The first four winners on the Champions Tour have already committed to play in next month’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic, formerly the Greater Gwinnett Championship, at TPC Sugarloaf.
Duffy Waldorf, who won the season opener in Hawaii, will join Esteban Toledo (Allianz Championship), Bernhard Langer (Chubb Classic) and Woody Austin (Tucson Conquistadores Classic) in the field in Duluth on April 15-17.
Also on board are previous winners Olin Browne (2015) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (2014). Langer won the inaugural event in 2013.
Toledo has been a fan favorite at Sugarloaf because of his outgoing personality and willingness to interact with the gallery. He will be arriving from the Masters, where he volunteered to caddie for Sandy Lyle. Toledo never qualified for the Masters as a participant and has always wanted to experience the tournament.
Georgians in Drive, Chip and Putt: Ryan Light of Loganville, Skylar Thompson of Buford and Mary Miller of Skidaway Island will be competing in the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National. The finals will be shown live on the Golf Channel on April 3.
Light, who competes in the 7-9 age division, plays out of Cedar Lake Golf Club in Loganville. He got interested in the game by going to the course with his father, starting at age 6. He came close to qualifying in 2014 when he won his local qualifier and took fourth in the subregional.
Thompson, who competes in the 14-15 division, plays out of the Olde Atlanta Golf Club in Suwanee. She started playing at age 5 and was incentivized by her father, who paid her every time she hit a plastic ball in a recycle bin. Thompson carries a 2.5 handicap.
Miller, who competes in the 7-9 division, plays at the Landings Club. She reached the regional qualifier in 2013. She started playing at age 3 after going to the course with her father.
Chamblee's groundbreaking book: Brandel Chamblee has never been shy about sharing his opinion on the Golf Channel. Now he's gaining notoriety over his new book, "The Anatomy of Greatness," that details the elements of a golf swing that were shared by the game's giants, like Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Bobby Jones.
In the book, Chamblee takes to task many of the popular methods taught today and encourages golfers to glean insight from the commonalities shared by many of the legends. He starts with the grip and works his way through the swing by using photos of the game’s most accomplished players.
There are many “aha” moments in the book, particularly when Chamblee points out how most of the game’s greats raised their left heel during the backswing, a concept that is not taught today. Chamblee’s book is written in easy-to-understand language that makes it easy to transfer to the range.
Etc.: Golf Channel's East Lake Cup collegiate event announced a charitable donation of $475,000 for the East Lake Foundation. … Sea Island's Jonathan Byrd closed with a 66 and tied for third at the Web.com Tour's Louisiana Open. It was his second top-five finish in three events. … Jordan Spieth has selected Texas-style barbecue to be served next month at the champions dinner at Augusta National.
About the Author
