After pro golf odyssey, Gunn Yang readjusting to life as college player

When the former U.S. Amateur champion was finished with a fantastical but thoroughly grinding year that took him around the world to play in professional golf tournaments, he had a big decision to make: return to San Diego State, where a full-ride scholarship awaited, or go all in as a pro.

 

What gives Yang chills is that his Korean parents don't speak English, and his San Diego-based instructor, Glen Daugherty, doesn't speak Korean, but they used almost the exact same words to advise him.

 

"Your education is important. You're putting too much pressure on yourself. Give your golf game time to mature."

 

"I always listen to my parents, but I don't always follow what they tell me to do," Yang said, but on this one he could not argue.

 

SDSU head coach Ryan Donovan wondered all summer if Yang would be back, and he finally got the word just a couple of weeks before school started. Yes, Yang had decided to return as a 22-year-old junior after getting a taste of the perks and the grind of PGA Tour golf.

 

In an extraordinary run afforded him as the U.S. Amateur champ, Yang played in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open and received exemptions into five other PGA Tour events and a handful of touranments in Asia and Australia.

 

He met Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, played alongside some of the tour's current big stars, and got friendly with players such as Tony Finau and Kevin Na.

 

Yang also was wholly humbled by the experience. He made only one pro cut – at Colonial, where he tied for 65th – and shot as many rounds in the 80s – two – as he did in the 60s.

 

"Nobody gets to have that experience except the U.S. Amateur champion, and I was the lucky one to do it last year," Yang said. "I felt really fortunate to be able to do it."

 

After months of traveling and practicing, mostly alone, it's been a surreal transition for Yang back to college campus life. He's got four classes and has been busy working his way back into the Aztecs team, for which he had only played sparingly before winning the U.S. Amateur in August 2014.

 

Before the Am win, Yang had his 25-percent scholarship taken away by Donovan because he had not earned playing time. Then the two had a heated discussion after the Amateur when Yang decided to take leave from the team to play on pro exemptions. Donovan later apologized to Yang and offered him a full-ride if he returned this fall.

 

Through all of his experiences in the pro events, Yang donned his SDSU-logoed gear.

 

"Honestly, it's been all positive for us," Donovan said. "He's got the knowledge from what he learned last year, and he's sharing stories with the guys. It's been pretty cool to see.

 

"He's been great with the team. Our first tournament he was asking every couple holes where everyone was at. It's kind of fun to hear, because that's important to us. He's intense; he's all in."

 

Yang was in the starting lineup for the Aztecs' first four tournaments, notching a 72.0 scoring average in 12 rounds. The team's top scorer is Italian junior Ricardo Michelini (70.50). Yang had two top-10 finishes, including a tie for eighth in last week's UCLA-hosted Gifford Collegiate at La Costa.

 

"I'm starting to get the sense of how I need to react and get along with my teammates," Yang said.

 

Yang admits he arrived back at SDSU completely burned out from a schedule that gave him no more than a handful of days off over the year. He is a player who works harder on the range than most and puts tremendous pressure on himself. That played out poorly at times when he wasn't getting the results he thought he should on the tour.

 

"I overdid it," he said. "My expectations were too high for where my game was."

 

He's trying to change that now.

 

"I'm back in college golf," Yang said. "Everybody is good out here too. I'm trying to play my best, but I'm not trying to do anything spectacular."

 

Not grinding as much has its rewards. Following his first day off in a while and with no pressure, Yang played Friday in an SDSU fundraiser at San Diego Country Club and shot 7 under par. The cause-effect wasn't lost on Yang.

 

"I've been putting too much stress on myself," he said. "I'm trying to take it easy, focus on school work, and do the normal things most college kids do – enjoy life."

 

This article was written by Tod Leonard from The San Diego Union-Tribune and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

Know Your Oosthuizen!

The folks at Golf Digest decided to take their new “intern” out on the streets to play a game called “Name That Golfer.”

Stopping random couples on the street, the host and intern showed them pictures of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia, Arnold Palmer, and Louis Oosthuizen.

All of the “contestants” were able to guess Woods, one was able to name Sergio, one guy called Arnie “Tom Collins,” and zero people recognized Louis.  Nothing really too surprising.  The South African is by no means a household name here in the United States.

However, not a single coupled realized the guy in the picture was the same guy holding said picture.  One guy actually pats him on the back and tells him “good job” when Louis, “the intern,” was able to properly pronounce his own last name!

About Kris McEwen

Kris became obsessed with the game of golf after deciding to finally hang up his baseball cleats about four years ago. Still learning the game, he’s leaned on much of the on-line golf community for help and loves to return the favor whenever possible.

A contributor to several golf sites in the past, Kris writes from the perspective of your average golfer. One who has a passion for the game, but also has the typical restrictions of life and budget.

Arnold Palmer sends heartfelt letter to NBC announcer battling cancer

NBC and Golf Channel’s Mark Rolfing announced earlier this monththat he was battling a rare form of salivary gland cancer and would start treatment immediately.

(Via MerlinFTP Drop)

His goal is to be back commentating by early next year, and he said that all the support he’s been receiving is helping him stay positive. One of the biggest boosts he got was in the form of a letter from Arnold Palmer, according to Ed Sherman:

“It’s a wonderful thing,” Rolfing said. “They’ve given me a reason to fight hard. I just don’t want to let them down.”

One correspondence stood out, and it came in the form of an old-fashioned letter.

“I got a letter from Arnold Palmer the other day,” Rolfing said. “I opened it and there were tears streaming down my face. It made me realize how lucky I am and what the game has done for me. A letter from Arnold Palmer in regular mail. It was typical Arnold. I’ve had a lot of support, but that one stands out.”

Arnold Palmer Regional Airport gets no-contact scanners

LATROBE, Pa. — 

Western Pennsylvania's Arnold Palmer Regional Airport now features a scanner that conducts full-body searches of passengers without physical contact.

More than 750 of the scanners, which use millimeter-wave technology, are utilized at 150 airports across the country. The Latrobe airport was provided the machine by the federal Transportation Safety Administration.

Executive Director Gabe Monzo tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the machine will increase the airport's efficiency by making it quicker to process passengers and their baggage.

Monzo says the scanner gives the airport flexibility if it is ever expanded.

Westmoreland County Airport Authority officials say board members have been discussing a 20-year plan that includes a $7 million expansion of Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to add two more gates to the terminal.

Arnold Palmer’s name pulled for $973 Friday raffle at Latrobe Elks

Arnold Palmer doesn’t need any more money, but he could have added to the tally on Friday night in his hometown of Latrobe, Pa.

Palmer is a member of the Latrobe Elks, which has an 18-hole golf course on the property, and, each day, the club conducts a daily raffle drawing for a jackpot. Any of the over 800 members can come into the clubhouse bar and sign up for $1. Then, at 8:30 p.m. each night, three numbers are drawn from three separate containers and, combined, form the three-digit number of the winning member. If that person signed up that day, then they win the jackpot.

On Friday night, Palmer’s number came up. However, the King didn’t sign up that day — he’s not typically at the club — so he didn’t wind up winning the jackpot.

Better luck next time?

Champions Tour playoff event coming to Country Club of Virginia in 2016

Head or heart? PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem didn’t have to choose. Both were delivering the same message.

The Country Club of Virginia and the PGA’s Champions Tour will today announce a four-year agreement that will bring a Champions tournament to CCV’s James River Course beginning next year. The inaugural Dominion Charity Classic will be played Nov. 4-6, 2016, and will occupy a prime position on the Champions Tour’s Schwab Cup postseason playoff schedule.

“Let me say this,” said Finchem, a 1969 University of Richmond graduate and current UR board member. “The fact that I used to caddie (at the James River Course) and the fact that I used to sneak onto (CCV’s) Westhampton Course to play had nothing to do” with the selection of the tournament site.

The decision, he said, was rooted in analytics, not emotion.

Finchem said the Champions Tour’s decision to implement a FedEx Cup-style playoff in 2016 created a need for new venues offering agreeable October/November weather. He said CCV and the James River Course best satisfied a list of venue criteria. Among the requirements: accessibility, marketability, suitable-for-television panoramas and strength of club membership in the community.

He called the combination of event, venue and title sponsor — Dominion Resources, Inc. — “quite compelling.”

The Dominion Charity Classic will offer a $2 million purse to an elite field of 54 players. The 54-hole, no-cut tournament will be the final playoff tournament before the season-ending Schwab Cup Championship. Richmond results could have much to say about the makeup of the Schwab Cup Championship field.

The Champions Tour provides a top-drawer competitive environment for professional players 50 and older. Its popularity has surged since it was founded in 1980 as the PGA Senior Tour. In its first season, the tour offered four events with purses of $475,000. Today it offers 24 events with purses of more than $51 million.

Champions Tour event rosters are dotted with recognizable names. This week’s list of money leaders includes No. 1 Jeff Maggert, No. 2 Colin Montgomerie and No. 3 Bernhard Langer.

“I think people are going to see a great show,” said Bobby Wadkins, a native Richmonder whose professional résumé includes four Champions Tour victories. The James River Course “isn’t overly long by today’s standards,” Wadkins said. That being so, “I wouldn’t be surprised to see somebody” — he mentioned Langer and Fred Couples — “shoot 64 or 65.”

Today’s announcement will return Richmond to the professional golf map after a one-year absence. The Eagle Classic, a women’s Symetra Tour event, was held at Richmond Country Club from 2008 to 2014.

A men’s developmental tour tournament was held at the Dominion Club and Stonehenge Golf and Country Club under several names — most recently the Henrico County Open — from 1993 to 2008.

Richmond’s relationship with the 50-and-over tour is substantial. A Senior Tour event was held at Hermitage Country Club from 1983 to 1990, first as the United Virginia Bank Seniors and subsequently as the Crestar Classic. Chi Chi Rodriguez won twice at Hermitage. Arnold Palmer captured his last professional victory at the 1988 Crestar Classic.

“I’m just tickled pink about this,” Wadkins said. “It’s long overdue.”

Finchem said he knows from experience that the Richmond community’s affection for golf “is second to none.” He said he has “no doubt the Dominion Charity Classic will become one of the finest events of the Champions Tour season.”

Wadkins agreed.

“Think of all the people who play on all of the courses in the (Richmond) area,” he said. “If just the people who play around here come out — and that’s not counting the rest of the state — I think we’ll have a great turnout.”

Finchem said several local candidates — “at least 3-4” — were evaluated as potential tournament sites. One, Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, played host in February to a reception that included Finchem and Champions Tour president Greg McLaughlin.

Dominion, at that point, had not come aboard. Finchem said Dominion “is very happy” with the selection of the James River Course as the tournament venue.

Independence president and co-owner Giff Breed called the unveiling of the Dominion Charity Classic “incredibly exciting” and “a great opportunity” for the Richmond golf community.”

Michael Jordan makes more in retirement than most athletes do at top of game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s still really good to be “like Mike.”

Basketball great Michael Jordan makes more money in retirement than most professional athletes do when they’re at the top of their game.

New court documents provide a detailed look at just how much the basketball superstar earns from endorsements long after his playing career has ended.

They were released as part of a suit Jordan has brought against Safeway, which alleges that one of its former grocery stores, Dominick’s Finer Foods, used his likeness without permission. Jordan, 52, is seeking over $10 million from the now defunct company, and the details about his existing endorsements were revealed to support the claim that his image is in fact that valuable.

The specifics of Jordan’s sponsorship deals clearly demonstrate just how valuable Jordan’s image is, according to sports marketing expert Bob Dorfman.

Some companies behind these endorsements fought to keep the details of their agreements private, but federal judge John Blakey ruled that the information had to be disclosed to the public in an order signed Thursday.

Jordan’s most lucrative deal is with Nike, which has paid out over $473 million dollars over the course of the contract, which he’s had since 1993. A 1991 deal with Gatorade that’s still in effect today is valued at $18 million and a deal he’s had with Hanes since 1992 has netted him over $14 million. The sports memorabilia outfit Upper Deck paid Jordan over $13 million from 2000-2014, while video game outfit 2K Sports has had two separate contracts with the superstar for a total of roughly $2.5 million.

Hanes confirmed how much Jordan’s contract is worth, but refused to comment further.

Gatorade told CNNMoney that the company does “not comment on pending legal matters.” Nike, Upper Deck and 2K Sports did not respond to requests for comment.

Jordan, who retired for the second time in 2003, took the notion of athletic sponsorships to an entirely different level, making himself one of the biggest name brands in sports history.

“He’s an example for other athletes who are focused on creating their personal ‘brand,'” Dorfman said.

This sentiment was echoed by Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp.

“Jordan is very strategic about the deals he makes,” Ganis said. “His image is guarded zealously and he only makes long-term deals for big money that convey a positive image of the Michael Jordan brand.”

Ganis praised Jordan’s savvy ability to cultivate his image and extend his worth long after his career, likening it to that of Arnold Palmer.

“His brand will probably continue to be valuable even when he’s no longer alive.”