Golf Guide 2015 by AIM Media Indiana

Golf Guide 2015 Does more daylight equal more golfers?

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2 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

Contents 10

Game changers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Updated equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Swing studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 More daylight, more golf?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 AJGA tournament preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Fighting the yips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The First Tee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 John Peterson moving up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Local golf calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Golf bags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 PGA and LPGA tour schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

18 Comments should be sent to Doug Showalter, The Republic, 333 Second St., Columbus, IN 47201 or call 812-379-5625 or dshowalter@therepublic.com. Advertising information: Call 812-379-5652. ÂŠ2015 by Home News Enterprises. All rights reserved. Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited. Stock images provided by ÂŠ Thinkstock.

Editor: Doug Showalter Copy Editor: Katharine Smith Contributing Writers: Mike David, Jay Heater, Paul Hoffman, Barney Quick Photography: Joe Harpring, Andrew Laker, Joel Philippsen, Chet Strange Editorial Design: Phillip Spalding Advertising Design: Emma Ault, Tonya Cassidy, Julie Daiker, Ben Hill, Phil Manning, Josh Meyer, Desiree Poteete, Amanda Waltz Advertising Director: Mike Rossetti Account Executives: Scott Begley, Kathy Burnett, Rhonda Day, Jan Hoffman-Perry, Cathy Klaes, Sara Mathis, Ian McGriff

GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 3

Equipment and technology change the game

By Jay Heater n jheater@therepublic.com

o this is the year that you’ve promised yourself that golf will be a priority. It’s been 10 long years since you’ve made time for your favorite sport because you have been driven to succeed at your job, whatever that might be. What’s life, though, without some fun? You pick up your golf bag, head to the driving range and pull out your original Big Bertha driver. The guy hitting balls alongside you snickers as he looks over at your 20-year-old club. He is roaring through the ball with a HarleyDavidson-strength driver that sends shock waves through the range when he connects. You look back down at your once proud driver, which is now a miniature golf moped, half the size of his monster. Yes, equipment and technology change quickly in the golf world. Fortunately, local golf pros and sporting goods shops can get all golfers up to date in a hurry if they want to spend the money. So what’s one of the biggest changes in golf equipment the past 10 years?

4 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

“I would say the adjustability of driver heads,” said Keith Clark, the head pro at Harrison Lake Country Club in Columbus. “You can adjust things that dramatically affect your distance, such as moving the weight toward the heel or the toe, opening or closing the club face or moving the weight forward or backward. You can get a higher launch or fix it so you won’t have as much spin.” Ted Bishop, the general manager of The Legends Golf Club of Franklin, agrees with Clark. “The adjustable driver would be No. 1,” Bishop said of the biggest change in technology over the past decade. “And it’s good for every (level) golfer.” Adjustable drivers are designed with an adjustable hosel that when shifted with the proper tool can change the club’s loft, lie or face angle. Of course, if you are the recreational golfer who gets a little confused by moving around the face of his club, a little assistance is necessary. “It is important to get a fitting,” Bishop said. “People will spend $400 on a driver, and high handi-

cappers will spend that as well. You might as well get the right fit. What we do is to credit half the fitting fee if you buy the club from us. That way we try to encourage everyone to get a fitting that ties into the adjustable component.” Timbergate General Manager Wayne Gibbs said the adjustable driver has been a great benefit to not just golfers, but those selling the clubs. “Back in the day, we had four lofts, and you had to carry those four different lofts in stock,” Gibbs said. “You also had regular flex, stiff flex, senior flex and ladies. You had to have so many different kinds. Now you can carry regular and stiff flex, and then adjust. “The benefit for golfers is that back in the day, you paid $400 for a driver, and if it didn’t fit your swing well, you were stuck with it. Now you can pull out a tool and change it. If you start hitting a slice, toe it in. I would recommend that people who buy (an adjustable driver) get themselves on a launch monitor and see what’s best for them.” Chad Cockerham, the head pro at Otter Creek

of Columbus, said that a professional could spend 15 minutes with a golfer, trying out a new adjustable driver, at the range and increase distance by 10 to 15 yards with a quick adjustment. “And if you put that golfer’s swing on a launch monitor, then you really can start adjusting.” All four club pros and general managers noted that golf companies have made huge strides in increasing the “trampoline effect” of the iron faces as well. “It’s when the ball compresses against the club face, then springs back,” Clark said. “Thus it gives the ball a little higher ball speed. You see people pick up 15 yards with an iron. The (United States Golf Association) put a limit to what they could do with a driver, and now they are starting to do it with irons as well.” Cockerham said the USGA has put a cap on the coefficient restitution limit of a golf ball coming off a club face. The USGA started testing drivers and placed the coefficient restitution limit at 0.83. A coefficient restitution of 1.0 would mean that if you dropped a ball, it would hit the floor and spring back the same height every time. It would never stop bouncing. A coefficient restitution limit of 0.00 means you would drop the ball to the floor and it would splat with no bounce at all. With golf equipment companies having access to Keith Clark shows off a golf club at Harrison Lake Country Club in Columbus. | photo by Chet Strange

see Equipment and technology on page 7

GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 5

Constantly updated equipment presents problems for players and shops

Kurt Balser looks at a TaylorMade golf club at Timbergate Golf Course in Edinburgh. photo by Chet Strange

By Jay Heater n jheater@therepublic.com magine unwrapping your Callaway XR irons, the best, new thing on the market, and heading to the course, only to see an advertisement in the pro shop that something newer and better will hit the market in the coming weeks. You might feel like you just bought an 8-track in the world of cassette players. It’s common, though, in the golf industry, to fall behind the newest technology in a hurry. “There is no question that there is a tremendous amount of frustration from consumers and salesmen,” said Ted Bishop, the general manager of The Legends Golf Club in Franklin. “I don’t have a problem saying that TaylorMade has hurt the industry because they’ve done that.” “That” is rapid-fire releasing of new equipment when the previous generation has just hit golf shops. It makes consumers wary about buying new equipment, and it devalues previous generation equipment that many pro shops might have in stock. Bishop said TaylorMade has gone so far as to open 15 TaylorMade retail outlets around the country that can unload second-generation equipment. It makes pro shop operators consider going with companies that don’t introduce as much new product in short periods of time. Bishop said such a practice causes customer service issues and inventory problems. Keith Clark, the head pro at Harrison Lake in Columbus, said those who manufacture golf

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clubs and equipment are starting to take notice and have adopted more of a two-year cycle. “Say Titleist will release a new driver,” Clark said. “It will be two years before you see a different one. But then you have someone like Callaway, and as soon as they make something better, they make it available. “I do think the vendors work with golf shops to find out what they want to do in such a case. They might mark down clubs or take (the previous generation) clubs back. Then those clubs hit the secondary market, and you start seeing them online.” While the previous generation clubs might go back to the manufacturer and not be the pro shop’s problem, they still end up on the market, and as some area club pros noted, add even more competition. Timbergate General Manager Wayne Gibbs said the golf club industry is beginning to look like the “computer industry or the cellphone industry.” “You buy one, and next year it isn’t up to date,” Gibbs said. “But I think most people know it’s not us (golf shops). I mean TaylorMade has come out with two or three drivers during a season. They flooded the market so much that some people say, ‘I will wait until next year.” However, Gibbs said the move in the industry is more toward slowing down the release of new golf technology. “I think

they’ve already done it,” he said. “Ping and Titleist only release new technology every couple of years now.” Chad Cockerham, the head pro at Otter Creek in Columbus, said Titleist has a twoyear cycle with its driver but in the off-year will release new irons. But TaylorMade does release new clubs every four to six months. “Most of that is company-driven, and a lot of it depends on how a company wants to market itself,” he said. “Callaway is starting to release stuff much faster. Some of it is equipment-driven, but most is driven by marketing. “The difficult thing for us is that we certainly want to have the latest equipment. But it’s a little difficult when a guy buys something, and three months later, something new comes out.” Cockerham said that consumers might keep in mind that much of the equipment coming out is great stuff, even if it isn’t the newest thing. “I suggest to people, if they are looking to get a new driver, that they can go back a generation and there is nothing wrong with it. Some older equipment tests out even better, depending on your swing. That’s why we tend to have a lot of demos, and we do get a lot of trade-ins.” If equipment is rushed out at too fast a pace, there is one underlying reason. “When golfers hit something and it gives them a few yards, they are going to buy it,” Clark said.

Equipment and technology continued from page 5 the materials to make similar club faces, the USGA figured it had to come up with a limit. To the recreational golfer, it means that you might think about updating your irons if you don’t want to lose distance to your neighbor. Once you get the right club, it becomes time to pick out a ball. There are dozens to choose from. “The golf ball changes more than anything else equipment-wise,” Cockerham said. “So much of that is aerodynamics and chemistry. When they come up with new cover material, it changes the golf ball. The clubs have to change as the golf ball changes. If you look at the (Titleist) Pro V1, the ball would leave the face with a lot of spin. We have seen a lot of tour players go with a 6-degree or 7-degree loft. Now the new golf balls are coming off like knuckleballs. The driver lofts have to go up a lot. The ball changes all the time, only in smaller increments. “A great way to explain it is to think of it as a hose. If you spray the water too high or too low, it won’t go that far. You are trying to hit that perfect curve.” Bishop said the Callaway Chrome Soft 65 compression ball is the hottest thing on the market. “The golf balls continue to improve, and the biggest improvement has been this new Callaway Chrome ball. That means that any player with any club head speed can compress the ball and gain dis-

2015 Fee Schedule

tance. Early indications are that this is going to be the No. 1 ball on the market. And the beauty of the Callaway Chrome is that a dozen cost $37.99 so it becomes an extremely affordable ball. It has a soft cover and performs well around the greens. It is a great multipurpose ball.”

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Green Fee (rate includes cart) Weekdays...........................$79.00 Weekdays Play All Day....$100.00 Weekends..........................$89.00 Weekends After Noon.......$59.00 Weekends Play All Day....$100.00

photo by Chet Strange

Fee..........................................................$250 Weekdays (walk) 18 Holes $26.00….................9 Holes $15.00 After 2 pm play 18 holes W/Cart for $25.00 Play All Day.........................................$65.00 Weekends (walk) 18 Holes $32.00......................9 Holes $17.00 After Noon play 18 Holes W/Cart for $38.00 Play All Day.........................................$70.00 Cart (per rider) 18 Holes $17.00…..................9 Holes $10.00

Although high handicap golfers might go to the department store and buy the cheapest ball available, Clark said it is an important piece of the equipment pie for both low and high handicap golfers. “If you are an 18 handicapper, out of those 90 strokes a round, 14 will be with the driver,” Clark said. “But those other 76 strokes make it important the kind of ball you play. A higher handicap golfer will miss more greens, and that makes spin and touch even more important.” Some of the newer equipment isn’t related to balls or clubs. Golfers who find their way back to the course after a decade absence might notice that everyone seems to have some sort of electronic device that gives yardage to the green or pin. “I use a laser, and I really like it,” Gibbs said. “It gives better yardage to the pin. I got it three years ago. And the last couple of years, I’ve sold a lot of GPS units because they are easier to use.” Cockerham said golf apps for phones can be free and other GPS units can cost less than $100. “The thing about yardage (tools) is that they are so inexpensive,” he said. “There are the two different schools, the laser and the GPS. The GPS doesn’t give you the exact yardage that the laser does, but it is so easy to use. You just look at the screen, and it tells you.”

Season Pass

Initiation Fee....................................................$250 Corporate.......................................................$5,000 Family (Golf, Cart, Range.............................$3,200 Single (Golf, Cart, Range).............................$2,350 Family (Golf Only)........................................$2,500 Single (Golf Only).........................................$1,500 Young Adult (Age 30 and under, Golf only)....$750 Junior (Age 17 and under)...............................$600 Junior (Golf, Range).........................................$375 *Initiation fee will be waived on all subsequent years as long as fees for the following year are paid before January 1st.

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GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 7

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Teeing off with technology Swing studio at Harrison Lake Country Club allows golfers to perfect game year-round By Barney Quick

olf is a social activity as well as a sport, but in climes such as Indiana’s, it’s also seasonal. Enthusiasts can go for months without seeing their links friends or the staff at the courses where they play. They also often don’t have a means to hone their game during that off-time. Harrison Lake Country Club has launched a new service designed to address this gap in a golfer’s year. Its swing studio, opened in early December, is busy seven days a week. Members endlessly analyze shots with the aid of technology that reports on each one with unstinting precision. It’s in a small room set up much like a batting cage. A web of netting at one end catches balls. Behind the tee area is a machine called a 3D Doppler Launch Monitor. Nearby is a computer loaded with software that provides a number of screens for presenting information about a particular swing and putting it in the context of the golfer’s performance over time. Players can see the arc of each ball and the deviation of that arc from a straight line to the hole from a number of different perspectives on a theoretical field. There are charts for speed, spin, acceleration, the relationship

8 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

of the impact point on the club face to ball path and launch angle, to name a few. The software makes it possible to conduct club comparisons, ball comparisons and player comparisons. Course pro Keith Clark says the system has exponentially enhanced his ability to help golfers with positioning shoulders, head, wrists and legs.

“I prepare a baseline report to find out how accurate you are with every club and then work on particular areas in subsequent sessions,” says Clark. The system is made by FlightScope. The company’s founder, Henri Johnson, originally developed the technology for the defense industry. Its purpose was to analyze projectile speed. FlightScope soon saw the product’s potential in the realm of sports. It doesn’t come cheap. The club’s owner, Columbus businessman Bob Haddad, made it possible.

“Last year, he said, ‘What is that thing that shows you all that stuff on the computer? I think our members would like one.’ So he put up the $10,000 for us to get it,” says Clark. Reports on each of a golfer’s sessions are sent by email. Clark generally types additional notes. The studio also utilizes another software package, available as a phone app, called Coach’s Eye. “I can voice-over an instant replay, tell the golfer what I’m seeing and send it to him as a YouTube video,” says Clark. “We’re seeing dramatic improvement,” he observes. “In some cases, they’re getting 15 to 20 additional yards with irons, let alone drivers. One player bought an entire new set of clubs upon seeing he’d added 20 yards with a 6-iron.” On a recent day, club member Richard Wigh was practicing, dividing his concentration between his swing and the information on the computer screen. “I’m learning a lot about the imbalance I have in my hands,” he noted. “It’s defining just what I have to work on regarding distance.” David Lacey has been coming by two to three times a week throughout the winter. “I’m seeing improvement in all my numbers,” he says. “I’m anxious to see how that translates to the course.” Clark employs some low-tech props as well. A bit of athlete’s foot spray on a club can indicate a lot about the gap between where it’s actually contacting the ball and where it should. Setting a cardboard box in close proximity to the tee, with the object being for the club not to leave a mark on it, keeps players honest. The swing studio technology is part of an overall upgrade push at Harrison Lake. The club also recently acquired a fleet of new carts. Clark is primarily enthusiastic about how it has fostered a sense of community: “It creates a continuing connection with our membership in the off-season.”

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COUNTRY CLUB 812-342-4457 // HarrisonLakeClub.com // Columbus, Ind. GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 9

Daylight saving time offers mixed bag for courses, golfers

By Barney Quick

n a world full of pressing issues and raging controversies, it might seem unlikely that daylight saving time would assume a central place among our societal conversations. Not so. Pundits and ordinary citizens alike have much to say about the “spring forward” experienced by most Hoosiers every March. Local golfers and golf pros certainly exhibit an array of assessments. Keith Clark, pro at Harrison Lake Country Club, west of Columbus, is unequivocal in his enthusiasm for it. “I find it to be wonderful for the golfers,” he said. “From a work and staffing standpoint, we’re happy to see the activity. It allows us to provide some programs with a start time after 5:30 (p.m.). This enables more members to make it in time after work. Some players use the extra time to have dinner at home first and then come out and play with family. I don’t think I’ve had any who want less evening daylight except on fireworks night.” Ted Bishop, the general manager at The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, has a somewhat different take. “It’s not produced the number of players after work I’d hoped it would,” the former president of the PGA said. “When it was first implemented, I’d hoped players would go home, have dinner and come back and play nine or 18 holes. That hasn’t happened.” He also says that the increased overhead, including the staff required to keep

10 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

the shop open later, has not been offset with more activity and suspects that it’s an industry-wide trend. “I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a course where revenues have increased.” Chad Cockerham, the pro at Otter Creek Golf Course to the east of Columbus, concurs with the observation about increased overhead. He points to training for the grounds crew to mow closer to dark and adding lights to vehicles. Cockerham says that those taking advantage of longer evenings tend to only play nine holes. He attributes this in part to the fact that ours is an increasingly busy society generally. “In our industry, lack of free time is a bigger issue than the amount of daylight,” he says. Overall, though, he doesn’t see DST as a money-maker. “We’d like to say that it’s increased income, but I haven’t seen any studies to indicate that.” Amber Pasel, the pro at Greenwood’s Hickory Stick Golf Club, says her course has had a different experience. “Most of our evening golfers want to get in a full 18 holes,” she said. Hickory Stick offers a discounted Late Twilight rate that members find appealing, she said. Timbergate Golf Course pro Kurt Balser tends to see things Clark’s and Pasel’s way. “We already had an increase in traffic in March this year,” he noted, adding

that his players generally try to get in 18 holes. Balser even sees it as a plus from a revenue standpoint. “The whole things is about dollars,” he said. “We see not just more green fees, but shop sales and drink sales. The driving range gets busy then, too. Guys take buckets of balls out there and swing away much more than at any other time of day.” Golfers who must keep a close watch on their budget for the sport seek out the discounts DST creates. Sam Baker, who selfdeprecatingly describes himself as “young and broke,” said, “I rely on the twilight specials, typically at Legends or at Salt Creek.” He generally goes for 18 holes, noting that the sun has nearly set “by the time we come in on 17.” Ted Schuler says, “As a golfer who primarily plays at Otter Creek, I love DST. It allows me to get in plenty of golf and still have some daylight for grilling out while the sun sets.” Allen Goltra, who plays frequently at Otter Creek, says that one sees more league activity in the evening. He also noted that it’s “kind of men time,” as opposed to days, when women and families turn out in greater numbers. Avid golfer Mark Ketchum definitely takes a seize-the-day approach during the DST time of year. “After 2 p.m., you can usually save about $10 a round,” he said. “Most courses, especially Timbergate, where I play the most, aren’t very busy. I play till dark most times. I play a lot of 36-hole rounds and even some 45-hole rounds on my day off. I played 135 18hole rounds last year.” It would seem, then, that while course pros have a considerable array of viewpoints on the benefits of daylight saving time to their clubs, the players form a broad but clear consensus: The sun’s still up, so let’s play some golf.

WELCOME 2015

GOLFERS GREEN FEES

Weekday Fees Walk 9 Holes............$10 18 Holes............$14 Ride 9 Holes............$17 18 Holes............$25

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12000 E. 225 N. Off State Road 9 Near Hope • 812.372.6031 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 11

AJGA at Otter Creek continues to build momentum

By Jay Heater n jheater@therepublic.com

hile the American Junior Golf Association is returning to Otter Creek for a third consecutive year on June 28 to July 2, the tournament’s impact on Bartholomew County is now present year-round. John Fairbanks, the Under Armour/Jeff Overton Championship tournament chairman, said youth golfers are now experiencing the positive effects of the tournament’s financial wake. He said that creating a good foundation for The First Tee golf program was the tournament’s primary goal since the committee began to organize the first AJGA event at Otter Creek since 1990 three years ago. With heavy sponsorship from Cummins and Under Armour, that goal has been realized as The First Tee program is off and running. “We knew it was going to take awhile to fund both the programming and the equipment,” Fairbanks said. “But now we have six sets of SNAG equipment that have been sent to elementary schools.” That equipment has been incorporated into the schools’ physical education program. After the SNAG (Starting New at Golf) program is presented to students, the equipment moves to six more schools and continues to rotate between the schools as needed. “We’re going to touch every elementary

12 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

school kid in the county,” Fairbanks said. According to SNAG’s website, it is a “proven player development program designed for new learners of all ages. SNAG contains all the elements of golf but in a modified form. The system builds on strong fundamentals of putting, chipping, pitching and full swing to develop playing ability quickly and effectively. SNAG incorporates developmentally appropriate equipment and instruction that will allow golf to be learned and played in non-traditional venues, such as on a soccer field, in a gym or on the beach. “SNAG is the skills-acquisition program used in the national school golf program headed by the World Golf Foundation’s First Tee Program. There are more than 8,000 schools that are successfully introducing children to golf in the U.S. and over 10,000 worldwide.” Otter Creek teaching pro Jeff Smith is heading the new First Tee program that aims to do more than teach kids how to play golf. According to The First Tee’s website, “The First Tee is an international youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. Through after school and in school programs, it helps shape the lives of young people from all walks of life by reinforcing values like integrity, respect and perseverance through the game of golf. And it’s making a difference. Research-proven programs are having a positive impact on participants,

their families and their communities.” Fairbanks said that while Smith will run The First Tee program, every PGA teaching professional in Columbus will be involved. As far as the tournament itself, Fairbanks said things have gone smoothly. “Just by tweaking little things, the tournament continues to get better,” he said. “And we provide a great venue in great condition.” Fairbanks said Cummins has even increased its sponsorship of the event, and Under Armour continues to keep the same sponsorship. According to Fairbanks, Overton loves his role as a tournament co-sponsor and is committed for the long run. It all means that the tournament has done well enough to raise funds for the community. “We’ve been able to raise enough money to write a nice check to First Tee,” Fairbanks said. “Our plan is to continue to make this an annual event.” The Columbus Visitors Center has been a partner since the tournament returned to Otter Creek and is committed again this year. The community once again is engaged, as Fairbanks said that 80 percent of the volunteer positions needed to run the tournament already are filled. The tournament qualifier will be June 28, and a clinic run by Overton will be June 29. The tournament itself will run June 30 and July 1 and 2.

PGA player Jeff Overton, center, poses with the competitors. | photo by Joe Harpring

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Friday Special Opposite page: Connor Opalka tees off during the Under Armour/Jeff Overton Championship at Otter Creek. Above: Sydney Anderson chips onto the green during the final round. | photos by Andrew Laker

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GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 13

The ‘yips’: Funny name, serious problem for athletes

By Elizabeth Hamilton n The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

he ball was a mere 5 feet from the hole, but when Chey Castro raised his putter for what should have been a clean shot, his hand spasmed and he missed the putt that would have won him $180 at the tournament. “I know I’m good and I know I can make these putts,” says Castro from his home in Scottsdale, Ariz. “I used to always make them and never had an issue.” Castro is among those experienced golfers plagued by an inexplicable phenomenon known as the yips. The name might make the condition sound trivial, but the yips can ruin a professional athlete’s career. For golfers, it’s an uncontrollable spasm that occurs in the hands right before impact, says Debbie Crews, a sports psychology consultant for Arizona State University

14 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

women’s golf team and a faculty research assistant in the professional golf management program. Crews has helped Castro and others treat the yips. She recently spoke in Dallas about the brain science behind golf and the yips at the Center for Brain Health’s public lecture series at the University of Texas at Dallas. The yips affect many kinds of athletes, including cricket and baseball players, and even piano players, but the condition is most closely associated with golfers. Tiger Woods’ poor game at the recent Phoenix Open led some fellow players to speculate that the great golfer himself has it. Around 40 percent of golfers will experience the yips at some point in their career, says Crews. In the past, most golfers refused to admit they had it. Today, scientists like Crews are trying to understand what causes the yips, as well as how to treat it.

Scientists separate the yips into two categories: neurological and psychological. A small number of golfers who come down with the yips have focal dystonia, or a neurological problem in the brain that causes involuntary muscle contractions, says Crews. For most, there’s nothing neurologically wrong. This is what makes the yips so mysterious. Except for the spasm itself, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with these golfers. Some golfers have the yips only under certain conditions, say, if they’re playing a game with thousands of dollars resting on a single putt. Others might have it intermittently for a few months. For some, it might be chronic. “It’s very hard to watch somebody miss the hole by 5 feet when a little kid at 3 years old could do it just fine,” says Crews.

And if it’s hard for the viewer, imagine the golfer’s frustration. Castro first experienced the yips more than 10 years ago. He had played golf since he was 6 and was especially active in high school, but when he went to college, he stopped playing so frequently. That’s when he first experienced the yips. Castro, 37, attributes it to a lack of confidence. In high school, he was practicing every day. Now, he just plays for fun several times a week. The lack of practice makes him less confident when he steps up to even the simplest putt. “When I just play with some buddies I play the best,” he says. “But when it’s for a tournament ... I kind of sometimes put too much pressure and mess it up.” Anxiety doesn’t cause the yips, Crews says, but it can make the problem worse. She helped ease Castro’s anxiety through a variety of exercises, including focusing his attention past the ball and making minor position adjustments in his setup. She also suspects that making slight hand and feet adjustments can recircuit the brain in a way that overcomes the yips. When a golfer putts, his brain relies on a

template it created to determine what signal is sent to which muscles to tell them what to do. With the yips, this template becomes dysfunctional. “What often interferes with performance is when the left side of the brain becomes overactive,” she says. That analytic, verbal side can’t shut down, and it tries to overcontrol the motion. “Just that small change in hand position, and it seems like there’s an adjustment and a detour in the brain,” she says. This is similar to a treatment for focal dystonia when writing. Place paper on the desk, and people with focal dystonia can’t write. Place it on the wall, though, and all of a sudden, they can. “People think they’ve got to do this one perfect motion this one way, but that’s not true,” says Crews. “There’s many ways.” Even after working with Crews, Castro still struggles with the yips. He’s not alone. Some golfers come out of treatment completely cured. Others are not so lucky. Castro loves the game, so he doesn’t let the yips keep him off the course. It’s not fun, “but what do you do?” he says. “I’m not one to get too frustrated.”

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By Mike David executive director Indiana Golf Office

The First Tee helps kids develop life skills

onesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. Individually, these are all positive traits you would hope people possess. Together, they make up the nine core values of The First Tee, a national youth development program that provides participants with skills they can carry with them throughout their lives. The First Tee has reached over 9 million participants since its inception in 1997. There are 17,000 volunteers actively engaged in delivering First Tee programming, and The First Teeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Schools Program is offered in 6,000 elementary schools nationwide. Locally, The First Tee is a relatively new endeavor, but thanks to the efforts of volunteers throughout Indiana more youths are being given the opportunity to participate in The First Tee and to develop its values. Some 18 years ago a movement was underfoot to bring The First Tee to Indianapolis. Meetings were held, committees were formed, a home site was selected. But talks eventually stalled, and the quest to have The First Tee influence in Indianapolis was put on hold. Fast forward to 2009. A First Tee chapter was finally formed in Indianapolis, becom-

16 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

ing the third First Tee Chapter in Indiana. The First Tee of Indianapolis did an excellent job getting its National Schools Program into Indianapolis area schools. Through the NSP program, The First Tee of Indianapolis was reaching more than 8,000 children in 22 Indianapolis elementary schools. The future of The First Tee of Indianapolis, however, was very much in doubt. Due to limited sources of funding and an uncertain financial future, an effort was spearheaded by then First Tee board member Alice Dye to have the Indianapolis First Tee Chapter placed under the Indiana Golf Foundation umbrella. Formed in 1994 with an annual operating budget of $800,000, the foundation was viewed as the organization that could provide long-term sustainability to The First Tee and offer growth opportunities that

could potentially reach tens of thousands of children in Indiana. That process was completed in late 2011. The name and geographic scope of the chapter were changed to The First Tee of Central Indiana, and a new plan was developed. Within months of this transition, a movement was underway to once again expand the reach and scope of The First Tee in Indiana. It was now on the fast track to not only reach central Indiana youths, but those interested in golf throughout the state. Today, The First Tee of Indiana has 11 locations throughout the state with almost 1,000 kids in the certifying program. Locations are Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Michiana (South Bend/Elkhart), South Central (Crawford, Dubois and Harrison counties), French Lick, Bloomington, Evansville, Southeastern (Decatur, Ripley and Dearborn counties), Richmond, Columbus and Franklin. In addition, The First Teeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National School Program is offered in more than 200 Indiana elementary schools and is

reaching 90,000 children in those locations.

The First Tee’s certifying program is not just another junior golf program. It focuses on the nine core values and requires participants to progress through a five-level process:

• Player (required minimum age 7) — Introduces playing the game of golf with special emphasis on learning golf and The First Tee code of conduct, appreciating the rules and etiquette of the game and developing a game plan for golf and life. • Par (recommended minimum age 9) — Focuses on interpersonal communications and self-management skills. • Birdie (recommended minimum age 11) — Emphasizes goal setting. • Eagle (recommended minimum age 13) — Emphasizes resilience skills, conflict resolution and planning for the future. • Ace (required minimum age 14 or entering ninth grade) — Once a young person has progressed through all program levels, he or she can become Ace-certified, focusing on setting goals for golf, career education and giving back to the community.

Participants advance through the different life skill levels through a certification process with five general requirements: • Core lesson exposure. • Life skills application. • Golf skills application. • Life skills knowledge. • Golf knowledge. Each participant seeking to move to a higher level must demonstrate understanding of the core golf and life skills. They have to show their ability to apply the lessons learned on and off the golf course. The mission of The First Tee is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill lifeenhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. That mission

fits perfectly into the foundation’s mission of “Teaching Life Lessons Through the Game of Golf,” making the decision to put The First Tee under the foundation’s administration an easy one. The First Tee (www. thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, Florida, at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame. More specifically, it is an international youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. Through after-school and in-school programs, it helps to shape the lives of young people from all walks of life by reinforcing values like integrity, respect and perseverance through golf. And it’s making a difference. Researchproven programs are having a positive impact on participants, their families and their communities. Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to 4.7 million participants and students in 50 states and five international locations – Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore. There are currently 196 First Tee chapters.

The First Tee was founded and is supported by golf’s major organizations, including: • Masters Tournament. • The PGA of America.

• PGA Tour. • United States Golf Association. • Ladies Professional Golf Association. The nine core values are ingrained in the curriculum, making First Tee programs more about turning out well-rounded individuals than accomplished golfers. The opportunities for reaching an even larger number of Indiana youths are numerous. Moving forward, The First Tee of Indiana will look to expand the number of youths it reaches by adding additional programming sites around the state. While it took some time for The First Tee to land in Indianapolis and eventually to become a statewide program, it is now making up for lost time.

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Peterson a slow starter at every level and making progress By DOUG FERGUSON n AP Golf Writer ORLANDO, Fla. — John Peterson never had to worry about a sophomore slump. At just about every level, his struggles started much sooner. “Some guys get it right away,” Peterson said. “Others don’t.” His rookie season on the PGA Tour was so bad that Peterson made only seven cuts and finished No. 179 on the FedEx Cup. Just like that, he was back to the Web.com Tour Finals and four tournaments away from heading back to the minors. The 25-year-old from LSU saw it more as a second chance than a reminder of his failures. He breezed through the finals for the second straight year to get his card back, and this time is off to a stronger start. Or at least a more consistent one. “I made seven cuts all of last year,” he said. “I made my first seven this year.” Peterson has missed only one cut in 11 starts, and while he still doesn’t feel as if he’s playing to a level he should, he at least got into the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He has twice been on the fringe of contention in the final two hours at the Humana Challenge and Farmers Insurance Open. “I’m making steps toward doing better,” he said. “But I’m still mediocre, and it’s aggravating me. I’m sick of being just another name on the list. It took me a couple of years in college to win, and once I did I was a really good player. This is my second year out here. I believe I can win out here now. I didn’t believe it last year.” Peterson believes there are exceptions to the rule. He mentioned Jordan Spieth, who won as a 19-year-old rookie and was the youngest American to play in the Presidents Cup. He mentioned the fast start by Justin Thomas, and Harris English winning twice in one year. Peterson said he was never comfortable last year. “I was changing everything — clubs, balls, caddies, instructors, houses, states. I never kept anything the same,” he said. “I kept searching for instant gratification.” If he had not made it through Web.com Tour Finals, Peterson wonders if he would still be in golf. He was only half-kidding. In his bag were wedges with military themes, such as “Rangers” and “Frogmen.” It was a tribute to his heroes, and it was personal. Peterson said he would have contemplated joining the military. His is the first generation to not have someone in the military. “My uncle was 20 years in the Navy. Both my granddads were in the Army, and their parents as well,” he said. “If I wasn’t playing golf, I’d be in the military. I don’t want to read John Peterson takes a divot as he hits out of the rough on the 11th hole during the first round of the spread sheets like my accountant friends. I’d be in the Middle Valspar Championship golf tournament at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Fla. | AP Photo/Chris O'Meara East by choice.” But then he looked around at his environment and smiled. “I’m here,” he said. “And the PGA Tour is a decent job.” 18 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

Local golf calendar April 11 Men’s Opening Day Tournament, Harrison Lake April 12 Opening Day Scramble, Seymour Country Club April 25 Eric Thompson Memorial, St. Anne’s April 28 Ladies Opening Day Tournament, Harrison Lake May 2 Hoosier Hills Baptist Church Outing, Greensburg Country Club May 11 Indiana Southern Open, Harrison Lake May 22 Chamber of Commerce outing, St. Anne’s June 4 Greensburg YMCA Outing, Greensburg Country Club June 6 Golf for the Animals (benefit for Humane Society), Clifty Creek June 10 Big Brothers Big Sisters, Salt Creek June 11 IGA/PGA Pepsi Junior Prep Tour event, Seymour Country Club June 11-13 Men’s Invitational, Harrison Lake June 13 Steve Hollenbeck Memorial, Timbergate June 19 St. Vincent Hospital outing, St. Anne’s June 22-25 Men’s State Amateur, Otter Creek

photos by Joel Philippsen

June 23 Ladies Member Guest, Harrison Lake June 26 Columbus East Quarterback Club Outing, Timbergate June 27 Seymour City Tournament qualifying, Seymour Country Club June 27-28 Timbergate Club Championship June 28 Seymour City Tournament, Shadowood June 29-July 2 AJGA Jeff Overton Championship, Otter Creek July 11-12 Columbus City Championship, Harrison Lake and Greenbelt July 18-19 Calcutta, Shadowood July 19 Columbus City Championship, Otter Creek July 21-24 Indiana State Match Play Championships, Harrison Lake Aug. 1-2 Indiana Women’s Golf Association Championships, Otter Creek Aug. 8 Seymour Country Club championship Aug. 8-9 Shadowood club championship Aug. 15-16 St. Anne’s club championship Aug. 22 Special Olympics Outing, Greensburg Country Club Aug. 22-23 Calcutta, Seymour Country Club Aug. 28-29 Harrison Lake Men’s Club Championship Sept 8, 15 Harrison Lake Ladies Club Championship Sept. 9 Decatur County Hospital Outing, Greensburg Country Club Sept. 12 Paws and Claws Golf Scramble, Seymour Country Club Sept. 13 Brown County Emergency Services, Salt Creek Sept. 13 Sons of American Legion, Timbergate Sept. 20 McGrayel-Russo, Salt Creek Sept. 26 Greenbelt Men’s Club Championship Oct. 10-11 Hoosier Junior Invitational, Otter Creek Oct. 10-11 Shadowood President’s Cup

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Innovation is in the bag By Paul Hoffman

Count golf bags among the sport’s items that have gotten a serious innovative makeover in recent years. Features introduced to the bag world include new materials and designs, which can make your round more enjoyable. Some of these changes are: • Lightweight stand bags. • Cart bags, designed expressly for the back of golf carts. • A revolving top that allows golfers to rotate the clubs without moving the bag. • Insulated cooler pouches. • Pockets, or even entire sections, that can be removed to streamline and lighten the bag. • Bags with speakers and connections to your music device. • Non-skid bottoms to prevent or reduce sliding. • Angled stands to make life easier on hills. And there are so many more. When it comes to lightweight stand bags, many companies offer models about 4 pounds or lighter. The use of lightweight nylons for the bag and metal alloys for the stand have allowed manufacturers to produce full-featured bags that hold 14 clubs, have plenty of pockets and weigh less than 4 pounds. The Datrek Lite Rider is one of the new cart bags. At 5.7 pounds, it’s a little light for a cart bag. But it also features an oversize cooler pocket. The top of the TaylorMade Performance Hybrid is set at an ascending angle, so when it’s on a cart, your wedges are set lower than the woods for easy access. There’s a lot of pocket space on the front of the Ping Traverse cart bag. That makes sense since the front is the easiest part of the bag to access. A new feature for cart bags comes courtesy of Bag Boy. The Revolver cart bag allows golfers to access any club by simply rotating the top 360 degrees. Clubs also can be locked into place for added protection.

Several bags on Golf Digest’s 2014 Hot List featured some of today’s cutting-edge (and notas-cutting-edge) technology. Here are some examples

20 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

The Revolver LTD offers a 14-way top featuring a boomerang design to separate woods from irons and full-length individual dividers. This bag has eight pockets, including an oversized removable cooler pocket and two external putter tubes. Orlimar’s line of Ojam bags allows you to take your tunes with you on the course. The company offers three bags — Vibe and Pulse carry bags and the Rhythm cart bag. Each features a wireless speaker that plays out of a pocket that can also hold your smartphone, iPod or music device. An auxiliary cord is included to connect with your device. The speaker’s battery will last at least one round and can be charged from an outlet or computer. And of course, the bags have cooler pockets. The Wellzher 0.9 Sunday Golf is a collapsible bag made from a Hydro X weather and dirt resistant fabric. Another bag that promotes materials among its positives is the Nike Performance Hybrid Carry. It is very comfortable to carry on your shoulder due to the curved Nike EquaFlex Max Air dual strap system. It also features a die-cut air mesh pad with ventilation on the back.

Datrek Lite Rider

Nike Performance Hybrid Carry

The Callaway HyperLite 3 has extra traction on the base and foot pads to ensure it won’t slide.

Bag Boy Revolver

The Ogio Gotham’s zippers are set at an angle for speedy access.

The rain hood of the Ping Hoofer is stored and attached under the hip pad for extra cushioning.

All the seams of the Sun Mountain H2NO Lite are sealed with waterproof tape. Even the zippers keep water out.

The TaylorMade Microlite’s top is square instead of round, making it easier to get your clubs in and out.

The right-shoulder strap of the Titleist Lightweight slides along a circular pad on the back, making it a breeze to slip on and off.

If you play hilly courses, you’ll like how the Wilson Staff Nexus bag’s base stays flat with the ground when the legs are pushed out.

The Callaway Org.15 has 13 pockets. The pockets on both sides are set in a stacked pattern, from smallest at the top to biggest at the bottom.

The Maxfli U/Series 3.0 Stand has a guiding piece of plastic on the right strap that allows the left strap to slide as you put it on and take it off, creating an automatically adjusting strap system.

The Mizuno AeroLite SPR II is a hybrid. For walking: Both straps slide together on another strap that’s anchored to the bag for a natural and adjusting balance point. For riding: The 14-way divider and cart cuff make this function easily on a cart.

The pocket at the top/ center of the Nike Performance Cart II is sewed on at the top, but the rest is magnetized. Flip it up, wrap the cart strap around, then flip it down: No pocket space lost by attaching your bag to a cart.

The Ogio Chamber has pieces of rubber at the top of each separator that keep the clubs from moving, eliminating iron clanging as you drive around the course.

The minimalist Ping L8 is built for the avid walker. There are two built-in pockets inside the garment pocket for your wallet, cellphone and keys.

The top of the Sun Mountain Front 9 flares slightly outward, creating more space to slide clubs in and out.

The compact Titleist Ultra Lightweight Stand has broad feet, making it very stable.

Of course, if you want to go old school (and have money to burn), you can always go for the Eagle Golf Bag No. 91. For $6,500, you get a chestnut leather bag that is handcrafted using the same techniques used to create the finest leather golf bags since the early 1900s. Completely constructed of hand-sewn leather, the Eagle is supported by metal stays and uses no plastic tubing or plastic base. The top collar is lined with genuine shearling for added protection. All fittings are heavy-duty solid brass.

GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015 21

PGA Tour schedule Remaining PGA Tour schedule

June 18-21 U.S. Open, Chambers Bay

Aug. 6-9 Barracuda Championship,

June 25-28 Travelers Championship, TPC

Aug. 6-9 World Golf Championships-

GC, University Place, Wash. Purse: $9 million, FOX, FS1

Apr 2-5 Shell Houston Open, Golf Club of

Houston, Humble, Texas. Purse: $6.6 million, GOLF, NBC, SIRIUS-XM

April 9-12 Masters Tournament, Augusta

River Highlands, Cromwell, Conn. Purse: $6.4 million, CBS, GOLF

National GC, Augusta, Ga. Purse: $9 million, CBS, ESPN

June 29-30 CVS Caremark Charity

April 16-19 RBC Heritage, Harbour Town

Classic, Rhode Island CC, Barrington, R.I. Purse: $1.3 million.

GL, Hilton Head, S.C. Purse: $5.9 million, CBS, GOLF, SIRIUS-XM

July 2-5 The Greenbrier Classic, The Old

April 23-26 Zurich Classic of New Orleans,

White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Purse: $6.7 million, CBS, GOLF

TPC Louisiana, Avondale, La. Purse: $6.9 million, CBS, GOLF, SIRIUS-XM

Montreux G&CC, Reno, Nev. Purse: $3.1 million, GOLF

Bridgestone Invitational, Firestone CC (South), Akron, Ohio. Purse: $9.25 million, CBS, GOLF

Aug. 13-16 PGA Championship, Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wis. Purse: $10 million, CBS, TNT Aug. 20-23 Wyndham Championship, Sedgefield CC, Greensboro, N.C. Purse: $5.4 million, CBS, GOLF

April 29-May 3 World Golf

July 9-12 John Deere Classic, TPC Deere

Sept. 4-7 Deutsche Bank Championship,

May 7-10 The Players Championship, TPC

Rory McIlroy | AP photo

July 16-19 Barbasol Championship, RTJ Trail (Grand National), Auburn/Opelika, Ala. Purse: $3.5 million, GOLF

Resort, Irving, Texas. Purse: $7.1 million, CBS, DIRECTV, GOLF

July 16-19 The Open Championship, St. Andrews GC (Old Course), Fife, Scotland. Purse: $9.2 million, ESPN

Sept. 17-20 BMW Championship, Conway

July 23-26 RBC Canadian Open, Glen Abbey GC, Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Purse: $5.8 million, CBS, GOLF

Sept. 24-27 TOUR Championship by

July 30-Aug. 2 Quicken Loans National,

Oct. 8-11 The Presidents Cup, Jack

Run, Silvis, Ill. Purse: $4.7 million, CBS, GOLF

Championships – Cadillac Match Play, TPC Harding Park, San Francisco. Purse: $9.25 million, GOLF, NBC

Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Purse: $10 million, GOLF, NBC

May 14-17 Wells Fargo Championship, Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C. Purse: $7.1 million, CBS, GOLF May 21-24 Crowne Plaza Invitational at

Colonial, Colonial CC, Fort Worth, Texas. Purse: $6.5 million, CBS, GOLF

May 28-31 AT&T Byron Nelson

Championship, TPC Four Seasons

June 4-7 the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, Ohio. Purse: $6.2 million, CBS, DIRECTV, GOLF June 11-14 FedEx St. Jude Classic, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn. Purse: $6 million, CBS, GOLF

Robert Trent Jones GC, Gainesville, Va. Purse: $6.7 million, CBS, GOLF

Aug. 27-30 The Barclays, Plainfield CC, Edison, N.J. Purse: $8.25 million, CBS, GOLF TPC Boston, Norton, Mass. Purse: $8.25 million, GOLF, NBC Farms GC, Lake Forest, Ill. Purse: $8.25 million, GOLF, NBC

Coca-Cola, East Lake GC, Atlanta. Purse: $8.25 million, GOLF, NBC Nicklaus GC Korea, Songdo IBD, Incheon City, Korea.

LPGA Tour schedule Sep 18-Sep 20 The Solheim Cup, Sankt

Remaining LPGA Tour schedule

Leon-Rot, Germany

Apr 2-Apr 5 ANA Inspiration, Rancho Mirage, California. Purse: $2,500,000

Apr 15-Apr 18 Lotte Championship, Ko

Oct 1-Oct 4 Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic, Nankou, Beijing, China. Purse: $2,100,000

Apr 23-Apr 26 Swinging Skirts LPGA

Oct 8-Oct 11 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia,

Classic, San Francisco. Purse: $2,000,000

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Purse: $2,000,000

Apr 30-May 3 Volunteers of America

Oct 15-Oct 18 LPGA KEB-Hana Bank

May 14-May 17 Kingsmill Championship, Williamsburg, Virginia. Purse: $1,300,000

Oct 22-Oct 25 Blue Bay LPGA, Hainan

Olina, Oahu, Hawaii. Purse: $1,800,000

Championship, Incheon, South Korea. Purse: $2,000,000

North Texas Shootout, Irving, Texas. Purse: $1,300,000

May 29-May 31 ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, Galloway, New Jersey. Purse: $1,500,000 Jun 4-Jun 7 Manulife LPGA

Classic, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Purse: $1,500,000

Island, China. Purse: $2,000,000

Oct 29-Nov 1 Fubon LPGA Taiwan

Michelle Wie | AP photo

Championship, Taipei, Taiwan. Purse: $2,000,000

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Purse: $4,000,000

Aug 13-Aug 16 Cambia Portland Classic,

Portland, Oregon. Purse: $1,300,000

Jul 16-Jul 19 Marathon Classic, Sylvania,

Aug 20-Aug 23 Canadian Pacific

Nov 6-Nov 8 Mizuno Classic, Shima-Shi, Mie, Japan. Purse: $1,300,000

Jul 9-Jul 12 U.S. Women’s Open,

Ohio. Purse: $1,500,000

Championship, Westchester, New York. Purse: $3,500,000

Women’s Open, Vancouver, Canada. Purse: $2,250,000

Jul 23-Jul 26 Meijer LPGA Classic, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Purse: $1,800,000

Jun 26-Jun 28 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, Rogers, Arkansas. Purse: $2,000,000

Aug 27-Aug 30 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, Prattville, Alabama. Purse: $1,300,000

Jul 30-Aug 2 Ricoh Women’s British Open,

Sep 10-Sep 13 The Evian Championship,

Jun 11-Jun 14 KPMG Women’s PGA

Turnberry, Scotland. Purse: $3,000,000

22 GOLF, the republic, columbus, ind., SUNday, APRIL 5, 2015

Evian-les-Bains, France. Purse: $3,250,000

Nov 12-Nov 15 Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by Banamex, Mexico City, Mexico. Purse: $1,000,000 Nov 19-Nov 22 CME Group Tour Championship, Naples, Florida. Purse: $2,000,000

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