On the Green

Bill Murray was in the gallery today, following Scott Simpson, his partner at the AT &T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Murray, in a group that included a few children, said to two young boys (deliberately loud enough for Simpston to hear on the 12th fairway), "That's Mr. Simpson. He's going to sink one, because you're kids."

Pat Magnuson of Valley Stream won a drawing that earned her a trip for two to the Masters next year.

Loren Roberts, known as the Boss of the Moss in pro golf circles because of how well he putts (greens are short, like moss), won the Commerce Bank Championship today. Naturally, he clinched it with a big putt--29 feet for birdie on the par 5 17th hole. That gave him breatihing room and allowed him to withstand a bogey on No. 18 for a one-shot victory over Nick Price and defending champion Lonnie Nielsen.

Roberts is one of the top players on the Champions Tour, but had not won an event before in 2008. He pumped his fist when he made the final putt on the last hole. Later he told hundreds of people gathered around the green, "It's great to get a win in the No. 1 sports town in the world!" He received a loud ovation.

It might be the final Commerce Bank Championship because the event does not have a title sponsor for next year.

Greg Hickman was all set for the week. He was going to caddie for Gene Jones, provided Jones qualified for the Commerce Bank Championship in the qualifier Tuesday. Jones did make it, but he had to find someone else to carry his bag.

The problem was that Hickman qualified, too. As a part-time Champions Tour player, who gets in tournaments whenever he can and caddies when he doesn't, Hickman suddenly started hitting it solid on the Eisenhower Park White Course Tuesday and made the field.

And both Hickman and Jones shot 66s today, and will play in the final group with Loren Roberts (who shot 65) in the final group tomorrow.

Only on the Champions Tour can you get a story like this.

Loren Roberts always has been known as the Boss of the Moss because of his good putting stroke (greens are closely croppsd, like moss). He can hit the ball from tee to green, too. He did both well enough today to take the first-round lead at the Commerce Bank Classic with a 6 under par 65.

Roberts was having a decent round, but he got really hot toward the end and turned it into an outstanding round. He did that by hitting his drives and second shots so well that he had short putts for bitdies on the par-4 15th and the par-5 17th.

Then his putter stole the show, sinking a 42-foot, five-inch birdie bomb for a birdie 3 on No. 18.

Dennis Walters challenged his listeners to think big. He told everyone watching him on the practice tee at the Eisenhower Park Red Course this afternoon to think of something that they believe they can't do, and then try it. He told them to keep trying it, saying "Dreams have no expiration date."

He did this in the context of his golf trick shot show, which he has given more than 2,700 times across the country. Walters hits perfect drives with a putter, an old wooden driver, a driver with a shaft made from a fishing pole, a "wood" with a head made of a cell phone.

Most important, he does it from a seat attached to a golf cart. Walters explained in his show that he had dreamed of traveling the country, playing golf on tour, before he was in an accident 34 years ago that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Thirty-two years ago, he started giving exhibitions and offering golf tips and inspiration.

Champions Tour players know they aren't far from Bethpage Black, geographically or chronologically. Lonnie Nielsen, the defending champion at the Commerce Bank Championship, said he plans to enter the New York State Open in one of the next few years just so he can play the Black. Jeff Sluman said he intends to try to qualify for the Open next year because the Open at the Black in 2002 was such a great experience. Most players say they definitely would accept the automatic exemption to the '09 Open at Bethpage if they win the 2008 U.S. Senior Open--regardless of the fact the Black will be tough on a pro older than 50. "I'd be the first one to sign in," John Cook said.

Nick Price, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and former No. 1 player in the world, believes that Eisenhower Red is worthy of one a major championship in senior golf. In fact, most of the players here for the Commerce Bank Championship feel that way. They say the rough is up this year, which will make it tough. And there are enough long par-4s to ensure that it's not just a dart-throwing contest for second shots.

In fact, there has been talk about holding a Senior PGA Championship here at the Red.

The USGA made the official announcement today: The 2013 U.S. Women's Open will be held at Sebonack Golf Club, the Jack Nicklaus-Tom Doak design in Southampton.

"Not bad for a new course,' said Sebonack's founder and owner Michael Pascucci, who also owns Channel 55.

Ever since Sebonack opened--on a stunning piece of land adjacent to the National Golf Links of America and within view of Shinnecock Hills and the Southampton Golf Club--there has been talk of holding a tournament there. Nicklaus said at the official opening that it was ready "for anything you'd want to have here."

The USGA has been studying the course from the beginning. Its announcement today, in Minnesota, from the site of this year's Women's Open, which starts tomorrow, culminated the process. USGA officials certainly know that the area can handle logistics, having held three U.S. Opens there in the relatively recent past, 1986, 1995 and 2004 (as well as the second one ever in 1895).

Ernie Els, a two-time Open champion, prepared for the 2006 U.S. Open by practicing at Sebonack and gave it a strong review. The rest fo the country will have a chance to take in the natural beauty of the property. "With 13 holes that have a water view, it's going to show up well on television," Pascucci said.

It will be worth keeping an eye and ear open today, on the eve of the U.S. Women's Open, to find out if the U.S. Golf Association has an announcement to make about holding a future tournament at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton.

Newsday reported on April 17 that the USGA and the relatively new club have been in discussions about holding a championship there. People familiar with the talks had expected an announcement about a future U;S. Women's Open to be made back in February, but nothing had been finalized. Sebonack's owner, Michael Pascucci, who also owns Channel 55, said last week that nothing still had been finalized.

But the USGA usually makes its announcements at its championships, so it wouldn't be surprising to hear today that the 2013 Women's Open will be held two doors down from the site of the 1986, 1995 and 2004 U.S. Men's Open, at Shinnecock Hills (you can see one course from the other, with National Golf Links in between).

The Champions Tour ought to follow the lead of the LPGA Tour on one vital issue. The men's 50-and-over circuilt needs to install and vigorously enforce a rule like the one the women's tour has: Every golfer has to play in every tour stop at least once every four years.

If they don't it should be a five-figure fine. And if they keep missing, the fine should increase.

It is the only way to ensure the lifeblood of a loyal event such as the Commerce Bank Championship, which is tied for third for longevity on a tour that exists in tribute to longevity (you've got to be 50 to play). Sorry to repeat myself (I mentioned this at the end of the Commerce last year), but I feel strongly about it. This is the only regular pro golf event on Long Island every year and it deserves love from guys who are making a grand living on the Champions Tour.

Maybe it's too late for Long Island anyway. Commerce is not going to renew its sponsorship and there is no new title sponsor lined up. If organizers can't come up with a consortium of businesses to meet the $4 million required to host it for next year, the Long Island event will go the way of former Champions Tour events in Westchster and New Jersey. Those, you might notice, are extinct.

It would help if the tour could make sure big names came to town once in a while. Too bad if players don't like coming to New York. Tough it out and show up once in four years. It's inexcusable that Tom Watson has made zero career appearances in this event, considering he has made a fortune on this tour. It's pathetic that Fuzzy Zoeller once flew in for an appearance and got out of town before the tournament started.

Guys like those two owe it to the tour to support the sponsors, organizers, officials, volunteers and fans who keep their business going.

Commerce Bank Championship
Qualifying

White Course at Eisenhower Park
6.907 yards

Qualifiers

Gary Hallberg 65
Boonchu Ruangkit 66
Bill Britton 66
Jim Chancey 66
Gene Jones 67
Craig Marseilles 67
David Ogrin 67
Dave Rummells 67
Ronnie Black 68
Greg Hickman 68
Rick Vershure 68 1st Alternate

Failed to Qualify

Steve Thomas 69
John Ross 69
Mitch Adams 69
Jim Woodward 69
Dick Mast 69
Rod Spittle 70
James Mason 70
Tim Conley 70
Kirk Hanefeld 70
Gary Trivisonno 70
Marak Pfeil 70
Jeff Roth 70
Grant Turner 70
Rick Karbowski 70
Kenny Knox 71
TC Chen 71
George DeSear 71
Mark Balen 71
Clarence Rose 71
Thomas Herzan 72
Mike Lawrence 72
Ron Schroeder 72
Yvan Beauchemin 72
Donny Hammond 72
John DeForest 73
Mike San Filippo 73
John Adams 74
Jimmy Powell 75
Bobby Heins 75
Graham Banister 75
Adam Adams 76
Mike Donald 77
George Burns III 78
Jim Nelford 78
Bob Menne 78
Mark Morrison 79
Jack Ferenz NC

Near the top of the list of ways you can tell the difference between the Champions Tour and the PGA Tour: On the former, you can hear a player say he's hoping to make as much money as he can in a given tournament because he has to pay for a daugher's wedding.

That's what Andy Bean said when he was here at the Eisenhower Park Red Course for the Commerce Bank Championship, where he has had a tie for second (2004) and tie for third (2006). Bean is back this year. "Don't you know I"ve got another one?"

Another daughter, another wedding this year. Good thing for him he cashed $255,000 for winning the Regions Charity Classic last month.

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Jay Haas is not in the field this week because he, too, has a daughter's wedding to prepare for, a Champions Tour spokesman said...Jeff Sluman is entered and looking for a quinella. He won this past Sunday at the Bank of America Championship outside Boston. Sluman still is 50 and in his first full year on the Champions Tour. Others appearing here are Fulton Allem, Phil Blackmar, John Cook, Wayne Grady, Scott Hoch, Mike Hulbert and Mark Wiebe.
* * *
The Commerce tournament, formerly under the auspices of title sponsors Northville and Lightpath, is tied for third as the longest-running Champions Tour event. Its first year as an official tour event was 1988, having been an unsanctioned invitational (won by Gary Player) in 1987.
* * *
As distinct and experienced as the field is--five members of the golf Hall of Fame are here and four other players who have won major championships--there is an equally distinct and experienced staff. Heading the operation in the media center are Marino Parascenzo and Bev Norwood, veteran golf reporters who have covered dozens of majors between them and have followed the heydays of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tiger Woods and everyone in between.

Oops. I guess Mike Milbury might have to rethink his characterization of Tiger Woods as "Tiger Wuss," given the acknowledgement that Woods won the U.S. Open despite having a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a double stress fracture.

Milbury had defended hockey's honor by firing back at golf's greatest icon, who had made a joking reference about nobody watching hockey any more. Woods' original comment was kind of surprising because he normally bends over backwards to avoid saying anything remotely negative or controversial about anything. Odd that he would decide to start with hockey.

Hockey commentators in Canada--and Milbury does analysis up there as well as on NBC--took exception. As usual, nobody was as memorably outspoken as the former Islanders coach and GM, who said he personally was going to start calling him Tiger Wuss because he needed two months to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery, as opposed to Penguins forward Ryan Malone, whose face was mashed by a flying puck but returned later the same game.

With the news about Woods' season-ending injury, it seems that maybe he's a little tougher than Mike gave him credit for. But here's hoping Mike doesn't stop being one of the most honest people in sports when it comes to expressing his feelings.

You are in the right place if you are interested in being inside the ropes, getting treated like a VIP and walking along with the pros--possibly even former world No. 1 Nick Price--at the Commerce Bank Championship at Eisenhower Park's Red Course June 27-29.

Tournament officials have allowed me, your humble host at this site, to choose one of the Honorary Observers for the Champions Tour event, and have access that you couldn't get in any other pro sporting event anywhere. The 50-and-over circuit has been hosting Honorary Observers for a few years and it has been so well received that the PGA Tour has picked up on the concept occasionally.

Anyway, here's what you do: Make your case. If you're 17 or older (a tournament requirement for the Observers), tell me why you'd like to do this and why you would be a worthy Observer. Don't be afraid to be bold and creative in talking about your love of golf, especially golf on Long Island.

Just write your entry in the comments section below. If you really want to be certain, you can reinforce it with a fax to my attention, Mark Herrmann at Newsday, at (631) 454-6892. And if you want more general information on the tournament, visit its Web site, www.commercebankchampionship.com.

Deadline for entries is Thursday, June 19. I'll be announcing the winner on June 22. Good luck, and hope to hear from you.