Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Price proves there is life after age 40

A few months ago, the idea of a Major Champions Tour was floated, providing another place to play for past major-championship winners who were at least 37. Now, there are rumblings about changing the minimum age for the Senior PGA Tour, from 50 to perhaps 48 or even 45.

Some prominent players are no longer content with the idea of waiting until age 50 to be competitive again.

Perhaps they should look at Nick Price.

At age 45, Price won the Colonial on Sunday, his first victory in four years. He has made every cut this year, including 20 in a row. Over the past few seasons, he has had several chances to win.

Price is the first to admit he is nowhere near as driven as a decade ago, when he was No. 1 in the World Ranking and won three major championships from 1992-94.

But he doesn't believe the game owes him something as he approaches a golfer's great abyss: the late 40s.

"I still enjoy practicing, I enjoy going out there and competing," Price said. "I just can't do it as much and as often as I used to."

Last year, Scott Hoch won twice at age 45. Tom Watson won twice in his late 40s. Hale Irwin and Raymond Floyd were competitive on the regular tour even after they turned 50.

Maybe they are the exceptions, but who said a golfer is owed a place to compete beyond his 40th birthday if he can no longer keep up with the younger players? In fact, before the Senior PGA Tour came along in 1980, there was nothing for such a golfer to look forward to other than a job as a club professional.

The Major Champions Tour seemingly has died, at least in its announced form, because players do not want to buck the tour. The idea of changing the senior minimum age is seen as a way to give an instant spark to the tour by making popular players eligible earlier.

But how fair is that to the current crop who waited until age 50? What about those in their mid to late 50s who would be asked to compete against even younger competition? And does a player in his early 40s start gearing up for senior golf, rather than try to fight the aging process to compete against Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval?

"A lot of guys out here at 45 are just playing for fun, and I don't want to be like that," Price said after his victory Sunday. "I just want to get on one more run. That's what I really want. Besides another major, of course."

NO NICKLAUS: It appears there will be no Nicklaus in the U.S. Open field this year for the first time since 1956. Jack Nicklaus, winner of four Opens, played in the tournament every year from 1957 through 2000. His son, Gary, who qualified for his first Open in 1997, played in last year's tournament. But Gary and his brother, Michael, failed to advance from local qualifying last week. Gary is an alternate to get into sectionals.

CHARITY CHECK: The Verizon Classic, won by Doug Tewell in February at the TPC of Tampa Bay, gave local charities $118,878 this week. That is $250,000 less than the tournament gave to charity in 2001. "We are very pleased with the amount of money going to the charities this year given the economic climate," said tournament director David Porter, who cited fewer corporate sponsorships as a reason for the drop-off.

The tournament's main charity is Tampa Bay Reads. Other charities are the Seminole Rotary, the Tampa Police Explorers Post 275, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, the Gary Koch Foundation, the University of Tampa, University Community Hospital and the First Tee of Tampa Bay.

ONE GOLFER, 48 STATES: Mike Langella, 28, a glue salesman from New Jersey, is taking part in the Strata Straight Across America Challenge. He is playing a 48-hole layout of par 3s, one in every state in the continental United States. His journey began Monday and will conclude June 4 on the par-3 eighth hole at St. Petersburg's Mangrove Bay. Using an RV for transportation, Langella is playing some holes at night. Strata is contributing money on his behalf to NYC Bravest Scholarship Fund for each birdie and par he makes. If he makes a hole-in-one, Strata will donate $1-million.

LOCALLY: The Verizon Classic will be played a week later in 2003, from Feb. 21-23. That means it won't conflict with the Daytona 500. ... After failing to Monday qualify in his past 10 attempts, Palm Harbor's Jay Overton is in this week's senior field at the Farmers Charity Classic in Michigan, where he was given a sponsor's exemption. Overton Monday qualified for the first two events of the year and finished tied for fifth and tied for 10th. He has made the field for the Senior PGA Championship in two weeks.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright