The Week April 13-19
First Impressions
By birdieing the opening playoff hole at the MCI Classic, Glen
Day became the Tour's initial first-time winner of '99. At the
PGA Seniors, Allen Doyle, the rookie who was No. 1 in his class
at Q school, won his first major. Jeff Remesy of France was
victorious for the first time in 12 years on the European tour,
in Portugal; and this week Sergio Garcia, the top amateur at the
Masters, makes his first start as a pro, in his native Spain.
PGA Six years and three second-place finishes into his career,
Day got his playoff win against two of the Tour's top
bridesmaids: Payne Stewart, who ranks third among active players
with 25 seconds, and Jeff Sluman, who has 12.... Corey Pavin's
tie for fifth was his best showing since he tied for fourth at
Bay Hill in 1996.... Tiger Woods's father, Earl, postponed the
radiation treatment for prostate cancer that had been scheduled
for this week.... Tiger is taking the next three weeks off,
returning for the May 13-16 Byron Nelson Classic.... Greg Norman
will be out even longer, six weeks, until the June 3-6 Memorial.
SENIOR At 6'3" and 210 pounds, Doyle is one of the biggest
players on tour, but his 253-yard driving average is only the
53rd best. Doyle won with his putter. His average of 1.612 putts
per green hit in regulation led the tournament. His closing 64
included just 22 putts.... Last week's was the first major since
the '95 PGA Seniors in which neither Hale Irwin nor Gil Morgan
were among the top 10.... Freddie Haas, 83, the oldest man in the
field, shot his age in the second round.
LPGA She hasn't won in '99, yet Annika Sorenstam somehow holds
the No. 1 spot ahead of Karrie Webb, who has three wins and tops
the money list, in the Golf Weekly Women's World Ranking, the
only ranking of female pros.
ALSO Remesy, who won the Estoril Open, has had to go back to the
European Q school 12 times.... Bob Heintz (Yale class of '92)
became the first Ivy Leaguer to win a Nike tour event, the
Shreveport (La.) Open.
COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM GUND Leapin' lizard! At Harbour Town, a snap hook can result in a hazardous lie.
UP and Down
Senior Women's tour LPGA
Loren Duncan Jesper Parnevik
Jack Nicklaus's hip Davis Love's back
PGA Seniors Palm Beach Gardens
Spring break Greensboro
