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For most professional golfers, it is a dream come true – to qualify for a U.S. Open.
Steve Wheatcroft also had that dream, and by winning in a 4-way playoff on June 7th in the Regional Qualifying Tournament, that dream will become fulfilled.
The best part for Steve, is that his 1st U.S. Open will be held at Pebble Beach. That only adds to the appeal.
“I’ve been dreaming of playing in a US Open for 15+ years now, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to be doing it for the first time at a place like Pebble Beach. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve seen, and I can’t wait to see how hard the golf course is going to be. I’ve got a great group of friends and family coming out, and we’ve rented a 5 bedroom house inside of Pebble Beach for the week. I think it’s going to be a special tournament, and I’m glad everyone is going to get to experience it with me.”
Congratulations to Steve, and we look forward to sharing in your excitement.
Other local golfer, Rocco Mediate, who was in a rememberable 19 hole playoff with Tiger Woods a couple years back, missed qualifying for the tournament in Columbus, OH.
from PgaTour.com
CANONSBURG, Pa. — One of Western Pennsylvania’s most prominent and respected native sons, Arnold Palmer, has agreed to serve as Honorary Chairman for the inaugural playing of his home state’s new Nationwide Tour event, the Mylan Classic presented by CONSOL Energy.
The 2010 Mylan Classic will be played Sept. 2-5 at Southpointe Golf Club in the Pittsburgh suburb of Canonsburg, preceded by a pro-am on Sept. 1. All four rounds will be televised on Golf Channel in the U.S., with the event reaching 123 countries overseas.
“I gladly accepted this offer when approached by Rod Piatt,” said Palmer. “I have the utmost respect and appreciation for the Nationwide Tour and the significant impact it has on the PGA TOUR. Now in its 21st year, the Tour has done much to advance the level of competition in professional golf and prepare many of the sport’s most talented young players for life on the PGA TOUR. I congratulate Mylan and key supporting sponsors CONSOL Energy and Dick’s Sporting Goods for bringing this wonderful event to the golf fans of Western Pennsylvania. I hope they come out in big numbers to support the tournament.”
“Having Mr. Palmer’s support of the inaugural Mylan Classic at Southpointe is a true honor and I know that all of the golf fans in Western Pennsylvania are proud to have such a goodwill ambassador of golf associated with this exciting event,” said Rod Piatt, who is Mylan Classic Co-Chairman along with Jeff Kotula of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Added Mylan Chairman and CEO Robert J. Coury, “We feel truly privileged that Arnold Palmer will be participating in the Mylan Classic in this very special way. While his golf career has certainly been nothing short of legendary, his reputation for helping to raise funds for numerous charitable organizations is just as impressive. He is the perfect Honorary Chairman for an event that combines the celebration of golf with the desire to give back to our local community and its charities.”
“Arnold Palmer is synonymous with golf in Western Pennsylvania and has been for 60 years,” said Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee. “It is very fitting that he lend his name and reputation to help launch the Nationwide Tour’s Mylan Classic in what amounts to his backyard. Mr. Palmer has always been very supportive of the Nationwide Tour and we can’t thank him enough for providing his seal of approval to this new tournament.”
Palmer was born and raised in Latrobe, Pa., about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. The 1974 World Golf Hall of Fame inductee spends his summer months in his beloved Latrobe and plays regularly at Latrobe Country Club, which he owns and operates.
Palmer is a self-professed fan of the Nationwide Tour, and his grandson, Sam Saunders, who aspires to play on the PGA TOUR, made his national professional debut last September at the Nationwide Tour’s Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft in Idaho.
On Thursday, while at work, I logged onto the Masters website and looked at the leaderboard.
There was a guy named N. Smith at -2 and was 1 shot off of the lead. I send an email to a few friends of mine – “this guy is a financial advisor from Pittsburgh, and is 1 shot off of the lead at the Masters.”
After rolling in a 12 foot birdie put on the historic hole #12, Nathan Smith the 2009 U.S. Mid Amateur Champion and one of the 6 amateurs in the Masters field, was 1 shot back of the lead. Smith was even ahead of his playing partner 1998 Masters and U.S. Open Champion Mark O’Meara.
Unfortunately, 4 straight bogies on 13, 14, 15 & 16, put Nathan at +2 and he would finish the first round with a 74. He followed that up with a 75 on Friday and finished 5 over for the tourmanent, in a tie for 54th place and missed the cut by 2 strokes.
This was Nathan Smith’s second Master’s appearance – he also missed the cut in 2004. Not bad for a kid from the North Hills.
Here is an article from Gary Van Sickle on Nathan’s Masters warm-up.
Upper St. Clair native and University of Maryland golfer Bobby MacWhinnie, shot a second round 67 (-4), but missed the cut by 1 stroke at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open on the Nationwide Tour.
MacWhinnie’s first round was a 74 for a combined score of even par.
http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/current/h036/
 Even though his “transgressions” have kept him away from the game since early November, Tiger Woods is still the leading oddsmaker in Vegas for the upcoming Masters.
Every single gambling website we found, shows Tiger as the clear favorite across the board, with odds ranging from 2/1 to 9/2.
The Masters airs Thursday April 8th, and will most likely be a network blockbuster.
Everyone will have their own reason to watch, whether you are for him or against him.
We can be fairly certain that this years Masters will be one for the ages, as most televisions on Sunday April 11th will probably be tuned into see how Tiger is doing.
Let’s just hope he leaves his iPhone in his locker..!
In four starts on the PGA Tour in 2010, Sam Saunders has made two cuts, including a career-best T-17 at the Honda Classic. He’s playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption in the tournament hosted by his grandfather — the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Saunders shot a first round 73 and is at 1 over par. The Projected cut is at 1 over. He is even par for today. Davis Love III is in the lead at -10.
http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/current/r009/
 Avalon Lakes Golf Course in Warren OH The Pittsburgh Golfer’s Tour has released its 2010 Tournament schedule. This years events include the new Hal Irwin Designed course in McHenry MD near WISP called Lodestone.
Also on the list are Mystic Rock, Olde Stonewall, Shannopin Country Club, Butler Country Club, Seven Oaks, Williams Country Club & Totteridge. The season is comprised of 30 events that start on April 11th and run through October with the PGT Tour Championship.
This is the 16th consecutive season for The PGT, that pays amateur golfers of all skill levels, prize money to compete in handicapped flights.
If your a golfer, and like to compete for money – you should check The PGT out at http://www.pgtgolf.com
Rob
The Pittsburgh Golfer
Western Pennsylvania native Steven Wheatcroft, just had his best finish as a PGA Tour Professional. Wheatcroft’s -16 total score of 272, earned him a third place tie and $168,000 in prize money. Steve’s entire PGA Tour earnings before this event were $245,545.
Steve was one stroke off the lead heading into the final three holes, however bogies at 16 & 18 put him out of contention, and moved him into a four-way tie for third. Derek Lamely won the event at -19, with a final round 66, on the rain soaked Trump International Golf Club in Puerto Rico. Storms had rolled through the area earlier in the week, and pushed the final round to Monday.
Wheatcroft, 32, the 2003 Pennsylvania Open State Champion, has spent the past 2 seasons, as a full-time member of the Nationwide Tour, after failing to keep his tour card following his 2007 rookie season on the PGA Tour. This is Steve’s 6th event of the 2010 golf season, and the third straight cut that he has made. He earned this year’s exemption on Tour by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list in 2009.
Next week the PGA Tour goes to Palm Harbor Florida, for the Transitions Championship, on the Innisbrook Resort Copperhead Course.
 The word is out today that Tiger’s swing coach – Hank Haney – has been seen at The Ilseworth Golf Club, the golf course community that Tiger Woods lives on in Orlando. The 2 have been working on Tiger’s swing on the range, which is very good evidence that Tiger’s focus has shifted back to golf, and that he is now working on a return to the sport.
My guess has it that he will play in the Travistock Cup in Isleworth, then his first PGA event will be down the street from his home, at the Arnold Palmer Invitation in Bay Hill – Tiger has won there 6 times.
Here is an artcle from The Golf Channel on the subject…
Steve Wheatcroft made his second straight cut in his 5th PGA Tour tournament of the season, and finished tied for 17th at The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Wheatcroft’s scores of 71, 68, 70, 71 were good for a 280 or even par at the Champion Course at PGA National Resort and Spa – Steve earned $68,444.45 for his finish.
On the Nationwide Tour, other local golfer’s John Mills finished 42nd and Bobbie Macwhinnie missed the cut at The Pacific Rubiales Bogata Open in Columbia.
This week the PGA Tour goes to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Open by Banco Popular and the Nationwide Tour goes to Louisiana for the Chitimacha Louisiana Open. The World Gold Championships are also this week at Doral in Miami for the CA championships.
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