PGA teams with Nature Conservancy, Lexmark, Monsanto, St. Louis County Parks

PGA teams with Nature Conservancy, Lexmark, Monsanto, St. Louis County Parks











PGA.COM May 20, 2013 3:18 PM

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(The PGA of America)


BALLWIN, Mo. -- Thirty volunteers from Greater St. Louis grabbed a shovel, wiped the sweat from their brows on a humid Missouri Sunday and gave something back that generations will value decades from now. Such was the teamwork to help restore native forests emanating from a partnership between The PGA of America, Lexmark International Inc., The Nature Conservancy Missouri, The Monsanto Company and St. Louis County Parks.

Together, the participants planted more than 200 native bottomland trees and shrubs to offset the impact of printing and paper products generated for the 74th Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, May 21-26, at Bellerive Country Club. The environmental project is part of The PGA of America's commitment to benefit the host communities that support its Championships. The PGA and Lexmark partnered for a similar event prior to the 2012 Ryder Cup near Chicago, by planting 50 large trees. The teamwork will continue in August prior to the 95th PGA Championship in Rochester, N.Y.

"This project is especially important to us because the plantings are alongside a freshwater stream, which ultimately flows into the Meramec River," said Betsy LePoidevin, associate director of philanthropy for The Nature Conservancy Missouri. "It's benefiting the health of an entire community. It's not just about nature for nature's sake. It's about people getting fresh drinking water. It's about people getting educated about the environment that affects them. This simply is not just a tree planting, or The Nature Conservancy would not be a part of it. It goes far beyond that, to benefit an entire community."

The tree planting featured Gateway PGA Section President Joe Schwent of St. Charles, Mo., representing the 324 members of the Section. Schwent was joined by his wife, Laura, in the volunteer corps. "I was honored to be part of this event; nothing but good things going on all day," said Schwent. "This is one great example to how we all can give something back to the environment, the community."

The roots of the new trees in Queeny Park serve as a filtering system for ground water, and help prevent a clogging of the banks. "This tiny stream system will lead into the Meramec River and provide 250,000 individuals with drinking water in St. Louis County. It's a small part, but you have to start somewhere. It will magnify positive effects for so many."


Tom Ott of Spanish Lake, Mo., acting director of St. Louis County Parks, said the partnership helps enhance the ongoing campaign to benefit what he calls "one of our jewels of the country." Edgar M. Queeny Park opened in 1974 and is named after the famed industrial-conservationist Edgar Monsanto Queeny. It is a 570-acre site and one of 70 similar sites encompassing 12,700 acres that are managed by St. Louis County Parks.

"It is great to see this partnership develop and help those who want to make the most of this park and many more like this," said Ott. "The trees and shrubs planted today will help us eradicate bush honeysuckle, which grows like wildfire and doesn't give anything else below a chance to grow under a tree canopy."

The volunteers ranged in age from 9 to over 50, and were guided on proper planting methods by Angie Webber of Crestwood, Mo., community conservation planner for the Missouri Department of Conservation. "An event like this is so important today, considering the limited resources that state and governments are able to supply," said Webber. "It is so important for volunteer support."

Lexmark International, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., is the Official Printing Technology Provider of The PGA of America. Lexmark also is a founding member of The Nature Conservancy's Corporate Sustainability Council.

"We had a great day and some outstanding support from those in the St. Louis area," said Lee Ann Disponett, Lexmark's global sustainability analyst. "We are encouraged by the effort being demonstrated in all host communities, beginning near Chicago last fall during the Ryder Cup and here. The Boys and Girls Club of America helped form our team prior to the Ryder Cup, and it was fun to see some youngsters on the team today. It all sets a great example."

About The PGA of AmericaSince its founding in 1916, The PGA of America has maintained a twofold mission: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, The PGA enables its professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering world-class championships and innovative programs, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. As The PGA nears its centennial, the PGA brand represents the very best in golf.

Colonial in 2003: The Missed Cut that Defined the Annika Sorenstam Brand

Colonial in 2003: The Missed Cut that Defined the Annika Sorenstam Brand











Ryan Ballengee May 20, 2013 9:09 PM


COMMENTARY | A decade ago, Annika Sorenstam stood on the 10th tee at Colonial C.C., about to hit an historic tee shot.



She hit her 4-wood down the chute before smiling and feigning a pair of buckling knees under the pressure of being the first wom
an to tee it up on the PGA Tour in 58 years.





Sorenstam didn't make the cut that week at Ben Hogan's tournament, but she did represent herself well in two rounds at his Alley. She shot 5 over par (71-74), beating 13 players in the field, 11 that finished 36 holes.



In the remaining 104 tournaments of her LPGA Tour career that followed those two days at Colonial, Sorenstam missed the cut just once. Once. But it is arguably her missed cut in Ft. Worth, Texas, that is the most important in her career.



As she said that week, Colonial was a chance to test herself against the best players in the world. It wasn't a statement about taking on male golfers, gender equality or anything of the sort. Annika got her one-time answer in taking on the men. She could hang around, teeter on the cut line and give herself a chance to compete. With more cracks at it, she might even be able to prosper.



Would she ever be able to dominate on the PGA Tour like she did with her female cohorts? No. But that wasn't the point.



Sorenstam stepped away, in her words, from competition a little over five years after that week at Colonial, but that Thursday-Friday in May 2003 was the week that defined the Annika Sorenstam brand.



That week may have influenced her two greatest seasons which immediately followed. The University of Arizona product would win 18 LPGA Tour titles in 2004 and '05, including three of her 10 major titles. In her final three years, Sorenstam would log 11 more LPGA wins and three more majors.



The pressure -- self-imposed and externally applied -- Sorenstam felt, embraced and dealt with at Colonial allowed the Swede to ratchet up her LPGA domination to another level. It made her show a side of herself the public rarely saw, and the public liked it.



The experience also proved to her something every superior athlete sometimes needs to know.



"That I love what I do," she said.



A passion. A passion for winning, being the best she can be. After she retired in 2008, Sorenstam again followed her passion into business. She started an academy in Florida, a wine label and a clothing label, maintains a foundation, and runs a financial group in addition to a course design business. And, yes, she's a mother of two.



Sorenstam is so busy following her passions that she cannot yet take the captain's role for the European Solheim Cup team. It's hers when she wants it.



At Colonial, Sorenstam wept tears of joy after playing because she was doing what she wanted to do. The week at Colonial is one that anchors her approach to the world: Take a risk and, win or lose, learn as much as you can from it to get better.



After she missed the cut at Colonial 10 years ago, Sorenstam was asked if another woman should be allowed to play the PGA Tour in 2013 -- if she could hang with the boys.



"If she qualifies, yes," Sorenstam said.



That "she" does not yet exist right now, which is why what Sorenstam did for two days at Colonial grows in importance with each passing year. She didn't reach the peak of her personal Everest, as she described it, but she planted a stake with her expedition that may never be passed.



"I've climbed as high as I can. And it's worth every step of it," Sorenstam said in 2003. "And like I said, I won't do this again, but I will always remember it."



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.

No reconciliation between Tiger, Sergio

No reconciliation between Tiger, Sergio










The Sports Xchange May 20, 2013 10:20 PMThe SportsXchange



Tiger Woods provided a one-word answer on Monday as to whether he has tried to clear the air with Sergio Garcia in after their Players Championship disagreement.

"No," Woods told reporters at Congressional Country Club outside of Washington, D.C.

Woods smiled after making the remark during media day for the June 27-30 AT&T National.

Woods and Garcia were involved in a spat at the TPC Sawgrass May 11-12. Garcia was annoyed by a distraction he felt Woods could have avoided when they were in the same playing group in the third round.

After the final round, Garcia said he was glad he wasn't in Woods' group that day.

"He isn't the nicest guy on tour," Garcia said.

Later Monday, Woods told USA Today, "Obviously the matter has been put behind me. The truth came out. As I was saying the entire time, I told people what I had heard and what had happened."

Neither seems bothered by the incident.

"He doesn't make a difference to my life and I know I don't make a difference to his life," Garcia said Monday, according to ESPN.com. "This is not just one thing. This has been going on for a long time."

While speaking at an event in London on Monday, he insisted he would not back down from Woods.

"He called me a whiner," Garcia said, according to ESPN.com. "That's probably right. It's also probably the first thing he's told you guys that's true in 15 years. I know what he is like. You guys are finding out.

"He can and will beat me a lot of times but he is not going to step on me. I'm not afraid of him."