Sports Watch
THE Duvals - David and Bob - set golf history by becoming the first father-son combination to win PGA Tour-sanctioned events on the same day last Sunday. David Duval won his third tournament of the year in winning The Players Championship, while his father won the Emerald Coast Classic. Women were in the swing
But, let's hear it this week for the women golfers, although you won't find a mother-daughter combination doing it, simply because there's no LPGA Senior Tour.
First, there's Marcie Rudich, a 49-year-old grandmother, winning the All-Services Women's Invitational in a sudden-death playoff over Mona Kim on Tuesday at the Hickam Mamala Bay Course. Rudich, who's originally from Palau, shot a 76 for a 36-hole total of 157 to catch Kim, the first-round leader.
Then, there's Lesly Ann Komoda, an assistant pro at the Kapolei Golf Course. Playing with fellow Kapolei pro Dean Dorothy, Komoda and her partner finished tied for 10th with a 36-hole score of 144 among more than 30 teams in the Aloha Section PGA Pro Pro Championship at the Makena North Course on Maui last week.
That's beating more than 20 men's twosomes in the best-ball competition.
"We should have done better, if Dean had a partner who could putt," Komoda said. Her 69 on the first day tied for fifth.
Komoda, 30, did hit from the forward tees in the event, as did the only other wahine entered, Makena's Renee Smith.
"I had fun," said Komoda, whose last competitive round of golf was two years ago.
She plans to enter the Sports Shinko Rainbow Open at Mililani next month. Komoda will have to hit from the regular tees in that event, but she doesn't mind because there aren't many tournaments locally for women pros.
Then, there's future star Bridget Dwyer, a Punahou School senior, who will sign a letter of intent for a golf scholarship to UCLA next Wednesday.
Daughter of Jack and Barbara Dwyer, Bridget, whose Hawaiian middle name is Keala, visited UCLA, Notre Dame, University of San Francisco and Colorado before deciding to play for the Bruins.
No, just because her boyfriend, Punahou senior Brandan Brooks, is also going to UCLA on a water polo scholarship isn't the reason.
"Not at all. You don't go to school for that reason. It's just that their team's awesome and the academic's great," said Dwyer, who plans to get a business degree in marketing or computer science.
Although Dwyer played soccer since she was 5, golf proved to be her forte and first love. And, no, Brandan doesn't golf.
MASTERS ODDS: The largest Masters field since 1966 will tee it up at the Augusta National next week. Augusta, as you know if you watched the NCAA final, is the home of UConn's Ricky Moore and Duke's William Avery. What a great storyline that was.
But nothing compared to what has happened over the years at Augusta National and the Masters.
Who'll win?
David Duval is a good bet. But not a money-maker with the Las Vegas odds. He is the favorite at 6-1 with Tiger Woods 7-1. Davis Love III is 12-1, while Justin Leonard, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and defending champion Mark O'Meara are 15-1 picks.
Greg Norman and Colin Montgomerie, known to have a tight collar or two when the going gets tough, are 18-1. Don't waste your money here.
The 20-1 choices - Fred Couples, Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelsen - look good.
I don't want to jinx myself as I did Duke, but I like Jeff Maggert at 60-1. I'm buying, if he wins.