Conference 7.286::golf

    Here's all the competitors for the ACWCoG, and all of the matches
    played so far (well, all the ones I could find scores for.)  The
    European matches start in May.  GolfWeb has more information in
    http://www.golfweb.com/anderson/gwaa.htm

    Bill


Japanese Region
===============

Nakajima (1)
--------------   Kase, 6&4
                --------------
Kase (8)
--------------
                                Kuramoto, 4&2            
                                -------------
Mizumaki (4)
--------------   Kuramoto, 19
                --------------
Kuramoto (5)
--------------
                                                Kuramoto, 1-up
                                                --------------                
Joe Ozaki (2)
--------------   Ozaki, 3&2
                ---------------
Tomori (7)
--------------
                                Ozaki, 4&3
                                -------------
Watanabe (3)
--------------  Mizoguchi, 5&4
                --------------
Mizoguchi (6)
---------------

                                                                ----------------
European Region
===============

Langer (1)
---------------
                --------------
Lyle (8)
---------------
                                -------------

Lane (4)
---------------
                --------------
Torrance (5)
---------------

                                                --------------                
Ballesteros (2)
---------------
                --------------
Jiminez (7)
---------------
                                -------------

Guillford (3)
---------------
                --------------
Parnevik (6)
---------------


United States Region
====================

Pavin (1)
---------------  Pavin, 3&1
                --------------
Mickelson (8)
---------------
                                -------------

Lehman (4)
--------------- McCumber, 19
                --------------
McCumber (5)
---------------

                                                --------------                
Zoeller (2)
---------------  Azinger, 1-up
                --------------
Azinger (7)
---------------
                                -------------

Kite (3)
--------------- Roberts, 3&2
                --------------
Roberts (6)
---------------

                                                                ---------------
                            

"Rest of the World"
===================

Frost (1)
---------------
                --------------
Romero (8)
---------------
                                -------------

Nobilo (4)
--------------- Elkington, 5&4
                --------------
Elkington (5)
---------------

                                                --------------                
Singh (2)
--------------- Allenby, 21
                --------------
Allenby (7)
---------------
                                -------------

McNulty (3)
---------------
                --------------
Parry (6)
---------------

    How was it determined who got in to start the matches? 
    
    I did watch the Monday and Tuesday night ESPN coverage and
    wondered if there was some sort of qualifying or luck of
    the draw.
    

    The article I saw put it this way:

       "The top seven entered players in each region off the final 1994
        SONY World Rankings plus one sponsor exemption will compete to
        determine a regional champion who thus qualifies to represent his
        region in the World Championship (December 30-31) at Grayhawk Golf
        Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA."

    What I would like to know is how they came up with the four divisions.

    Bill

   >> What I would like to know is how they came up with the four divisions.

	I think that they are as follows:

		1. Asia
		2. Europe
		3. USA
		4. World

	This seems the only equitable way to do it, so that all the major 
	golfers are represented, the world team should be strong with Norman
	and Price among others, the Europe team should also be strong. The 
	Asian winner is unknown to me, but had to beat some of the best of 
	Asian tour including the Jumbo.

	Turk

	Andersen update:

	In the ROTW section, Craig Parry defeated Mark McNulty 1 up, and
	David Frost defeated Eduardo Romero 2&1.

	Re: .4

        I think that Japan being a region unto itself definately weakens
        the tournament.  There are only 2 Japanese golfers in the Sony top
        50 (#9 Joe Ozaki and #49 Tommy Nakajima), and Joe isn't entered. I
        think something like US, Europe, Asia (including Fiji) and
        Australia/Africa would have been better, although if you strictly
        look at the Sony rankings, one could justify having two US teams.

	Bill

	>Re: .4
        >I think that Japan being a region unto itself definately weakens
        >the tournament.  There are only 2 Japanese golfers in the Sony top
        >50 (#9 Joe Ozaki and #49 Tommy Nakajima), and Joe isn't entered. I
        >think something like US, Europe, Asia (including Fiji) and
        >Australia/Africa would have been better, although if you strictly
        >look at the Sony rankings, one could justify having two US teams.

	It is Asia as a whole, not just Japan, but I don't know if that 
	included Fiji, or if Fiji is in the World group. I think that while 
	its true that the Asian tour does not have a lot in the World rankings
	part of that is that some very fine Asian players choose not to 
	travel outside of Asia to play. The quality (or lack threreof) is 
	unkown in the rest of the world, and this tourney may help to dispel
	or reinforce the perception that there isn't that high quality or 
	depth of quality golfers in Asia. Anyway the exclusion of Asia by 
	allowing two US teams would hardly have been good business by 
	Andersen Consulting, and this is afterall a business decision by them.

	Turk

	Re: .6
	
>	It is Asia as a whole, not just Japan, but I don't know if that 
>	included Fiji, or if Fiji is in the World group.

	It's not Asia as a whole; just Japan.  I know there are some fine
	Asian golfers not from Japan (T.C. Chen comes to mind.)  Fiji is in
	the Rest of the World section.

>	I think that while 
>	its true that the Asian tour does not have a lot in the World rankings
>	part of that is that some very fine Asian players choose not to 
>	travel outside of Asia to play. The quality (or lack threreof) is 
>	unkown in the rest of the world, and this tourney may help to dispel
>	or reinforce the perception that there isn't that high quality or 
>	depth of quality golfers in Asia.

        As far as judging the depth of Japanese golfers, only one of the
        eight will face non-Japanese competition.  I don't feel this format
        is good for judging a region's depth.

>	Anyway the exclusion of Asia by 
>	allowing two US teams would hardly have been good business by 
>	Andersen Consulting, and this is afterall a business decision by them.

	I'm not saying that anyone in the world should be excluded; if you
	want a field which more accurately reflects the Sony rankings, two
	US teams might be an option.  Maybe there should be 2 "Rest of the
	World" teams, 1 US and 1 European team, with Asian players competing
	on the ROTW teams.

	Bill

>	It's not Asia as a whole; just Japan.  I know there are some fine
>	Asian golfers not from Japan (T.C. Chen comes to mind.)  Fiji is in
>	the Rest of the World section.

	My bad, I coulda sworn I read that all of Asia was represented, I agree
	that limiting it to just the Japenese, weakens that division.


>        As far as judging the depth of Japanese golfers, only one of the
>        eight will face non-Japanese competition.  I don't feel this format
>        is good for judging a region's depth.

	This is true, unless the Japanese competitor wins the whole shooting 
	match (while that does not address depth, many may percieve a stronger
	overall group with a Japanese win)


>	I'm not saying that anyone in the world should be excluded; if you
>	want a field which more accurately reflects the Sony rankings, two
>	US teams might be an option.  Maybe there should be 2 "Rest of the
>	World" teams, 1 US and 1 European team, with Asian players competing
>	on the ROTW teams.

	I don't think Andersen Consulting gave a whit about the Sony rankings 
	when it devisied this format, I think they wanted something akin to 
	the Ryder and Presidents cup matches, where world regions could 
	compete as a group, with all the comradity that implies. One of the 
	problems with the format, as you mentioned, is there is no real "team"
	compitition, its likely that the other members of the team won't be 
	on hand for the final, so it loses something in the translation.

	I simply like the fact that its match play, and think that any event
	that includes players from all over the world, playing match play 
	format, will strengthen the US when it comes to the Ryder and President
	cup matches.

	Turk

Langer, Ballesteros advance in match-play event


MADRID, Spain -- Top-seeded Bernhard Langer of Germany, Seve Ballesteros of
Spain, Barry Lane of Britain and Jesper Parnevik of Sweden moved Tuesday
into the semifinals of the European leg of the World Championship of Golf. 

Langer beat Sandy Lyle of Scotland 3 and 2; Parnevik defeated David Gilford
of England 2 and 1; Ballesteros defeated countryman Miguel Angel Jimenez 3
and 2; and Lane beat Scotsman Sam Torrance 2 and 1. 

The winners move on to the European regional semifinals July 24-25 at
Oxfordshire Golf Club in Oxfordshire, England, with the eventual winner
qualifying for one of four spots in the finals Dec. 30-31 at Grayhawk Golf
Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

The eventual winner picks up $1 million, with $500,000 for second place,
$350,000 for third and $300,000 for fourth. 

Musahiro Kuramoto won the Asian regional earlier this year.

In the U.S. regional semifinals July 31-Aug. 1 at Blackwolf Run in Kohler,
Wis., Corey Pavin will play Mark McCumber and Paul Azinger takes on Loren
Roberts. 

In the other regional semifinals, made up of players from the rest of the
world, David Frost will play Steve Elkington and Robert Allenby plays Craig
Parry. Those matches will be played July 24-25 at Oxfordshire. 

Ballesteros comes from behind to defeat Parnevik


(c) 1995 Copyright The News & Observer Publishing Co.
(c) 1995 Reuter Information Service

THAME, England (Jul 25, 1995 - 13:06 EDT) - Seve Ballesteros, revelling in a
format he loves, returned brilliantly to form on Tuesday in the world
championship of matchplay golf.

The 38-year-old Spaniard, fighting a bad back in recent events, came from
behind to beat Jesper Parnevik of Sweden 3 and 1 to qualify for the
European Zone final against Englishman Barry Lane.

Lane defeated the zone's top seed, world number four Bernhard Langer of
Germany, 3 and 1 in the other semifinal.

In the Rest of the World Zone, South African David Frost beat Steve
Elkington of Australia 4 and 3 and Robert Allenby defeated Craig Parry in
an all-Australian battle 2 and 1.

Both zone finals were being played later on Tuesday at the Oxfordshire Club.

The zone winners go forward with Japanese zone champion Masahiro Kuramoto
and a U.S. zone winner still to be determined in the play-offs in Arizona
in late December when the victor will win $1 million.

Ballesteros has won the World Matchplay title five times and again showed
his liking for this brand of golf in an event new to the sport this year.

He three-putted to drop the second hole to Parnevik and could not draw
level until the ninth after birdies at the fourth, fifth and seventh earned
him only halves.

Parnevik bogeyed the ninth from a bunker and Ballesteros, joint 39th at the
British Open on Sunday, won the short 13th with a 10-foot birdie.

Parnevik drew ahead once more at the 14th with a sand wedge to four feet
but Ballesteros took the next with the best shot of the day.

At the 210-yard par three, Ballesteros rifled a three iron in a stiff wind
which finished one foot from the hole.

Parnevik missed the green at the next and double-bogeyed. When he found
water with his second shot at the par-five 17th, the match was over.

"It was difficult in the wind, but I played well," was all Ballesteros had
to say.

Parnevik was full of praise. "Everyone told me "You'll breeze past Seve,
he's not plauing well'. Well he was seven under for the last 15 holes," the
Swede said.

"In this wind that's brilliant. I thought I hit a good shot at the 15h but
his was incredible. You think he has no shot at a hole and he produces
something quite brilliant. I'm happy to see it for him."

Langer, joint 24th at the Open, had no answer to some sterling play from
Lane, who was joint 20th.

"I didn't drop a shot until the 16th but Barry made too many birdies,"
Langer said. "I had chances. I could have won the eighth, 14th and 15th but
I didn't."

Elkington had a superb Open, finishing joint sixth. But he found water at
the fourth and fifth holes to fall behind against Frost and never
recovered.

"I didn't make any mistakes, he didn't make any birdies," Frost said.

Parry dropped the first three holes to Allenby but was level at the 12th.
But birdies by Allenby at the 14th and 17th got him through.

McCumber, Roberts reach final in World Championship of Golf

By Mike Hutton
Chicago Tribune

KOHLER, Wis. -- Mark McCumber is just glad he's still alive, Corey Pavin played
badly, Paul Azinger wished the competition had started a day later and Loren
Roberts thinks he'll hit the ball better Tuesday.

All in a day's golf Monday on the Blackwolf Run River Course during the
semifinals of the U.S. regional of the first World Championship of Golf.

McCumber and Roberts advanced to Tuesday's final with come-from-behind
victories. McCumber beat Pavin 1-up, and Roberts defeated Azinger 2 and 1.

Tuesday's winner will advance to Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., for
the championship round Dec. 30-31, when a first-place prize of $1 million will
go to the winner of this unique match-play tournament, which is paying out $3.65
million in prize money.

The 32-man tournament began in February with eight players representing four
regions of the world -- U.S., Europe, Japan and the rest of the world. They
represent tours of Australia, Europe, Japan, South Africa and the U.S.

In Arizona, Masahiro Kuramoto of Japan will play Barry Lane of England in one
match, and David Frost of South Africa will meet the winner of the
McCumber-Roberts match.

Tuesday's McCumber-Roberts winner will pocket $200,000, with the loser settling
for $150,000. Azinger and Pavin took home $70,000 apiece.

McCumber and Roberts credited the tournament's format for their survival.

"That was the epitome of match play," McCumber said. "I'm down four and I have
to start thinking about playing for pride. But I came back. That would've never
happened in medal play."

Said Roberts: "My philosophy was pretty conservative. You've got to play the
golf course the way you think is best. But what the other guy does dictates what
you're going to do."

The Roberts-Azinger match turned on No. 9 when Azinger hit his drive through the
337-yard par-4. The ball hit a rake in the sand trap behind the green and
nestled between the trap and the green. Azinger chili-dipped his next shot about
three feet, skulled his third shot 25 feet past the pin and ended up with a
bogey.

Meanwhile, Roberts hit a 2-iron down the middle, pitched onto the green and
two-putted for par.

"That was really the turning point of the match," Roberts said. "It looked like
I was going into No. 10 down three after that drive. Instead, I'm only down
one."

After winning Nos. 11, 15 and 16 to take a two-hole lead, Roberts clinched on
No. 17 when both parred the hole. Roberts pitched to within two feet of the pin
to save par after flying the green on the 175-yard par 3.

Azinger's 20-foot birdie putt went about three inches past the cup.

In the McCumber-Pavin duel, McCumber saved par, and himself, on the par-4 No.
11.

First, he hooked the ball into a bush on the right side of the fairway. After he
pitched out, his 7-iron from 183 yards landed in a hazard behind the hole.

Luckily for McCumber, the ball settled in the mud, not the water that pools up
behind the hole.

One messy sand wedge later, McCumber was making his par putt from six feet, and
Pavin was two-putting for par.

"I make that shot one out of a hundred times," McCumber said.

As it was, the shot meant McCumber still was within striking distance, down
three. After tying the next two holes, McCumber won Nos. 14, 15 and 16 to draw
even.

McCumber clinched on No. 18 when Pavin hooked his drive into the water on the
469-yard par-4, incurring a two-stroke penalty. With 285 yards to the hole,
Pavin was forced to lay up.

Pavin's pitch into the green landed 15 feet from the hole, and the U.S. Open
champion two-putted for a double-bogey 6.

McCumber bogeyed the hole after  really the turning pointeep well in the rough.


Azinger seemed more miffed about not playing a practice round than he did about
losing the match. He played in the PGA Tour's Ideon Classic in Sutton, Mass.,
and he didn't arrive in Kohler until late Sunday evening.

"Not knowing the course definitely hurt me," Azinger said. "It would've been
nice if they could've played 36 holes on Tuesday instead of having this on a
Monday so that I could've puttered around here.

"This isn't the kind of course you just go out and play."

    Re:         <<< Note 2006.11 by XELENT::MUTH "I drank WHAT? - Socrates" >>>

    Today's Boston Globe scoreboard  had  McCumber beating ROberts in the
    final US match.

[again from ESPNET]

MCCUMBER BEATS ROBERTS TO QUALIFY FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Mark McCumber defeated Loren Roberts, 2-up, Tuesday to win the United
States regional championship and earn the fourth and final qualifying slot
for the $3.65 million Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf.

McCumber defeated Roberts in the 18-hole match at the Blackwolf Run River
Course at Kohler, Wisconsin. The final of the World Championship, the
richest event in golf, will be played at the Grayhawk Golf Club in
Scottsdale, Arizona, December 30-31. First prize is $1 million.

McCumber will play Rest of the World qualifier David Frost of South Africa
and European qualifier Barry Lane of Britain will face Japanese qualifier
Massy Kuramoto of Japan in the semifinals. McCumber defeated Corey Pavin,
1-up, and Roberts downed Paul Azinger, 2 and 1, in the semifinals Monday.

	Barry Lane defeated Frost in the finals to win the Andersen Consulting
	World match play championship, Lane prize money was 1 million dollars.
	
	The weekend pitted the four finalists together in match play 
	compition at Grey Hawk golf course outside of Scottsdale AZ.

	Mark McCumber was the US representative

	Barry Lane was the Europe rep

	David Frost was the World rep
	
	Massy Kuromoto was the Japan rep


	In the semifinal matches David Frost defeated Mark McCumber and 
	Barry Lane defeated Massy Kuromoto, the final day featured 36 hole
	matches for the winners and losers brackets to provide a finish order 
	for all four spots. McCumber defeated Kuromoto in the loser bracket and
	Lane defeated Frost in the Championship match, the order of finish and
	prize money was as follows:

		1st	Barry Lane	$1,000,000
		2nd	David Frost	$  500,000
		3rd	Mark McCumber	$  350,000
		4th	Massy Kuromoto	$  300,000

	It was an interesting and enjoyable event, they showed highlights of 
	each of the 4 "divisons" matches which allowed each finalist to get
	to the finals and its always fun to watch match play tourney's.

	Turk

    re .14,
    
    	One minor correction is that the Championship match between Frost
    and Lane was 36 holes. While the consolation match between McCumber and
    Massy was only 18 holes.
    
    Ron

	Any 36 hole match that makes it to the last hole has to be a good one!
	I enjoyed watching this very much.  We've had record snowfall in New
	England during December and there's a pretty good Nor'easter going on
	as I write this.  I think it was last Friday, ESPN showed the regional
	finals from 1-5:30pm.  Each match was condensed to 1 hour except the US
	final which was 1 1/2 hours.