The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Cordillera Ranch in Boerne, Texas, receives “Best New Course” designation for 2008 by The Dallas Morning News. The course opened May 2007. … The Ultimate Game at The PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta, Calif., was recently named by Fairways & Greens Magazine as the “Best Non-Tour Event” in its December issue. … Tiger Woods increased his lead in the U.S. Ryder Cup points standings after winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Woods now has 5,716.627 points. Fellow finalist Stewart Cink moved to fourth with 1,771.105 points. J.B. Holmes (1,415.975 points) currently holds the eighth and final automatic qualifying position. … Golf writer Bob Labbance, who recently co-authored a book on architect Wayne Stiles, has been diagnosed with ALS. The book can be purchased at www.waynestilessociety.com/book and all proceeds benefit a college fund for Labbance’s children. … CDW Corp. signs Sean O’Hair to a long-term sponsorship. CDW will support O’Hair through technologies that can help analyze his game, while O’Hair will participate in CDW-sponsored events and initiatives. … The Western Golf Association elects seven new directors from the Chicago area, including PGA Tour player Luke Donald. Joining Donald as new WGA directors from the Chicago area are Thomas J. Allison, Christopher G. Boehm, William J. Doyle, Jason W. Kinander, Steven J. Luetkehans and Richard O. Excell. They are among a group of 22 new WGA directors nationwide in 2008. … John A. Solheim will be honored during the American Junior Golf Association‘s annual meeting on Friday, Feb. 29, with the AJGA’s Digger Smith Award. … FootJoy, an Acushnet Co. brand, extends its commitment to the American Junior Golf Association for another five years, through 2013. FootJoy, an official partner of the AJGA since 2004, will continue its sponsorship of the FootJoy Invitational and FootJoy Live Scoring. … The Montgomerie Links Vietnam in Quang Nam, Vietnam, commences construction on a 3,000-square-meter clubhouse. The clubhouse is being built to blend into the rugged Central Coast landscape, maximize natural light and promote a sense of feng shui. … The West Virginia Golf Association announces a number of organizational changes within the state’s golf governing body and a new website. Beginning this season, the WVGA will merge with the state women’s golf association and will be partnering with the West Virginia PGA to conduct the Top Flite Junior Tour. The move means that the WVGA will oversee the coordination of male and female championship golf tournaments, rules, handicaps and junior golf programs in West Virginia. The new website is at www.wvga.org. … The Iowa Golf Association elects three people to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2008. Tom Chapman Jr., Larry Stewart and Rudy Knepper will be inducted on Friday, April 4, at the DMACC Newton Conference Center in Newton, Iowa. … Tetherow, a golf community close to Bend, Ore., announces that its David McLay Kidd-designed course will host a soft opening June 19-21 for members. A public opening is planned for late summer. … Golf Course Industry magazine awards course builder Frontier Golf its annual Affinity Award for Best Environmental Project. Frontier Golf earned this honor for its performance during a complicated, comprehensive “retro rebuild” of the Bedford Springs Old Course in Bedford Township, Pa. … Waynesville Country Club in Waynesville, N.C., selects to move to ClubTec‘s SQL Club Management Solutions. … The Golf Channel is accepting applications for the next “Big Break,” reality show. The format will be teams of two – each comprised of one male and one female competitor. To be eligible, both players must be a 3 handicap or better and be available to take up to three weeks off in the summer of 2008. For information, go to www.thegolfchannel.com/bigbreakapply. … LPGA Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam will make her first appearance at the Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters, April 14 at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. … Benson Construction Co. Inc. in Tifton, Ga., and Grassi Enterprise in Howell, Mich., have been advanced to Associate Builder membership status by the Golf Course Builders Association of America. Associate Builder members are required to have held the general contract on a minimum of one golf course or the equivalent within the last five years and conduct business within the United States.
Gary Player commits to play the Toshiba Classic, March 7-9 in Newport Beach, Calif. Player will be making his sixth appearance. … The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation and SporTyler will hold the second Azalea Trail Junior Golf Classic at Hollytree Country Club on March 14. The deadline is Friday, March 7, at 5 p.m. CDT. … Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee, Fla., will host a Florida Junior Tour event for junior golfers, boys and girls ages 16-18, on March 1-2. … Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the newly-named venue of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, will also play host to the American Junior Golf Association‘s FootJoy Invitational, June 9-13. … After a 31-year absence, the Wyndham Championship will return to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C. … Yang Yong Eun and Chris DiMarco commit to play in the Ballantine’s Championship, March 13-16 in Korea. … Cap Cana, located in the Dominican Republic, will host the Champions Tour’s newest event, The Cap Cana Championship, April 4-6, at its Punta Espada course.
The 24-player watch list for The Ben Hogan Award, presented annually to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer, is announced. The list includes Billy Horschel of Florida, Jamie Lovemark of Southern California, Kyle Stanley of Clemson, British Amateur champion Drew Weaver of Virginia Tech, Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State, Webb Simpson of Wake Forest, Jonas Blixt of Florida State, Ryan Brehm of Michigan State, Kevin Chappell and Lucas Lee of UCLA, Jonas Enander Hedin and Stefan Wiedergruen of Charlotte, Harris English and Brian Harman of Georgia, Derek Fathauer of Louisville, Rob Grube of Stanford, Chesson Hadley and Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech, Seung-su Han of UNLV, Mark Harrell and Michael Thompson of Alabama, Clayton Rask of Minnesota, Joel Sjoholm of Georgia State and Jarin Todd of Sonoma State. The winner will be announced on May 18.
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