Divot Mix

"If we are to preserve the integrity of golf as left to us by our forefathers, it is up to all of us to carry on the true spirit of the game." --Ben Crenshaw

Sharon Stone to host PGA Tour wrap up

Actress Sharon Stone will host One From the Heart, a one-hour special presented by the PGA Tour and AstraZeneca, on ABC-TV, at 3 p.m. ET, Dec. 18. The show chronicles the impact PGA Tour events have on people and communities across the country.

Since the first charitable donation of $10,000 was made by the Palm Beach Invitational in 1938, charity has become a cornerstone of the Tour's philosophy. Each year with proceeds from more than 100 tournaments go directly to more than 2,000 different local charities. Through 2004, total donations have exceeded $900 million.

Produced by PGA Tour Productions, the program includes moments from the 2004 season and highlights the following charities:

• Teach for America - Wachovia Championship (Charlotte, N.C.) A program in which recent college graduates dedicate two years to teaching rural or urban students.
• Special Olympics - Chrysler Classic of Tucson (Tucson, Ariz.) This is the story of one amazing young athlete battling Down syndrome, who, because the chapter stayed open, went on to become a world champion weightlifter.
• Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research - BellSouth Classic (Duluth, Ga.) Zach Johnson, winner of the Crestor Charity Challenge at the BellSouth Classic, donated his $50,000 to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which aids Parkinson's disease research. Zach's grandfather, Bill, suffers from the disease.
• Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center - Barclays Classic (Harrison, N.Y.) - When 13-year-old Maria Fareri died from rabies, her parents decided to honor her memory by building a state-of-the-art children's hospital next to the poorly equipped hospital where Maria spent her final days.
• Camp Smile-a-Mile - Bruno's Memorial Classic (Hoover, Ala.) A non-profit organization for children in Alabama who had or have cancer that provides year-round programs, including overnight camps, for patients at no cost to their families.

The program will also profile the Crestor Charity Challenge, a weekly competition that recognizes the tournament leader entering the final round at Tour events. AstraZeneca, maker of Crestor, donated approximately $3 million to health care and PGA Tour charities.

Finchem to receive NGCOA Award of Merit

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem will receive the 2005 National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Award of Merit in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the game of golf.

“I truly am honored to receive this prestigious award from the NGCOA. In acceptance of it, I readily note that this is in recognition of the collaborative spirit shared by the many golf organizations that are dedicated to helping the game, including the NGCOA, rather than the work of any one individual,” Finchem said. “We have seen the power of cooperation through the success of many growth-enhancing initiatives, such as The First Tee and GOLF 20/20.”

The Award of Merit has been given since 1983 to honor individuals or organizations that have made long-term and significant contributions to the game of golf.

“The NGCOA's most prestigious award is given to Tim Finchem in recognition of his tremendous commitment to the growth of the game,” said Mike Hughes, NGCOA executive director. “He has brought a sense of passion and urgency to the industry's player development efforts.”

The award will be presented Feb. 11, during the NGCOA Solutions Summit in Orlando, Fla., held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show.

Singh, Sorenstam and Stadler honored by GWAA

The Golf Writers Association of America has named Vijay Singh, Annika Sorenstam and Craig Stadler the 2004 Players of the Year.

All three will be honored at the GWAA's Annual Awards Dinner April 6, 2005 in Augusta, Ga.

Sorenstam has won the GWAA award four consecutive years and six times in the last 10 years. It is the first GWAA award for Stadler and Singh.

Singh won nine times this season on the PGA Tour, including the PGA Championship, set a single season earnings record of $10,905,166 and captured the No.1 spot in the World Golf Rankings. He had 18 top 10 finishes and also won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award and Vardon Trophy. He was the sixth player in history to win at least nine events in a season.

Sorenstam won eight tournaments on the LPGA Tour, including the McDonald's LPGA Championship, and went over the $2 million mark in earnings for the fourth consecutive season. Sorenstam's accomplishments are more notable since she played in just 18 events. She had eight other top 10s on the year and set a new scoring average of 68.70

Stadler won five times on the Champions Tour, including the Jeld-Wen Tradition. He had 12 top 10s and led the money list with $2,306,066. He put together a string of three wins at the end of the summer and finished second in Charles Schwab Cup to Hale Irwin.