McNulty, Mangold & Westbrook at USGA State Team

Wes McNulty of Pine Bluff, Ron Mangolf of Pocahontas and Neal Westbrook of Russellville represent Arkansas this week at the 8th USGA State Team Championship at The Country Club of St. Albans, near St. Louis. Arkansas drew Florida and Colorado the first two rounds. Here are the two round tee times for the Arkansas players on Wed., Sept. 23 and Thurs., Sept. 24:

1:00 pm, hole #1/8:20 am, hole #10 - Neal Westbrook

1:10 pm, hole #1/8:30 am, hole #10 - Ron Mangold

1:20 pm, hole #1/8:40 am, hole #10 - Wes McNulty

Multi-time ASGA Amateur Player of the Year and playing captain Wes McNulty will carry the Arkansas flag at the opening ceremonies. The honorary tournament chairman and key-note speaker at the Players Dinner is Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, a member at the host club.

All 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have sent three-man teams, with the best two scores counting each round. Texas is the defending champion. The tournament runs thru Friday, Sept. 25.

To follow the Arkansas team online, go to www.usga.org - Good luck to all players and let's hope the forecast gets better as the course is already saturated and the forecast calls for more rain!

Stan Lee, Nicklaus Benton win Players of Year

Stan Lee won the final ASGA Senior Designated Tournament of 2009 - the River Valley Senior Stroke this past weekend with 65-64 - and vaulted to the top of the ASGA Senior Player of the Year standings. Lee finished with 840 points, 22 ahead of Oscar Taylor of Hot Springs Village (818) and 34 ahead of Roger Clement of Little Rock (806). 2008 ASGA Senior Player of the Year Bruce Dickey of Paragould finished fourth.

Lee was runner-up to Taylor in the ASGA Senior Match and won the ASGA Senior Stroke. He also earned 175 points for making the round of 16 at the USGA Senior Amateur in Chicago, which put him in position. A win at the River Valley would seal the deal - a tournament which he also won last year.

In the amateur division, Nicklaus Benton held a small lead over Wes McNulty entering the final tournament in Russellville and Benton sealed the deal with a one-stroke victory over Chris Jenkins. Benton finished with 767.5 points, Kirk Brown was second with 695.5 and McNulty finished third with 690. Benton also won the 2007 ASGA Junior Player of the Year award.

Former Arkansan Plays for Second USGA Title

Former Arkansan Carolyn Creekmore plays for her second USGA Senior Women's Amateur title tomorrow at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. Creekmore, who grew up in Fort Smith and now resides in Dallas, also won the title in 2004. Her grandfather, S.W Creekmore is a former state amateur champion and was in the inaugural class of the Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame in 1994. Her brother, Steve Creekmore, III, was elected to the ASGA Board of Directors this year. To follow Carolyn's match hole by hole, go to www.usga.org. GOOD LUCK CAROLYN!

Another former Arkansan came within an eye-lash of playing for the U.S. Senior Amateur in Chicago. John Pallin, a former Radiology Resident at UAMS in Little Rock, now of Kenosha, Wisconsin, lost in the semi-finals today 1-down at The Beverly Club. Pallin defeated 2007 Champion Stan Lee in the first round last year at Shady Oaks in Fort Worth and went on to the quarter-finals. Golf sometimes is rich in irony as many felt John Grace, a member at Shady Oaks would win last year (Buddy Marucci did). Well, Grace has a chance to redeem himself in tomorrow's Championship match in Chicago against 1972 U.S. Amateur Champion Marvin (Vinny) Giles, III.

Florida Coach Tried Gamesmanship - and LOST BIG!

Stewart "Buddy" Alexander, the University of Florida Men's Golf Coach, tried gamesmanship in his second round match against Stan Lee - and it came back to haunt him in a 5 & 4 whipping. Alexander often left the green or turned his back and did not even watch Lee putt, leaving him with just the referee. At the ninth hole, Alexander's approach settled less than a foot away and the birdie was conceded by Lee, who still had a 25-footer for a half. Alexander left the green, got in his cart and drove through the tunnel under 87th Avenue and over toward the 10th tee, more than 100 yards from #9 green. Lee made the birdie putt to halve the hole and since Lee had the honor on #9, he retained it on #10. When Lee reached the 10th tee and began to tee up first Alexander asked what he was doing and Stan said he made the birdie putt. Alexander evidently did not believe him and the referee had to confirm it to assure Alexander. So as Stan teed off on #10, a 171-yard par 3, Alexander went inside the clubhouse and did not even watch. But the biggest was yet to come. On #11, a long par-5, Lee had 120 left for his third shot, Alexander was 30 yards closer to the green. Alexander drove ahead, parked his cart in front of Lee and then walked all the way to the green and just stood in the middle of the green for at least a minute, maybe longer. Lee of course could not play, even though it was his turn to play. Alexander, 3-down at the time, was obviously trying to slow-play Lee and get him rattled and out of his rhythm. It only added fuel to the fire - Lee was far to experienced for this childish act that Alexander was attempting. It was very disappointing to watch a golfer who is a former U.S. Amateur Champion (1986) try that kind of gamesmanship. In fact, it was downright disgraceful. There is no place in the game for that kind of behavior - or as Stan is famous for saying "you can really find out a lot about a person when he is losing."

Stan Lee & Tanna Richard Both Ousted in Sr. Am

Stan Lee defeated Stewart "Buddy" Alexander in the round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Amateur at The Beverly Country Club in Chicago before falling to Mike Bell in the round of 16. Lee closed out Alexander 5 & 4 and lost a heart-breaker to Bell 1 up. The afternoon match featured the 2006 Champion (Bell) vs. the 2007 Champion (Lee) and the Heber Springs native comeback fell one hole shy. After losing the first three holes (Bell birdied the first two), Lee came back and won #4 and had a four-foot birdie putt at #7 to cut the deficit to one, but it grazed the cup. He birdied the 9th after a bogie at #8 and turned two down. Lee then won holes 13 and 14 to square the match and Bell made a tough 10-footer at 15 to stay all square, where they remained until the 18th hole. Lee's approach settled 18 feet above the hole on the treacherous Donald Ross green. His birdie effort narrowly missed and went seven feet by the hole and he missed the come-backer. Bell two putted for par and the victory.

In the U.S. Women's Senior Amateur in Virginia, Fort Smith's Tanna Richard lost to Robin Puckett in the round of 32 in 21 holes. Another former Fort Smithian, Carolyn Creekmore advanced to the quarter-finals and plays Wednesday morning!

Stan Lee & Tanna Richard Advance in U.S. Senior

Stan Lee of Heber Springs and Tanna Richard of Fort Smith both advanced to the second round of the U.S. Senior Amateur in Chicago and U.S. Women's Senior Amateur in Hot Springs, Virginia today. Lee advanced with a 1-up decision over Tom Elfers of Cincinnati and Richard defeated Joanne Catlin of Ashburnham, Mass. Neither trailed in their match. Lee won 2, 3, 11 and 14 (losing only #9) and was 3 up with three to play, losing 16 & 17 and holding on 1-up. He was one over par, which will win alot of matches. Richard was all square at the turn and won holes 10, 11, 12 & 15 to close out Catlin 4 & 3. Richard was +5 for 15 holes, which will also win alot of matches.

Lee played University of Florida Golf Coach Stewart "Buddy" Alexander at 9:59 am Tuesday. Richard plays Robin Puckett of Irvine, CA at 8:54 am (eastern) Tuesday.

Former Arkansan and past U.S. Women's Senior Am Champ Carolyn Creekmore also advanced to the second round. You can watch hole-by-hole progress of these matches at www.usga.org

Tanna Richard Makes Match Play in Virginia

Tanna Lee Richard of Fort Smith, shot 79-77 and easily qualified for match play (T23rd) in the 2009 U.S. Women's Senior Amateur Sunday at The Homestead in Hot Springs Virginia. Richard plays at 10:48 in the first round on Monday.

Both Tanna and her husband Ron are previous inductees in the Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame.

Another former Arkansan and native of Fort Smith, Carolyn Creekmore, qualified third with 72-75 and plays at 12:36 Monday. Creekmore is a former Champion, winning at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California.

Good Luck Tanna and Carolyn! It would not surprise me if either of these women win this USGA Championship!

Lee Qualifies for Match Play; Hargraves Just Misses

Stan Lee, fresh off a victory in the 2009 ASGA Senior Stroke at Greystone, qualified for match play today in the 2009 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Beverly Club in south Chicago. Lee fired rounds of 75-75 and tied for 46th and plays Tom Elfers of Cincinnati (72-74) at 1:06 p.m. Monday. Lee was exempt from qualifying as the 2007 Champion at Flint Hills National GC in Wichita, Kansas. Last year, in the defense of his title, Lee lost to former Little Rock resident John Pallin of Kenosha, Wisconsin in 19 holes. Pallin went on to make the quarter-finals, earning exempt status this year, and qualified in the top 5 with 73-69.

Bev Hargraves of Helena, the lone Arkansas qualifier, shot 77-75 and missed the playoff for match play by one stroke. 11 players at 151 will playoff at 8:30 a.m. for 8 qualifying spots.

To see the scores and bracket of the USGA Senior Amateur Qualifying, go to www.usga.org

Arkansas - Here is Your Chance!

Alright Arkansas - here is your chance to show you love golf! The best field ever in the three year history of the LPGA's P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship is assembling this week in Rogers as the newly renovated Pinnacle Country Club will be a fantastic host. Get out and show your support of golf in Arkansas as this is only the second professional golf tournament held in the Natural State (Nationwide Tour is at Hardscrabble in June!) Tickets are easy to come by and parking is easy too - you park your car in a designated parking lot, load up on a bus and they drop you at the 17th green! Get your tickets here and show that you love golf! http://www.pgbeautychampionship.com/ Paula Creamer will play her pink ball on Sunday as she is doing in the above photo!