South Florida Golf News

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Four years and 47 PGA TOUR events later, Ernie Els has once again found the winners circle.

Els, who last won at the 2004 American Express Championship in Ireland, has since found himself on the receiving end of some cruel treatment by the golfing gods and more specifically, one Tiger Woods.

All of that frustration ended, at least for the time being, Sunday when he shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to win the Honda Classic on one of the more demanding PGA setups outside of a major championship, Palm Beach Garden’s PGA National.

The PGA TOUR’s Florida Swing had its share of intrigue on the course in 2007 but perhaps the biggest story was the deviation from a schedule that had been in place for 20 seasons.

Change was the norm for all four stops on the swing last year, whether it was a new name, location, sponsor or date on the Tour calendar.

This year the confusion should be alleviated for players and members of the gallery, leaving golf as the main focus once again.

As professional golf makes its long-awaited return to the east coast after stints in Hawaii and California, Florida steps into the spotlight for the better part of the month of March.

Here is a quick look at what to expect, see and do during this year’s edition of PGA’s Florida Swing.

Defending champion Tiger Woods will be joined by an elite field consisting of many of the world’s top-ranked golfers this March as Doral Golf Resort and Spa hosts the World Golf Championships – CA Championship for the second year in a row.

To celebrate this widely-televised competition, broadcast in over 140 countries, the Miami resort is offering visitors a chance to see their favorite professionals from around the world at a special rate.

For a limited time, fans can book the WGC package, which is available March 20-23 and features a Garden-view resort room, full American breakfast buffet served daily, one golf round, including golf cart rental, per night’s stay on Great White or Golf course and daily clubhouse tickets to the WGA-CA. The package starts at $329 per person, per night.

AVENTURA, Fla. - The opportunity to see the best players on the LPGA Tour while they are in South Florida in April just got a little easier, tickets to the inaugural Stanford International Pro-Am are now available to the general public via the newly created www.stanfordinternationalproam.com Web site. The Stanford International Pro-Am, a new 72-hole LPGA-sanctioned event titled sponsored by the Stanford Financial Group, will be played April 21-27, 2008 at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura.

The Stanford International Pro-Am Web site www.stanfordinternationalproam.com will be the primary outlet for patrons to purchase tickets, check on which players and celebrities have committed to play, and to keep up to date on all the action happening at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club. In addition, those interested in volunteering for the tournament can go to the Web site to complete a volunteer application.

MIAMI -- As golf season approaches, Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott Resort has rolled out its new Golf Professional Commissioning Program to much anticipation.

With this program, golf pros are eligible to be rewarded with a percentage of commission when they bring their club members to Doral Golf Resort to stay and play. The bigger the group, the more rewards await these golf professionals and their accompanying groups.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL-– As part of a multi-million dollar property-wide facelift, PGA National Resort and Spa has launched an extensive renovation of the Arnold Palmer designed General Course to include major physical enhancements to the course, as well as improvements in guest comfort. Under the direction of the Arnold Palmer Design Company, plans call for renovations and redesign of the signature Palmer course to be complete in December 2007.

Committed to “creating championship experiences” and making PGA National Resort the best golf destination in Florida, the new ownership envisions similar renovation projects for each of the resort’s five courses. “We want professional and amateur golfers alike to know that PGA National not only has five golf courses – it has five championship golf courses, any one of which could qualify for a professional golf event,” says Joel Paige, managing director of the resort.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL – After the successful completion of a 2006 renovation and kick-off of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic’s six year engagement at PGA National Resort and Spa, the resort announces yet another capital infusion for the famed Champ Course. Host to some of the world’s legendary golf events and the biggest names in golf, PGA National is poised to again open the “Florida Swing” on the PGA Tour with an impressive array of course enhancements.

Already the third toughest course on the PGA Tour, home to six of the toughest fifty holes on the PGA Tour in 2007 and showcasing the most difficult par three in Florida – the Par-3 15th – these enhancements will only add to the legend of the Champ course.

TAMPA, FL – The First Tee of Miami came back from five strokes down to win the boys 13-15 age division by six shots at the Palm Course at Walt Disney World the weekend of August 12. Marcelo Huarte and Stefano Diaz each fired a 69 to contribute to the team’s second round total of 138. Along with teammate Jaime Rodriquez, The First Tee of Miami finished with a strong tournament total of 289 for the division title.

Playing on the Magnolia Course, the Palm Beach County Junior Golf Association jumped into first place posting a final round 6-under par 138 for the boys 16-18 age division title. Combined with their first round 146, the team finished with a 284 total to edge out the field by one. Team members Danny McIellan and Matthew Cahill each fired a second round 69, the low round of the division as teammate Brandon Heinkel aced the 12th hole.

TAMPA, FL – Raj Nahal defeated Chris Kennedy 1- up in the final match to win the 16th Amateur Match Play Championship at Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach on August 9-12.

After wining five matches each, Nahal, of Eustis, and Kennedy, from Bradenton, met in the finals of the 2007 Championship.

“I was excited to play Chris since I knew him from junior golf,” said Nahal. “I knew it was going to be a good match.” Nahal, 19, a University of South Florida sophomore, took an early lead after making birdie on the second hole. “I made double on that hole twice this week so I just played it safe and hit the ball in the middle of the green,” said Nahal. “That gave me a lot of confidence.” Kennedy, an incoming freshman at University of North Florida, brought the match back to even with a par on #3. Nahal birdied the 5th hole and made par on the 6th hole to go 2-up. “I was just hitting the ball well and putting it in the fairway,” said Nahal.