Golfer Ayanna Habeel Secures Tour Champion

Ayanna Habeel, a sixth grader at Eastminster School in Conyers, Georgia, completed the US Kids Atlanta Spring Tour 2013, a golf tour series, as the Tour Champion and Player of the Year. The 12-year-old from Lithonia, Georgia, stated it was an honor to receive the Player of the Year award. Miss Habeel thanked God; her parents, Anthony and Devyonne Habeel; her coach, Matt Adams; her family; and her friends who supported her as well as all the young ladies with whom she played throughout the Spring Tour. When asked about her future in the sport Miss Habeel said she “plans to stay humble and continue to work hard on improving her game.”

Eastminster School provides the highest quality academic education to motivated and disciplined students of any race or religious affiliation from the East Metro Atlanta area, emphasizing every student’s social, physical, and spiritual well-being. To find out more information about this topic, or to schedule a tour at Eastminster School, please call Sarah Christopher at 770-785-6780 or email Sarah at sarah@eastminsterschool.org.

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Former PGA Tour Player Miller Barber Dies

The PGA Tour said Wednesday that Barber died Tuesday. The tour didn't provide details of the death. Barber, nicknamed "Mr. X," played in 1,297 tournaments on the PGA Tour and 50-and-over circuit. He won 11 times in 694 PGA Tour starts and added 24 victories in 603 events on the Champions Tour.

"We are saddened by the passing of Miller Barber," PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement. "He was a wonderful player who made his mark on the PGA Tour with 11 victories and then really excelled on Champions Tour, becoming one of its best players in the tour's formative years. Miller and the Champions Tour's other early stars helped establish the tour and make it the tremendous success it has become. Golf has lost a great man and competitor."

Barber was born in March 31, 1931, in Shreveport, La., and grew up in Texarkana, Texas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1954, served in the U.S. Air Force and joined the tour in 1959. He won the 1964 Cajun Classic Open Invitational for his first tour title. Known for his unusual swing that featured a flying right elbow, the two-time Ryder Cup player had his best chance to win a major championship in the 1969 U.S. Open at Champions Club outside Houston. But after taking a three-stroke lead into the final round, he closed with a 78 to finish three strokes behind winner Orville Moody.

Barber won five majors on the Champions Tour, including a record three U.S. Senior Open titles. He made his last competitive appearance last year in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, teaming with Jim Ferree to tie for 11th in the Demaret Division for players 70 and older. "Miller Barber was a true gentleman that was special in many ways," CBS analyst and instructor Peter Kostis said on Twitter. "I will miss him greatly."

PGA Tour player Geoff Ogilvy spent time with Barber at Whisper Rock in Arizona. "Rest in peace Miller Barber," Ogilvy tweeted. "Thanks for all the tips and stories. The back of the range at Whisper Rock will never be the same." Barber said there were two stories about how he was tagged "Mr. X." In one, he took over the nickname from the original "Mr. X," George Bayer, after outdriving Bayer in a long-drive contest. In the other, Barber said Ferree called him "The Mysterious Mr. X" because, "I never told anywhere where I was going at night. I was a bachelor and a mystery man."

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The player to Beat at Merion rain-softened wood

A host of other players can pretend to be real contenders for the second major of the year, which starts Thursday, but wood is generally regarded as the most likely winner based on his outstanding record and often dominant form that which he has shown this season. But Woods failed in his most recent start, languish 65th joint in a field of 73 at the Memorial Tournament 10 days ago, he has triumphed four times on the PGA Tour from 2013 and is clearly the player to beat at Merion."Tiger Woods plays an impressive golf course," fellow American Matt Kuchar, who won the title of Memorial to give a significant boost to this week, told journalists Wednesday.

"Winning four times already, it is simply incredible." It seems to be clicking again, and when it is activated, it can do things that the rest of us can't do. It's fun so it plays well. "But the great thing about the game of golf, anyone who tees it upwards has a chance to win." "All areas, we play on the PGA Tour, from the top down, there are a lot of strength." Woods has revived memories of his glory days in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a large part of his game this year and it will be eager to put an end to a major title drought dating to his win at the 2008 US Open playoff.

Although the world number one American was bitterly disappointed with his game in general at the Memorial tournament, and in particular its implementation, he filed as a blip in a season successful otherwise. "I didn't really much that I was real happy, but it was just one of these weeks," 14-times major champion, said Woods. "It happens. And go from there."I had a good week of practice the week last at home. '' We had a tropical storm roll there, I assumed that this was prepares us for it.

VIOLENT STORMS

Bad weather has already been a huge factor in Merion, with more than six inches (15cm) of rain by saturating the area since Friday and severe thunderstorms have been planned for the latter part of the Thursday opening round. "You won't see a farm US Open this year," said twice former champion US Open Ernie Els. "We will have a soft golf course all week."This means that if you are on your game, you will have a lot of birdie putts. There's a certain par-fours where you just have to put it in the fairway... then you have quite a short second shot.

"I won't tell everyone will shoot a 62 on a U.S. Open, but you have several possibilities to birdie than ever.'' Path is emblematic of Merion will host its fifth U.S. Open this week, but his first in 32 years after long being regarded as too short to accommodate a major. The par-70 layout located in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore has been tensely 6,996 yards, since the Australian David Graham triumphed by three strokes in the edition of 1981, and Woods appreciates accurate shot making is necessary to succeed.

It's a course, after all, where Bobby Jones completed her "grand slam" by winning the American amateur from 1930, where Ben Hogan claimed the 1950 U.S. Open only 16 months after being involved in an accident of traffic almost fatal and where Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino beat in a playoff to win the US Open 1971. "If you look at the list of champions, they were all really good shot-makers," said three-time US Open champion Woods. "They have all been able to shape the golf ball."It is what it lends to. You need to be able to shape the golf ball, and you have to be so disciplined to play the course. »

As ever a U.S. Open, the ability to minimize errors and be patient on profile greens and tight fairways flanked of thick, rough degree will define strokes in the composition of the champion of this week. The list of potential winners is long and includes Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia, English Justin Rose and Luke Donald, winner 2010 Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and former Masters champion Zach Johnson, renowned for his brilliant corner.

Irish world of Northern number two Rory McIlroy, the US Open Congress champion, is another likely contender as he bids to claim his first tournament victory this season after winning five times in the world last year.

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