I could achieve when I was kid. I can remember pretending to be Jack Nicklaus and holing a 2-footer for a U.S. Open, or Masters or [British] Open or the PGA [Championship]. I'm a real dreamer."
Just goes to show that even kids half a world away can realize a vision if they subscribe to unyielding perseverance.

Blake, Rochus advance in Stockholm tennis

2005-10-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

James Blake rallied from a set down to beat Christophe Rochus 6-7 (9), 7-5, 6-2 Thursday to reach the Stockholm Open quarterfinals.
Rochus' older brother, Olivier, defeated Julien Benneteau of France 6-4, 6-2, and 2002 Stockholm champion Paradorn Srichaphan advanced with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Alexander Waske of Germany.
Blake, a quarterfinalist in the U.S. Open, lost the first-set tiebreak 11-9 and was broken early in the second set. But he wasn't worried.
"Being down a break and a set doesn't mean that much," Blake said. "I knew that I had the confidence to win the match and luckily it came through for me today. I knew I had to pressure early in the third set. He doesn't have much of an offensive game."
It was the second time this fall the 24-year-old Blake played one of the Rochus brothers.
"I played his brother a few weeks ago," Blake said. "Both fight very hard. They play great defense. So it tough to put balls away even on indoor hard."
Paradorn and Rochus have not lost a set in their first two matches at the Royal Tennis Hall.
In Friday's quarterfinal, the sixth-seeded Blake will play Alberto Martin of Spain, who rallied against Belgium's Xavier Malisse 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Paradorn will play two-time defending champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden, while Olivier Rochus faces Jonas Bjorkman, who defeated fourth-seeded Mario Ancic of Croatia 7-5, 7-6 (7).
The Swedish veteran saved a set point with a volley when trailing 7-6 in the second-set tiebreak, then won on his fourth match point when Ancic netted Bjorkman's short service return.
Bjorkman, who won the inaugural Vietnam Open two weeks ago, has won eight straight matches.

British Open Golf Ends 145 Years of Male Domination

2005-10-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Michelle Wie will have the chance to become the first woman to play in golf's British Open next year after the tournament organizer ended a 145-year-old stipulation that entrants have to be male.
Players including world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam and 16-year- old Wie will be clear to qualify for the 135th edition of the world's oldest golf tournament. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which governs the sport outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico, will accept entries from the top five finishers and those tied for fifth place in the four women's major tournaments.
``I am delighted that a qualification route has now been established for the best women players to gain access to the championship, competing alongside men on the same courses and from the same tees,'' R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson said in a statement today.
The new rule represents a turnabout for Dawson, who said in a January 2004 interview that the Open would be unlikely ever to admit women. Last year, the St. Andrews, Scotland-based organization softened its male-dominated hierarchy by admitting women onto an executive committee that sets changes to golf equipment and the game's laws.
Sweden's Sorenstam became the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to play in a men's PGA Tour event when she gained a sponsor's invitation to the 2003 Colonial tournament. Wie missed the 36-hole cut in her first men's event, the 2004 Sony Open, by one shot and has failed to reach the final two rounds in three PGA Tour championships.
Wie's Debut
Wie will tee off later today for the first time as a professional in the women's World Championship at Bighorn Golf Club, Palm Desert, California. Wie, whose lone national victory was at the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, has said her goal is to play in the Masters Tournament and to be a regular on the men's Tour.
Even with the men-only rule still in place, the Hawaiian schoolgirl would have been allowed to play in this year's Open at St. Andrews had she won July's John Deere Classic on the men's tour or finished as the leading player not otherwise exempt from qualifying for the Open. Wie, who got a sponsor's invite to the John Deere, missed the cut by two strokes.
``I'd love to play in both British Opens,'' Wie told reporters Oct. 11. ``That would be awesome.''
Today's policy change may increase pressure on three of the nine clubs that stage the British Open -- Royal Troon, Royal St. George's and Muirfield -- to end their ban on women members. U.K. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell in March 2003 wrote to Dawson urging him to stop staging the tournament at men-only venues.
Dearth of Women
The game has struggled to get women to take up golf, and then continue playing it. Only 7 percent of golfers in England are females, according to Dallas-based Golf Research Group, which says most beginners give up within a year.
``There's still a death by 1,000 insults on the course,'' Golf Research's Colin Hegarty said in an interview. ``It's there as a background hum, this feeling that the men don't really want them there. Getting rid of bigotry is a slow process.''
Two-time British Open champion Greg Norman in February 2004 dismissed women's inclusion in men's events as a ``marketing ploy,'' while world No. 2 Vijay Singh withdrew from the Colonial in 2003 saying Sorenstam didn't ``belong out here'' shortly before the Swede became the first woman in 58 years to play in a top-level men's event. She missed the cut by four strokes.

FRENCH OPEN SERVES UP CASH EQUALITY

2005-09-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

Organisers of the French Open tennis tournament have dragged the event into line with the

Australian and US Opens by offering both men and women competitors equal prize money. The

head of the French Tennis Federation, Christian Bimes, also confirmed the event will now run to

an extra day, as of next year.With the event now due to start on the Sunday – rather than the

traditional Monday – it is hoped TV audience figures and attendance revenues will rise. It

leaves just Wimbledon of the four majors with prize money inequality.

Charles Reilly, Jr., talks about the recent U.S. Open tournament and the rich tennis history of the Main Line.

2005-09-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Every year the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York City attracts a large following of television viewers and newspaper readers. The big challenge for promoters of the sport is to convert these once-upon-a-time audiences into players or at least supporters of this Grand Old Game. But each September, I wonder if this annual championship will have a positive impact on its audiences or end up actually turning them off. For example, if you happened to drop in from Saturn or Mars to watch the 2005 Open, what would you see? Most of the time there would be two players standing in a relatively small space groaning in primal fashion every time their racquets hit the ball. This is excitement? I think not. Worse, some of the biggest personalities in tennis are among the worst offenders with their irritatingly every-stroke grunts. Not everyone is put off of course and tennis has fanatical fans everywhere including the Main Line (one friend has a license plate: 10S N E 1.) Although to be fair about this, even the most obsessed tennis buffs fall short of the madness exhibited by their sisters and brothers who play golf. Philadelphia has a glorious tennis history full of tradition going way back to the early 1900s when William Clothier, Senior, was the United States national singles champion. R. Norris (Dick) Williams, who like Clothier, played from the nearby Merion Cricket Club, followed as national champion prior to World War I. Not so incidentally, the Williams story should have been made into a motion picture. He was pulled from the freezing waters hours after the Titanic went down in the North Atlantic with both legs so severely injured they were prepared to amputate them in order to save his life.Williams fought back through pain, later served overseas with distinction in World War I and then returned to Philadelphia to resume his play and love of the game.Big Bill Tilden, playing out of the Germantown Cricket Club during the 1920s, was undoubtedly the world's finest player during the first half of the 20th century. There is a long list of champions from the Main Line including Dick Sorlien, Jim Schnaars and Vic Seixas.I have been involved with tennis as both a player and official for more than a half century, and during that period have seen the game evolve in dramatic ways. The technical advances in equipment and player conditioning are two of the most notable changes. With the ability to routinely hit a ball over 100 mph and the physical stamina to do just that for hours on end, the very nature of the game has changed. Wooden racquets and flowing court movement have given way to battering ram poundings accompanied by a lot of noise. Instead of a variety of shots and action from all around the court, the modern game is characterized by big serves, standing on the baseline pounding away at the ball with merciless grunting and groaning echoing throughout the concrete coliseums where big tournaments take place. Modern day tennis has all the charm of a metronome. Boredom has made us shift attention to what the players are wearing on their backs, turning the game into some sort of on court fashion show. Yet even in the doldrums there are islands where a touch of yesterday still exists. Recently, I was a spectator at the finals of the National Seniors Men's 45's and 50's Grass Court Championships at Germantown Cricket. To be sure, there have been changes here as elsewhere over the decades (The club's swimming pool now sits on the site where Tilden once had a private practice court.)But the essence of the gracious game of yesterday still hovers over the clubhouse and the great green lawn where play takes place.I suggest that you consider attending this tournament next year. You can enjoy the game up close in a charming historical setting. The players are uniformly open and friendly, the tennis itself is wonderful so the tradition is till alive if not all that well.I spoke to a long-time tennis official, a gentleman who was referee for countless tournaments a quarter-century ago. I asked him about the state of tennis around the country these days. He looked at me wistfully and said, "I think we had a bit more class back then."Fair enough, but isn't that true of our society in general? What's the answer? Darn if I know except to say that the United States Tennis Association has a lot of programs in place around our Main Line and elsewhere that bring young boys and girls into the game by combing skill training and an equally important emphasis on the good sportsmanship and personal court manners that used to symbolize the sport of tennis.Who knows? If they can eliminate the grunting from the game, the phoenix may yet rise.

A Sweet Victory For The Kiwi

2005-09-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

Pinehurst, N.C. – This being NASCAR country, the folks around here are used to seeing plenty of thrills and spills.
That’s what the final round of the 2005 U.S. Open looked like: a race with pileups at every turn and enough dents to make an insurance adjuster go nuts. But in the end, one golfer navigated around the wreckage and through to the checkered flag. It just wasn’t the player most expected to cross the finish line first.
Michael Campbell, of New Zealand, who had not survived the weekend in his last four U.S. Open appearances and owned no top-10s in a major since the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews, navigated his golf game beautifully through every treacherous nook and cranny of the 7,214-yard, par-70 Pinehurst No. 2 layout on Sunday. His brilliant 1-under 69 gave him a two-stroke victory over world No. 1 Tiger Woods, making him the first player from his country to secure the U.S. Open title.

Hensby to play 'big three'

2005-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

MARK Hensby has confirmed he will play in Australia's 'Big Three' golf tournaments later this year, including the Australian Open, which he has never before contested.Hensby said today that he would return home to tee up in the Australian PGA, Australian Open and Australian Masters.
The Tamworth, New South Wales-born player had already confirmed he would join fellow US PGA Tour-based Australians Peter Lonard and Robert Allenby in contesting the December 1-4 Australian PGA at Coolum.
But he has now indicated he will tee up in the Australian Open at Moonah Links from November 24-27.
Hensby, however, indicated there was one sticking point to him making a maiden Australian Open appearance.
"The AGU (Australian Golf Union) has asked (me to) play and I have said yes but a lot depends if I qualify for the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, which is being played the same week," he said.
"I am about fourth or fifth reserve at present but if I do qualify, I will be contesting the Nedbank Challenge - and for no other reason that it is a big event with huge world ranking points.
"But I really doubt I will qualify so I will play the Australian Open.
"It is sad to say but we have to play where we know we will get good world ranking points because this game is all about improving, and I need to improve my current world ranking."
Hensby looked set to contest his first Australian Open last year, but he revealed soon after finishing 11th in the AMEX Championship in Ireland that the AGU had not contacted him to invite him to The Australian Club in Sydney.
"I wanted to play the Australian Open so much last year, particularly after the year I had, but I want to travel to Moonah Links this year, whilst I will also contest the Australian PGA and the Australian Masters.
?So I will be in Australia later this year for all three major Australian tournaments, and I am very much looking for to it."
Hensby has this year been one of the best-performed Australians competing on the world stage, finishing fifth in his maiden US Masters appearance and then ending equal third behind New Zealand's Michael Campbell in the US Open.
A fortnight after the British Open, Hensby clinched a first-ever European Tour title with victory in the Scandinavian Masters in Sweden.

Australian Open schedule victim of overcrowded tennis calendar

2005-09-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

MELBOURNE: A crowded international sports calendar has forced organisers to bring forward the dates of the 2007 Australian Open tennis tournament despite calls from players for a longer off-season, officials said on Tuesday. The 2007 Australian Open was originally scheduled to be held from January 22 to February 4 to give players a longer post-Christmas break before attempting their first Grand Slam competition of the year. But Tennis Australia said Tuesday the dates had reverted back to the traditional third and fourth weeks of the month, January 15 to 28. “When the international tennis community embarked on this process of looking at creating a longer off-season, moving the dates of the Australian Open was one option considered,” Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard said. He said the decision on the dates would not be reconsidered for some time. The 2006 Australian Open will be held from January 16 to 29

Augusta National Golf Course Changes

2005-09-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hootie Johnson, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, announced today changes to six holes, Nos. 1, 4, 7, 11, 15 and 17, for the 2006 Masters.
"Since the first Masters in 1934, this golf course has evolved and that process continues today," Johnson said. "As in the past, our objective is to maintain the integrity and shot values of the golf course as envisioned by Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie. Players' scores are not a factor. We will keep the golf course current with the times."
The changes on the first nine holes are:
Hole No. 1: Masters tee will be moved back 15-20 yards. Trees added to the left side of the fairway. Masters scorecard: Approximately 455 yards
Hole No. 4: Masters tee will be moved back 30-35 yards. Masters scorecard: Approximately 240 yards
Hole No. 7: Masters tee will be moved back 35-40 yards. Green re-grassed to create possible right-rear pin position. Trees added to the right and left side of the fairway. Masters scorecard: Approximately 450 yards
"At hole Nos. 1 and 7 we want to emphasize accuracy off the tee while continuing to maintain the integrity of the holes," Johnson said. "At No. 4 we want to keep the hole as it was intended to be played as a long par 3."
On the second nine the changes include:
Hole No. 11: Masters tee will be moved back 10-15 yards. Trees added to the right side of the fairway and fairway shifted to the left. Masters scorecard: Approximately 505 yards
Hole No. 15: Masters tee will be moved back 25-30 yards and shifted approximately 20 yards to the golfer's left. Masters scorecard: Approximately 530 yards
Hole No. 17: Masters tee will be moved back 10-15 yards. Masters scorecard: Approximately 440 yards
"The changes on the second nine holes again stress accuracy off the tee and maintaining shot values," said Johnson.
With the changes, the golf course yardage increases to approximately 7,445 yards (3,735 - 3,710) from 7,290.
Construction work began this month with completion scheduled for the fall.