Nice Roundup Of Open Championship Qualifier In TX

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Jim McCabe on Robert Karlson's playoff success that gets him back to the championship he's contended in and WD'd from last year with yip issues.

He also covers the other qualifiers, near misses and the brutal 17th hole at Gleneagles CC.

Finishing double-bogey, bogey left Karlsson at 4-under 136, tied with three others – Luke Guthrie, Bud Cauley and Andres Echavarria.

The only thing was, there was only room for three of them.
You certainly could tell, too, who was in and who was out as everyone bunched around the scoring board. Those who had posted 7 under (Josh Teater), 6 under (Johnson Wagner and Camilo Villegas), and 5 under (Scott Brown and Brian Davis), wore flip-flops, t-shirts, and even bounced their children on their laps (that would be Brown).

Their long and hot day had been completed in satisfying fashion, five guaranteed tickets punched to the Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland (July 18-21).

Full scores here, including the 18 WD's. Oy vey.

Sergio Nibbles Back: We Don't Make A Difference To Each Other!

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If you didn't know they were grown men who whap a ball around manicured grounds and get paid lavishly to do so, you'd definitely have to wonder what happened on the first date with Sergio and Tiger. Actually we know, it was at Bighorn and it's been all downhill since.

Paul Mahoney with the full backstory in case you've been in a coma and Sergio's retort to Tiger's succinct "no" on any potential hatchet-burying. Someone please pair these two jilted golfers with Vijay, chop, chop!

"First of all, I don't have his number. And secondly, I did nothing wrong and don't have anything to say to him. And he wouldn't pick up the phone anyway. But that's OK; I don't need him as a friend. I don't need him in my life to be happy and that's fine. It's as simple as that. Like I have always said, I try to be as truthful as possible," Garcia said. "That's why I think sometimes most of the people love me and some hate me. I understand that but I'm not going to change. That's what makes me who I am and that's what makes me happy. And that's what makes the people I care about happy because they know they can trust me. Tiger doesn't make a difference to my life. And I know that I don't make a difference to his life."

Tiger And Kid Rock Dazzle On The Red Carpet

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Robin Leach is outraged...outraged!...that Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn weren't photographed together for Saturday's Tiger Woods Foundation's Tiger Jam fundraiser in Las Vegas.

And frankly, having to look at Kid Rock instead of Vonn, I concur. Then again, there's Rock with Tiger on the golf course with Chris Paul. Open at your peril.

Leach tried to take his complaint a step further by suggesting the rumors of engagement--Tiger and Lindsey that is--kept Vonn off the red carpet because she was hiding a ring.

Bae Can Avoid Military Service With A Major Or Medal

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Reading John Strege's account of Sunday's HP Byron Nelson and the CBS telecast, there was this:

Faldo also predicted that Bae won't be "a flash in the pan." Bae is banking on that as well, aiming as he is to represent South Korea in the Olympics in 2016. Military service is mandatory in South Korea and he has yet to fulfill his obligation, but an Olympic medal or a major championship would exempt him from service.

How about a Players Championship?

The final round highlights:

Guan Lands Memorial Exemption

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Well at least the 14-year-old Masters cut-maker Tianlang Guan won't be missing any school for this one. Right?

For Immediate Release...

Chinese Amateur teen sensation Tianlang Guan to compete in the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance  
 
Dublin, Ohio – Officials of the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance announced today that 14-year-old Chinese amateur sensation Tianlang Guan has accepted an exemption to compete in the 38th edition of the Memorial, May 27 – Jun 2 at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
 
Tianlang last month became the youngest player to make a cut in a major championship in PGA TOUR history when he finished 58th at The Masters Tournament with a 12-over-par 300 aggregate total. His invitation to the first major of the season came by way of his victory at the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. A native of Guangzhou, China, Tianlang followed up his performance at Augusta National Golf Club by making the cut two weeks later at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he finished 71st at 4-over 292. Last week he missed the cut at the HP Byron Nelson Championship after rounds of 70 and 77.
 
“I am very excited to accept the invitation to play at the Memorial Tournament,” Tianlang said. “It is Jack Nicklaus’ event, and the same as all the golf fans out there I have very high respect to Mr. Nicklaus, not just as a golf legend, but also as a great person. He has been actively involved in the development of golf in China, and junior golf development worldwide, and as a junior golfer myself I appreciate what he has done to help us grow. My parents and I got the chance to meet him in person at the Masters, and that was one of the highlights of my week at Augusta National. I appreciate a lot the Memorial Tournament for having me there, and it is going to be a great week.”
 
Tianlang is ranked No. 78 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“The Memorial Tournament has been a strong supporter of amateur golf since its inception, and each year the winners of both the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur are always invited to participate,” said Memorial Tournament Founder and Host Jack Nicklaus. “With the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship becoming such an important event in the game of golf, and with the winner earning an invitation to The Masters Tournament and a spot in International Final Qualifying for the British Open, the Captains Club thought it was only appropriate to offer an invitation to the Memorial Tournament. We hope that in the future, we can make this a standard policy with our exemptions.

Bill Geist Video: "Mini golf course designers? Who knew?"

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Bill Geist's Sunday Morning segment featured a wonderful visit to the Jersey Shore to meet mini-golf architect Glenn Lynn. He is resurrecting Hurricane Sandy victim Barnacle Bill's miniature golf course, a community centerpiece.



The show also featured a segment on Thomas Burke's birdhouses, one of which is the Augusta National Clubhouse.

Remembering The Life & Times Of Ken Venturi

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Ron Kroichick's obituary for Ken Venturi's hometown San Francisco Chronicle.

Doug Ferguson with the Associated Press obituary.

John Strege for GolfDigest.com.

Adam Schupak for Golfweek.com.

Bob Harig for ESPN.com.

Richard Goldstein files the New York Times obituary.

Jaime Diaz's column on Venturi's golfing genius prior to the Venturi WGHOF induction.

His Golf Digest My Shot.

From reader Gene, Michael Bamberger's SI story on Venturi's farewell to broadcasting.

Venturi's World Golf Hall of Fame page.

A PGA Tour video with Venturi's induction video from the WGHOF ceremony.

A USGA film of Venturi returning to Congressional to discuss his U.S. Open win.



Venturi on Feherty, the entire episode: