star-telegram.com: Jimmy Burch

Want to caddy at Colonial for David Toms?

Sat, 10 May 2008 14:03 CDT

By Jimmy Burch

Golf fans interested in walking between the ropes at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial while helping charitable causes have a rare opportunity that expires Friday.

Caddy For A Cure, a non-profit organization that benefits patients battling debilitating diseases, is running an online auction to allow a fan to carry the bag for PGA Tour golfer David Toms during his May 21 pro-am round at Colonial.

Bids will be taken through Friday at www.caddyforacure.com. The minimum bid is $1,500. Of the money raised by the auction, organizers said 100 percent will be donated to local or national charities.

Among the recipients from the Colonial stop will be the American Cancer Society, the ALS Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Cook Children's Medical Center and the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, which seeks a cure for a rare form of leukemia.

Russ Holden, a veteran tour caddy who founded the organization, said he is "thrilled to be coming back" to Colonial with his program and excited that Toms, a member of the last three U.S. Ryder Cup teams, has agreed to participate.

Toms, 41, has won 12 tour events in his career, including the 2001 PGA Championship. He has four top-10 finishes at Colonial, including a tie for second in 2002 and a tie for third in 2005.

Gateway Tour to D-FW

The Gateway Tour, a developmental circuit whose alums include PGA Tour participant Charley Hoffman, is seeking competitors for its inaugural D-FW Summer Series.

The events will be played at local courses, starting with the May 28-30 tournament at Waterchase Golf Club in Fort Worth. Waterchase also will be the site of the Gateway Tour's Mid-Summer Championship (July 21-26), with a $300,000 purse.

For more information, visit www.thegatewaytour.com.

Milestone member

The Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation, started in 1983, recently registered its 50,000th member. The lucky registrant, Plano's Billy Kraft, received a set of Nike golf clubs, two rounds of golf at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas and four weekly passes to the EDS Byron Nelson Championship and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial to commemorate the milestone. Kraft is a sophomore at Dallas Jesuit, where he plays on the golf team.

Briefly

Fort Worth resident Chaney Uhles won the girls 15-18 division at the Houston Area Kickoff Classic on the Texas Legends Junior Tour. Uhles shot 75-80 (13 over) to win the April 26-27 event. Southlake's Jenna Payette finished fourth.

Golfers have until June 11 to enter the Texas State Open, scheduled July 17-20 at The Cascades in Tyler. The stroke-play event, open to professionals and amateurs, offers an estimated purse of $125,000. Entry forms are available at www.ntpga.com or by calling 214-420-7421.

Nelson officials once again look for help in Fort Worth

Wed, 07 May 2008 08:53 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

Credit the folks at the Salesmanship Club of Dallas for knowing where to turn when seeking leadership for their PGA Tour event.

About 35 miles west, to Fort Worth.

It worked wonders 40 years ago when they re-named their tournament -- the former Dallas Open -- in honor of golf legend Byron Nelson, who learned the game as a caddie at Fort Worth's Glen Garden Country Club.

Now, another man with a strong Cowtown connection is charged with leading the EDS Byron Nelson Championship into the future.

Jon Drago, Fort Worth native and Nolan Catholic High School graduate, has been selected as the Nelson tournament director.

He succeeds Janie Henderson, who retired this week after 27 years of service to the tournament. As part of his duties, Drago also will serve as tournament director of the 2008 Nationwide Tour Championship, Nov. 6-9 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney.

But his primary gig will be the Nelson tournament, where Job No. 1 -- Lord Byron's old job -- is to boost the star power during tournament week in Irving. Drago is quick to acknowledge that, while a Fort Worth pedigree is an asset on any résumé (even in Dallas County), some pedigrees carry more weight than others. Like Nelson's.

"I'm not sure I want to compare myself to Mr. Nelson," Drago said Tuesday. "He stands alone. But I hope to be a part of continuing his legacy through this golf tournament."

That is what Salesmanship Club officials are counting on by elevating Drago from chief operating officer to tournament director of their event. Kent Skipper, Salesmanship Club chief executive officer, said Drago has the experience and local knowledge needed "to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead" in restoring luster to an event that landed only one top-10 golfer (Adam Scott) in its 2008 field.

Drago, 37, has more than 15 years of experience in the golf industry, the last five on Nelson tournament staffs. Previous stops include stints as a tournament manager for the PGA of America and an assistant golf professional at Ridglea Country Club (1993-94).

Like Nelson, Drago -- son of retired State District Court judge Joe Drago -- learned the game in Fort Worth. As a junior golfer, he honed his skills at Colonial Country Club. He played on three Nolan golf teams that won TAPPS state championships.

Although Drago acknowledges that he still receives "occasional, but friendly" grief from his Dallas-based bosses about his Tarrant County roots, the Mansfield resident is pretty sure he hears envy in the voices of those who are slow to embrace the wonders of the 817 area code.

"That's the way I take it," Drago said. As well he should.

In a serious vein, Drago said he looks forward to directing the fortunes of a tour event named for a legend and coming off a $10 million course overhaul that drew widespread praise from players in its April debut.

He's optimistic about seeing more star power in 2009, when the Nelson (May 21-24) and Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (May 28-31) are projected to be played in consecutive weeks. Those dates are not final. But Drago's elevation into his dream job is set in stone.

"There's only 42 of these jobs [on the PGA Tour]," Drago said. "This is one of the things my dad and I talked about years ago, when I got my first job out of college at Ridglea. It's something I've always strived to become. To think I could do this in my own back yard makes it even more special."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

8,390 Applicants who will attempt to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Open

1,236 Applicants who will attempt to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Women's Open

79 Age of oldest competitor in qualifying rounds for the Open (Harris Moore Jr.)

Improved course, May dates may not be bait to lure Tiger back to Nelson

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:37 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

Paul Goydos, the No. 160 player in the world golf rankings, has a theory about tournament officials' bottom-line expectations for their $10 million renovation to the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas course.

"The ultimate goal is to get Tiger Woods back here," Goydos said, reflecting on an EDS Byron Nelson Championship field that, for a third consecutive year, is without the world's top-ranked golfer. This week, it's also without eight other top-10 golfers, leaving No. 10 Adam Scott as the Nelson headliner heading into Thursday's opening round.

Such a dropoff in starpower disturbs Ron Rittenmeyer, EDS' chief executive officer. Rittenmeyer said Tuesday that he expects to huddle today with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who is headed to Dallas/Fort Worth for a scheduled players' meeting.

Rittenmeyer said he wants better tournament dates -- specifically, a consistent May date -- or his company will consider withdrawing as the Nelson title sponsor when its agreement ends after the 2010 event. Although the PGA Tour calendar projects the Nelson to be played on Memorial Day weekend in 2009 and 2010, those dates remain flexible.

Plus, Rittenmeyer said he's looking for a longer-term commitment from Finchem after back-to-back disappointing fields with April dates.

"We should have May [dates] the next two years," Rittenmeyer said. "The question is the next four years after that. I think we're working it out.... It's important that we get the right dates."

If not, ties could be severed.

"It's not frustration. It's a business issue," Rittenmeyer said. "I need some assurance there will be May dates. We're going to push this hard because we think it's our responsibility to do that."

But will May dates trigger a return from Tiger? Hank Haney, Woods' swing instructor, is not sure.

"To be honest with you, I just wait for him to tell me where we're going, and I show up there," said Haney, who was at the TPC course Tuesday to instruct First Tee junior golfers from Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas. "He values my opinion on the golf swing. But I'm not sure he's too worried about my opinion on his schedule."

Just the same, Haney said he plans to update Woods on the high-quality, TPC redesign done by architect D.A. Weibring.

"Absolutely," Haney said. "Tiger knows they've made some good improvements here. And, hopefully, if the dates get a little more favorable, we'll get to see him back in Dallas."

How about a Nelson-Colonial two-step, if the events -- as proposed -- are played in consecutive weeks the next two years?

"It's hard to say," Haney said. "It just really is hard to say."

Translation: It's Tiger's call. But don't hold your breath.

Frankly, if Nelson officials want to see Woods strolling their fairways again, my suggestion would be to present him with the Byron Nelson Prize, a second-year honor given annually to someone in golf who gives back to others. Woods qualifies, just like 2008 recipient Ken Venturi, who collected the honor Tuesday.

An active player (Tom Lehman) won the inaugural Nelson Prize in 2007. Why not Tiger, in some future season?

If the goal truly is to lure Tiger back to Irving, that honor would carry more clout than any May date or course overhaul.

BY THE NUMBERS

67.87 Lorena Ochoa's season scoring average at LPGA Tour events, almost two strokes per round better than Annika Sorenstam (69.77), who ranks second.

Nelson can't afford bogeys on course's report cards

Wed, 07 May 2008 08:46 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

The star-power quotient for next week's EDS Byron Nelson Championship has taken a much-needed recent spike, thanks to Trevor Immelman and Sergio Garcia.

Immelman, a confirmed Nelson participant, edged Tiger Woods to win the Masters on Sunday. Garcia joined the Nelson field Tuesday.

Yet the smart money still rests on Friday's deadline passing without a top 10 player in the world golf rankings attaching his name to the Nelson commitment list. That's a disgrace to the legacy of Lord Byron, the late golf legend from Roanoke. But you already know that.

Chances are, you also know the behind-the-scenes issues that make this a reality: A bad date on the 2008 PGA Tour calendar, compounded by last year's dismal greens and an off-season refurbishing of the TPC Las Colinas course that most tour participants have yet to see for themselves.

Until they see it, or at least hear glowing reports from those who have played it, you won't find top-10 golfers beating a path to the Four Seasons Resort. That's why Immelman (No. 15), Garcia (No. 16) and Colonial champ Rory Sabbatini (No. 12), a Fort Worth resident, are the highest-ranked golfers who have vowed to compete April 24-27 in Irving.

D.A. Weibring, the architect who oversaw the off-season overhaul of the TPC Las Colinas, has identified touring pros based in D-FW as the catalysts needed to boost future Nelson fields.

"I want the local players to be the new hosts. Byron did that for all of us for so long," Weibring said. "If our local guys can be proud of what we're doing... we'll be very successful."

Message received. Sabbatini, J.J. Henry, Justin Leonard and Harrison Frazar have been among the Nelson's biggest proponents this spring, trying to persuade peers to check out Weibring's impressive handiwork. But they realize the job is far from finished.

"Give it three years," Frazar said. "We had an issue with the golf course. That's fixed. Next year, the date will be better. I think we'll get more of the top 20 guys [in 2009]. And when the top 20 guys come, they're the ones that move the dial. When they talk, people listen."

In a nutshell, that's the master plan for rebuilding the Nelson. Unfortunately, only four of the world's top 20 are headed to Irving next week, with No. 17 Luke Donald joining Sabbatini, Immelman and Garcia.

Sabbatini, for one, is disappointed that most elite players are bypassing the opportunity to honor the tournament namesake, who died in 2006.

"Apparently, I haven't challenged enough of certain members of the tour to make them come here," Sabbatini said. "I think that's absolutely sad. Because ultimately, the biggest respect you could show to him is in post-mortem. To show you'll still be there to support his tournament, his name, his legacy. I think not playing it is a little bit of a disgrace to his memory and his name."

Sabbatini gets no argument here. Nor should he from anyone who knows how much Nelson contributed to the history of professional golf in D-FW and throughout the PGA Tour.

But there's no denying that, with Friday's commitment deadline approaching, Byron's namesake event is poised to take another step backward on the star-power front before its next step forward.

Here's hoping it's the last step in that direction before a major rebound in 2009.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 Rank of Greg Chalmers, a Colleyville resident, among 2008 Nationwide Tour competitors in scrambling (75 pct.).

4 Victories in five starts on the 2008 LPGA Tour by Lorena Ochoa, the world's top-ranked female golfer.

10 Winners of 2008 PGA Tour events on the commitment list for the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, May 22-25 in Fort Worth.

51 Weeks until Tiger Woods' next opportunity to pursue a Grand Slam, starting with the 2009 Masters.

Club pro happy to be in Nelson, no matter how he got in

Wed, 07 May 2008 08:46 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

Vince Jewell, a Euless resident and local golf professional, learned Friday that he will be competing in his third consecutive EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Jewell, the 2007 Northern Texas PGA Player of the Year, will replace the injured Dean Larsson, the 2007 NTPGA section champion, at the April 24-27 event in Irving. Larsson is recuperating from a broken leg suffered in a skiing accident and has not been cleared by doctors to walk as much as he would need to compete in the Nelson.

Jewell, 36, expressed regrets about Larsson's misfortune. But when it comes to a chance to compete in a PGA Tour event, Jewell said, "I'll take it, no matter how it comes."

By replacing Larsson in the field, Jewell avoids going through a 2008 qualifying process that shortens the odds for NTPGA peers.

Instead of reserving four spots for club pros in the Nelson field, which had been the case in past years, the PGA Tour has limited the number to two in 2008. Jewell, an assistant pro at Brook Hollow Golf Club in Dallas, inherited the spot reserved for the section champion. The other will go to the winner of the Classic Pro-Am, which is April 20 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney.

Any other club pros who earn Nelson tee times must do so via an open qualifier April 21. Also in that field, seeking four available spots, will be touring pros from the Nationwide Tour and PGA Tour.

Jewell said most club pros are "frustrated" by less access to Nelson berths, but realize they must roll with the flow.

"If we play well enough, we can still get in," Jewell said.

Leaving a legacy

Robert Stennett, executive director of the Ben Hogan Foundation, said he was drawn to his new post by the opportunity to honor a legend he befriended during his years as a member at Shady Oaks Country Club.

Stennett, a former Lockheed Martin executive, took over as director of the charitable foundation April 1.

"Mr. Hogan was my childhood hero, and he has a legacy that I feel really strongly about," Stennett said. "When you talk with people who actually knew Mr. Hogan, it is interesting to hear them talk so much more about the man than the golfer, about his integrity and character."

For information about the foundation, visit www.benhoganfoundation.org or call 817-301-9934.

Briefly

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will be among the participants in Tuesday's pre-qualifier for the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Romo has a 2 p.m. tee time at Sherrill Park Golf Course in Richardson.

April 18 is the deadline to enter the Charley Taylor Celebrity Golf Classic, benefitting the Grand Prairie NAACP and its scholarship fund. Each team in the April 25 event at Prairie Lakes Golf Course will have three amateurs and one celebrity, including former Cowboys players Michael Irvin, Mel Renfro, Rayfield Wright, Drew Pearson and Pettis Norman. For details, visit www.prairielakesgolf.com or call 469-236-6122.

Setting and his game primed to reveal real Sabbatini

Wed, 07 May 2008 08:46 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

Rory Sabbatini, Fort Worth resident and Colonial champion, considers his reputation as the bad boy of the PGA Tour "comical." As he should.

A playful jokester off the course, Sabbatini admits he is a driven "royal pain" for his caddie between the gallery ropes.

"I'm tough to be around [during competition]," Sabbatini said. "I'm an extreme competitor. I'm going to admit that. I'm not saying I'm any angel. There's no doubt that I'm nowhere near perfect."

There's also no doubt, in Sabbatini's mind, that his heart is in the right place, even if his comments or actions occasionally rankle peers. Off the course, he's shown the compassion and social consciousness to back that assessment -- most notably through his charitable work with the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which benefits wounded soldiers. When necessary, he's issued the appropriate public apology. And meant it.

Imagine Ben Hogan's intensity during competition, coupled with Lee Trevino's witty one-liners during post-round interviews. That's the real Sabbatini, the one that gets buried beneath international headlines about calling out Tiger Woods or objecting to Ben Crane's glacial pace of play.

That's the Sabbatini that friends, family and Colonial Country Club members will be rooting for when he tees off in Thursday's opening round of the Masters, seeking to build on last year's runner-up finish to winner Zach Johnson.

The 2007 Masters remains Sabbatini's lone top-10 finish in 25 starts at major championships. For the native of South Africa, whose wife hails from Mineral Wells, the performance provided an epiphany about elite events that he will use this week at Augusta National Golf Club.

"In past years, I'd almost been afraid of the golf course, especially at majors," said Sabbatini, whose closing 69 at last year's Masters left him two strokes behind Johnson, in a tie for second. "I started to view playing in that situation differently. Now, I'm trying to play my natural game and thinking, 'Hey, let's go make a birdie' instead of playing so defensive. It's a little bit tougher conditions, but let's stick to your game plan."

Sabbatini, the No. 11 player in the world golf rankings, is hitting more fairways (63.53 percent) and finding more greens in regulation (68.06 percent) in 2008 than he did last season. Part of that, he said, stems from an equipment switch in January. Sabbatini said this marks his first trip to Augusta in which he has arrived "at ease with my ball-striking and with a high level of confidence about my driving of the golf ball."

Whether that translates to a green jacket is anyone's guess. If Sabbatini joins the pre-tournament favorite in this week's title hunt, he'll no doubt be reminded -- yet again -- about his 2007 comment about Woods looking "more beatable than ever." Woods took well-chronicled exception to the remark, which has chilled their relationship.

That was then. This is now: Sabbatini, 32, said he's toying with the idea of applying for U.S. citizenship so that he could wind up being Woods' partner in a future Ryder Cup.

Is he serious?

"You never know," Sabbatini said, smiling. "Imagine that. Me and Tiger as foursomes partners. We may not finish. One of us may get thrown in the lake, not fall in it."

If they're paired Sunday, the same thing could happen at Rae's Creek. But I wouldn't count on it. Sabbatini loves to kid, which probably applies to his Ryder Cup ambitions. But he's serious about his game.

And he considers this week a great opportunity to win a green jacket. If Sabbatini captures it, golf fans might even discover he's not the bad boy he's cracked up to be.

* * *

"I had a couple "of rough holes down the stretch, but I'm proud of the way I played. I'm disappointed to lose. I wish I could have holed... more putts. That's all it would have taken. One more."

J.J. Killeen, a Fort Worth resident and former TCU golfer, after losing Sunday's playoff on the Nationwide Tour despite making a tournament-high 19 birdies at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship in Livermore, Calif.

The Masters

Site: Augusta, Ga., Augusta National Golf Club (7,445 yards, par 72)

Nelson tourney will bounce back, better than Houston

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:42 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

As a Fort Worth native, I'm always prepared to debate friends, family members and strangers about the merits of living in Dallas-Fort Worth as opposed to Houston and its endless suburbs.

After more than four decades of observation, I've concluded that the folks in H-Town have us beat in only three areas: humidity, traffic gridlock and petrochemical odors. And they're welcome to all three titles.

But there is a burgeoning situation at this week's Shell Houston Open that bears watching for officials at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, one of two D-FW stops on the PGA Tour that traditionally outshines the Houston event when it comes to star power.

That won't happen this year. The Houston event, which begins Thursday, boasts four of the top 10 players in the world rankings, and six of the top 12: Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Adam Scott, K.J. Choi, Geoff Ogilvy and Padraig Harrington.

The Nelson's lone top 10 commitment is Fort Worth resident Rory Sabbatini. Because the Irving event is saddled with a tough date (April 24-27, two weeks after the Masters) and headed to a redesigned TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas that drew criticism for last year's spotty brown greens, officials understand the challenge they face in attracting top players.

"This is the building block year," 2008 Nelson chairman John Nolan said. "... We're trying to restore everyone's notion that this is fun, that it's a great cause. And, then, hopefully, we'll build on it."

The 2008 Nelson, in other words, finds itself in the same boat as the 2007 Houston Open.

The Houston event's venue, the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club, received negative reviews from several players when it opened in 2006. Officials listened and unveiled significant improvements in agronomy last year. Players liked the greener, lusher layout and spread the word.

Trickle-down reports about course improvements -- combined with a slight tweaking of the tour calendar -- have allowed Houston to land its strongest field of the past decade.

In Houston, it took two years for a much-criticized course to make the transition to a place where several elite players are willing to hone their games in preparation for next week's Masters.

Expect a similar turnaround time at the Nelson. This looms as the transition year, which Nolan called "extremely critical" for the future of the event.

But it should be a smooth transition, based on the quality of the redesign work done by architect D.A. Weibring, who has the TPC layout in pristine condition. If that is followed by moving the 2009 Nelson to a proposed May 21-24 date, so much the better for attracting star players.

Bottom line: The folks in Houston have shown it is possible to turn a course in transition into a venue capable of luring elite golfers within a two-year window. You've got to believe the same blueprint can work at the Nelson. Only at a higher level.

After all, this is the Metroplex, not Houston.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 Fort Worth resident Mark Brooks' rank in driving accuracy among PGA Tour competitors (80.91 pct.).

2 Players who would be Ryder Cup rookies in 2008 if the U.S. points race ended today (Steve Stricker, Woody Austin).

3 Top 10 finishes at Nationwide Tour events by Colleyville resident Greg Chalmers, tying for the most this season.

68 Birdies by Saginaw resident Angela Stanford, tops among LPGA Tour competitors this season.

100 Annika Sorenstam's percentage of subpar rounds at LPGA Tour events this season (14-of-14).

'Perfect' Nelson course needs star power

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:46 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

First, the good news: Pristine, green grass covers every square inch of the newly redesigned home course of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

That includes the putting surfaces, which were spotty and tinged with brown during last year's PGA Tour event at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving. As of Tuesday, the new greens were emerald and smooth during architect D.A. Weibring's public unveiling of his off-season tweaks -- both subtle and dramatic -- to the TPC Las Colinas course.

Tournament officials have spent $10 million over the past 10 months updating the course in preparation for this year's April 24-27 event. What they've received for their investment, said Fort Worth touring pro J.J. Henry, is an upgrade that should stun peers who left the 2007 Nelson grumbling about substandard course conditions.

"I think guys are going to be blown away when they get here to see what's been done," said Henry, who hit balls on the TPC layout Monday and attended Tuesday's news conference. "Of the golf courses we've played this year, this one is probably in the best shape I've seen. The fairways are perfect. The greens are perfect."

Weibring sought insight from several players, notably Henry and Dallas resident Harrison Frazar, before drawing blueprints for fresh TPC wrinkles that include:

A cascading, four-lake water feature at No. 18.

More than 60 additional yards at No. 1, a dogleg par-4.

A drivable par-4 at No. 11, measuring 323 yards.

Several new bunker complexes, all filled with white sand.

John Nolan, the 2008 Nelson tournament chairman, said Weibring's updates "exceeded everything we thought would happen." Henry surmised that the tournament namesake, who died in 2006, spent Tuesday "smiling down on us... for what we've accomplished."

Now, the reality check: Despite the quality work performed by Weibring and his crew, the Nelson has no commitments from any of the world's top 10 golfers. The top-ranked golfer on the list, Fort Worth resident Rory Sabbatini, slipped to No. 11 in Monday's updated rankings.

Because of a difficult date (two weeks after the Masters, two weeks before The Players Championship) and lingering player concerns about the redesigned course, Nolan said tournament officials expected to struggle with this year's field.

"I think we're probably looking for the top players next year," said Weibring, citing the benefit of a projected 2009 schedule that has the D-FW tour stops -- the Nelson (May 21-24) and Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (May 28-31) -- in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour calendar. Those dates, however, are not final.

As things stand, the Nelson event is in rebound mode and Weibring's redesigned course is the focal point of those efforts. It clearly passed the eyeball test Tuesday. What happens next is up to the touring pros.

And they'll be a tougher crowd to please than the folks who offered the majority of Tuesday's accolades.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 Bogey in 72 holes by Geoff Ogilvy, Monday's winner of the WGC-CA Championship.

9.64 Separation, in points, between No. 2 Phil Mickelson (9.65) and No. 1,338 Cookie Lao (0.01) in this week's world golf rankings.

12.22 Separation, in points, between top-ranked Tiger Woods (21.87) and No. 2 Phil Mickelson (9.65) in this week's world golf rankings.

67.30 Tiger Woods' season scoring average, more than a stroke better than Luke Donald (69.01), who is second on the PGA Tour list.

New course looks 'perfect,' but star power still missing

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:46 CDT

By JIMMY BURCH

First, the good news: Pristine, green grass covers every square inch of the newly redesigned home course of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

Weibring sought insight from several players, notably Henry and Dallas resident Harrison Frazar, before drawing blueprints for fresh TPC wrinkles that include:

-- A cascading, four-lake water feature at No. 18.

-- More than 60 additional yards at No. 1, a dogleg par-4.

-- A drivable par-4 at No. 11, measuring 323 yards.

-- Several new bunker complexes, all filled with white sand.

And they'll be a tougher crowd to please than the folks who offered the majority of Tuesday's accolades.