The Week May 4-10
Downright Un-American
PASSPORTS, PLEASE. The PGA Tour winner's circle is surrounded by
U.S., South African, Swedish, Australian, Fijian, Spanish and
now Paraguayan flags in '99. That's more multinational mojo than
ever before. Given that the Yanks have lost three of the last
four big team events (the 1995 and '97 Ryder Cups and the '98
Presidents Cup), and with the Colonial set for next week, we
have one question: Who's colonizing whom?
PGA By winning the Compaq Classic in New Orleans, Carlos Franco
became the first rookie winner since Gabriel Hjertstedt at the
'97 B.C. Open.... The winner of the Tiger Woods-David Duval
made-for-TV match on Aug. 2 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand
Oaks, Calif., will receive $1.1 million, the loser $400,000.
LPGA Karrie Webb's three-shot victory over Annika Sorenstam in
the Mercury Titleholders Championship was her fourth win of the
year and leaves her two short of Betsy King's record of 15
consecutive top 10 finishes, set in '83.... The six holes in one
at the Titleholders were the most ever made at an LPGA, PGA or
Senior tour event.
SENIOR When Hale Irwin dunked a 74-yard wedge shot for eagle to
win the Nationwide Championship in Alpharetta, Ga., by two
strokes over Bob Murphy, he broke his victory drought in '99 and
reduced to 10 the number of tour events in which he has played
without winning.... Jack Nicklaus is expected to use next week's
Bell Atlantic Classic in Avondale, Pa., as a tune-up for the
June 3-6 Memorial, his first PGA Tour start since hip
replacement surgery.
ALSO Retief Goosen, who won the French Open, is not among the 17
European tour members who have exemptions to the U.S. Open....
Steve Haskins, who's the 40-year-old son of UTEP basketball
coach Don Haskins and has played in a record 214 Nike tour
events, tied for second, behind Vance Veazey, in the Carolina
Classic.... Led by medalist Aaron Barber, Americans won 22 of
the 37 exemptions at the Canadian tour's Q school.
COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY PASCAL RONDEAU PRO-CLIVITY Paraguay's Franco brothers are all golf pros (from left): Sebastian (43), Angel (41), Maximo (37), Ramon (35), Carlos (33) and Francisco (31).
UP and Down
Duval-Woods in majors Showdown at Sherwood
South Americans Americans
Casey Martin PGA Tour
Aces at the Titleholders Titleholders on CBS
Callaway System C
