Ultimate springtime golf fitness tips for "real" golfers

By Tim McDonald,
National Golf Editor

For those of you unfortunate enough to live in the North, you must be salivating at the thought of the spring golf season.

Hold on, Tiger. You ain't the man you used to be. You can't just jump up and go straight to the golf course after a long winter of sloth and mold.

Now, you will find any number of charlatans willing to sell you their total golf fitness regimens. These sleazoids always assume you're a golfer interested in a cleaner, healthier way of living and golfing. I've seen you out on the course, and I know that's not the sort of thing you're "into."

So here is my total golf fitness regimen for the "real" golfer:

• For God's sake, you have to strengthen your core! This involves eating really hard food, like jawbreakers. Eat a bag of those and have your neighbor punch you in the gut to see if your core is all it can be.

Options: Month-old fudge, Purina Dog Chow, pine bark.

• You also have to really work your obliques, I mean really work the hell out of them. Here's the perfect exercise for that. Lie flat on your back with knees bent slightly wider than your hips. If you have really fat hips, you're either going to have to really stretch your knees like in a cartoon, like The Elastic Man from India, or just skip this exercise. In fact, if you have really fat hips, just skip playing golf, nobody wants to see you out on the course.

Now, you slim-hipped people reach your hands to the ceiling like you're crying out for the Lord Jesus Christ to spare you from your miserable existence. You can hold light hand-weights, or not. What do I care? Lift your head and chest toward the ceiling and rotate to reach both hands just outside of your fat, right knee. Repeat on the left side. Now, take a breather. Ask Christ for forgiveness.

• Breathing exercises: Breathing properly and deeply is critical, especially for those tense moments on the course when normally you would start crying.
This deep-breathing exercise involves attending your local adult movie house, or calling up one of those sites on your Internet browser. Follow your instincts. It's either that or follow mine, and then you're looking at jail time.
• Horizontal abduction/adduction: I can't give you much help here, because I always get "horizontal" confused with "vertical," and I have no idea what adduction is. Who came up with that word, anyway? It's a stupid word and should be eliminated from the English language, if it's even English.

• Standing hip rotation: Don't do this. It makes you look like a girl.

• Alcohol fitness: How many times have you lost $2 Nassaus because while you were getting hamboned, your playing partners were just holding up that bottle of Jack Black pretending to drink?

Well, no need to waste good liquor. You can still drink and maintain your competitive edge. You just need to build up a tolerance. Stand upright in a dark closet, with a wide stance, and suck it down. Keep drinking until your wife leaves you.

• Aerobics: Ha! Don't make me laugh. This is golf!

• Putting: Don't bother to practice putting. Putting in golf is overrated. I play golf maybe 200 times a year and I've yet to meet anyone who can putt. You either make it or you don't. If you miss, just keep putting until the ball goes in the hole. Simple.

• Seniors: As we age, our bodies react differently, so seniors must prepare for golf differently than young punks. An important thing to remember is that there is an inverse relationship of increased ear hair to laughably short drives off the tee.

So keep those ear hairs trim and neat. If you're proud of your thick mane of ear hair, don't sweat it. If you're short off the tee, you're probably small in other areas, and I think you know what I'm talking about.

• Excuses: A healthy psychological outlook is a must for Better Golf. If you can convince yourself that the snap hook you hit into the weeds over there is not your doing at all, you'll retain the confidence needed to excel in the game.

The first time you smack one of your all-too-typical lousy shots, turn to your playing partner and snarl," "Will you stop that!" Look at him, looking all hurt and everything. Who would have thought golf fitness could be so much fun?

• Torque development in the downswing: This is so important, I can barely contain myself. This is vital to any golfer who has ever wanted to improve his score. You could even say it is absolutely critical in terms of reaching your full potential as a golfer and knowing what it is to be truly human.

• Alignment and posture: Face the target squarely and stand erect, with your rump jutting out slightly. Feels a little silly, doesn't it? Can you think of another situation in life where you would position yourself in such an odd manner? I can't.

UDM, Sommerfeld Take Second At The Bullock Intercollegiate

Led by senior Mark Sommerfeld, the University of Detroit Mercy men's golf team recorded a second-place finish at the Norm Bullock Intercollegiate, held at the Greene Country Club in Dayton, Ohio.

The Titans posted a team score of 882 (295-294-293) placing them in a tie for second with Dayton, just seven strokes behind Cleveland State. Detroit was awarded second outright through the tournament's tie-breaking system.

Sommerfeld also ended in a tie for second after carding a 216 (71-73-72), but the two-time Horizon League Player of the Year took second all to himself after winning the first playoff hole.

UDM returns to action on Saturday, April 12, as the Titans head to Illinois to compete in the Fighting Illini Invitational.

Detroit Mercy Women Finish 5th at UC Invitational

The University of Detroit Mercy women's golf team finished fifth at the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational at the Elks Run Golf Course in Batavia, OH, with a team score 1007.

Junior Rachel McHenry was the top UDM athlete as she placed 11th after posting a 244 (83-80-81). Teammate senior Mandi Dupuis was five strokes behind to place 17th, while freshman Alainna Stefan tied for 20th after firing a 253.

Cincinnati placed first with a score of 943, while Butler (990), Youngstown State (992) and IPFW (1006) rounded out the top-4.

The Titans will return to action when they participate in the Loyola Invitational at the Pine Meadow Golf Course in Chicago, IL, April 14-15.

Grand Valley State Women Ranked #8

NCAA Women's: Division II Teams 
Division I - Division III
                                   Adjusted   Avg.            Rank 
                        Division   Scoring   Drop   Versus#   of  
   Team                  *Record   Average  Score   Top 25   Sced  Wins@
  1 Rollins College       102-  0    75.96   80.02    13- 0   185     3
 2 Nova Southeastern U.  101-  1    76.15   80.84    12- 1   201     1
 3 Tarleton State        100-  2    77.93   83.31    13- 0   327     8
 4 Florida Southern       99-  3    75.35   81.31    11- 2   222     4
 5 Barry University       98-  4    76.83   81.81    11- 4   209     1
 6 Lynn University        97-  5    78.47   86.01     9- 4   205     1
 7 Ferris State Univ.     96-  6    77.74   83.59     7- 5   242     3
 8 Grand Valley State     95-  7    77.33   82.54     4- 1   217     3
 9 Northeastern State U   93-  9    80.96   88.37    11- 3   265     0
10 Upper Iowa Univ.       92- 10    80.27   89.43     5- 3   306     3 

Detroit sweeps athlete of the week honors as Dupuis and Sommerfeld lead Titans to strong start

Men's Athlete of the Week
Mark Sommerfeld, Detroit
Waterloo, Ontario * Senior
Sommerfeld led the Titans to the team championship of last week's Fort Lauderdale Spring Classic at Grande Oaks Golf Club. He finished third individually with a pair of sub-par rounds on his 68-70--138 score card, two strokes off the winning pace. Sommerfeld has now posted 24 sub-par rounds during his college career.

Women's Athlete of the Week
Mandi Dupuis, Detroit
Tecumseh, Ontario * Senior
Dupuis posted top-10 finishes in both of the Titans outings last week. She finished in the top-10 at the GVSU Invitational with a total score of 153 (77-76). Dupuis then helped lead UDM to its first-ever win over Butler as the senior finished in a tie for seventh (78-77--155) at the North-South Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla. The Titans also competed in a Ryder Cup-style meet against Oakland (Mar. 1) in Naples, Fla., and Dupuis won her match to net three points for UDM.

Gull Lake View Recognized for Role in Junior Development

The junior golf program at Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort in southwest Michigan is not a major revenue source for the family-owned facility. But that doesn't seem to bother anyone at a resort that's long been a favorite among golfers in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Canada.

"It's probably a breakeven for us," Ashleigh Kosin, Gull Lake View's director of marketing, said of the five-year-old program that targets juniors 7 to 13. "But it's the long-term investment in golf that we're going after."

The Gull Lake View junior program, which won the National Golf Course Owners Association's 2008 Player Development Award, includes three weeks of instruction (two hours per week) led by Bill Johnson, head professional at the resort's Stonehedge course. The program ends with a tournament that gives many of the young players their first taste of competition.

But in many ways, the instruction and the tournament are just the beginning for many of the program's participants. "We encourage them to see this as more than a month of golf lessons," said Kosin, who was introduced to the game as a junior at Gull Lake View. "We want this to be the start of a lifetime in golf."

Gull Lake View extends the program's reach by giving participants a card that entitles them and a family member or friend to playing privileges at a reduced price on weekdays. "Our first goal is to get the kids hooked, and then we just want to keep them coming back," says Kosin.

Kate Moore, executive director of the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, won the NGCOA's Champion Award, which recognizes a member whose work has benefited fellow owners and operators. Moore led a lobbying effort that successfully thwarted the state's plans to levy a 6 percent sales tax on Michigan courses. "We argued that golf is Michigan's No. 1 form of leisure and tourism business and brought in millions of dollars in revenue to the state. We felt it wasn't fair to tax golf courses on top of the taxes they were already paying," Moore said.

The Association's Paul Porter Award, given to a person who leaves an enduring mark on a chapter or international affiliate through the highest levels of commitment, service and leadership, went to Raymon Finch Jr. Finch, who died in February, built and owned golf courses in Florida and South Carolina and was a longtime supporter of the NGCOA and amateur golf. He helped the NGCOA take on the IRS over an owner's right to depreciate greens, tees and bunkers. Finch founded the Florida Golf Council, which helped defeat several state tax initiatives aimed at the golf industry. He also helped establish the "Hook-A-Kid on Golf" program and an Executive Women's Golf chapter in south Florida.

Michigan Hall of Fame Greets New Group

A full spectrum of golf in Michigan will be honored May 18 at Indianwood Golf & Country Club in Lake Orion when Ken Janke, Meriam Bailey Leeke and John Morgan will be inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. The Buick Open will also be given a special award as it celebrates its 50th anniversary as the state's long-running PGA Tour event.

Janke and Leeke have had multi-faceted careers. The self-taught Morgan compiled a strong playing record which led to his being named Golf Association of Michigan's Player of the Decade for the 1980s, a period in which he won the Michigan Amateur, won three GAM Championships and two of his three Michigan Mid-Amateur Championships. Morgan qualified and played in three United States Amateur Championships and four Mid-Amateurs. Playing first as a member of the Michigan Publinx Golf Association and making its Honor Roll in 1981 and '82, Morgan made the GAM Honor Roll 11 times in a span of 1983-95 during which he was an Oakland Hills member and now at Detroit Golf Club.

"I joke that I got my competitive nature from my Dad but not his golf swing," said the 6-foot-1 Morgan, whose golf swing has the easy grace of Tom Weiskopf. Morgan thought he was headed for a Division II school in Pennsylvania after two years at Oakland Community College on a team that went to the national finals but five hours at the Michigan Amateur changed that. "I was on the range and hitting next to Jim Lipe who was the Assistant Coach at the University of Michigan. I'd lost to Bud Stevens in 19 holes and Lipe said, 'We want you at Michigan.' "

Leeke is also a Big Ten product but when she played at Northwestern University, women's golf wasn't recognized as a varsity sport. She was inducted into the Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992, although the school didn't hand out varsity letters to all the past women athletes until a special ceremony at halftime of a football game in 2002.

Leeke's father, who played football at Illinois with Red Grange, introduced her to golf and she broke 80 by the time she was 12. She began playing national events at 13, played high school golf in Evanston and in 1956 won the Chicago District Golf Association Match and Stroke Play titles and the Illinois Women's Amateur. In 1957 she won the National Intercollegiate and the Women's Western Amateur and in 1958 was named to the U.S. Curtis Cup team.

Although she played in a number of women's professional tournaments, the purses averaged only $2,000 and Leeke decided against turning pro. She and her husband, Lyle, took over the family course, Old Channel Trail in Montague (MI) in 1966. It was a nine-hole course by Robert Bruce Harris on 90 acres, and in the years since, nine holes designed by W. Bruce Matthews and nine more by his son, Jerry, were added. Meriam has been on boards of banks, charities, two colleges and currently is director and treasurer of the National Golf Course Owners Association.

Janke got an early start in golf, caddying at Plum Hollow Golf Club when he was nine years old. While always a strong player - he captained his Dearborn High School team for two years of unbeaten match play events and won the 1957 U.S. Army Military Championship in Chantilly, France, Janke is better known for his contributions to the game.

Establishing the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame was Janke's idea in 1982. He also was the father of major charity golf events beginning in 1967 when he and former Detroit Lions All-Pro Ron Kramer founded the Walter Hagen Invitational to benefit the American Cancer Society. That led to similar tournaments around the country and Janke was awarded the Cancer Society's Founder's Award.

Janke also has organized the Babe Zaharias Invitational, March of Dimes, Tournament, St. Jude Invitational tournaments and B'nai Brith Championship. In 1979 he was instrumental in founding the Detroit Lions Alumni Golf Outing to benefit the NFL Alumni Dire Need Fund and the format has spread to 28 cities. Janke also found time to compile a comprehensive collection of golf memorabilia and write four books on the game's quirks, laughs and facts.

Since its inception in 1958 with the then-unheard of purse of $52,000, with $9,000 of it going to the winner, Billy Casper, the Buick Open has brought big-time golf to Michigan. The game's greatest players have played in the Buick Open, including Casper, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Julius Boros, Ben Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Tom Weiskopf, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods.

Thanks to Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, its members and the thousands of volunteers have made "Buick Open Week" one of summer's major events in Michigan, the tournament has raised $8.8 million for southeast Michigan charities.

When Buick introduced the tournament, it was the first major corporate sponsor of the PGA Tour and, while sponsors have come and gone in other tournaments, Buick and Michigan golf have enjoyed a long, fruitful relationship. In recognition of the Buick Open's great influence on the game in Michigan, the Michigan Golf Foundation will honor the tournament during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Indianwood.

Golf on the Old Course at Indianwood will be at 1:00 with the reception, dinner and induction ceremony immediately following golf. Tickets for golf, reception, dinner and induction ceremony are $175 or $50 without golf.

Fortin Claims Medalist Honors at Red Rocks Invitational

SEDONA, Ariz. – The Eastern Michigan University women's golf team carded a 315 in the final round of the Red Rocks Invitational to capture a two-stoke victory in the 15-team field here Sunday at par 72, 6,114 yard Oak Creek Country Club. The Eagles posted a score of 626 for the tournament (311-215). Western Michigan University finished second with a 628 (309-319) and host Northern Arizona University was third with a team total of 632 (314-318).

The tournament victory marks the 11th overall title in the program’s 14-year history and the third during the 2007-08 campaign. The win is also the program's seventh during head coach Sandy Wagner’s three-year tenure as coach.

EMU finished with three players in the tournament’s top 15, including senior Catherine Fortin (Beauceville, Canada-Polyvalente St. Francois) who captured medalist honors after firing a 150 (73-77). Her score is a personal best for a two round tournament, besting her previous low of 151 set earlier this season at the NIU Brickyard Invitational, Sept. 10-11, 2007.

Fortin's 36-hole total is also tied for the six lowest mark in program history. Overall, the first place finish is her third of her career and her first tournament win since last season at the Baja Invitational, Feb. 12-13, 2007. Additionally, it is her 15 career top 10 finish and the 28th career top 20 showing in 35 events.

Junior Stephany Fleet (Dewitt. Mich.-Dewitt) carded a 154 (76-78) to finish in sixth place out of 90 individuals. Fleet’s sixth place showing was her 12th top 10 finish in 26 career events. Freshman Darby Peters (Lake Orion, Mich.-Lake Orion) was the final Eagle to place in the top 15, finishing tied for 15th with a personal best total of 159 (80-79).

Junior Courtney Aili (Chelsea, Mich.-Chelsea) turned in a 165 (82-83) to tie for 34th place, while senior Paola Sanchez (Bogata, Colombia-Cedar Springs (Mich.) added a 54th place tie with a score of 169 (88-81).

Three Eagles were competing as an individual. Freshman Stephanie Bevington (Ossosso, Mich.-Owosso) finished in 58th place with a two-day mark of 170 (81-89). Redshirt freshman Melissa Spalding (Monore, Mich.-Monroe) shot at 172 (88-84) for a 62nd place tie and freshman Lina Pasquali (Kendallville, Ind.-East Noble) notched a 177 (83-94) to finish tied for 75th.

The Eagles look to continue their solid play at the Rio Verde Invitational Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, at Quail Run Golf Club in Rio Verde, Ariz.

Eastern Michigan Individual Results:
Pl. Player Scores
1. Catherine Fortin 73-77=150 +6
6. Stephany Fleet 76-78=154 +10
t15. Darby Peters 80-79=159 +15
t34. Courtney Aili 82-83=165 +21
t54. Paola Sanchez 88-81=169 +25
*t58. Stephanie Bevington 81-89=170 +26
*t62. Melissa Spaliding 88-84=172 +28
*t75. Lina Pasquali 83-94=177 +33
* - competing as an individual

Team Scores:
Pl. Team Scores
1. Eastern Michigan 311-315=626 +50
2. Western Michigan 309-319=628 +52
3. Northern Arizona 314-318=632 +56
4 Oral Roberts 314-319=633 +57
5 UC-Riverside 315-325=640 +64
6 Wyoming 323-320=643 +67
7 CSU-Northridge 328-327=655 +79
8 Northern Colorado 328-328=656 +80
9 Montana 331-326=657 +81
t10. Portland State 330-331=661 +85
t10. SC Upstate 330-331=661 +85
12. Montana State 331-344=675 +99
13. Utah Valley 346-336=682 +106
14. Southern Utah 343-343= 686 +110
15. Idaho State 357-366=723 +147

UDM Unveils New Wayne Wheeler Titan Golf Practice Center

Calihan Hall's latest addition was unveiled Thursday night with the official dedication of the Wayne Wheeler Titan Golf Practice Center.

Located in Calihan's lower level, the Wheeler Practice Center has been a welcomed addition for the UDM men's and women's golf teams this winter. Built exclusively to benefit the Detroit golf program, the center includes a putting/chipping green along with two hitting areas, allowing the Titans the opportunity to work on their games any time of the year. The Detroit golfers can also use the new JC Video system to analyze their swings as they get ready for their next tournament.

An avid golfer himself, Wheeler has become a great supporter of the Titan program, and his major donation helped make the new indoor practice center a reality. Wheeler is the founder and CEO of Data Consulting Group, which is the title sponsor of the annual UDM women's golf tournament.

"The University is blessed with a special group of friends and alumni who've been extremely generous and supportive of Titan Athletics over the years. Wayne Wheeler certainly fits into that classification with the way he has adopted our golf program," UDM athletic director Keri Gaither said. "The new Wayne Wheeler Golf Center has already become a great asset to our teams."

On hand for Thursday's reception in Wheeler's honor and the dedication were many of UDM's athletic staff, coaches and golfers along with their families, a number of former Titan golfers and other boosters.

"To have our own indoor practice facility on campus is really a tremendous advantage for our teams," UDM Director of Golf and men's coach Mark Engel said. "I don't think there've been many days all winter where the center hasn't been in use. The opportunity for us to practice inside if it's cold or there's bad weather, especially the short game, will really pay dividends."

"Wayne's generosity and friendship is overwhelming," women's golf coach Terri Anthony-Ryan added. "I think he remembered his beginnings as a golfer and what practice meant to the way he was able to improve his game, and he understood what this practice center would mean to our program. He has really become a great friend to our golfers."

Both Titan golf teams return to the course next week for the start of their spring seasons. The UDM men come off their fifth Horizon League Championship in nine years, while the women look to build on their conference runner-up finish in 2007.

The Big Ten honors two senior standouts

Feb. 20, 2008

Women's Co-Golfers of the Week

Sara Brown, Michigan State
Sr., Tucson, Ariz. / Salpointe Catholic
Brown guided the No. 23 Spartans to a team title at the Central District Invitational while picking up top individual honors. She out-shot the field by seven strokes and her four-under par three-round total of 212 (70-70-72) is the second-best 54-hole score in school history. Brown is honored with her second career weekly award.

Last MSU Golfer of the Week: Sara Brown (2/22/07)

Carling Coffing, Ohio State
Sr., Middletown, Ohio. / Middletown
At the Central District Invitational, Coffing fired off two rounds of 72 on her way to a tournament average of 73.7. Her stroke count of 221 tied her for third place individually and helped her Buckeye squad to a fourth-place finish. At the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, the senior captain rattled off a 77.7 three-round average with a low of 74. Coffing takes home her first career weekly accolade.

Buick Open Honored By Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

The Buick Open, held each year in Grand Blanc, Michigan, has been honored by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

It’s the first event recognized by the Hall—beating out even the legendary annual Michigan-Ohio State football showdown.

Now fifty years old, the Buick Open set the stage for all modern tournament events. Buick was the first corporate sponsor of a tour event. In its first year, it had the Tour’s largest purse. The total was $52,000, with the winner taking home $9,000—a princely sum in those days. The first winner was Billy Casper. Arnold Palmer and Ted Kroll were runners up.

The list of winners from the tournament’s early days is a who’s who of Hall of Famers: Jack Burke, Julius Boros, and Tony Lema all were winners. But with the money they were offering, that’s not surprising.

I attended the Buick Open at Warwick this last summer and really enjoyed walking the course (you can see course photos here). It’s not super long—nor would I say particularly difficult looking—but Warwick Hills definitely is a classic. The most exciting hole has to be the Par 3 17th, shown at left. That shot over the pond and the fronting bunker has to be nerve wracking.

There apparently are a number of big events planned for the 50th Anniversary celebration this summer.

West Michigan Golf Show features Golf Channel's Dr. Greg Rose

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- As co-host of the popular Golf Fitness Academy series seen on the Golf Channel, Dr. Greg Rose has worked with the top players in the world, including Masters defending champion Zach Johnson. Dr. Rose will join a long list of nationally known and respected teachers as he headlines the 20th West Michigan Golf Show, Feb. 22-24, at the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Co-founder of the California-based Titleist Performance Institute -- one of golf’s premier swing, conditioning and custom club-fitting facilities – Rose is anxious to visit Grand Rapids even in the dead of winter.

“Looking at names of the Show’s previous presenters and their credentials over the past twenty years, I’m indeed honored to share my expertise and experience at the West Michigan Golf Show,” said Rose who is a board certified Doctor of Chiropractic and has a degree in Engineering from the University of Maryland. “Everyone agrees that health and fitness are important for golfers but many people want to know what exact steps and programs they should undertake. For years, I’ve worked with the top Tour players and their trainers to devise golf-specific exercises and programs and I’ll be sharing that information in Grand Rapids,” said Rose. “And with it being in Michigan in February, I’ll even touch upon what golfers can learn from snow sports from a fitness standpoint.”

Show Manager Carolyn Alt is thrilled the Golf Show is hosting Rose. “As someone hooked on the Golf Channel, I’ve watched Dr. Rose on his series and have been highly impressed with his knowledge and presentation skills. West Michigan golfers will again have the chance to learn from one of the top experts in the field,” said Alt. In the past twenty years, the West Michigan Golf Show has gained national recognition for the caliber of its teachers and presenters including such notables as Jim Flick, Hank Haney, Dave Pelz, Rick Smith, Sandra Palmer, Todd Anderson, and Dr. Gary Wiren. Note: For a complete listing of teachers for the first twenty years visit http://www.showspan.com/WMG/NewsReleases.aspx

Joining Rose on the seminar stage will be two of Michigan’s best teachers, Charlie Vandenberg and Patti Butcher. The 2007 Michigan PGA’s Teacher of the Year, Vanderberg is a Master Professional and directs the Thousand Oaks Golf Academy in Grand Rapids. Butcher is the head golf professional at Blythefield CC and is a five-time Golf for Women Top 50 teacher.

Held continuously since 1989 and benefitting several local charities, the West Michigan Golf Show on Feb. 22-24 will attract thousands of avid Michigan golfers to hundreds of exhibits, free golf lessons by PGA pros, instructional clinics and fun, interactive areas. In fact, it attracts more area golfers than any single event or tournament during the entire year.

Produced by ShowSpan Inc., the West Michigan Golf Show’s hours are 4:00 pm-9:00 pm, Friday; 10:00 am-7:00 pm, Saturday; and 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Sunday. Tickets are $9 for adults, $4 for children ages 6-14, and children 5 and under are free. A free sleeve of Srixon golf balls will be given to the first 100 people each day or with an online ticket purchase. Sponsors include Srixon, Golf Association of Michigan, Odawa Casino Resort, and the Michigan Section PGA. Tickets will be available at the door as well as online at www.westmichigangolfshow.com. For more information, call 1-800-328-6550 or visit the website.

Flushing's Roth at ease among legends

By Brendan Savage

bsavage@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6388

When Jeff Roth of Flushing makes his Champions Tour debut Friday, he'll be in a field that includes some of the biggest names in the history of golf.

Players in the 78-man field for the ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla., include World Golf Hall of Famers Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Raymond Floyd, Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, Nick Price, Ben Crenshaw and Hale Irwin.

With that kind of star power, it would only be natural if Roth was nervous, right?

It might be natural but it won't be true, according to Roth.

"I'm very excited," Roth said Wednesday night. "Everybody has been there and done that so there's not that tension in the air. It's a much more relaxed atmosphere. I thought I'd be nervous today playing in the pro-am, but I couldn't have been more comfortable.

"It's like I really belong. It's pretty neat. There are going to be situations where I feel a little bit of tightness to make a shot happen but it's going to be because of the circumstances. Not because I'm playing against Curtis Strange and Hubie Green and Lee Trevino.

"It's not going to be because of that."

And it's not like Roth, a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, is a stranger to big-time competition.

He is one of the most successful players in Michigan PGA history with 13 major championships, he won the 1993 National Club Pro Championship, has played in five PGA Championships and nine Buick Opens, and has represented the United States in three PGA Cups against top pros from Europe.

Add it all up and it's no surprise he has high expectations on the Champions Tour, where he narrowly missed qualifying for his first event last week at the Allianz Championship.

Roth has to earn his spot in Champions Tour fields through the weekly qualifiers.

"I was actually disappointed last week," said Roth, 50. "I had it 4-under after 11 and didn't finish the deal. I ended up shooting 70 and missing by a couple. This (week) I got off to an awful start, bogeying the first three holes.

"I just kept telling myself, 'Keep playing, keep pulling the trigger, something good is going to happen.' It finally started happening."

Did it ever.

Three birdies on the front side in Wednesday's qualifier left him even at the turn and he added five birdies on the back side for a nifty 5-under-par 67 and a tie for third place.

"The last three holes are good hard golf holes and I almost made birdies on those," Roth said. "I really played exceptionally well. I'm really proud of the way I finished it off."

Roth likes his chances on the layout at Quail West. It measures about 7,000 yards and because the Naples area hasn't had much rain in the last couple of months, it's not going to play long.

"This golf course suits my game," said Roth, who tees off in the final group at 12:46 p.m. Friday. "The golf course sets up great for me. There's only maybe one really long par 4, the par 3s aren't terribly long and the par 5s are just medium length.

"You just have to hit the fairways. The fairways are generous and the greens are very fair in terms of hitting into them. It's just a matter of putting. I expect to play really well."

The top prize for the $1.6-million event is $240,000 and an exemption for the remainder of this season as well as all of next season. There is no cut and the tournament will be televised by Golf Channel.

Fouch has earned our attention

Posted by Greg Johnson | The Grand Rapids

All eyes are on Allison Fouch.

She has earned our attention.

The East Grand Rapids woman and fourth-year golf professional will tee it up with Annika and the gang in Hawaii on Thursday for the first round of the $1.1 million SBS Open at Turtle Bay Resort.

It's not her first LPGA event. She's played in six, including two U.S. Open Championships since her Michigan State days.

But it is her first as an exempt player on the LPGA Tour. The two-time Futures Tour winner and three-time collegiate winner has made it.

No more non-exempt conditional status. No more fill-in role. No more minor leagues. No more doubts. No more questions.

She's in -- and even if she never accomplishes another thing in golf which I find impossible to believe at this point -- she has already reached a significant sports milestone for somebody from the Grand Rapids area.
Just four -- count them, four -- people who have ever called this area home have had even one season of exempt status on any of golf's top four professional tours (PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, Champions).

John Barnum, a golf professional at Blythefield Country Club, played on the PGA Tour in stretches in the 1950s and 60s, and was exempt because he won a PGA Tour event in 1962 at the age of 51.

At the time he was the oldest to have won a PGA Tour event, and he remains the only golfer who ever won his first PGA Tour title after the age of 50.

Sue Ertl of Ionia, a one-time Michigan State standout, spent 11 years as an exempt player on the LPGA Tour after being an All-American and two-time Big Ten Conference individual champion at Michigan State. She never counted a win on the LPGA Tour, but she survived with the help of several close calls including a fourth in the 1990 LPGA Championship where she was the leader through two rounds.

Ertl, now a 50-year-old teaching pro in Sarasota, Fla., and playing on the Women's Senior Golf Tour, even had her own fan club -- Sue Ertl's Turtles.

Buddy Whitten, another of the storied Blythefield pros, played the Champions Tour or what was then called the Senior PGA Tour full-time in 1997. He didn't win, but he finished 54th on the money list and ahead of a lot of big-name golf stars.

Whitten, who currently runs his Buddy Whitten Golf Academy at Pensacola (Fla.) Country Club, won every significant Michigan club professional event in his years in Michigan and the 1979 National Club Pro Championship.

He also brings us full circle back to Fouch. He's her teacher, and one of the people Fouch lists as having the most influence on her career.

"Buddy is still the man," said Fouch, who also works with swing coach Steve Bourbon.

"I talk to him, and I'll see him when I'm in Florida (in April with the LPGA Tour). I might even get him to caddie for me. I can't tell you how much Buddy has meant to me. He taught me to be a pro."

And so it goes.

Try to catch Allison on The Golf Channel (6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. slots) Thursday through Saturday.

Sure, she will have to shoot some numbers to get some air time with the likes of Annika Sorenstam, Grace Park, Natalie Gulbis and Morgan Pressel, but the key thing is she has the opportunity.

And she has it all year.

This Out of Bounds blog and The Grand Rapids Press will be keeping an eye on her through the golf season. We even plan to follow her for a week later this summer.

The top 90 on the money list at the close of the season, and last year that 90th golfer won $91,595. Look at it to be over $100,000 this year with 35 events and some $60 million in purses waiting to be won.

Fouch will grind after it. Count on it. She's the most determined golfer I've met in covering Grand Rapids area golf since 1983.

Many doubted her chances along the way, and they had the odds on their side. But she kept working, improving and never wavered.

"I feel like I'm in the right place," she said Monday in a telephone interview, and she didn't mean Hawaii where she was preparing to play this week.

She meant on the LPGA Tour.

"I love what I do, and I'm eager to be out there and be a part of it, to see where my game is and how far I can take it," she said.

All eyes on Allison.

PGA welcomes eight new members to Association's Board of Directors --David Mocini of Harbor Springs, Mich. sworn in

Eight new members of The PGA of America's Board of Directors were sworn in Wednesday, Jan. 16, at The Association's 91st Annual Meeting at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

Junior Bridgeman of Louisville, Ky., Ray Cutright of Macon, Ga., Rod Loesch of Easton, Conn., David Mocini of Harbor Springs, Mich., Derek Sprague of Malone, N.Y., Mike Thomas of Goshen, Ky., and Roger Wallace of Polston, Mont., will each serve three-year terms. Tour professional Brad Faxon of Barrington, R.I., a two-time Ryder Cup Team member, was appointed Player Director.

The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the Association's President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors. The Directors include representatives from each of The PGA's 14 Districts, two Independent Directors and a member of the PGA Tour. New District Directors are elected by their local PGA Sections.

Junior Bridgeman, 54, a former University of Louisville and NBA standout, is one of the most respected restaurant entrepreneurs in the country. After retiring from a 10-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, Bridgeman established himself in the business world.

He is the chief executive officer of Bridgeman Foods Inc., which he founded in 1988, and is the owner and president of Manna Inc., and oversees the administration and operation of 160 Wendy's restaurants in five states and 103 Chili's restaurants in seven states. He is a 1975 graduate in psychology from the University of Louisville.

Bridgeman succeeds Lt. Gen. Norm Lezy of Garden Ridge, Texas, as an independent director.

Ray Cutright, who succeeds Tony Austin of Orlando, Fla., as District 13 Director for the Georgia, North Florida and South Florida Sections, was elected to membership in 1976 and earned PGA Master Professional status in 1991. Since 1993, he has served as PGA director of golf operations at Idle Hour Golf Club in Macon, Ga.

Cutright, 56, has served as a member of the PGA Board of Control from 2000 to 2004, and was an original staff member of the PGA Professional Golf Management Program. He served as president of the Georgia PGA Section from 1996-97; and spent six years as Education Chairman in the Section.

Cutright was the 2003 national Horton Smith Award winner, and the 1992 and 1997 Georgia PGA Golf Professional of the Year. He was honored by Golf Digest in 2000, '03 and '04 as one of the Best Teachers in the state of Georgia.

Rod Loesch, a PGA member since 1981, has served since 1984 as the PGA head professional at Connecticut Golf Club in Easton, Conn. He succeeds Ted O'Rourke of Convent Station, N.J., as District 2 Director for the New Jersey, Philadelphia and Metropolitan PGA Sections.

Loesch, 53, is a 1976 graduate of Ohio State University, where he competed on the Buckeyes' golf team. He competed in the 1982 PGA Championship and competed in four PGA Professional National Championships.

Since 1993, he has been a member of the Metropolitan PGA Section Board of Directors; and served as Section president from 1999-2002. Loesch was a PGA District 2 Director in 2001; and served as a PGA Board of Control member from 2002 to 2006; a member of the 2006 PGA Code of Ethics and Assistant Professional Task Forces; and serves as a co-chairperson of the PGA Membership Committee.

David Mocini, a PGA member since 1987, has been a general manager and PGA director of golf since 2004 at True North Golf Club in Harbor Springs, Mich. He is a 1977 graduate of Hillsdale (Mich.) College and is an original faculty member of the PGA Professional Golf Management Program and a three-time Section Horton Smith Award winner. Mocini, 52, served for more than 12 years on the Michigan PGA Board of Directors and was Growth of the Game Chairman. He is a past president of the Section, a member of the PGA Education Committee (2001-04); and served from 2004 to 2005 as a member of the President's Council.

Mocini will succeed Joe Flogge of Norton, Ohio, as District 5 Director for the Michigan, Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio PGA Sections.

Derek Sprague, 40, has served since 1989 as the general manager and PGA head professional at Malone (N.Y.) Golf Club. A graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., Sprague was elected to PGA membership in 1993, and has served since 1995 on the Northeastern New York PGA Board of Directors, including as Section president from 2003 to 2004. He is a two-time Section Merchandiser of the Year award winner; a three-time Section Bill Strausbaugh Award winner and was the 2005 Section Golf Professional of the Year.

In 2006, Sprague achieved Certified PGA Professional status in General Management. He will succeed Donnie Lyons as District 1 Director for the Connecticut, New England and Northeastern New York PGA Sections.

Mike Thomas, 48, a PGA Master Professional, has served the past 18 years as the PGA head professional at Harmony Landing Country Club in Goshen, Ky., and will succeed Zack Veasey of Durham, N.C., as District 10 Director for the Carolinas, Kentucky and Middle Atlantic PGA Sections.

Elected to PGA membership in 1985, Thomas has served since 1993 on the Kentucky PGA Board of Directors and was Section president from 2002 to 2003. He was the 1997 Section Golf Professional of the Year and the 1999 Section Horton Smith Award winner.

Thomas serves on the National Disabled Golfer Committee and is co-chair with fellow PGA Board member Derek Sprague on the Affinity Affiliate Committee.

Thomas has been the chair of the Section's Communications and Education Committees; and was co-chair of the Tournament Committee. From 2000 to 2005, Thomas was a member of the Kentucky Golf Association-PGA board of directors.

Roger Wallace, 47, is PGA director of golf at Polson Bay Golf Course in Polson, Mont. A graduate of Eastern Washington University, Wallace competed on the golf team and was the Pacific Northwest Golf Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year.

Wallace was elected to PGA membership in 1987, and was a member of the Pacific Northwest PGA Board of Directors from 1990 through 2002, and served as Section president from 1998 to 2000. Since 2005, Wallace has served on the Western Montana Chapter PGA Board of Directors.

He is a two-time Pacific Northwest PGA Golf Professional of the Year and a two-time Section Bill Strausbaugh Award winner. He is a member of the PGA Employment Committee, and from 1999 to 2001 served on the PGA Awards Committee. Wallace will succeed Kevin Lewis of Green Valley, Ariz., as District 14 Director for the Pacific Northwest and Southwest PGA Sections.

Brad Faxon, 46, who succeeded Joe Ogilvie as Player Director, has been a member of the PGA Tour since 1983. He competed on the 1995 and 1997 U.S. Ryder Cup Teams, and is the winner of eight Tour titles between 1991 and 2005, and 11 other career victories including the 1993 Heineken Australian Open. Since 1991, he has teamed with Tour professional Billy Andrade for the Billy Andrade/Brad Faxon Charities for Children Inc., which has donated more than $7 million to youngsters in the Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. The organization received the 1999 Golf Writers Association of America's Charlie Bartlett Award for unselfish contributions by playing professionals to society.

Faxon and Andrade also host the CVS Charity Classic, which has raised more than $10 million for charity, and is serving his third term on the PGA Tour Policy Board. Faxon was the recipient of the 2005 Payne Stewart Award for his respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game's heritage for charitable support and his professional presentation of himself and the sport.

Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold; to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the $195 billion golf industry.

By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.