Global Golf Post - January 24, 2011

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA | Around the
third hole, which would have been his
12th since he started on the back nine
Sunday, Brian Gay concedes he thought
about the magic number, 59.
“I’d made a bunch in a row,” he said
after a sixth straight birdie, “and I didn’t
know where I stood. I started to write
it down, and I said, ‘Forget about it. I’ll
just figure it out later.’ “
Gay finished with a 10-under 62 the
final round of the Bob Hope Classic, de-
spite a bogey on his first hole, the 10th,
and with a 90-hole total of 23-under
336 moved up from 37th place to fifth.
In-N-Out Burgers, which started in
1948 with one location, the Los Angeles
suburb of Baldwin Park, now has more
than 100 franchise restaurants, all in
California and Nevada. Famous for
“slow food, fast food,” the burgers are
cooked to order, roughly 12 minutes,
and prized by visitors from the rest of
the country – including golf pros.
For several years, In-N-Out has
brought its mobile units to the Hope
event, this time setting up on the edge
of the driving ranges on the Palmer and
Nicklaus courses Monday and Tuesday,
and offering free burgers, fries and
drinks to anyone who had range access.
According to one employee, In-N-Out
dispensed 320 burgers on Monday, 520
on Tuesday. Mmmm.

A great day for Gary Woodland,
retaining a share of the lead after four
rounds of the Hope, and a lousy day, his
alma mater, No. 2 previously unbeaten
Kansas, getting upset by Texas, 74-63,
ending its 69-game basketball home
win streak.
Woodland chose to play hoops for
Division II, Washburn U. in Topeka, his
hometown – facing Kansas once at Al-
len Fieldhouse – because, at 6-foot- 1,
he didn’t think he was big enough for
the Jayhawks, despite being All-State
in high school.
Subsequently, he accepted a golf
scholarship the coach at Kansas held
for him, transferred, won four college
tournaments and not surprisingly be-
came a huge KU fan.
After his interview Saturday, Wood-
land stopped by a TV set in the media
room to watch Texas move ahead with
some four minutes to play then, unhap-
pily, he walked away.

That spelling of Jhonattan Vegas’
first name? (Pronounced the old-fash-
ioned way, it’s Jonathan) “That’s a good
question (for his parents),” said Vegas.
“It was just something they wanted to
make it different, which I’m happy they
did ... I mean you only see one Jhonat-
tan spelled that way, so once you see it,
you know it’s me.”
Vegas made it to the PGA Tour by
finishing seventh on the Nationwide
Tour in 2010. He is the only golfer on
any tour from Venezuela, a nation
better known for its shortstops than
people who can hit a golf ball. Golf is
endangered these days in the country,
with president Hugo Chavez intending
to dig up courses to build homes.
Golfers discuss how a ball carries.
One amateur threesome included two
men who knew how to carry the ball –
Eric Dickerson, who rushed for more
than 13,000 yards, and Marcus Allen,
who ran for more than 12,000. Both
are in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Gary Woodland

They live in the Los Angeles area
and play together once or twice a week,
Dickerson on a five handicap, Allen a
seven. And both are now 50 years old.
Tempus sure does fugit.
Golfers are supposed to come from
Florida or California and go to Wake
Forest or Southern Cal. But Tour rookie
Keegan Bradley was born in Vermont,
grew up in Hopkinton, Mass., starting
point of the Boston Marathon, and after
winning the Massachusetts prep
championship, attended St. John’s
University in Brooklyn. When snow
came, he stopped hitting balls and hit
the ski trails.
“A lot of guys my age,” said the
24-year-old Bradley, who was high on
the Hope leaderboard through four
rounds, “have been playing tournament
golf year-round. Back home, there was
such a short season, and when I would
ski race in the winter, it was good for
me because of the break.”
Bradley’s aunt is the former LPGA
star Pat Bradley, who gives him advice
via text messages, the modern way to
communicate. “And from Patty Sheehan,
too,” said Keegan. “Pat and Patty are
good friends.”

Boo Weekley has a new beard
after the hunting season in the Florida
Panhandle, and a new putter, after his
disappointing finish in the Sony. “I felt
like I hit it (well enough) to finish in the
top three, if not win,” was Weekley’s
judgment about Hawaii, “and then I
switched putters this week, to a Never
Compromise Gambler.”
The putts were falling at the Hope.
He had a 65, two 66s and a 72 the first
four rounds.
Boo passed Vegas in the media tent
after the second round and they shook
hands. Weekley, asked if knew anything
about Vegas, said, “I ain’t got a clue.
That’s y’all’s job.” l
Art Spander