Golf

So, let's review

By DAVE SCHEIBER, Times Staff Writer
Published November 8, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA - The PGA Tour closed the window on 2007 Sunday at the Children's Miracle Network Classic, providing a snapshot of the season for an array of pros with ties to Tampa Bay.

We posed three questions to three area golfers at the annual Disney event, asking them to review their years.

Ryuji Imada

Imada, 31, had reason to be pleased. The graduate of Chamberlain High School and the University of Georgia finished in a tie for 15th with 10-under-par 278. That netted him $73,600 and raised his tour earnings this year to an impressive $1,414,864 in 32 events, good for 65th place.

Imada, who moved from Japan to Tampa at 14 to compete on the junior circuit, also posted his best finish since turning pro in 1999, second at the AT&T Classic.

You seem to progress every year.

"That's the goal. I've done that the last two or three years. And I'm still trying to play well and secure the top 70 for next year. But if I do well and get in the top 30, that's even better."

How do you feel overall?

"I'm very happy about the way the year went as far as where I am right now. I'm not so happy that after I finished second and secured my card for the year, I hadn't really played as well.

What was your highlight for 2007?

"Well, it had to be the AT&T Classic. I lost in a playoff to (Masters champion) Zach Johnson, but I played well."

David Branshaw

For Branshaw, 38, a native of Oswego, N.Y., who relocated to Tampa, the results were not as uplifting. Though he enjoyed a fifth-place tie at the Viking Classic in September, he finished the year at 172, facing the prospect of attending Qualifying School to keep his PGA card. Branshaw earned $323,407 in 30 events, including $7,728 at Disney, where he was 86th at 4-over 292.

How do you assess the year?

"It was bad. Last year I finished 119. But this season's been horrible. Things went well for about two weeks, but then I got sick. I got a sinus infection and it really affected me. I wasn't able to concentrate for a few weeks. I'm still coughing."

How do you get back to where you want to be next year?

"It's just going to take practice. There's something not clicking with the swing that's causing my confidence to be low. The confidence was there, but then I started hitting some goofy shots cause you don't feel right."

What are your plans? Do you go back to the Nationwide?

"In two weeks, there's a Q School up in Dade City. If I can qualify there, I go to the final stage, which takes place in the last week of November. The top 25 guys there will get their tour cards. But if I have to go back and play the Nationwide next year, then so be it. My goal is to get my card and be in the top 100."

John Huston

The 46-year-old pro based out of Innisbrook was not in the best of moods after missing the cut by five, shooting 2-over 146. Huston, who has seven PGA titles, was hoping for a better showing after earning $431,025 in 27 tournaments, good for 159th on the 2006 money list. Instead, he finished the year at 202, with $170,570 in 16 events.

What are your plans for next year?

"Pretty much the same as this year. Whenever I get in, I'm gonna play and if I don't get in, that's fine. I've had enough. I got in enough this year that if I'd played decent, I could easily have done a lot better. But my putting is so bad now, it's not really that much fun to play."

What will you do to keep busy?

"Not a lot. Just kind of hang out and play golf a little bit with my son and that's about it."

Looking back at your career, are there a few things that stand out most?

A. "It's hard to say right now. It all kind of blurs together at this point. It's been so long since I've played well, nothing really sticks out."

Bay area PGA standings

Name Place Local tie Money earned Status

Woody Austin 15 Plant High $2,887,596 Exempt

Ryuji Imada 65 Chamberlain High $1,414,864 Exempt

Tim Petrovic 92 Trinity $1,052,447 Exempt

Bob Heintz 136 Palm Harbor $649,342 Conditional status*

David Branshaw 172 Tampa $323,407 Nonexempt

Greg Kraft 179 Clearwater $278,590 Nonexempt

Paul Azinger 201 Bradenton $174,069 Nonexempt

John Huston 202 Palm Harbor $170,570 Nonexempt

* Exempted to the final stage of PGA Tour qualifying school by finishing 126-150 on the money list. With conditional status, is eligible for between 12-15 PGA Tour events in 2008.

Nationwide Tour

The top 25 on the money list earned PGA cards for the 2008 season. Gulfport's Kyle McCarthy played in 17 Nationwide events and finished 97th with $56,549.

LPGA

Seminole's Brittany Lincicome stands 12th on the money list with $863,384, which means she is fully exempt for next season. She is playing in the Tournament of Champions, which begins today in Mobile, Ala., and has qualified for the final event, the ADT Championship reserved for the top 32 players, Nov. 15-18 in West Palm Beach.

LPGA Futures

Clearwater's Jenny Gleason finished 24th on the money list with $18,028, Kelly Lagedrost of Brooksville 50th with $9,038, Elizabeth Stuart of Tampa 91st at $4,851 and Beth Bauer of Tampa 105th with $3,450. The top five players from the tour earned exempt status for the 2008 season: 1. Emily Bastel of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, 2. Allison Fouch of Grand Rapids, Mich., 3. Mollie Fankhauser of Columbus, Ohio, 4. Violeta Retamoza of Aguascalientes, Mexico, 5. Seo-Jae Lee of Seoul.

[Last modified November 7, 2007, 22:24:10]