Golf

Golf notes

By Times wires
Published September 20, 2007

He defused 1990 PGA racial dispute

Louis J. Willie Jr., a black businessman who helped quell a racial dispute surrounding the 1990 PGA Championship at the all-white Shoal Creek club, died Sunday. He was 84 and had Alzheimer's disease.

Protests mounted after Shoal Creek, in suburban Birmingham, Ala., said it would not be pressured into accepting blacks members. Mr. Willie accepted an offer of honorary membership. Afterward, the Professional Golf Association and other golf groups said they no longer would hold events at clubs without minority or women members. Shoal Creek's first dues-paying black member was accepted in 1996, the year Tiger Woods turned pro.

"What I admired most about my father was his willingness to be available to help the community," Louis Willie III said. "That to me is where he had his most impact."

Fall Series starts

The PGA Tour season continues with the seven-event Fall Series that begins today at the Atunyote uh-DUNE-yote, the Oneida Indian word for eagle Golf Club in Verona, N.Y., and ends with two events in Florida, including the Ginn sur Mer Classic Oct. 25-28. The event at Port St. Lucie has offered exemptions to Derek and Daryl Fathauer, who would be the first identical twins to play in the same PGA event since Curtis and Allen Strange in the 1981 Texas Open.

Your turn

I was extremely disappointed to see the small snippet of news covering the major victory of the U.S. team against the European team in Sweden Sunday. The Solheim Cup is one of the most prestigious events on the LPGA calendar, with no prize money at stake - only pride. Shame on you! Why does news of female sports events always receive short shrift, when things like the Ryder Cup of the PGA get front-page headlines! We may have "come a long way, baby" but it sure isn't far enough!!!

Niecie Halfone

Crescent Oaks CC

Local events

A tournament to benefit the Military Officers Association of America is scheduled for Oct. 26 at Cove Cay Country Club in Clearwater. It's $65 per player and proceeds go toward scholarships for graduating members of the Clearwater High School Marine Corps JROTC. For information, call Keith Kurber at 421-8873 or Sue Morse at 799-9275. ... Beginning Oct. 12, the Florida State Golf Association is sponsoring a series of six tournaments on Fridays at different area courses. The Stableford points scoring system (one point for bogey, two for par, four for birdie, six for eagle) will be used and golfers separated by handicap. The cost is $40 for the first tournament and $50-$60 for the others. The courses are Bloomingdale, Lake Jovita, River Hills, Tampa Palms, Westchase and Bardmoor. For information, go to www.fsga.org.

Contact us

Have a question, comment, brief story or public tournament information? Contact us at golf@sptimes.com or by fax at (727) 893-8782.

[Last modified September 19, 2007, 20:00:03]