Why a club looking to upscale its clientele would host such an unsavory band as the CGRA would call for an explanation from club officials Bill Perry and David Ainsley. These guys are supposed to know what’s going on in the high circles of society, but their judgment could now be seriously questioned.
Whatever the reason for allowing the invasion of privacy by these scurrilous characters, the generosity was greatly appreciated. The Mid-South Club has one of the best golf courses in the state, and showing it off may have been the motive behind the madness of hosting the golf writers, broadcasters, photographers and assorted hangers-on to the big bash.
Actually, there was some pretty decent golf played, mostly by a couple of guys in the Championship Flight. Once again, when the dust had cleared (oops, poor choice of words, as there has been no dust in the Sandhills for months now), or at least when the results had been posted, the legendary Brian Tarr was perched atop the leaderboard.
The ever-efficient staff at Mid South quickly removed Tarr from the board, and the results were made public. That was an ugly moment for most participants.
The first round of the annual championship was halted after 11 holes on Monday due to lightning, rain, wind and assorted other excuses dreamed up by the stragglers in the field. Strangely enough, two foursomes in the shotgun start field completed all 18 holes, while others had completed only 11. Do we dare mention slow play here?
The incomplete round resulted in some odd scores, but Tarr’s final-round 78 gave him a three-stroke victory over the always hard-charging Michael Dann.
Scott Martin, a United Kingdom import who enjoys shaming other members of the CGRA by walking and carrying his own bag, took third place.
Mike Purkey, who gives the organization some national clout, having just completed a two-year term as president of the Golf Writers Association of America, an accomplishment that earns him a picture on the wall in the Augusta National media center, scored a four-shot win in the First Flight. Reid Nelson, the ever-popular golf publicist from Charleston, S.C., took second.
The Sandhills’ own renowned radio, television and shopping center personality, Rich Rushforth, took the Second Flight title by three strokes over Reid Spencer, the publishing maggot, er, ah, magnate from Charlotte.
Bruce Phillips, the storied former sports editor and columnist from the old Raleigh Times who finished up his career long before finally leaving the News and Observer, had a tough time of it but limped home with the championship in the Senior Division. Phillips edged Greensboro radio mighty-mouth Bill Ownbey by a stroke.
There were no dropped cookie stories as in past events, probably because the illustrious sports editor of The Pilot, the acclaimed Hunter Chase, was a no-show. Chase, claiming a pride injury, didn’t enter, leaving someone else to claim the donkey-tail award.
Wie’s Woes: Actually, Michelle Wie doesn’t really have any woes. None that are apparent, anyway.
But her mini-clash with LPGA professional Danielle Ammaccapane in the U.S. Women’s Open last weekend did point out what may be a fallacy of kids playing in tournaments of this stature.
Wie, the 13-year-old prodigy who is stealing the scene from LPGA stars by out-driving and out-scoring some of them at a time when she isn’t even old enough to play on her high school golf team, may be getting on the nerves of the older competitors.
B.J. Wie, Michelle’s father and caddie, initially accused Ammaccapane of pushing his daughter during Friday’s round, then recanted. Ammaccapane apparently took exception to Wie stepping on her extended putting line, but refused to comment afterwards.
The incident was much like the one in the 2001 Open at Pine Needles, when then 13-year old Morgan Pressel was chided by Heather Daly-Donofrio for committing the same offense.
“Whatever,” Pressel responded.
Hey, they’re just kids. Let’em play.
