CANADIANS
ON TOUR

October 6, 2003

You would think that moving back on top of the money winning list, becoming the first player in PGA TOUR history to win five times in five consecutive seasons, successfully defending a title 10 times in his career or tying for ninth all-time with Tom Watson and Gene Sarazen by winning for the 39Th time on the PGA TOUR --- 46 times world wide --- in just eight years as a professional would make Tiger a happy golfer. And the suggestion that he’s now the leading contender for a fifth straight season as Player of the Year would bring more than a smile to his face.

However, the biggest delight for Tiger Woods in Woodstock, Ga., Sunday afternoon after posting a (67-66-69-72—272) two-shot victory in the World Golf Championships - American Express Championship was turning to his Kiwi caddy Steve Williams and celebrating Williams’ personal record of 100 victories as a caddie.

"I was trying to get it done for him at one of the majors," said a gleeful Woods of his friend and business partner. “Steve and I have been together for a long time now and I’m really happy for him that it could happen here.”

Steve Williams, the highest paid caddy in the world for the most recognized athlete on the planet, was a cocky kid from Paraparaumu when he decided to become a professional caddy. At thirteen, he caddied for Peter Thompson at the 1976 New Zealand Open and at the end of the tournament received $150, Thompson’s golf bag and a lot of golf balls. "In those days I was getting 50 cents a week pocket money, so I thought there must be something in this caddying lark," admitted Williams in a recent rare interview. He was Greg Norman’s caddy for eight years before carrying for Raymond Floyd. Since 1999, after accepting a personal invitation from Woods, Williams has been earning 8-10 percent of Tiger’s considerable winnings and this year alone Tiger has banked nearly $6.3 million.

It took three clutch pars on the grueling back nine at Capital City Club, for Woods to win his seventh World Golf Championship in 13 tries and pick up his cheque for $1,080,000 . Vijay Singh (70-70-64-72—276) and Tim Herron (66-72-67-71—276) tied two shots back and each earned $405,000.

Mike Weir of Bright’s Cove, ON (right) may have had his moments on this demanding course but not many after his opening round as he plodded along to finish tied for 28th at (69-73-72-74—288) even par and came away with $46,071. In four days Weir was 9-over par just playing the back nine and during his closing nine holes carded a pair of double bogies, two bogies and a birdie. However, the Masters Champion is still in fifth place on the money-winning list after 19 tournaments with $4,716,410. He’s not likely to win the money title but he still has an outside shot at Player of the Year honors. This week the TOUR heads to ‘sin city’ for the Las Vegas Invitational. The TOUR Championship in Houston, Texas November 9 will be Weir’s last chance to slip past Woods and Singh in the voting.

The week after that the final WGC event of the season---The World Cup---gets underway at the Kiawah Island resort in South Carolina.

When the Tiger is at home on his boat or off playing golf somewhere else, the PGA TOUR veterans age 40 and over have found it’s fun to come and play again. For the 11th time this season a 40-something player has claimed a title and put new life back in his career. This time it was 42-year-old John Huston with birdies on three of his last four holes, overcoming a two shot deficit to win for the first time in three years and the seventh time in his 15 year career with a steady (66-66-68-68—268) 20 under par one shot margin in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Madison, Miss. It was a nail biter right down to the wire for Huston. Brenden Pappas forged a final round 10-under 62 to come from seven strokes off the pace and gain the lead briefly. However, his charge was thwarted by Huston’s late birdie barage and a par on the final hole. Huston won $540,000 to boost his earnings to $1,468,417, going from 68 to 38 on the money list.

Ian Leggatt, Cambridge, ON bogied his final two holes to spoil his comeback, tying for 51st at (70-71-73-68—282) 6-under par and earning $7,104. Leggatt lost some ground in his effort to retain playing privileges for 2004. He’s now 159th on the money list with $271, 014 in 23 tournaments. Richard Zokol of White Rock, BC again missed a cut by a singe stroke after completing 36 holes at par (73-71—144). Playing inside the ropes this eason has not been easy for Zokol. In 13 PGA TOUR stops he’s only made the cut twice and earned $19,155. On the Nationwide Tour he’s 1 for 4, earning $2,745 in August at the Alberta Classic. Dick might have earned more money part of thissseason if he had concentrated on playing more events on the Canadian Tour. He returned to BC long enough to finish tied for second one shot behind the winner in the Victoria Open and collected $13,650CDN. Dan Halldorson, Shilo, MB (77-68-145) and Glen Hnatiuk, Selkirk, MB (77-76—153) also failed to qualify.

TOURING ENTREPENEURS: . . . . A total of 67 players have managed to earn over one million dollars on TOUR this season and with four events remaining on the regular schedule that’s 12 players more than earned a million two years ago. In 2001 Woods collected nearly $5.7 million while this year he and Singh have both already gone over $6 million.

NATIONWIDE TOUR
A tournament record (68-69-67-72-- 276) 12 under par helped Scott Gutschewski, use the Monterey Penninsula Classic to win his first Nationwide Championship by four strokes and move to within three of the top 20 money winners and a playing card for next season’s PGA TOUR. “You always think you can win, but doing it is a whole different animal,” says Gutschewski, who collected $81,000 and now has $146,674. Zach Johnson, the Nationwide Tour’s leading money winner with $448,555, tied with two others for second place at 8-under par.

David Morland IV, North Bay, ON tied for 39th after encountering four bogies playing the last six holes and finished at (70-74-71-76—291) 4-over par. Jim Rutledge, Victoria, BC shot two rounds (72-73) before it was posted that he had been disqualified.

After a five year drought Herlen Alfredsson of Goteborg, Sweden finally found the winner’s circle for the fifth time in career when she defeated five other players and captured the Longs Drugs Challenge by a (72-69-64-70—275) 13-under par one shot margin. Grace Park, Jung Yeon Lee, Pat Hurst, Rachel Teske and Se Ri Pak all tied for second. The victory was worth $150,000 to Alfredsson, boosting her season earnings to $227,229 among the top 40 money winners and over the $3 million mark in career earnings.

Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, PEI managed to tie for 19th although she was (68-73-70-72—283) eight shots behind Alfredsson. Kane received $11,172 to remain among the top 20 money winners with more than $580,000. Dawn Coe-Jones, Campbell River, BC (73-70-70-74—287) tied for 35th and won $5,718. Among those failing to qualify this week were A.J. Eathorne, Penticton, BC (78-74—152), Nancy Harvey, Swift Current, SA (76-77—153) and Gail Graham, Kelowna, BC (79-79—158)..

With two former champions breathing down her neck, one of whom scored a hole-in-one earlier in the round, Leila Chartrand of Cordova Bay maintained her composure long enough to register her first professional victory by (75-73—148) one shot and capture the 9th annual Nancy Lopez Golf BC PGA Women’s Open (Sept. 30). Playing at South Surrey’s Morgan Creek Golf Course, Chartrand, the 1996-97 BC Junior and 1999 BC Amateur Ladies champion, had to contend with two-time defending champion Jennifer Wyatt (77-72—149) of Pacific Coast Golf Centre and first round leader Patty Jonas (1996-2000) of Coquitlam’s Eaglequest, who’s ace on the 8th hole helped her to (73-76—149) tie for second.

BC PGA Open results
http://www.bcpga.org/resultswomensopen.html

Ever since Stan Leonard, Marilyn Palmer O’Connor and Margaret Sutcliffe Todd joined the late Violet Pooley Sweeny and the father and son due of Dave and Ken Black as the inaugural members inducted into the GOLF HALL OF FAME OF BRITISH COLUMBIA in November 2001 the question being asked for the past two years has been, how will the selection committee top that sextet. Well, if you’re in attendance at Marine Drive Golf & Country Club Thursday, October 9 you’ll discover the committee has done a pretty fine job of selecting players from the past and the present who have won Canadian amateur and professional titles, in addition to their many provincial championships and two inductees who have been to the Masters. (Stan Leonard & Kent Gilchrest)

Doug Roxburgh (left), the four-time Canadian Amateur Champion from Vancouver and Dave Barr of Kelowna, Canada’s record-setting Senior PGA TOUR professional money winner, have been selected together with Gayle Bothwick, Dorothy Wilks and Chilliwack’s Bill Mawhinney to have their careers and accomplishments enshrined in the BC Golf Museum, which serves as the home of the Golf Hall of Fame of British Columbia.

Roxburgh, currently the Royal Canadian Golf Association’s Director of Player Development, has been the epitome of what amateur golf is all about ever since he emerged as a 17-year-old in 1969 and won both the BC Junior and Men’s Amateur Championships. A year later Roxburgh took the Canadian Junior title and in ’72 claimed his first of four national crowns. In addition to capturing the BC Amateur a record 11 times over four decades, Roxy has seen more of the world representing Canada in amateur tournaments and team competitions than most Canadian touring professionals. In fact, just being around Roxburgh can be a positive influence. At this year’s Canadian Amateur in Vancouver in August, 19-year-old Richard Scott of Ontario stayed as a guest in the Roxburgh home and ended up winning the Amateur championship.

Unfortunately, Dave Barr will not be on hand for his induction. The 51-year-old Kelowna pro is in Hawaii with his wife Lu Ann preparing for this weekend’s Champions Tour event, the $1.5M Turtle Bay Championship (TGC) on the Island of Oahu. After turning professional in 1974, Dave joined the PGA TOUR in 1978. This is his first season as a fully exempt player on the senior Champions Tour. Among his many victories, Dave has won the BC Open three times, the 1985 Canadian PGA championship and has helped lead Canada to International team victories in the ’85 World Cup and ’94 Dunhill Cup events. He has two victories (1981 Quad Cities Open & 1987Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Classic) from his 25 years on the PGA TOUR with his previous best season financially in 1994 when he finished 53rd on the money list with $314,884. His best single tournament return was in 1987 when he won $108,000 as the Georgia-Pacific Atlanta Classic champion. In his last Masters appearance Barr had one exceptional 4-under par second round that enabled him to make the cut. He finished T50th at (79-68-79-79—305) 17-over, 20 shots behind Larry Mize on that memorable occaision when Mize chipped in for birdie from140 feet on the second playoff hole to defeated a stunned Greg Norman.

However, this season, Barr, a powerfully built 6’ 1”, 215-pounder, renowned for his 10-finger baseball grip, has produced a campaign unlike any other in his career. In his first tournament he won the Royal Caribbean Golf Classic in Florida and banked $217,500---surpassing the $164,884 he won in 15 tournaments on three separate tours last year. Right now, Dave is 26th on the Champions money list wih $682,701 after 25 events --- four top 10’s & 15 top 25 finishes. Following this week’s event Dave is off to Texas for the SBC Championship at Oak Hills in San Antonia. That will either be his final senior tournament of the season or the one event that earns him a spot---he’s 33rd right now---in the $2.5M Charles Schwab Cup Championship for the top 30 points winners. A graduate from Oral Roberts University, Dave Barr became a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2000.

After overcoming polio as a child, Bill Mawhinney’s drive to succeed enabled him to capture the 1950 Canadian Amateur championship at the age of 21. The following April Mawhinney, or as he was sometimes known to friends and fans from Old Quilchena, ‘Bingo Bill’ or ‘Sweet Willyum’, received an invitation to play in the 1951 Masters and ended up T55 at (83-75-73-84—315) 27 over par, 35 shots behind a man he had met and caddied for just five years earlier at old Quillchena--- Ben Hogan. In his first tournament as a professional Mawhinney finished third in the 1953 BC Open and earned $200. (photo: Mawhinney, Golf In Canada: J. A. Barclay)

Gayle Hitchens, the daughter of West Vancouver’s Capilano G&CC assistant pro Bob Hitchens, displayed outstanding talent as a young teenager, winning three BC Junior titles (1960-62-63), the BC Ladies Amateur twice (1962-63), becoming the first British Columbia to capture the Canadian Junior (at Marine Drive, 1961) and the Canadian Ladies’ Amateur (at Glendale, St. Charles, MB in 1962). Mrs. Borthwick is returning from her home in Toronto for the occasion.

And finally, when you go to the Golf Hall of Fame of BC Induction banquet Thursday at Marine Drive you will hear of the exploits of one beloved champion who captured eight titles over 38 years under three different names. When she was Miss Dorothy Herbertson she won the BC Junior Championship in 1953-54 and also the BC Amateur trophy in ’54. As Mrs. Dorothy DeGirolomo she was the BC Amateur titlist in 1960 and again in 1975 and then took the BC Senior championship in 1987 & 88. As Mrs. Dorothy Wilks she again captured the BC Senior title in 1990 and was also a runner-up at the Canadian Seniors’.

Tickets to the Golf Hall of Fame of BC banquet are $125. For information about tickets or reserving a table, if any remain, call BC Golf Museum curator Dorothy Brown at 604-222-4653 or visit the BC Golf Museum at 2545 Blanca Street in Vancouver. The Golf Hall-of-Fame and the BC Museum are housed in what used to be the original club house for the former University Endowment Lands public golf course, which is now the University Golf Club, and is supported entirely through public and corporate donations.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK

The 2003 BC PGA Trade Show at Pennticton Trade & Convention Centre.
October 15 – 16 – 17
The annual BC PGA Awards Banquet takes place October 15 – 6:30 PM

ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT TOUR WINNERS

PGA TOUR* Wins
Sam Snead 82
Jack Nicklaus 71
Ben Hogan 63
Arnold Palmer 60
Byron Nelson 52
Billy Casper 51
Walter Hagen 40
Cary Middlecoff 40
Tom Watson 39
Tiger Woods 39
Gene Sarazen 38
George Knudson 8
Mike Weir 6
Stan Leonard 3
Dave Barr 2
Al Balding 1
Dan Hallldorson 1
Richard Zokol 1

*This list does not include Pat Fletcher’s 1954 Canadian Open win at Point Grey in Vancouver. The PGA Tour & RCGA governors were opposed to moving the event west. However, the western governors insisted the Open be a part of the British Empire Games celebration. Since Only four PGA Tour regulars showed up the 1954 Open was declared an unofficial PGA event.

LPGA TOUR Wins
Kathy Whitworth 88
Mickey Wright 82
Patty Berg 57
Betsy Rawls 55
Louise Suggs 50
Nancy Lopez 48
Annika Sorenstam 47
JoAnne Carner 42
Sandra Haynie 42
Babe Zaharias 41
Sandra Post 8
Lorie Kane 4
Dawn Coe-Jones 3
Lisa Walters 3
Gail Graham 2
Jocelyne Bourassa 1
Jennifer Wyatt 1
Barb Bunkowski 1
Tina Toombs (Purtzer) 1

BE CAREFUL HOW YOU VOTE

While walking down the street one day Chretien is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to Heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," demands Chretien (from the left side of his face).

"Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in Heaven," he says.

"I'm sorry but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts Chretien to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to Hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a lush green golf course. In the distance is a hotel with a swanky club house and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him, everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, pat him on the back and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar. Also present is the Devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing, writing deals for souls on the backs of napkins and telling jokes. They’re having such a good time that, before he realizes it, it’s time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit Heaven."

So 24 hours pass with Chretien joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well then, you've spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now choose your eternity."

Chretien reflects for a minute, then answers:

"Well, I would never have said it, I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in Hell."

So St. Peter escorts him back to the elevator and down he goes, down, down, down to Hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags. The Devil comes over to him, lays an arm on his neck and hands him a bag with the bottom cut out.

"I don't understand," stammers Chretien. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a hotel and a club and we ate lobster and caviar and danced and we all had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.”

The Devil looks at him, smiles and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning.......

.........Today you voted for us!"

In memory of Lo Linkert