With little fanfare, Charles Howell III made his 500th career start on the PGA Tour last week in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
He was surprised by the milestone and where it took place. Howell left for what he thought was a two-week swing through Asia when enough players chose not to go to Shanghai that Howell got in as an alternate. The problem was he didn't have a visa, so Howell and fellow American golfer Chez Reavie spent nearly two days in Hong Kong waiting for it to come through. He got the visa and tied for 15th.
"So this is my 500th golf tournament on the PGA Tour," Howell said. "And it's the first time I've ever played in China."
Howell, 38, said he was shocked when he realized he had played 500 tournaments, including two times he played as an amateur. He removed his cap to show flecks of gray in his hair and laughed.
"I can't believe I've played that many PGA Tour events," Howell said. "I didn't think I'd make it that long."
Pizza problem
Sales growth at Papa John's is slowing, and the pizza chain is blaming it on the outcry surrounding NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
The company, which is a sponsor and advertiser of the NFL, said customers have a negative view of the chain's association with the NFL. The company also cut its earnings growth expectations for the year and Papa John's stock fell about 10 percent Wednesday.
"NFL leadership has hurt Papa John's shareholders," said the chain's CEO John Schnatter, in a call with analysts Wednesday. "This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago."
Shares of Papa John's International Inc., fell $6.60 to $61.45 on Wednesday.
"The controversy is polarizing the customer, polarizing the country," Schnatter said.
Other companies don't see the NFL as a problem. Executives at Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. said last week that the company didn't expect declining NFL viewership to hurt a key sales figure. And Kohl's, the department store operator, said it is working with the NFL on a holiday ad campaign.
"What we see is a lot of our shoppers and prospective shoppers are watching NFL so that is what is behind the decision," said Greg Revelle, the chief marketing officer at Kohl's. "We are very confident."
Good guy
Houston businessman Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale flew 98 Astros fans to Los Angeles for Tuesday's game. He gave away 20 pairs of tickets in a drawing. He gave away 20 more to first-responders and 12 to Gallery Furniture employees. The other 26 passengers on the flight already had tickets to the game, and McIngvale just allowed them to fly on the chartered plane.
"I've worked for Mack for 30 years, and he'd give anyone the shirt off his back," Gallery Furniture sales manager Greg Hopf said. "This was all his idea. He wanted to give Astros fans a chance to see their team win it all. The only way to make that happen is to get them tickets and a flight, so he made it happen."
McIngvale, however, did not attend the game, telling Hopf "he had to work."
Sports quiz
Charles Howell won the Haskins Award in 2000. What is the Haskins Award?
Sports answer
The Haskins Award honors the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States.
Sports on 11/02/2017