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No Joy No Luck Club

Article by Abigail

DUDE, WHERE’S MY TROPHY?: Loren Roberts earned his second Senior Open Championship title, defeating Fred Funk and Mark McNulty in a playoff at Sunningdale. He played the back nine in 4-under 31 Sunday to earn a spot in the extra session, where he ultimately took out McNulty with a par on hole No. 3.As has been the case in all the majors on the regular tour this season, the big story here was not who won, but who lost. In this case, that person was Greg Norman. The two-time British Open winner held the 54-hole lead and was only one back with two holes to play. He then double bogeyed the par-4 17th and finished three in arrears. Fate must be thinking, “Dude, how many times do I have to do this to you before you give up?”

EASIER PLAYING WITH THE KIDS: One week after losing the Open Championship in a playoff, Tom Watson tied for eighth in the senior version. Watson opened and closed in 3-under 67, but went 69-70 in his middle two rounds.It’s hard to imagine anything Watson did this week was going to have much meaning. Even a victory would have offered little salve to his Turnberry wound. Watson may well win again, but unless it comes next year at St. Andrews it won’t be able to fill this hole.

SON OF A GUN: Incessant rain plagued the RBC Canadian Open, forcing it to spill over into Monday. But when they did play this past week at Glen Abbey, there were some record performances. Mark Calcavecchia provide one of them, making a PGA Tour-record nine consecutive birdies Saturday morning during his delayed second round.Calc did it with his 15-year-old son, Eric, on his bag, which made the experience even more special. Equally as impressive – if not more so – were a Tour-record eight holes-in-one over the five days. Canadian hero Mike Weir made one on the par-3 seventh Sunday, but that didn’t win him a car. Four players aced the par-3 15th to earn a BMW Z4 Roadster. One of those was Leif Olson. Olson has made just over ,000 on Tour this season. The car has a base sticker price of nearly K.THE AIs HAVE IT: Ai Miyazato claimed her first LPGA title by knocking off Sophie Gustafson on the first hole of sudden death at the Evian Masters. The Japanese star had played in 90 LPGA events before finally winning.Miyazato was a rock star in her homeland coming out of Q-School a few years ago. She’ll regain that status and then some now that’s she’s an LPGA champion. She’ll be more popular than synthetic music and anime.SUMMER SWOON: Women’s world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa tied for 40th at the Evian Masters, thanks to book-end rounds of 75 and 73. Ochoa had three double bogeys for the tournament, including two on the back nine Sunday.Ochoa can’t wait for the calender to turn. She has now played six consecutive tournaments without a victory and has only one win in the months of June and July over the last four years. By contrast, she has won four tournaments during that span in August. Fortunately for her, the Women’s British Open finishes on Aug. 2. If she can just get past the first two rounds – which takes place July 30 and 31 – she might be OK.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: Michelle Wie missed a chance to earn Solheim Cup points in the penultimate event before the top 10 on the U.S. team is finalized. Wie failed to break 70 in four rounds at the Evian Masters and tied for 23rd.There was no movement among the top 20 in the standings. This week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open is the final tournament to earn points. Wie is currently 16th and popular thinking has her battling Pat Hurst (13th) and Juli Inkster (14th) for the two captain’s picks, should none of the three make the team proper. If Wie makes the cut at Royal Lytham and St. Annes she’s a lock.European Tour

FAMILY FIRST: Kenny Perry announced that he will be skipping this week’s title defense at the Buick Open to be with his dying mother, Mildred. Perry’s mother is under hospice care as she battles blood cancer.It is uncertain as to whether Perry will compete in the PGA Championship. On a positive front, however, Phil Mickelson said on his Web site that his mother and his wife – both of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer – are doing well after their respective surgeries.

THE MARATHON MAN: Tiger Woods announced last week that he would be competing in the upcoming Buick Open, his first event since missing the cut at the British Open. Woods has twice won this Buick tournament, but hasn’t played it since 2006 (the last time he was victorious). Assuming he plays the WGC-Bridgestone and PGA Championship, he will be competing on Tour for three consecutive weeks.Callaway Golf ClubsPlaying three weeks in a row – not many players can pull that off. Tiger hasn’t even attempted such a feat since September, 2007. It will truly test the limits of human endurance. Take that David Blaine and your 61 hours encased in ice.IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Phil Mickelson is reportedly among a trio of businessmen who have made a bid to buy a Nashville-based Waffle House franchise out of bankruptcy. … A fire broke out Wednesday evening at a hotel where some LPGA players and caddies were staying for the Evian Masters. … The LPGA announced a new tournament in Acapulco beginning next year. … Butch Harmon was voted No. 1 in Golf Digest magazine’s annual survey of “America’s 50 Greatest Teachers.” … Roberto Gonzalez won the European Tour’s SAS Masters, Rich Barcelo the Nationwide Tour’s Cox Classic, Jordan Spieth the U.S. Junior Amateur, and Amy Anderson the Girls’ Junior Amateur.CA CHAMPIONSHIPThat’s a long way to go in order to get free food. … Amy Yang and her father, Jun, escaped out of a second-floor window, throwing mattresses outside and jumping on top of them. Catriona Matthew and her husband were able to run out, but Graeme Matthew burned his feet and was unable to caddie for his wife. … The LPGA will soon have more tournaments in Mexico than in the U.S. … It’s his fifth consecutive year on top. But not even he could fix Charles Barkley. … Congratulations one and all.

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