This Week

Aug. 26-Sept. 1

PGA
NEC World Series of Golf, Firestone Country Club, Akron
Forty-four talented millionaires scout the site of one of next
year's $4 million World tour events

PGA
Greater Vancouver Open, Northview Golf and Country Club, Surrey,
B.C.
Defending champ Mark Calcavecchia opted to play in the World
Series instead

LPGA
State Farm Rail Classic, Rail Golf Course, Springfield, Ill.
Four-time tour winner Se Ri Pak's star power is sure to dazzle
railbirds at the Rail

Senior
BankBoston Classic, Nashawtuc Country Club, Concord, Mass.
Hale Irwin goes for his sixth win of the year in the oldest
54-hole event on the oldsters' tour

Amateur
U.S. Amateur, Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, N.Y.
As he seeks to repeat, Matt Kuchar hopes his decision not to turn
pro will keep him smiling

Europe
BMW International Open, Golf Club Munchen Nord-Eichenreid, Munich
With several Euros in Ohio for the World Series, the BMW has lost
much of its shine

PGA Tour

WORLD SERIES FIGURES TO GO FOUR

Akron spelled differently is No Ark, which is what John Cook and
Phil Mickelson had in the final round of last year's World
Series of Golf. Third-round leader Cook and 1996 champ Mickelson
capsized on a rainy Sunday as Greg Norman shot 67 to land his
18th Tour title. With the Shark in dry dock rehabbing a bad fin,
Cook, Fred Couples, Mickelson, Nick Price and Tiger Woods will
spend four days trying to determine his successor.
--CBS, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, 4 PM

LESSER LIGHTS OUT AT GREATER VANCOUVER

Despite losing '97 winner Mark Calcavecchia (right) to the more
lucrative World Series, the Greater Vancouver Open will feature
'96 champ Guy Boros plus Stewart Cink, Jeff Maggert, Fuzzy
Zoeller and Payne Stewart, who loves the area's fishing holes.
--GOLF CHANNEL, SAT., 8 PM; SUN., 9 PM

LPGA
RANKIN FILE: WOMEN AIM FOR THE CUP

Judy Rankin, captain of the U.S. Solheim Cup team, will be an
interested observer at the State Farm Rail Classic. She'll be
watching Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, Meg Mallon, Michelle McGann,
Barb Mucha and Wendy Ward vie for the last few spots on the
Solheim roster. All will be trying to make the team based on
points, but failing that, they wouldn't mind making points with
Rankin, who will announce her squad, including two captain's
picks, on Sunday evening.
--ESPN2, SATURDAY, 2 PM; SUNDAY, 4 PM

Amateurs
EL NINO VS. YANKS IN A SPANISH-AM WAR

Spain's Sergio Garcia, a.k.a. El Nino, won the British Amateur
in June. To become the first player since Bob Dickson in 1967 to
win British and U.S. Amateur titles in the same year, the
18-year-old Garcia will need to weather 36 holes of stroke play
followed by mano a mano rounds against such amateur stars as
Joel Kribel and incumbent champ Matt Kuchar.
--NBC, SATURDAY, 2 PM; SUNDAY, 4 PM

COLOR PHOTO: JACQUELINE DUVOISIN [Mark Calcavecchia]