ROGERS — Wayne Callahan and his group got their money’s worth during the LPGA pro-am Wednesday at Pinnacle Country Club.
Callahan, Mike Schmidt and Jon Waltz were part of the only pro-am group that included two golfers taking part in this weekend’s NW Arkansas Championship.
Rounding out Callahan’s group were Arkansas Razorbacks junior Emily Tubert, who is competing this weekend on a sponsor’s exemption, and full-time LPGA member Jodi Ewart.
It is the second year Callahan has played with Tubert in the pro-am at Pinnacle Country Club.
He played with Tubert and Mina Harigae last year.
“It’s terrific as an amateur to watch both of them play and just enjoy the day,” said Callahan, an executive for H.J. Heinz who also serves as president of the Arkansas State Golf Association. “It’s a real honor for me.”
Tubert finished tied for 19th at the NCAA Championships as a freshman last year and tied for 33rd this past season. She made the cut at last year’s LPGA event and finished tied for 48th at 213.
“I had a really good freshman year,” Tubert said.
“I won three times, but I was more consistent this year.
I put myself in contention a lot. My best finish was second.”
Ewart, 24, played college golf at New Mexico and graduated in 2010. She is 40th on the LPGA Tour money list this season at $138,999 and will play in her first NW Arkansas Championship this weekend.
It starts at home
Teen phenom Lexi Thompson didn’t have to look far for inspiration when it came to taking up golf.
Thompson became the LPGA Tour’s youngest winner last September when she won the Navistar LPGA Classis in Prattsville, Ala., at 16 years, 7 months and 8 days.
Shortly after that, she successfully petitioned the LPGA to waive its rule that requires full-time members to be at least 18.
Thompson joined the tour full time this year and comes into this weekend’s tournament 24th on the LPGA money list at $246,347.
Thompson, now 17, credits her brothers Nicholas and Curtis for much of her early success.
Nicholas plays on the PGA Tour, and Curtis plays at LSU.
“They’ve helped me so much, just gettingme started in the game,” said Thompson, who competed in her first LPGA tournament as a 12-year-old in 2007 when she played as an amateur at the U.S.
Women’s Open. “They’ve been pretty much my teachers at home.
“Always trying to beat them and trying to outdrive them has made me so much better.” Ready to go
LPGA World Golf Hall of Fame member Juli Inkster will make her return this weekend at the NW Arkansas Championship.
It will be Inkster’s first event this season following elbow surgery in January.
Inkster, 52, said doctors reattached a tendon and repaired a damaged ulnar nerve in her right elbow.
Her elbow was in a cast for a couple of months, then she went through physical therapy every day.
“It feels great,” Inkster said. “I haven’t had any setbacks.”
Inkster said she targeted this weekend’s event as her first tournament back because she wants to play in the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played July 5-8 in Kohler, Wis.
“So far I’m on schedule,” she said.
Inkster said she was nervous about the injury at first because she didn’t really know what was wrong.
“I didn’t know if I had to have surgery, and so once they got in there and they did the surgery and they said I wouldn’t have been able to play without doing the surgery, I don’t know,just kind of a calmness came over me,” said Inkster, who has $13,394,109 in career earnings on tour. “I just said, OK, this was just meant to be and I just did exactly what they said.”
Sports, Pages 17 on 06/28/2012