Golf

McCarthy's finish a welcome relief

The Canterbury grad cashes in big on the Nationwide Tour after being the 31st alternate.

By Bob Harig
Published June 26, 2007

There was no private jet waiting to whisk him away, not even a commercial flight to board. Kyle McCarthy was back in his car Monday, a long, long drive facing him.

At least this time he has plenty of gas money.

McCarthy, 24, finished second Sunday at the Knoxville Open and earned $51, 300. It was just the third Nationwide Tour event for the Gulfport resident and the first time he made the cut on the developmental tour.

"The company account was running a little dry, " McCarthy joked after his final-round 70. "It's nice to put something in there when you're not getting into Nationwide events, missing the cuts when you do and missing the cut on the Hooters Tour all year long."

McCarthy, who went to Canterbury and spent a year at Eckerd College before turning pro, faced long odds at even getting into the field, let alone cashing a check, when he arrived in Tennessee.

As 31st alternate, he figured his only way into the tournament was as a Monday qualifier. He shot 73 and missed, so he waited. And somehow, the 30 people in front of him got in the field or dropped out, giving him a spot. So unlikely was his chance of getting into the tournament that McCarthy told his regular caddie to stay home. So with a 15-year-old kid on his golf bag and no practice round, McCarthy went out and ... shot 64 in the first round.

He led the tournament and stayed in contention the rest of the way, shooting three straight 70s. Only Chez Reavie, who won his first Nationwide event, passed him. A birdie at the final hole for McCarthy meant a solo second finish and a jump to 53rd on the Nationwide Tour money list.

"If I tightened up the irons and make putts, I can beat these guys, " McCarthy said. "I didn't know that before this week."

McCarthy was the only player last fall who made it from the prequalifying event into the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. From there, he advanced through two 72-hole tournaments into the Q-School finals, a 108-hole marathon.

"Just getting to the second stage was nice, " McCarthy said. "I signed up for Q-School just for the experience. When I got to the final stage, I kind of thought I had arrived and maybe didn't play with enough fire."

McCarthy finished near the bottom, but not all was lost. Anyone who makes it to Q-School is given conditional status on the Nationwide Tour. That, of course, doesn't mean much: McCarthy had gotten into just two Nationwide events before Knoxville.

But he took advantage of that opportunity and now has another one this week. Anyone finishing among the top 25 gets a spot in the next tournament. This week's event is the Peek'n Peak Classic in Erie, Pa. If he can move into the top 25 on the money list by the end of the year, McCarthy will earn his PGA Tour card for 2008.

And while driving from Tennessee to Pennsylvania, McCarthy had plenty of time to ponder the possibilities.

Fragmented Florida

As announced, the local Champions Tour event at the TPC Tampa Bay is changing dates after a 20-year run in February. Next year, the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am will be played the week after the Masters, April 18-20.

And that means there will not be a "Florida Swing" of Champions Tour events, according to the 2008 schedule released Monday. The 50-and-older circuit will visit Florida on three occasions, starting with the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton and the ACE Group Classic in Naples in early February.

Then after playing two events in California, the tour returns to Florida for the Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach in late March. After the Masters, it's the Outback, followed by the Legends of Golf in South Carolina. The tour returns to Florida.

The Boeing Championship at Sandestin, which was played this month, is not on next year's schedule.

Making history

Drew Weaver became the first American since 1979 to win the prestigious British Amateur when he captured the 36-hole match play final Saturday at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in England.

But there was far more significance to Weaver's victory than breaking the 28-year American drought.

Weaver plays at Virginia Tech and was on campus April 16 when a gunman killed 32 students.

"I dedicate the entire week to the 32 who died that day, " said Weaver, 20, a junior. "Winning the British Amateur is so minute compared to what happened to the victims that week.

"I've been proud to represent the college here this week and to give them something positive. There's been so much negative publicity about the place, and this is just a fantastic feeling to do something like this."

Weaver's victory - 2 and 1 over Australia's Tim Stewart - will open a lot of doors. He gets a spot in next month's British Open at Carnoustie as well as the Masters next year.

"Just thinking that I'll be walking down the fairways at Augusta next year ... that's going to take several months to believe, " he said. "It's always been my dream to play there."

[Last modified June 25, 2007, 23:53:03]