Woodrome Stays on Course During Whirlwind Tour

Talk about your active seniors.

Hank Woodrome of Yorba Linda turned 50 last March and this week embarked on the busiest golf journey of his career.

Woodrome, formerly the head professional at Fullerton Golf Course, is in Napa, where he shot 68 Monday and qualified for the Senior PGA Tour Transamerica at Silverado Country Club.

When that ends Sunday, he heads to Florida for the National Senior Club Professional Championship at Ibis Golf and Country Club in West Palm Beach.

When that ends Oct. 15, he flies to Maui, for the Western Regional Club Professional championship Oct. 16-22 at the Makena Resort.

“I don’t know if you’re ever prepared for something like [the next few weeks],” Woodrome said. “But I think I’ll be OK.”

The Transamerica is the first senior tour event for Woodrome, who has tried qualifying four times. He has played in five PGA Tour events.

After turning 50, Woodrome decreased his time teaching to focus more on playing. He plans on trying senior tour qualifying school. The first stage is Nov. 7-10 at the PGA of Southern California Golf Club in Beaumont, but a top-five finish in Florida next week gives him an automatic exemption into the finals.

Even though the coming weeks will be hectic, Woodrome said the thought of adding another event crossed his mind.

The senior tour will be in Hawaii at the same time as Woodrome and he could have arranged his flights to be there for the Monday qualifier.

“But I couldn’t do it,” he said. “I might fall asleep on the course or something.”

WOMEN’S MID-AMATEUR

Two-time winner Ellen Port of St. Louis shot par 72 Tuesday at Big Canyon and holds a one-shot lead after the first round of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur championship.

Patricia Cornett of Mill Valley is is second after a 73 and Judith Allan-Kyrinis of Toronto, Brenda Corrie Kuehn of Asheville, N.C., and Kerry Postillion of Burr Ridge, Ill., are two shots off the pace. Defending champion Alissa Herron of Wayzata, Minn., is among a trio that shot 75.

Port won the Mid-Amateur in 1995 and ’96 and is a two-time Curtis Cup team member.

Marianne Towersey of Newport Beach and Teri Goolsby of Garden Grove shot 80 and are the top county players. They are tied for 37th. The top 64 after the second round today advance to match play.

TALEGA COURSE SOLD

Talega Golf Club has been sold to Heritage Golf Group, which will manage and operate the San Clemente course.

The course, co-designed by PGA Tour star Fred Couples and Brian Curley of Schmidt-Curley Design, is scheduled to open Jan. 1, 2001. The 13,500-square foot clubhouse will open in June, ’01.

Talega Associates LLC, principal owners of the course, had intended only to develop and build the course. The company retains the housing and commercial real estate surrounding the course. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Talega will be a high-end course with rates expected somewhere between those at Tijeras Creek ($125) and Pelican Hill ($250). Twelve of the holes are complete and six are currently in the seeding/sodding process.

This is the second acquisition for Heritage Golf Group, which also owns the Polo Golf and Country Club in suburban Atlanta.

LPGA ROOKIE RACE ENDS

Kellee Booth of Rancho Santa Margarita finished fourth in the LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year race, behind Dorothy Delasin, Grace Park and Heather Bowie.

The LPGA season continues for six more tournaments, but the New Albany Classic last week was the final week to earn rookie of the year points.

Delasin finished with 603 points. Park had 555, Bowie 459 and Booth 444.