MORE UPDATES.....LPGA "Q-SCHOOL"

Anya & I before Round 3

--- As most of you know, as you were all suffering a cold front in Elk City, I was caddying for Anya in Daytona Beach in the finals of the "LPGA Q-School" in temperatures of 75 degrees and winds of up to 25 mph. It wasn't to be this time, a bad second round of 83 in high winds that went from bad to worse, was almost impossible to overcome. She needed a 70 on the last round, but scored a 76. The other two rounds were 74 and 73. None of the rounds were her best golf. The strange thing is that the 83 was on a day where she missed only one fairway with a driver that was working all day long, long and straight and was hitting her irons solid (never missed the center spot on the club), but somehow, just could not get the right club in her hand and ended up in horrible places from where par was all but impossible. Golf, like nerves, is unpredictable.

Being someone optimistic about her future and someone who makes lemonade out of any lemons given to her, not everything is "doomsday": she has full status on the Futures Tour which she intends to use and is determined to qualify from there so she does not have to go to "Q-School" again. She will also be playing other tournaments, including some state opens.

Mac & Kathy Steen swing
in front of their fernery.

While in Daytona, we met some amazing people. We were invited to stay at private housing with Mac & Kathy Steen. Kathy, a retired teacher, has been a volunteer at the LPGA finals for several years, but it was the first time they opened their home to a visiting player. They are both occasional golfers. Mac is a retired orthodontist turned "fernery" (beautiful tropical plants) owner, grower and operator. They also have all the citrus fruit trees you can imagine. Their house is right on the edge of Lake Charles in Deland, FL, and they were great hosts to Anya and myself. Thank you!

--- On Saturday night, as all "Okies", we watched the "Bedlam Game" where Oklahoma State made a statement for the National Championship by stumping on the Oklahoma Sooners (winner of our poll and my favorite college team). We'll see what the powers to be have to say. Of course we all want OSU to play LSU, but it will be a tough sell for all those Easterner coaches (O.S.U. beat 5 top 25 teams while Alabama only 2, in additon, their only loss was a week after a tragedy where it was obvious the team was playing with a heavy heart), who might want a repeat of a 9 to 6 boring game. Regardless, congratulations to well known OSU fans at Elk City golf and C.C.: David Dyson, Bob Maine, Mike Clinton, Ricky Nagle, Brad Gilbert and all the rest of you who bleed orange: this was your happy year! (and we hope it gets happier for you!)

--- So Tiger Woods wins for the first time in a little over two years. His fans hope it is the beginning of another run to his quest to break Jack Nicklaus record, his detractors hope he is just another Fred Couples who was great in the "silly season" (all the after season tournaments). Now, this is not a "tournament", it is an exhibition of sorts, so while he should be happy for his play, the field only included 18 players. No question he was the best golfer on earth for about 10 years and one of the best of all time, and like him or not, it is kind of boring to watch a tournament without him around the leaders: there are those who watch to see a loss, and there are those who worship him and want him to win everything. That aside, perhaps he is able to learn from all that happened the last two years, makes things right (or as right as he can), and become the person his fans would like him to be, and the role model he can be, and, perhaps, like Ben Hogan (for far different reasons) 55 years ago, he is able to win some new fans... if that happens, it can only be good for golf.

--- Pro-Shop will remain open during the winter months as we will have some specials for Christmas in balls, accessories and several other house and office gifts.