Bobby Perkinson Wins 2010 GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship
Bobby Perkinson of Alcoa, Tenn., a 4.4-handicap golfer, shot a net 69 (gross 74) on Friday to win the 2010 GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship at TPC Myrtle Beach. He double bogeyed the final hole and still shot his age to hold off three players one stroke behind from India, Massachusetts and West Virginia. The 74-year-old retired electrical engineer is the lowest handicap to win the event since Dennis Connors won it with a 3.3 handicap in 1995.
Perkinson, the winner of flight 57, won from the Super Senior division (70 and older).
“I just came down to have some fun and play some golf in Myrtle Beach,” said Perkinson. “I won my flight on Thursday when a competitor double bogeyed the last hole, so I felt fortunate to make it to the finals. In the championship, I was 2-under on the front nine and hung on at a very challenging TPC Myrtle Beach golf course.”
“What a great week of golf in Myrtle Beach,” said Dave Macpherson, tournament director of the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. “I cannot remember a week with better weather or a field as competitive as this one. Congratulations to Bobby Perkinson for winning our championship and thanks to all the players for coming to Myrtle Beach to participate in this event.”
Hosted by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the GOLF.com World Amateur Handicap Championship is considered to be the most comparable experience to the U.S. Open for the amateur golfer. Held the week before Labor Day, the event is open to all amateur golfers with a verifiable USGA handicap, or the foreign equivalent. Read more
Back-To-School: How to Prevent Sports Related Eye Injuries
It’s back to school time! Kids are feeling excited and maybe a little nervous. New teachers, new friends and new sports seasons. Parents are scrambling to buy back-to-school clothes and equip their children with all the sports gear they need, like helmets, pads, braces and mouth guards. Parents are taking that extra step to prevent broken bones, bruises and chipped teeth, but what are they doing to prevent possible permanent vision loss, a scratched cornea, or fractured eye sockets?
A serious eye injury can leave your child on the side lines or bench longer than they would like. The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind encourages you to take the following steps to ensure your child can enjoy their favorite sports this season safely.
– Wear proper eye guards (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racquet sports, basket ball, tennis or volleyball;
– Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for baseball and softball;
– Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.
Regular reading glasses or sunglasses or even safety glasses don’t provide the necessary eye protection for many sports. Purchase eye guards at sports stores or your local optical store. Ask someone familiar with your child’s eyesight to fit them properly and make sure the eye guard contains cushioning along the eyebrow and the edge of the nose to help prevent athletes from cutting or damaging his or her face.
Almost all sports related eye injuries can be prevented. Whatever your sport or age, protect your eyes! Contact the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind or your local blind agency for more information.
Cyclist Breaks Guinness World Record
29-Year-Old Athlete Breaks Cycling Record from the Northern to the Southern U.S. Border and From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast in 44 Days; Effort Supports Several Charities
Twenty-nine-year-old athlete Paul Spencer broke the Guinness World Record for the “Fastest Cycle Across America: North to South, then West to East” today, Saturday, August 21st. He completed the 4,700 mile trip in 44 days, 400 days shorter than the previous Guinness World Record(TM) for the trip, achieved in 1999.
Spencer, of Roswell, Ga., and Avon, Colo., began the North to South leg of the trip with Dean Stanley (support crew) on July 8th at City Hall in Blaine, Wash., and completed it in 15 days when he arrived at San Ysidro, a community in San Diego, Calif., on July 22nd. On July 24th, he began the West to East leg of the trip at City Hall in Los Angeles.
“The first leg from the Canadian border in Blaine, Washington to the Mexican border in San Diego was a breeze compared to what we had to contend with across the central United States from Los Angeles to New York. Cycling across the Arizona desert in temperatures of 125 degrees, then burning across the Rockies in only two days, storm surfing in Colorado, followed by fighting the headwinds across the Kansas plains made the last 3,000 miles quite a struggle at times,” says Paul Spencer. “Amazingly, we stayed on schedule, averaging over 100 miles per day to break the record.”
As part of his Guinness World Record effort, Spencer raised money to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Lupus Foundation of America, and Disability Snowsport UK. Read more
Back to School Means Back to Sports: Prepare for and Prevent Common Sports Injuries
Don’t overlook preventable, yet serious injuries such as skin infections
As athletes head back to school, many have already gone back to sports. That means an increased possibility of injuries due to heat exhaustion, being out of shape from summer break and being back in direct contact with other athletes.
More than 30 million athletes participate in sports each year in the United States with the most common types of sport-related injuries being sprains (mostly ankle), muscle strains, bone or growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries, and heat-related illness.(1) However, according to the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, skin infections also are a top injury for certain sports(2) and a recent review of infectious disease outbreaks found that skin diseases accounted for more than 50 percent of all infectious diseases in competitive sports.(3)
Concussions, fractures and sprains typically occur at full speed and often a fraction of an inch can separate a good move from a severe injury. There are steps that can be taken to help minimize the chance of injury, such as assuring proper protective equipment is used at all times.
Yet, skin infections such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are preventable if athletes, coaches and parents are educated and execute a plan for prevention. In July, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) issued a new position statement on Preventing Skin Diseases in Athletics in order to raise awareness about how to prevent skin infections in sports.
Staph infections, especially MRSA, are spread from person-to-person through direct skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces such as towels, used bandages, hot and cold tubs, or weight-training equipment surfaces that have touched a person’s infection. In football and other direct-contact fall sports, that can include locker rooms or turf on the playing fields. Read more
Odyssey introduces new Black Series Tour Designs putters
The Number One Putter in Golf Presents Precision-Crafted Milled Putters Inspired by Tour Feedback
Callaway Golf Company announced the January 15th retail availability of their new Odyssey® Black Series® Tour Designs line of milled putters. The latest innovation from The Number One Putter in Golf®, Black Series Tour Designs were crafted through extensive work between the Odyssey design team and professional golfers across the world’s major tours.
With a new black look, the precision-crafted milled putters in Odyssey’s Black Series Tour Designs line feature updated shapes and more head options, all designed to offer elite performance at the highest levels of the game. Each putter is milled from 1025 carbon steel for the soft feel demanded by the best players in the world.
“In creating the Black Series Tour Designs putters, we consulted with some of the greatest players in the game, including Phil Mickelson,” said Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer for Odyssey Golf. “We incorporated this Tour player feedback into the design of these precision-crafted milled putters. The result is updated shapes and more head options preferred by better players, all delivering the truest roll possible in a premium look.”
Black Series Tour Designs putters feature Advanced Roll Technology (A.R.T.) for precise response and the truest roll possible. A.R.T. is achieved through multi-material construction using tungsten weighting, which creates a quicker, more favorable roll by moving the center of gravity back and lower in the putterhead. A urethane dampening layer is subtly placed between the carbon steel putter head and the tungsten flange, which enhances the feel at impact.
The TD Milled Face has a precise, deep milling pattern that generates consistent impact performance across the face, resulting in better feel, distance control and a smooth roll. Each putter is finished with a Deep Black PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) coating, producing a durable, glare-free look that was added specifically in response to feedback received from the world’s best golfers.
Black Series Tour Designs putters are available in several core models, including the #2, #4, #6 and #9. The new product introduction retail price for Odyssey’s new Black Series Tour Designs putters is $269.
For more information on these products and Odyssey’s complete lineup, visit www.odysseygolf.com.