August 2007 Archives

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Gay Brewer, the 1967 Masters champion who won 11 times on the
PGA Tour, died Friday at his home after a fight with lung cancer. He was 75.
Brewer, who retired from the Champions Tour in 2000, had been battling cancer since
October, fiancee Alma Jo McGuire said.
“It was incurable,” she said. “It was easier on him and the family that it didn’t go any
longer than it did.”
Brewer won the 1967 Masters for his lone major title a year after he lost an 18-hole
playoff to Jack Nicklaus. In 1966, Brewer three-putted the 72nd hole to fall into the
playoff with Nicklaus and Tommy Jacobs.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Gay Brewer,” said Billy Payne, chairman of the
Masters and Augusta National Golf Club. “Gay was a wonderful champion and individual and
will be dearly missed in April. We express our heartfelt sympathy to his family.”
In June, Picadome Golf Course in Lexington, where Brewer learned to play, changed its name
to honor him. Brewer played college golf at the University of Kentucky.
“He was just really personable,” McGuire said. “I don’t know anybody who didn’t like
him.”
McGuire said services would be Wednesday at Kerr Brothers Funeral Home in
Lexington.

Annika Sorenstam and Mike McGee were engaged this morning. Sorenstam has been dating McGee - who is the managing director for the ANNIKA brand - for two years. This will be the second marriage for Sorenstam.
``What a lovely surprise. I'm as happy as I can be,'' - sorenstam said on her Web site.
Sorenstam has won 85 world-wide events and the LPGA player of the year award eight times.

USC sophomore Jamie Lovemark was named to the USA Walker Cup team. Lovemark, who won the NCAA individual medalist honors this year, will compete in this week's US Amateur.

It's official. Tiger Woods isn't playing in the first FedEx Cup event. He said he's tired. After having just won the PGA Championship and caring for newborn, Sam Alexis, we're sure that's true. Woods chose his words very carefully a couple of weeks ago when he said he ''intended'' to play in golf's four playoff tournaments. Of course, after winning the PGA Championship, he's now decided to take a break. That's fine, but the PGA Tour's playoff system will be a dud if Woods doesn't play. Might not be a big deal if he plays the next three events, but how bad if a four-tournament playoff system if someone can win the thing and only play in three of the four events?
Stay tuned for his upcoming schedule.

Maria Jose Uribe - who will be a freshman at UCLA this season - won the U.S. Women's Amateur on Sunday. I watched it - this thing had much more drama than Tiger Woods' PGA Championship victory.

Uribe was talked about on the broadcast more for her fiery, competitive nature than her golf, but she's fun to watch. She made big putts in the back-and-forth match with Duke's Amanda Blumenherst. She made a long putt to square the match on the 18th hole in the morning round. A big win over the two-time NCAA player of the year.

From the Associated Press:

Paul Azinger’s squad at the Ryder Cup is starting to take shape.
Azinger named three assistant captains for the 2008 matches at Valhalla, tapping two captains
for whom he played in Raymond Floyd and Dave Stockton (USC), and good friend Olin Browne (Occidental College) as someone considered more of a contemporary for the players.
“There’s a lot of wisdom in Raymond Floyd and Dave Stockton, and a lot of experience that I plan
on leaning on,” Azinger said Wednesday. “Together, we’re going to do everything we can to try to
get this next Ryder Cup right.”
The Ryder Cup has gone downhill for the Americans. Europe won last year in Ireland by an 18½-9½
margin, matching the record rout from the previous time at Oakland Hills. Europe now has
captured the cup eight of the past 11 times.
Stockton was the captain in 1991, when Europe was trying to retain the cup for the fourth
straight time. That was the infamous “War on the Shore,” when the Ryder Cup fever turned it into
perhaps the most fierce competition in golf.
“We had not had the cup back here in six years,” Stockton said. “And I was glad that it was able
to stay. I’m looking forward to helping Paul in any way I can, as with Raymond and Olin, so that
when they bring the cup back over next year, it stays here.”
European captain Nick Faldo has said he would have four assistants, and Azinger likely will add
another.
Jim Furyk supported Azinger’s first major decision as captain.
“He’s going to have two guys that have previously gone through it ... and I think it’s a
wonderful idea to get them involved,” Furyk said.

Mountain Gate Country Club will host a golf/tennis tournament on Monday to assist soldiers seriously wounded in Iraq.
Help join a worthy cause. The following is a press release on the event.