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Dynamite start for D-FW golfers at Ryder Cup

Golfers from Dallas-Fort Worth have been instrumental in helping the U.S. build an early 3-1 ead in this morning's action at the Ryder Cup in Louisville, Ky. It marks the first time since 1991 that the U.S. has been ahead after the opening session at the biennial matches.

Between them, the four local players -- Colleyville's Chad Campbell, Dallas' Justin Leonard, Dallas' Anthony Kim and Plano's Hunter Mahan -- helped score 2 1/2 of the Americans' total points. Leonard and Mahan played together in an alternate-shot match and scored the first point of the Ryder Cup with a 3&2 victory over Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey.

Kim, playing with Phil Mickelson, dropped a five-foot par putt at No. 18 to rescue a hard-earned halve in their match against Padraig Harrington and Robert Karlsson. The U.S. team was three holes down with six to play before Kim and Mickelson birdied three consecutive holes to square the match. It remained square at No. 18, where Harrington missed a 10-footer for birdie that would have won it before Kim -- who had butchered a bunker shot moments earlier -- responed with a clutch par putt to give the U.S. a half-point.

Campbell, playing with Stewart Cink, struck argulably the biggest shot of the opening, alternate-shot session. His 5-iron approach from 196 yards at the 18th green stopped 18 feet above the hole, giving Cink an eagle putt and turning up the heat on the Europeans in an all-square match. After Cink missed the eagle putt, leaving Campbell with a 2-foot birdie opportunity, the Europeans found themselves needing to sink a 12-foot birdie putt of their own to earn a half point. Instead, Justin Rose sent the birdie attempt past the left side of the hole and past the U.S. team's mark. When teammate Ian Poulter failed to make the short comeback putt for par, the Europeans conceded Campbell's birdie effort and the Americans won that match, 1-up.

In the final morning match, the Kenny Perry-Jim Furyk tandem earned a halve with Sergio Garcia-Lee Westwood to give the underdog Americans a surprising, 3-1 lead heading into the afternoon session. The last time the U.S. held the lead after the opening session, at the 1991 matches (a similar 3-1 margin), the U.S. went on to win, 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.

In the afternoon session, which just began, three of the four D-FW golfers are back in action. The Leonard-Mahan team remains intact and will square off against Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez in a best-ball match. Also, the Kim-Mickelson due is back in action during the afternoon sesson. They are paired against Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

Campbell is not playing in the afternoon session. Based on the afternoon pairings, U.S. captain Paul Azinger will use all 12 players on his roster in at least one match today.

_ Jimmy Burch

Coody Classic approaches

The Charles Coody Classic, a popular tournament that benefits local charities and the TCU golf team, will be held Monday, Oct. 6 at Texas Star Golf Club in Euless.

Competition spots are available in two different shotgun starts, at 8 a.m. or 1:15 p.m. For more information or to register for the event, call 817-413-3924.

_ Jimmy Burch

Players to watch at USGA Senior Amateur

Looking for golfers to watch at this week's USGA Senior Amateur Championship at Shady Oaks?

Here's a quick list of Tarrant County residents who qualified to participate in the Sept. 20-25 event:

John Grace, Fort Worth; Ralph Cotton, Colleyville; Denny Alexander, Fort Worth; Peter Dahlberg, Fort Worth and Thomas Mish, Grapevine.

Below is a link to the full list of qualifiers among the 156 golfers who will be competing at Shady Oaks: http://www.usga.org/news/qualifying/2008/qualifying_ussenioram.html.

Among this week's competitors, 17 golfers were exempt from teh qualifying process because of past success in USGA events. Those competitors, and their list of accomplishments, include:

-- Stewart (Buddy) Alexander -

Gainesville

,

Fla.

- 1986 U.S. Amateur champion

-- Mike Bell -

Indianapolis

,

Ind.

- 2006 Senior Amateur champion

-- Mark Bemowski -

Mukwonago

,

Wis.

- 2004 Senior Amateur champion

-- Alistair Catto -

South Hadley

,

Mass.

- 2007 Senior Amateur quarterfinalist

-- Tom Doughtie -

Amarillo

,

Texas

- 2008 U.S. Senior Open (made cut)

-- Sam Farlow -

Birmingham

,

Ala.

- 2007 Senior Amateur runner-up

-- Frank Ford III -

Charleston

,

S.C.

- 2007 Senior Amateur quarterfinalist

-- Marvin (Vinny) Giles III - Richmond, Va. - 1972 U.S. Amateur champion & 2007 Senior Amateur quarterfinalist

-- Stu Grendahl -

McFarland

,

Wis.

- 2007 Senior Amateur quarterfinalist

-- Logan

Jackson -

Winston-Salem

, N.C. - 2007 Senior Amateur quarterfinalist

-- Stan Lee -

Heber Springs

,

Ark.

- 2007 Senior Amateur champion & 2008 U.S. Senior Open (made cut)

-- Tom McGraw -

Montgomery

,

Texas

- 2006 Senior Amateur runner-up

-- Arthur Pierse -

Ireland

- 2007 Senior Amateur quarterfinalist

-- Mike Rice -

Houston

,

Texas

- 2005 Senior Amateur champion

-- Kemp Richardson -

Laguna Niguel

,

Calif.

- 2001 and 2003 Senior Amateur champion

-- Mitch Voges -

Simi Valley

,

Calif.

- 1991 U.S. Amateur champion

-- George Zahringer -

New York

,

N.Y.

- 2008 U.S. Senior Open (made cut)

_ Jimmy Burch

Stroke-play tee times at USGA Senior Amateur

Officials at the USGA Senior Amateur Championship, scheduled to start Saturday at Shady Oaks Country Club, have announced tee times for the first two rounds of the event.

The six-day event begins with 36 holes of stroke play, followed by four days of match play for the 64 who advance to that stage of the competition. The stroke play portion is Saturday and Sunday, with tee times below:

Saturday (Sept. 20), hole #1; Sunday (Sept. 21), hole #10

            7:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. -- Ray Richard, Bourne, Mass.; David Strawn, Charlotte, N.C.; William Lee,  New Haven, Conn.

            7:54 a.m. – 12:39 p.m. -- David Lucks, Kirkwood, Mo.; Denny Alexander, Fort Worth, Texas; John Baldwin, West Palm Beach, Fla.

            8:03 a.m. – 12:48 p.m. -- Mark Bemowski, Mukwonago, Wis.; Michael Kelly, Odenton, Md.; Bill Heldmar, Tulsa, Okla.

            8:12 a.m. – 12:57 p.m. -- John Fife, Albuquerque, N.M.; Kent Frandsen, Lebanon, Ind.; Larry Daniels, Seattle, Wash.

            8:21 a.m. – 1:06 p.m. -- Bill Smunk, Kingstree, S.C.; Timothy Cox, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Randy Nichols, Connersville, Ind.

            8:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. -- Sid Moore, Magnolia,

Ark.

; B Shawn McLoughlin,

Newtown

,

Conn.

; Thomas Lyons,

Pleasanton

,

Calif.

            8:39 a.m. – 1:24 p.m. -- David Hambly, Bluffton, S.C.; Douglas Farr, Monroe, La.; Bill Ploeger, Columbus, Ga.

            8:48 a.m. – 1:33 p.m. -- Rick Herpich, Orchard Lake, Mich.; Frank Mihalek, Canada; Don Jorgenson, Tucson, Ariz.

            8:57 a.m. – 1:42 p.m. -- Thomas Major, Brookfield, Wis.; Jerry Cundari, Portland, Ore.; Cannon Randall, Logan, Utah

            9:06 a.m. – 1:51 p.m. -- Bill Moor, Birmingham, Ala.; Stu Grendahl, McFarland, Wis.; David Spannbauer, Green Cove Springs, Fla.

            9:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. -- Russ Berkoben, Perrysburg, Ohio; George Marucci Jr, Villanova, Pa.; Ronald Vannelli, Edison, N.J.

            9:24 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. -- John Benson, Punxsutawney, Pa.; Norman Swenson, Boynton Beach, Fla.; Frank Brame, Alexandria, La.

            9:33 a.m. – 2:18 p.m. -- Tom Doughtie, Amarillo, Texas; Joseph Keller, Osterville, Mass.; Thomas Nesbitt, Nashville, Tenn.

Saturday (Sept. 20), hole #10; Sunday (Sept. 21), hole #1

            7:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. -- Bruce Scamehorn, Winter Haven, Fla.; Charlie Horn, Marana, Ariz.; Taylor Metcalfe, Glendale, Ohio

            7:54 a.m. – 12:39 p.m. -- Fredrick Steffers, Colorado Springs, Colo.; John Long, Centreville, Va.; Scott Holloway, Eagle, Idaho

            8:03 a.m. – 12:48 p.m. -- Murray Krambeer, Bellevue, Neb.; Bruce Meyer, El Paso, Texas; Shigeru Matsui, Honolulu, Hawaii

            8:12 a.m. – 12:57 p.m. -- Larry Barnacle, Pine Springs, Minn.; Kelly Crone, Littleton, Colo.; Tbd Tbd, Far Hills, N.J.

            8:21 a.m. – 1:06 p.m. -- Donald Blanton, Selma, Ala.; Travis Gamble, Wauna, Wash.; Jim Fuchs, Richmond, Ind.

            8:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. -- Bert Walker, Indian Wells,

Calif.

; Stan Fischer,

Richmond

,

Va.

; Rick Tenbroeck,

Chicago

,

Ill.

            8:39 a.m. – 1:24 p.m. -- David McCook, Hastings, Minn.; Jim Hartley, Carlsbad, Calif.; George Zahringer, New York, N.Y.

            8:48 a.m. – 1:33 p.m. -- Dave Denezza, Greensburg, Pa.; Mike Rice, Houston, Texas; Michael Uptegraff, Irvine, Calif.

            8:57 a.m. – 1:42 p.m. -- Skip Tendall, North Potomac, Md.; Eddie Lyons, Shreveport, La.; Sandy McCall, The Woodlands, Texas

            9:06 a.m. – 1:51 p.m. -- Frank Abbott, Napa, Calif.; William Garahan, Rock Hill, S.C.; Peter Dahlberg, Fort Worth, Texas

            9:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. -- Stewart Alexander, Gainesville, Fla.; Herb Fisher, The Woodlands, Texas; William Boockford, Glen Ellyn, Ill.

            9:24 a.m. – 2:09 p.m. -- Edward Patridge, Birmingham, Ala.; Robert Pappa, Roswell, Ga.; Bob Hammersla, Greenville, S.C.

            9:33 a.m. – 2:18 p.m. -- Ron Hunter, Jasper, Ga.; Dann Merrell, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Howie Knodt, Chula Vista, Calif.

Saturday (Sept. 20), hole #1; Sunday (Sept. 21), hole #10

            12:30 p.m. – 7:45 a.m. -- Robert Wayland, Belleair, Fla.; Thomas Bohardt, Cleveland, Ohio; Jack Rector, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

            12:39 p.m. – 7:54 a.m. -- Thomas McGreevy, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Robert McIntyre, Westfield, N.J.; Dennis Vaughn, Campbellsville, Ky.

            12:48 p.m. – 8:03 a.m. -- Bob Martin, Phoenix, Ariz.; Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, Calif.; Jonathan Verity, Beaufort, S.C.

            12:57 p.m. – 8:12 a.m. -- Skip Runnels, Richmond, Ind.; Carey Watson, Coral Springs, Fla.; Dan Bieber, Alamo, Calif.

            1:06 p.m. – 8:21 a.m. -- John Felker, Signal Mountain, Tenn.; David Pocknall, Katy, Texas; Frank Travetto, Bartlett, Ill.

            1:15 p.m. – 8:30 a.m. -- Frank Schmidt, Waterloo, Iowa; Wayne Smith, Austin, Texas; David Watterworth, Charlotte, N.C.

            1:24 p.m. – 8:39 a.m. -- Sam Farlow, Birmingham, Ala.; James Brady, Seattle, Wash.; Greg Kendall, Sioux Falls, S.D.

            1:33 p.m. – 8:48 a.m. -- Timothy Pope, Spartanburg, S.C.; Paul Murphy, Arlington, Mass.; Van Salmans, Chicago, Ill.

            1:42 p.m. – 8:57 a.m. -- Thomas Bartolacci, Washington Crossing, Pa.; Larry Clark, Kingston, Ga.; Mike Bell, Indianapolis, Ind.

            1:51 p.m. – 9:06 a.m. -- Ronnie Tumlin, St Augustine, Fla.; Richard Umani, West Chester, Pa.; Michael Arnold, San Antonio, Texas

            2:00 p.m. – 9:15 a.m. -- Don Bliss, St Louis, Mo.; Paul Nunez Jr, Wilbraham, Mass.; John Grace, Fort Worth, Texas

            2:09 p.m. – 9:24 a.m. -- Matthew Bellis, Ambler, Pa.; Thomas Mish, Grapevine, Texas; Stanford Lee, Heber Springs, Ark.

            2:18 p.m. – 9:33 a.m. -- Mike Rollyson, Boca Grande, Fla.; Mitch Voges, Simi Valley, Calif.; Curt Knorr, Atlanta, Ga.

Saturday (Sept. 20), hole #10; Sunday (Sept. 21), hole #1

            12:30 p.m. – 7:45 a.m. -- William Dobbs, Tulsa, Okla.; Ralph Cotton, Colleyville, Texas; Randy Reznicek, Vista, Calif.

            12:39 p.m. – 7:54 a.m. -- Larry Netherton, Highlands Ranch,

Colo.

; Bob Klug,

Pinehurst

,

N.C.

; Gary Fox,

Northridge

,

Calif.

            12:48 p.m. – 8:03 a.m. -- Richard Marlowe,

Youngstown

,

Ohio

; Thomas McGraw,

Montgomery

,

Texas

; Ray Womack,

Burlington

,

N.C.

            12:57 p.m. – 8:12 a.m. -- Johnny Stevens, Wichita, Kan.; Bob Gray, Missoula, Mont.; Alistair Catto, South Hadley, Mass.

            1:06 p.m. – 8:21 a.m. -- Kelly Roberts, Canada; Bill Barry Jr, Hampden, Mass.; Al Pineault, San Antonio, Texas

            1:15 p.m. – 8:30 a.m. -- Stephen Maddox, Asheville, N.C.; Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C.; John Hebert, Scottsdale, Ariz.

            1:24 p.m. – 8:39 a.m. -- Michael Shelton, Belton, Mo.; Donald Crump, Atlanta, Ga.; Rick Westwood, Wellington, Fla.

            1:33 p.m. – 8:48 a.m. -- Bruce Wold,

Novato

,

Calif.

; Steven Welker, Maricopa,

Ariz.

; Arthur Pierse,

Ireland

            1:42 p.m. – 8:57 a.m. -- David Bradford, Provo, Utah; Denny Taylor, Gladstone, Ore.; Frank Ford III, Charleston, S.C.

            1:51 p.m. – 9:06 a.m. -- John Pallin, Kenosha, Wis.; Vinny Giles, Richmond, Va.; Sam Till Jr, Fort Wayne, Ind.

            2:00 p.m. – 9:15 a.m. -- Jim Whisman, Sparks, Nev.; Del Kinney Jr, Great Barrington, Mass.; Bill Barnes, Carmel, Ind.

            2:09 p.m. – 9:24 a.m. -- Stephen Bell, Denver, Colo.; John Whitmore, Alexandria, Va.; Cy Kilgore, Marblehead, Mass.

            2:18 p.m. – 9:33 a.m. -- Joe Hart,

Bluefield

,

Va.

;

Logan

Jackson

, Winston

Salem

, N.C.; Jim Knoll,

Sunnyvale

,

Calif.

_ Jimmy Burch