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5. Fast Eddie gets his card
Eddie Fernandes, five times a Q-School failure in the early 2000s, reborn as a long driver…
- “…I’d been to Stage 2 once before, but I’d never felt as optimistic as I did this time. Going into the tournament I’d won seven straight mini-tour events-averaging 67.4 strokes per round. I’d coasted through Stage 1.”
- “And then I missed the cut. Peaked too early, I guess. I was 34. My wife, Eileen, was pregnant with our first child, and I just thought, Eddie, it’s time. Time to take a break from golf and get on with life and having a family.”
- “I probably played only 20 rounds between 2004 and 2014. I worked as a video-surveillance consultant and opened my own business. I worked in restaurants. I tried a lot of things. And for a long time, I didn’t miss golf. I was focused on providing for my family. But I guess the itch was hiding there somewhere.”
Full piece.
6. Tough decisions
Golf Digest’s Keely Levins…”Previously in Q school, any college players who earned LPGA membership had to decide immediately whether they would turn pro and play the next season, forgoing any remaining collegiate eligibility. Starting last year with the launch of the Q-Series, collegiate players could turn pro right away and start the LPGA season with the rest of the Q-Series graduates, or defer their status until the end of May and the completion of their collegiate spring season.”
- “While more flexible than the old rules, the current choice remains difficult. Turn pro right away, and you leave your college team mid-season and miss out on the chance to play in the NCAA Championship (or the newly created Augusta National Women’s Amateur if you’ve qualified). But wait to start your the LPGA season in June, and you leave yourself fewer events to earn enough to be among the top 100 on the money list at season’s end and keep your status for the next year. Failure to finish in the top 100 then puts those players right back where they started: Q-Series.”
- “In 2018, the first year of the new deferral option, two collegiate players made the choice of skipping the early LPGA events to stay in school: Jennifer Kupcho and Maria Fassi. Both enjoyed the benefits of remaining amateur; Kupcho won the inaugural ANWA and Fassi claimed the NCAA individual title. And then both also retained their LPGA cards after turning pro in June. Kupcho’s rookie season was highlighted by a T-2 at the Evian Championship, helping her finish No. 38 on the money list. Fassi played in 11 events and earned $129,164, good enough to finish No. 98.”
Full piece.
7. Aidan Kramer: scholar, golfer and philanthropist
That’s how Golfweek’s Adam Woodard introduces the collegiate golfer.
- In the little downtime Kramer has from hitting the books or golf balls, he enjoys watching football and movies or playing ping pong, like most teenagers. That said, he’s unlike most his age, especially when asked about his dream golf foursome. His answers? Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer (upon realizing he forgot himself, he would later bench Hogan).
- For the last two years, his free time has also been spent working with Orlando’s local Fairways for Warriors organization, which is dedicated to decreasing the number of veterans who commit suicide and helping them readjust to civilian life when they return from combat.
- “They use the game of golf to bring people together and form camaraderie between veterans,” explained Kramer. “It’s really been amazing to see the impact (Fairways for Warriors) has had on veterans in the area.”
- “Kramer not only volunteers. He also started an equipment drive for the veterans in need through donations from local golfers, equipment manufacturers and clubs in the area.”
8. Video-game based friendship
Excellent stuff on a unique friendship from Cameron Morfit...”Not quite a year after a chance encounter on “Call of Duty,” Harold Varner III finally met gamer pal Arturo at the Mayakoba Golf Classic on Tuesday. Carlos Ortiz, one of seven players representing Mexico here, and Preston Lyon, Varner’s childhood friend and agent – both of whom also know Arturo through the game – were also on site.”
- “They’ve spent hundreds, maybe thousands of hours together, but this was the first time they had met in person.”
- “I can’t believe this is happening,” said Arturo, a 22-year-old college student from Mexico, smiling through his braces. He wore jeans and a red Tommy Hilfiger sweater and admitted to being too nervous to have slept much the night before.
Full piece.
9. The man who played too much
Tamar Lapin of the NY Post...”One of Britain’s most exclusive golf clubs gave a member the boot for teeing off too much – and the golfer is striking back with a lawsuit.”
- “John Cawood, 72, is taking a swing at the Sunningdale Golf Club in Berkshire over claims the club revoked his membership for allegedly playing more than 30 rounds a year, The UK Times reported.”
- “The club charges a reported $77,000 to join, with high-profile members including former James Bond actor Sean Connery, Hugh Grant and ex-soccer pro Gary Lineker.”
- “Cawood, a retired lawyer from Australia, was paying a yearly discounted overseas membership of about $1,500 – until members in 2011 began to gripe that he was hitting the green too often.”
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19th Hole2 weeks ago
19th Hole1 week ago
Dan
Nov 14, 2019 at 9:57 pm
Who’s the cheater?
huh?
Nov 14, 2019 at 11:34 am
Why is the undercover tour pro article from 2017 being included?