Filling the Soft Spot
Posted: Thursday May 06, 1999 05:01 PM
All's usually quiet on the Tour from the end of the Masters to the start of the
U.S. Open. It's a soft spot on the schedule, 66 days this year, in which Tiger
Woods disappears for three weeks at a time, and so can our interest. Thanks to
Stuart Appleby, then, for giving us a thrill. Houston's no major, and it wasn't
Appleby's first win since the death of his wife, Renay, but his victory meant a
little more than your average W, especially these days. This was one we could
feel.
PGA
Appleby became the seventh player born outside the U.S., and the fourth
member of the '98 International Presidents Cup team, to win on Tour this
year when he beat John Cook and Hal Sutton by one.... Appleby is also the sixth
player in the last 10 weeks to win after missing the cut in his previous start
(Masters).... Mark Weibe hadn't made a cut this year, missing eight
straight, before finishing 18th in the MCI Classic, 57th at Greensboro and
fourth at The Woodlands.... Steve Elkington ,who shot a 65 on Saturday to
move into a tie for ninth, withdrew that night after being hospitalized with
viral meningitis, which he has fought off twice in the past.... Jack Nicklaus
says he will play in his Memorial tournament, June 3-6, even though he is
not completely recovered from hip-replacement
surgery.
LPGA
Rachel Hetherington, who won the City of Hope Myrtle Beach (S.C.)
Classic by a stroke over Helen Alfredsson, Leta Lindley and Karrie Webb, has
three victories in the last seven months -- as many as fellow Aussie Webb....
Webb still hasn't finished worse than eighth this season in eight starts. The
record for top 10 finishes in a calendar year is 25 by Judy Rankin in
1973.... The City of Hope was the first tournament to be reduced to 36 holes
since last year's Los Angeles Women's Championship, won by Dale
Eggeling.
SENIOR
Larry Nelson edged Dana Quigley by one stroke and Gil Morgan by two at
the Bruno's Memorial Classic in Birmingham and has five wins over the last
15 months, as many as Morgan and two fewer than Hale
Irwin.
ALSO
Steve Gotsche picked up his second Nike tour win of the year , at the
Upstate Classic in Greenville, S.C. Gotsche, who beat Sam Randolph by two
strokes, also won the Monterrey (Mexico) Open in March.... Casey Martin
has missed five of nine cuts on the Nike tour and is 40th on the money list....
Seve Ballesteros shot a final-round 67 at the Italian Open -- won by
Scotland's Dean Robertson -- and finished 17th, his best showing since the '98
Dubai Desert Classic, in which he came in
10th.
Sports Illustrated's The Week takes you from tournament to tournament and everywhere in between. The Week will describe highlights from all the Tour's previous events and preview the next ones. Brought to you by Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus, look for the posting of The Week each Tuesday.
Issue date: May 10, 1999
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