Golf report: Happy birthday for Jason Bohn
Acworth resident Jason Bohn didn't waste the opportunity to nail down his second career PGA Tour victory. Bohn entered the final hole of last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a two-shot lead and dropped his lob wedge approach shot on the 72nd hole to within four inches to seal the deal.
“You dream about stuff like that,” said Bohn, who became the Tour’s third wire-to-wire winner this season. “You hope that you’ve got four inches to win a golf tournament versus four feet. A little bit of luck, but an aggressive shot.”
With the victory, the popular University of Alabama graduate, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Saturday, earned a trip back to the Masters and socked away an exemption on the PGA Tour through 2012. It also moved him all the way to 11th in the FedExCup standings and put him on the path to the Tour Championship for the first time in his career.
Bohn’s previous victory came in the 2005 B.C. Open. He lost in a playoff at the 2009 Wyndham Championship.
“The confidence that it brings me, that’s changed my life,” Bohn said. “My future is definitely brighter today.”
It was also a good week for former Georgia Tech All-American Nicholas Thompson, who tied for seventh. It was the best finish of the season for Thompson, who moved up to No. 119 on the money list.
Champions Tour
Mark O'Meara and Nick Price won the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf championship in Savannah, beating John Cook and Joey Sindelar in a playoff. But the inspirational comeback story of Ken Green dominated the week, as the amputee teamed up with Mike Reid and finished 26th.
“I don’t know if I could possibly express what this has done for me personally in terms of getting hope again – and I hate to say this – but getting hope for life,” Green said.
Green had his right leg amputated last summer following an RV accident that took the life of his girlfriend and brother. During the tournament he struggled with his left ankle, which he kept heavily taped, and the consistent pain from the nerves in his right leg. Green was encouraged enough to continue to his comeback attempt.
“I have more desire and fight than I’ve had in 30 years,” Green said. “I can’t tell you how desperately I want to do this and I’m going to. There’s just no other way around it. There’s something that tells me I have to do this.”
Nationwide Tour
John Daly inquired about a sponsor's exemption to play in the Stadion Athens Classic at UGA. Daly had been turned down for a spot at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, so he petitioned the officials at the Nationwide Tour event in Athens. Daly withdrew from the Zurich Classic in New Orleans during the third round when he injured a muscle in his lower back. The final spot at the Stadion Athens Classic wound up being given to former University of Georgia All-American Brendon Todd.
LPGA
Teenager Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale didn't win, but she performed admirably in her first LPGA competition. Stackhouse lost each of her three six-hole matches in the Mojo 6 Invitational by the same 4 1/2-2 1/2 margin. Players received a point for each hole won, half a point for splitting a hole and one bonus point for winning the match. Stackhouse lost to Suzann Pettersen, Amanda Blumenherst and Cristie Kerr. She wound up tied with Morgan Pressel for 14th in the 16-player field and outscored veteran Sophie Gustafson.
Etc.
The sixth annual Brain Tumor Foundation for Children tournament, scheduled for Tuesday at Chateau Elan, will this year surpass the $1 million mark for funds raised.
