- Publish date:
This Week
March 18-24
PGA
Bay Hill Invitational, Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando
Locals Mark O'Meara, Payne Stewart and Tiger Woods all had top
10 finishes here in '97
LPGA
Standard Register Ping, Moon Valley Country Club, Phoenix
The best field of the young season: The LPGA's top 90 money
winners from '97 will tee it up
Senior
Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, Golf Club of Amelia Island,
Summer Beach, Fla.
Gil Morgan, Larry Nelson, Lee Trevino and others put their
legends on the line
Europe
Portuguese Open, Le Meridien Penina, Algarve coast
The venue wasn't set until Feb. 23; many top Euros, like Lee
Westwood, opted for Bay Hill
PGA Tour
ARNIE'S HOME CROWD IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM
Orlando, home of Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Invitational, is also
home to Mickey Mouse and Tupperware. Nearly 50 PGA, LPGA and
Senior touring pros, including Emilee Klein, Mark O'Meara and
Tiger Woods, also inhabit Mr. Palmer's neighborhood. For
Epcot-style international flavor, add Ernie Els and Nick Faldo
to the list. This week's field at Bay Hill Club and Lodge (the
18th hole is pictured above) also features 1997 champ Phil (Not
From Bay Hill) Mickelson and his fellow out-of-towners Fred
Couples, John Daly, Tom Lehman and Davis Love III.
--NBC, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, 3 PM
LPGA
A BIG KA-CHING AT THE PING?
Laura Davies lives large. She drives long, usually in the right
fairway, and drives home fast, in her speedy Ferrari. But this
week Davies might take largeness and largesse to new levels.
Should she win her fifth consecutive Standard Register Ping,
she'll take home $300,000 in addition to the $127,500 winner's
check, which would make Sunday the biggest payday in LPGA
history. Largesse? If Davies succeeds, tournament sponsors will
also donate $1 million to charity. Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen
each won an event four straight times, but no pro has gone five
for five.
--ESPN, SATURDAY, 6 PM; SUNDAY, 5:30 PM
Senior Tour
A REST STOP FOR LEGENDS ON THE LOOSE
The Legends can't sit still. Last year's venue was PGA West, in
La Quinta, Calif. Now it's the Golf Club of Amelia Island, in
Summer Beach, Fla. In 1999 the tournament will move to the
soon-to-open World Golf Village, in St. Augustine, Fla. At least
the players have staying power. At 89, Paul Runyon has seniority
over all other seniors. Younger guns in the Demaret Division (70
and up) include Sam Snead, 85, and Tommy Bolt, 81. Don January
and Gene Littler are defending champs in the 60-to-69-year-old
Legendary Division; John Bland and Graham Marsh defend their
Legends (50-59) title in this best-ball event that started in
1978 and was the precursor of the Senior tour.
--ABC, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, 2 PM
COLOR PHOTO: COURTESY OF BAY HILL CLUB AND LODGE [18th hole and water hazard of Bay Hill Club]
