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Colonial lands 5 of world's top 10

Today's commitment deadline has passed and officials at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial can celebrate.

Next week's PGA Tour event in Fort Worth will feature five of the top 10 players in the world golf rankings, Colonial's highest total since 2004. That year, Colonial also had five top-10 competitors.

The 2008 field is headed by No. 2 Phil Mickelson. It also includes No. 5 Steve Stricker, No. 6 Geoff Ogilvy, No. 7 Jim Furyk and No. 8 K.J. Choi. Mix in defending champ Rory Sabbatini (No. 14) and Anthony Kim (No. 17) and Colonial will have seven of the world's top 17 golfers competing.

Peter Ripa, Colonial tournament director, said he is "ecstatic" about the star power that will descend upon Hogan's Alley, especially after last year's event landed only one top-10 competitor.

Today's commitment deadline passed with 124 players in the field. Although there were some last minute withdrawls _ including John Daly, J.B. Holmes and Shaun Micheel _ there were some late additions as well. The late inclusions include Westlake resident Brandt Jobe, Billy Andrade, Fulton Allem, Tommy Armour III, Ted Purdy, Lee Janzen, Glen Day and Jesper Parnevik.

Ripa said ticket sales are running "about five to six percent ahead of last year" but a limited supply of tickets are still available. Tickets will not be sold at the course during tournament week. For ticket information, visit www.CrownePlazaInvitational.com.

_ Jimmy Burch

Romo out of Colonial pro-am

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who had been scheduled to play in Wednesday's pro-am at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, notified tournament officials today that he will be unable to compete because on an upcoming Cowboys' minicamp.

Colonial tournament director Peter Ripa said the other celebrity scheduled to compete in Wednesday's pro-am, comedian George Lopez, remains in the field. Lopez is scheduled to play in a Wednesday group with touring pro Anthony Kim at 8:40 a.m. The group will begin its round at No. 1.

_ Jimmy Burch

Daly withdraws at Colonial

John Daly withdrew today from next week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Peter Ripa, Colonial tournament director, said Daly _ a two-time major champion who was given a sponsor's exemption _ cited "personal reasons" as his reason for withdrawing hours before the commitment deadline for the May 22-25 event in Fort Worth.

Daly, who has never survived a Colonial cut during his PGA Tour career, last played in Fort Worth in 1999.

In addition, Colonial officials also have received last-minute withdrawls from Boo Weekley and Shaun Micheel. Ripa said Weekley told him that complications with the closing date on a house he is purchasing in Florida caused him to withdraw and Micheel, the 2003 PGA champion, has withdrawn to undergo shoulder surgery.

Among the last-minute additions to the field are Westlake resident Brandt Jobe, Ted Purdy and Glen Day.

With roughly an hour left before the commitment deadline, Ripa said tournament officials still are holding firm commitments from five of the top 10 players in the world golf rankings: No. 2 Phil Mickelson, No. 5 Steve Stricker, No. 6 Geoff Ogilvy, No. 7 Jim Furyk and No. 8 K.J. Choi.

Ripa said he is "ecstatic" that Colonial is positioned to land its highest number of top-10 competitors since 2004, when the tournament also attracted five of the top 10.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Ogilvy boosts Colonial's top-10 presence

Geoff Ogilvy, the No. 6 player in the world golf rankings, committed today to play in next week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

With the addition of Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, Colonial has commitments from five of the world's top 10 golfers for the May 22-25 event in Fort Worth. It marks the largest number of top-10 competitors to play at Colonial since the event attracted five in 2004.

"We're ecstatic over the strength of our field," said Colonial tournament director Peter Ripa.

Last year, the tournament landed only one top-10 competitor. Heading into Friday's commitment deadline, Colonial officials are holding pledges from Ogilvy, No. 2 Phil Mickelson, No. 5 Steve Stricker, No. 7 Jim Furyk and No. 8 K.J. Choi.

Ogilvy's commitment keeps Colonial on pace to land more top-10 participants for its event than the BMW PGA Championship, a high-profile European Tour event played on the same dates for the past two seasons. As things stand, Colonial will edge the European event, 5-3, in top-10 participants this year. A year ago, when the events were played on the same week, the European event had a 5-1 edge in top-10 star power.

In addition to Ogilvy, Nick Watney has joined the Colonial field. Commitments become official Friday.

_ Jimmy Burch

Colonial expanding fan presence

For the first time in tournament history, golf fans will be able to monitor the action at next week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on video boards located in downtown Fort Worth.

Peter Ripa, Colonial tournament director, said the video boards measure 9 feet by 16 feet and will be placed back-to-back in the Sundance Square area, on Main Street. The boards will show live tournament coverage from Thursday, Friday and Saturday rounds (May 22-24). Pre-game and post-game coverage also will be shown, Ripa said.

_ Jimmy Burch   

Sorenstam retirement spurs Colonial reflections

Annika Sorenstam, the winningest active player on the LPGA Tour and a gender-bending competitor at the 2003 Colonial, announced today that she will retire from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season.

Sorenstam, 37, has won 72 titles at tour events, including 10 major championships. Although her decision will prevent her from making a run at the LPGA record of 88 career victories held by Kathy Whitworth, Sorenstam said during a news conference in Clifton, N.J. that the decision is right for her.

"Because I love the game so much, this is obvioiusly a hard decision to make. But it feels like the right one," said Sorenstam, who is engaged to Mike McGee, son of former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee, and has expressed interest in starting a family. "I made this decision because I have a number of other priorities in my life, including starting a family, that I want to be as dedicated to as I have been to playing golf."

Sorenstam's announcement came two days after Sunday's seven-stroke triumph at the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, her third victory of the season. Although she has hinted about retirement on multiple occasions since 2003, the year she competed at Colonial, Sorenstam said she wanted to walk away while at the top of her game because "it was always important to me to go out on my own terms."

Sorenstam's signature season occurred in 2003, when she became the first woman in 58 years to compete in a PGA Tour event by posting rounds of 71-74 while missing the cut at Colonial. Later that season, she won the British Women's Open to become only the sixth competitor to win all four majors on the LPGA Tour during her career.

After completing her career Grand Slam, Sorenstam cited lessons learned while competing against male peers in Fort Worth that made her a better player. Specifically, improvement in her short game.

"I feel like a better player today, thanks to Colonial," Sorenstam said during a 2003 interview. "I think I'm chipping and putting better than ever. If that's a result from Colonial, I'm not sure. But I know it's a result from all the practice I did to get to Colonial."

Dee Finley, tournament chairman of the 2003 Colonial that sold a tournament-record 200,000 tickets, said he was "shocked" to hear about Sorenstam's retirement but wished her well.

"We at Colonial say, 'Thanks for the memories' and wish her well," Finley said. "I sure enjoyed (Sorenstam's participation in 2003). Fort Worth got a great benefit from it and I think she thoroughly enjoyed her experience here."

_ Jimmy Burch

Tiger targets U.S. Open return, if not sooner

Tiger Woods, the world's top-ranked golfer, said today that he hopes to return to PGA Tour competition by next month's U.S. Open, if not before.

But Woods made it clear in a teleconference with reporters that he would be satisfied if his next event is the season's second major championship, June 12-15 in La Jolla, Calif. Woods underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on April 15, two days after finishing second at the Masters, and has not been cleared by doctors to do any golf-related activities beyond chipping and putting.

"I'm just trying to get the leg organized enough to where I can play, and hopefully I can play before (the Open)," said Woods, who has not hit a shot longer than 30 yards since his surgery. "If not, if I can't play before, then hopefully at the Open."

If Woods returns before the Open, a likely spot would be the Memorial Tournament (May 29-June 1), where he is a three-time champion. But Woods clouded that possibility Monday, saying that, based on the current state of his rehabilitation efforts, he "couldn't compete against (fellow touring pros), unless we were playing a Putt-Putt course."

Woods drew a parallel to the 2006 season, when he missed several events following the death of his father before returning to compete at the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut.

"That was a totally different mental situation than now," Woods said. "Even when I came back for the (2006) Open, I probably wasn't ready to play yet. I was eager to get back ... but I wasn't ready to deal with all the things you have to deal with inside the ropes. It showed, and I played terrible. This time around, it's totally different. Everything in my life is doing great. I'm just trying to get the leg organized enough to where I can play. Hopefully, I'll start hitting balls and start progressing soon and working my way up the bag (toward hitting full shots)."

Hank Haney, Woods' swing coach, said during a recent interview that he would be surprised if Woods' surgery kept him out of the Open. The event will be played at Torrey Pines Golf Course, where Woods has won six Buick Invitational titles, the most recent on Jan. 27.

Asked during the EDS Byron Nelson Championship about his expectations for a Woods return, Haney said: "He's working hard ... I know he's really, really looking forward to playing (the Open) at Torrey Pines. He'll do everything in his power to be ready for that."

Woods said he is hoping the third knee surgery of his career, combined with a recent swing change, will minimize the stress he puts on his legs and lengthen his career. He said he accepts occasional surgeries as "the nature of playing sports" and a price he must pay to compete at golf's highest level.

"It's gotten better and, hopefully, it will continue to get better," Woods said.

_ Jimmy Burch 

Colonial gives exemption to amateur

Jamie Lovemark, a finalist for the 2008 Ben Hogan Award, has been given a sponsor's exemption to compete in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, tournament officials announced today.

Lovemark, a sophomore at Southern California, won the 2007 NCAA individual championship as a freshman, becoming the first freshman to do so since Phil Mickelson in 1989. Although Colonial has a long history of amateur competitors, Lovemark will be the first active collegiate player to compete in Fort Worth since TCU's Alberto Ochoa in 1997.

Peter Ripa, Colonial tournament director, said Lovemark was the only one of three finalists for the Hogan Award who wrote a letter requesting a berth in this year's field. The Hogan Award, given to the nation's top college golfer, will be presented May 18 at Colonial.

"He approached us ... and we think it would be smart for us to acknowledge we thought highly of him prior to his playing as a professional," Ripa said. "Arguably, he's the top amateur (golfer) in the world."

Lovemark, 20, joins Oklahoma State's Rickie Fowler and Alabama's Michael Thompson as Hogan Award finalists. But the exemption does not guarantee Lovemark will hear his name called as the recipient on May 18.

"It's not automatic," Ripa said. "We don't control that. That's up to the (Hogan Award) committee."

_ Jimmy Burch

Colonial: running the numbers

With the latest wave of commitments, the field for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial includes four of the top 10 golfers in this week's world rankings, as well as six of the top 16. Commitments for the May 22-25 tournament in Fort Worth are not official until May 16.

As things stand today, here are the top 10 golfers headed to Colonial, according to this week's world rankings:

2. Phil Mickelson

5. Steve Stricker

7. Jim Furyk

8. K.J. Choi

13. Rory Sabbatini

16. Anthony Kim

24. Boo Weekley

27. Ian Poulter

28. Sean O'Hair

30. Stephen Ames

_ Jimmy Burch

Colonial field update

Ian Poulter, the No. 27 player in the world golf rankings, has committed to play in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

The addition of Poulter, a native of England who competes on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour, is interesting because Colonial's competition dates (May 22-25) overlap those of the BMW Championship, one of the highest-profile events on the European circuit.

Peter Ripa, Colonial tournament director, said landing one of Europe's top players in the Colonial field during the same week as one of Europe's top tournaments represents a "huge" coup for his event. It will mark the first Colonial apprearance for Poulter, a member of the 2004 European Ryder Cup team known for his stylish outfits.

"I don't know what convinced him. But I'm glad to have him," said Ripa, who has extended a sponsor's exemption to Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA champion, to compete at Colonial.

Other recent commitments have come from Stephen Ames, Briny Baird, Jason Bohn, Mark Brooks, Chad Campbell, Joe Durant, Mathew Goggin, Matt Kuchar, Frank Lickliter II, Rocco Mediate, John Merrick, Brandt Snedeker and Scott Verplank.

For Colonial ticket information, visit www.CrownePlazaInvitational.com.

_ Jimmy Burch

_ Jimmy Burch

Hogan Award finalists named

Oklahoma State golfer Rickie Fowler joins Southern California’s Jamie Lovemark and Alabama's Michael Thompson as finalists for the 2008 Ben Hogan Award.

The award, given annually to the nation's top college golfer, will be presented May 18 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. All three of the semifinalists, announced today, will be on hand for the live announcement of the winner. 

College golfers who compete in all NCAA divisions (I, II or III), as well as NAIA and junior college players, are eligible to receive the Hogan Award. The selection committee considers all collegiate and amateur competitions held during the last 12 months.

Fowler, the Big 12 Player of the Year, claimed medalist honors twice this season: at the Olympia Fields Illini Invitational and the Big 12 Men’s Championship. He also has a pair of runner-up finishes, two fourth-place showings and has placed no lower than eighth in nine events during his freshman season. Fowler won three matches to help Team

USA

claim a victory in the most recent Walker Cup competition.

Lovemark, the defending NCAA individual champion, is a 2007 first-team All-American. The sophomore has seven top-10 finishes this season, including four in the top five. His best showings came in runner-up finishes at the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational and the United States Collegiate Championship.

Thompson, a senior, has finished in the top 10 in all eight events he has played this season. Thompson won the SEC Men’s Golf Championship and has posted three runner-up finishes. He competed in the 2008 Masters after finishing as the runner-up in last summer's U.S. Amateur.

_ Jimmy Burch

Drago named Nelson tournament director

Jon Drago, a Fort Worth native and Nolan Catholic High School graduate, has been named as the new tournament director of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Drago, 37, replaces Janie Henderson, who retired earlier this week.

Drago, son of retired State District Court judge Joe Drago, has spent the last five years working on the Nelson tournament staff, most recently as chief operting officer.

A University of Texas graduate, Drago has spent the past 15 years working in the golf industry, including stops as a tournament manager for the PGA of America and as an assistant golf professional at Ridglea Country Club (1993-94).

Drago learned the game as a junior golfer at Colonial Country Club and was a part of three Nolan teams that won TAPPS state golf titles during his high school years.

_ Jimmy Burch

Colonial picks Champions' Choice invitees

Officials at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial announced today that Jason Day and Charlie Wi will compete in the May 22-25 tournament as Champions' Choice selections.

The Champions' Choice exemptions are given each year to two Colonial newcomers who have been identified as promising players in balloting by past tournament champions.

Day, 20, is a native of Australia who won an event on the 2007 Nationwide Tour as a 19-year-old. He has two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, including one at the Houston Open. Wi, a native of South Korea who lives in California, is a third-year member of the PGA Tour who has nine international victories in events on the the Asian and European tours. Wi cracked the top 10 in last week's EDS Byron Nelson Championship, where the tied for seventh.

Of the previous 101 golfers who made their Colonial debuts as Champions Choice invitees, 66 have gone on to win at least one PGA Tour event. The list includes Davis Love III, Paul Azinger, Billy Mayfair, Mark O'Meara, Curtis Strange, Stewart Cink and Dave Stockton. In 1967, Stockton became the first _ and only _ Champions' Choice invitee to take a Colonial title in his first trip to Fort Worth.

For information about Colonial tickets, visit www.CrownePlazaInvitational.com or call 817-927-4280.

_ Jimmy Burch