Northern Trust Begins at Riviera

Prior to winning at Riviera last year, Howell's only other PGA win was the Michelob Championship in 2002'the final year of that tournament'so this is the first time in his pro career he'll have a chance to repeat. However, it won't be easy. The 68th edition of the tour's Los Angeles stop is bound to be one of the most difficult in recent memory because the greens will be hard and fast and the famed kikuyu rough could be as high as three inches at some locations on the course.

Play officially begins at 7 o' clock this morning and the total purse is $6.2 million--$1 million more than last year'with the champion banking a $1,116,000 check. Northern Trust, one of the nation's largest personal trust companies, replaces Nissan as the tournament's title sponsor.

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Golf Etc.® Teams with The Golf Network for In-Store Programming

Golf Etc. of America, Inc., the fastest-growing golf retail franchise in the country, announced today that it has teamed with The Golf Network to bring golf-related multi-media content to its stores. Throughout 2008, The Golf Network's multimedia programming and television monitors will be deployed in Golf Etc. (www.golfetc.com) retail shops across the U.S.

The Golf Network broadcasts golf-related content and promotional offers on large flat screen televisions. The network's digital programming and signage will provide Golf Etc. customers with golf tips and golf-related technology, travel, fashion, health and fitness information.

"We're excited to enhance our customers' shopping experience through the quality programming offered by The Golf Network," said Shane Hunt, chief executive officer of Golf Etc. of America, Inc. "This service also allows us to provide localized cross-promotion with local golf courses, another benefit to each store's golfing community."

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Valhalla ideal for feast of Ryder Cup drama

The clock in the clubhouse tower came from Rolex. The history on the course came from Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Valhalla thus would be a special place even if it were not the site of the Ryder Cup this September.

Lewine Mair: Woods vows to stay one step ahead

Donald sets pace with 64 in Honda Classic

Nicklaus built Valhalla, on the rolling Kentucky farmlands east of Louisville. Woods figuratively sanctified Valhalla when, in 2000, he won the PGA Championship to join Ben Hogan as the only man to win three major titles in a year.

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Seau has shoulder surgery, not sure if future is with football or surfing

SAN DIEGO - Junior Seau looks longingly at the waves on the Pacific Ocean, yet can't go surfing.

He's organizing his annual charity golf tournament, which he's not going to be able to play in.

Seau had arthroscopic surgery on his left rotator cuff not long after his New England Patriots were upset by the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, leaving the linebacker to ponder whether to try to play a 19th NFL season or retire — again.

With free agency set to begin first thing Friday, Seau is more worried about getting healthy and catching up on his offseason pursuits than where, or if, he might play again.

It sounds as if he'll be happy, even if this is the end of his career.

"I have a choice of playing or a choice of surfing.

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Golf: Lady Warriors shoot past Johnson, North Hall (2/25)

CLEVELAND -- The White County girls golf team won a tri-match on Monday, defeating Johnson and North Hall at Mossy Creek Golf Club in Cleveland.

The Lady Warriors (3-0) posted a team score of 91, while Johnson finished second with a 104. North Hall carded a 120.

Rosie Cochran led White County with a low round 44. Sarah Holmes finished second for the Warriors with a 47.

White County plays again Thursday, when they take on Dawson County and West Hall in another tri-match at Mossy Creek.

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Kenya: Golf - Stage Set for Golfer of the Year Series

Although a number of tournaments have emerged over the years, the Kenya Golf Union's Golfer of the Year series remains the biggest of them all.

The GOTY - as it's popularly known as - is the icing on the cake in any top amateur's resume. Featuring a total of 18 tournaments spread all over the country, the GOTY has over the years been the yardstick with which to measure the amateurs' performances.

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Men's golf opens season on the road

On Tuesday, ISU men's golf team finished in fourth place out of 10 teams in the Argonaut Invitational behind junior Ben Murphy. Murphy shot a final round of 73 to put him in a tie for ninth place overall after compiling a 71 in the first two rounds, totaling 215 in the invite. As a team, the 'Birds shot a three-round-total of 870, with first, second, and third round scores of 289, 285, and 296.

"Overall we can take so many positives from this event," Head Coach Ray Kralis said.

"The course showed some teeth today as wind and rain played more of a role, but our guys still came through with solid rounds and battled in a very competitive final pairing."

The Redbird's fourth place finish is much improved from earlier outings. In the beginning of the spring season, ISU fell to the University of Illinois in the Tinervin Cup, 8-1.

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Golfer Greg Norman has India in his sights

Former Golf pro-turned-businessman Greg Norman is betting big on India. In the next five years, the Australia-born world number one golf champion will try to make his mark in different sectors in the country – ranging from real estate to retail to wines.

Norman's company, Great White Shark Enterprises, is in talks with realty major Unitech to design golf courses in its various townships as well as build "gated communities within gated communities". It is already designing a signature golf course at the Unitech Grande luxury residential project in Noida.

"We have designed three golf courses in India, two in the national capital region and one outside Mumbai. We plan at least five more in the next five years— it takes more than two years to design a golf course," says Bart Collins, President, Great White Shark Enterprises, a $200 million group.

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COMMENTARY : 2008 shaping up as the year of the Tiger

Officially, this could be the year Tiger Woods writes golf history by winning the Grand Slam.

Don't bore me with the odds against Woods actually doing it. I know about them. But I have also seen the light and the truth and the way — and it's Woods with a golf club in his hands.

Have you seen the way the man has started 2008 ?

How about a never-was-even-close eight-shot victory two weeks ago at the Buick Invitational in San Diego, his first tournament of the year ? How about his victory Sunday at the Dubai Desert Classic, where he shot a 65 in the final round to come from four shots back ?

That makes for five victories in his past five tournaments, including the PGA Championship — where he won his 13 th major title — and the Tour Championship at the end of last year.

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Nike seeks to expand Sumo brand

The Nike marketing machine is at it again.

In addition to making steady strides establishing its authenticity, Nike Golf officials are now trying to build on the momentum of its Sumo sub-brand. Drafting off its flagship product, the Sumo drivers, Nike has created an entire family of Sumo products, including fairway woods, hybrids and irons.

Nike officials say it'll be far easier to sell other Sumo products to consumers who have already embraced its driver. In particular, they're hoping it'll boost the sale of its hybrids, a fast-growing category in which Nike has yet to make a real splash. Tom Stites, director of product creation for Nike Golf, maintains the company has had technologically sound hybrids, most notably its original CPR clubs, which have had a loyal, albeit small following.

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Golf ball mystery just might involve a birdie

We live on the edge of Briones Regional Park so we have lots of birds and animals around our yard.

When we moved into our house about four years ago, my husband found a golf ball in the outer part of the yard. He put it in a large wooden planter box that sits on the patio.

Several times throughout the years the ball has disappeared, and then shown up again somewhere else in the yard. Each time my husband has put the ball back in the planter box.

Well, a couple of days ago, we looked outside and there were two golf balls in the planter box. They were both the same brand, so we presume they came from the same general area.

We can't figure out what animal or bird would move golf balls around. Any ideas? We have no children who might be moving the balls around.

Louise Tanno, Lafayette

Dear Louise:

Any golf courses near your house? Not that it matters.

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Hall wins Australian Ladies Masters on missed putt

In golf, you just don't know what's going to happen. But I'm very thrilled."

"It was windy, but I played very well," Hall added. "I played smart and made some putts when I could."

Shin, who will start her fourth season on the Japanese tour this season, finished with a 68 and was alone in second.

With tears in her eyes, Shin called her missed putt "a bad stroke."

"It was pressure," said Shin through an interpreter. "It was very disappointing as I had played so well over three days."

Another English golfer, 20-year-old Felicity Johnson, had the round of the day - a 65 - to finish tied for third with Sweden's Louise Stahle (67), two strokes back.

"It was quite windy out there, and I didn't make any bogeys, so that was the key," said Johnson, a former British amateur who quit school at 16 to play full-time golf.

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Woods' lead in world rankings keeps growing

Another start, another win for world No. 1 Tiger Woods.

Thanks to his win at the Dubai Desert Classic, Woods' lead at the top of the latest world golf rankings is up to 11.25 average points. He led No. 2 Phil Mickelson by 11.02 points last week.

Woods' lead grew even with Mickelson losing in a playoff at the PGA Tour's FBR Open. Steve Stricker held steady in third place.

Ernie Els shared third behind Woods and inched up a spot to fourth, knocking Adam Scott down to fifth. Jim Furyk and Justin Rose held steady in sixth and seventh.

Rory Sabbatini and K.J. Choi exchanged places, with Sabbatini up to eighth. The next eight players remained the same, with Padraig Harrington followed by Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Geoff Ogilvy, Angel Cabrera, Zach Johnson and Aaron Baddeley.

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Golf Mart returns as host of annual NorCal golf show

Golf Mart Golf Shops, the nation's largest golf retailer returns for its fifth year as a presenting sponsor of the 2008 Northern California Golf Show, March 14-16 at the San Mateo County Event Center.

Golf Mart will once again stage a massive pro shop on-site where attendees will find prices as low as 50 percent off 2008 lines of apparel and equipment from all the top manufacturers, including Bridgestone, Callaway, Cleveland, Nike, TaylorMade and many more.

"Golf Mart is the premier golf retailer on the West Coast, and we are honored to have them as a Presenting Sponsor of our event for a fifth-straight year," says David Stolber of Varsity Communications, the show owner. "Their influence in the Northern California marketplace and their ability to bring all the major manufacturers for our Demo Line, along with their increased Golf Shop on-site, will give our consumers incredible deals on all products and unmatched customer service."

Just for walking in the door, attendees will receive a goody bag with more than $75 of free giveaways, including clubs, rounds of golf, magazine subscriptions and more.

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Indoor golf facility puts the swing back into winter

Imagine the looks Bob Ronca must receive when he loads his clubs in his car and tells his neighbors he is going to "the island" to play golf.

The mere mention conjures soothing images of palm trees and tropical breezes, emerald-green grass and water more blue than Cameron Diaz's eyes. Especially when the snow is blowing and the wind-chill is lower than his handicap (which is about 15).

But at least three times a week, Ronca does just that -- heads to the island to hit balls and get his game ready for the golf season in Western Pennsylvania -- whenever it arrives.

This island, however, is not located off the coast of Florida or floating in some exotic part of the Caribbean.

It's just a wedge shot across the Ohio River from Coraopolis, a narrow parcel littered with industrial plants, weathered warehouses and what is billed as the most spacious indoor golf dome in the country.

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Legally blind golfer, 92, shoots a hole-in-one, ducks attention

Leo Fiyalko would just as soon get on with life.

So he made a hole-in-one on the 110-yard, par-3 fifth hole at Cove Cay Country Club in Clearwater.

So what if it was the 92-year-old's first hole-in-one in more than 60 years of playing golf?

Big deal.

And who cares if he is legally blind, with a condition called macular degeneration?

Fiyalko doesn't understand what all the fuss is about.

"It was my first hole-in-one, and I never saw it," Fiyalko said. "I was just trying to put the ball on the green."

That's about all he'll say on the subject. But that didn't stop his friends in the Twilighters Club golf group from presenting him with a plaque on Jan. 24 commemorating the feat. There is a picture on the plaque of the fifth hole and a line that reads: "Leo Fiyalko, hole-in-one, five iron, 110 yards."

The feat came on Jan.

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Holmes wins playoff

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- J.B. Holmes seemed headed for a stinging collapse. He had blown a four-stroke lead in the final round of the FBR Open and fallen one shot back with one hole to play.

Yet in the nick of time, the young Kentuckian persevered and beat one of the game's best. Holmes made consecutive birdies on the 18th hole Sunday - one to force a playoff with Phil Mickelson and the other to beat him. "That's pretty impressive golf," Mickelson said. Holmes knew that he had not yet lived up to promise of his 2006 rookie season, when he won the FBR in just his fourth PGA tournament. He hadn't won one since. "I just had a little trouble adjusting to all the traveling out here," Holmes said, "and I just got married in November, so I'm more settled in life and happier right now.

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Herron shoots a 69 to take 1-shot lead at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Tim Herron shot a 3-under-par 69 yesterday at Poppy Hills and emerged with a 1-shot lead in the AT&T Pro Am. Herron was at 7-under 137. The cut won't be made until after today's rounds, when the 180-man field has played all three courses in the rotation. Chambers Bay, the links-style course with a stunning setting abutting Puget Sound southwest of Seattle, was awarded the 2015 U.S. Open. It will be the first U.S. Open held in the Pacific Northwest. Champions Tour BOCA RATON, Fla. - Mark McNulty holed an 86-foot chip shot for eagle on the par-5 18th for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead with Jerry Pate in the Allianz Championship. McNulty had five birdies and a bogey on the Old Course at Broken Sound. European Tour NEW DELHI - Damien McGrane of Ireland shot a 3-under 69 for a 2-stroke lead after the second round of the inaugural Indian Masters.

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