The Week Nov. 23-29
A Minor Miracle
We were thrilled when Tiger Woods won the '97 Masters at 21, but
today golf has gone positively peach fuzz. An 18-year-old, Aaron
Baddeley, won the Australian Open (beating Greg Norman, among
others) in a fitting end to the year of Woods, Sergio Garcia,
19, and the 13-year-old Wongluekiet twins--Naree, who won again
last Saturday, and Aree. Golf is still about the majors, but
these minors matter.
PGA John Daly, who gave up a $3 million endorsement deal with
Callaway so he could resume drinking and gambling, asked to play
in the Nov. 18-20 Callaway Invitational at Pebble Beach but was
turned down.... Jaxon Brigman, 28, of Abilene, Texas, missed
earning his Tour card by a stroke when he mistakenly signed for
a 66 after shooting a 65 in the final round of Q school at Doral
Resort and Spa in Miami.... Fanny Sunesson has resigned as Nick
Faldo's caddie after 10 years.... Woods's 15 Tour victories in
his first three years beat the old record of 14 set by Horton
Smith in 1928-30.... The $400,000 Woods collected for winning
the PGA Grand Slam in Kauai, Hawaii, increased his overall
earnings to $7,681,836 in 1999.
SENIOR The 2001 PGA Seniors Championship is scheduled for May
24-27 at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, N.J., marking the
first time since 1938 that the Seniors' oldest major has been
played outside Florida.
LPGA Maria Hjorth of Sweden, who won twice in '99, set a tour
record for birdies in a season with 408. Kelly Robbins had the
old record with 383 in '97.... The former Sara Lee Classic, a
12-year-old event in Nashville, has been resurrected as the
Electrolux USA Championship Hosted by Vince Gill and Amy Grant.
ALSO Australian Open winner Baddeley (SI, July 12), the amateur
who beat Norman and Nick O'Hern by two shots, is six days
younger than Ivo Whitton was when he won the event in 1912....
Wongluekiet defeated Catherine Cartwright, 16, one up in the
final of the American Junior Golf Association Polo Classic in
Orlando.
golfplus.cnnsi.com
COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK WILSON/ALLSPORT Future shock Baddeley, 18, showed grit beyond his years at Royal Sydney Golf Club.
UP and Down
Fred Couples David Duval
Aaron Baddeley Greg Norman
Defibrillators Cigars
Fanny Sunesson Nick Faldo
2000 1999