GAME PLAN
Today’s TV/radio
BASEBALL
1 Cubs at Philadelphia, WGN 7 Seattle at Detroit, FSN/WXYT 8 Boston at Texas, ESPN
• • The Detroit News | Wednesday, July 22, 2009 | 2B
GOLF
CYCLING
6:30a Tour de France, Vs. Noon Tour de France, Vs. 8 Tour de France, Vs.
INSIDER
“As a club we want to do everything we can to help GM not only for this year’s tournament, but for the long haul.”
Rich Fairman, Warwick Golf & Country Club general manager
By the numbers
Winner’s share in dollars for this year’s Buick Open
918,000 11th 5
SOCCER
7 World Challenge, AC Milan vs. Club America, ESPN2
Subject to change
Jim Furyk is one of five former champions in this year’s Buick Open field.
Lowest finish by Tiger Woods in eight ap-
Unmating dance is e-mailed in
ith all of the big news last week — Tom Watson choking, Walter Cronkite dying (R.I.P., good sir) — you might have missed that NBA star Richard Jefferson called off his wedding with exNets dancer Kesha Ni’Cole Nichols. The night before the wedding. By email. Really. In a world exclusive, Sideline Satire has obtained a transcript of the instant message chat TONY that followed. AUGUSTY Sideline Satire Hurry up and read it, before Erin Andrews’ lawyer sues us to get it removed: JefferDawg24: So, I’m guessing you got the e-mail. DanceQween13: Uh, ya think? Classy move. OMG, Richie! How could you do this the night before the wedding? JefferDawg24: You think this is easy for me? I thought choosing between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen on “Idol” would be the toughest decision I’d ever make. This is way tougher, for realz. DanceQween13: Whatevs, Richie. How am I supposed to tell my parents? And don’t say by e-mail. JefferDawg24: Aw, c’mon. DanceQween13: Just tell me why, baby. JefferDawg24: I’ve just been feeling this distance between us lately. DanceQween13: Gee, maybe that’s because you just got traded to SAN ANTONIO!?!? JefferDawg24: Hmm, now that you mention it … no, it’s more than that. DanceQween13: Like what? JefferDawg24: Well, your middle name. DanceQween13: What? JefferDawg24: Who puts an apostrophe in the middle of Nicole? It’s weird. DanceQween13: Richie, please. Can’t you at least be honest with me? My heart is breaking. JefferDawg24: I just don’t see this working out. When I was a young Nets star on the verge of an NBA title and you were a Nets dancer, things were great. But now you have your own dance company, and I’m … still on the verge of my first NBA title. I need to focus on getting a ring. DanceQween13: Not a wedding ring, obviously. LOL JefferDawg24: Inappropriate. DanceQween13: Whatevs. LOL LOL JefferDawg24: Hey, at least I didn’t dump you the day before your b-day, like Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson. DanceQween13: Even you have more class than that. ROFL JefferDawg24: LOL DanceQween13: What are we going to tell everybody? JefferDawg24: Don’t worry, I’m going on Howard Stern tomorrow to explain it. DanceQween13: And what about all the money for the wedding? JefferDawg24: Well, $500,000 is a lotta cash, but can’t change that now. :( DanceQween13: Um, remember when I told you about a few extra expenses? JefferDawg24: Yeah. I’ll cover it, don’t worry. DanceQween13: What a relief! There’s no way I could cover $2 million. JefferDawg24: TWO MILLION DOLLARS!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? DanceQween13: Well, I could just tell everybody your big “secret.” JefferDawg24: Whoa, whoa. I was just kidding. Of course I’ll pay, ha-ha. In fact, how about I give you an extra couple hundred thou or so, to have and to hold for as long as you live? DanceQween13: I do.
taugusty@detnews.com More at sidelinesatire.com
pearances
Past Buick champions committed to play (Brad Faxon, Tom Pernice Jr., Jim Furyk, Scott Verplank. Justin Leonard)
W
The line
Today
Major League Baseball American League Favorite Line NEW YORK -260 OAKLAND -115 Seattle -130 TORONTO -145 Boston -115 Los Angeles -130 Tampa Bay -125 National League PITTSBURGH -110 PHILADELPHIA -115 COLORADO -165 Florida -130 WASHINGTON -125 ATLANTA -110 St. Louis -115 LOS ANGELES -190 Home team in CAPS Underdog Baltimore Minnesota DETROIT Cleveland TEXAS KANSAS CITY CHICAGO Milwaukee Chicago Arizona SAN DIEGO New York San Francisco HOUSTON Cincinnati Line +230 +105 +120 +135 +105 +120 +115 +100 +105 +155 +120 +115 +100 +105 +180
Dale G. Young/The Detroit News
Lowest four-round score, shot by Robert Wrenn in 1987.
262
Buick’s future is up in the air
BY TIM TWENTYMAN The Detroit News
QUICK HITS Cuzzorts are 1-2 in Boyne T of C
Jeffrey Cuzzort of Grosse Ile shot a 7-under-par 65 Tuesday to take the lead in the Boyne Tournament of Champions on the Alpine course at Boyne Mountain. His 36-hole total of 10-under 134 leads his brother, Steven, by two strokes. Steven shot his second straight 68 and is tied with Suzanne Green Roebuck (69). First-round co-leaders Randy Erskine and Andrew Ruthkowski each shot 73s and are at 6 under, one stroke behind Scott Hebert (66). The tournament ends today. BASKETBALL: Mike Krzyzewski will return to coach the United States in next summer’s world championships and when it defends its gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. MOTOR SPORTS: The attorney for Jeremy Mayfield says an independent drug test on the NASCAR driver came back negative for methamphetamine, in court papers filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, N.C. …Jeff Belskus will take over daily management of Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Joie Chitwood, who is resigning Aug. 6. to become vice president of business operations for the International Speedway Corp. in Daytona Beach, Fla. Chitwood’s departure comes about a month after the speedway’s board ousted Tony George as president and chief executive officer of the IndyCar Series.
Grand Blanc, Mich. — There still is no official announcement on the future of the Buick Open, which will be held for the 51st time next week. When asked about the tournament’s future beyond this year, local organizers aren’t commenting, and General Motors has been mum about the situation. That only fuels speculation this year’s tournament — July 27-Aug. 2 — could be the last for Buick. “What we’re focused on is putting on a world-class event in 2009,” said Larry Peck, national promotions manager for Buick. “Everything else is a work in progress. We’re not thinking about that right now or commenting on it.” Those comments are a bit disconcerting to Michigan golf fans and especially to the Grand Blanc-area businesses and charities that rely on the tournament. “As a club we want to do everything we can to help GM not only for this year’s tournament, but for the long haul,” Warwick Golf & Country Club general manager Rich Fairman said. “We are here to support them and do whatever we can to keep them.” That has meant that Warwick Hills has incurred more of the cost to put on the tournament — along with vendors — to help ease the financial burden on GM, which recently emerged from bankruptcy. If GM decides to pull the plug on its sponsorship of the Buick Open, the tricky part for Warwick Hills and the PGA will be finding a local or state sponsor with national appeal that is willing to fork out millions in this economy. That’s a problem the PGA has been dealing with on a regular basis as close to 20 title sponsors are up for renewal after 2010. Michigan has been coined “the summer golf capital of the world,” boasting the most public golf courses of any state in
Daniel Mears/The Detroit News
The Buick Open is well known for its enthusiastic crowds, especially at the 17th green, but it’s uncertain if the tournament will continue after next week.
the country. It could be in jeopardy of losing its last vestige of professional golf. The Senior Players Championship left the TPC of Michigan in Dearborn in 2006 after Ford Motor Company dropped its sponsorship. The Farmers Classic, another Champions Tour event, left the Grand Rapids area in 2004 after 18 years and the Oldsmobile Classic, an LPGA event held in Lansing, left nearly 10 years ago. Even the Par 3 contest held annually at the Treetops Resort in Gaylord is taking a one-year hiatus, similar to what it did in 2007, after sponsor troubles. So, the Buick Open will continue trudging forward into a not-so-certain future. For golf fans who’ve never been to the Buick Open, solid advice is to hit the Open this year — it might be the last.
tim.twentyman@detnews.com
This week’s tournaments
PGA Tour
Canadian Open When: Thursday-Sunday, Glen Abbey Golf Club (7,112 yards, par 72), Oakville, Ontario. Purse: $5.1 million. Winner’s share: $918,000. TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., 8:30-11:30 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.). $315,000. TV: TNT (Thursday-Friday, noon-2 p.m.) and ABC (Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1-3 p.m.).
European Tour
SAS Masters When: Thursday-Sunday, Barseback Golf and Country Club (7,665 yards, par 73), Malmo, Sweden. Purse: $1.42 million. Winner’s share: $246,875. TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 8:30-11:30 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-noon).
LPGA Tour
Evian Masters When: Thursday-Sunday, Evian Masters Golf Club (6,344 yards, par 72), Evian-les-Bains, France. Purse: $3.25 million. Winner’s share: $487,500. TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.).
Nationwide Tour
Cox Classic When: Thursday-Sunday, Champions Run (7,145 yards, par 71), Omaha, Neb. Purse: $725,000. Winner’s share: $130,500. TV: Golf Channel (Thursday, 12:302:30 p.m.; Friday, 2-4:30 a.m., 12:30-2:30 p.m.; Saturday, 4-5:30 a.m., 6:30-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2-4 a.m., 7-9:30 p.m.; Monday, midnight-2 a.m.).
Champions Tour
Senior British Open When: Thursday-Sunday, Sunningdale Golf Club, Old Course (6,627 yards, par 70), Sunningdale, England. Purse: $2 million. Winner’s share:
Buick Open tickets
Domenico Stinellis/Associated Press
Buick Open
When: July 27 through Aug. 2 Where: Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club (7,127 yards, par 72), Grand Blanc, Mich. TV: Golf Channel -- July 30-31, 3-6 p.m.; CBS -- Aug. 1-2, 3-6 p.m. 2008 winner: Kenny Perry (19-under), by one shot over Woody Austin and Bubba Watson Tickets: Ticketmaster.com or (800) 878-OPEN
Thomas Daley goes head over heels to win the gold medal in men’s 10-meter platform diving.
SWIMMING: Britain’s Tom Daley won the 10-meter platform diving event at the world championships in Rome. MEDIA: ESPN reporter Erin Andrews plans to seek criminal charges and file civil lawsuits against the person who shot a video of her nude and alone in a motel room and anyone who publishes the material, her attorney, Marshall Grossman, said. The videotape was posted on the Internet. COLLEGES: Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon is suing the NCAA over profits from its use of former student-athletes’ images in DVDs, photographs, apparel and other material. The NCAA didn’t comment. The federal suit was filed Tuesday in San Francisco. A message left for the NCAA was not immediately returned.
News staff and wire services
One-day ticket: $30 One-day clubhouse ticket: $75 Book of 10 one-day tickets: $250 Grounds badge: $95 (Allows access to grounds every day of the tournament, Monday-Sunday) Clubhouse badge: $185 (Allows access to clubhouse and grounds for every day of the tournament) To purchase any of the ticket options, visit ticketmaster.com or call (800) 878-OPEN.
Buick strives to be affordable for families
Pre-tournament events are aimed at providing fun for all
BY DANA WAKIJI The Detroit News
Grand Blanc — Fans might think the only affordable way to learn golf and follow their favorite players is by watching television. The Buick Open, which takes place next week at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, wants those fans to think again. On Tuesday, July 28, the tournament will offer the Buick
Open Family Golf Clinic, a free event. Gates open at noon, and parking also is free. “The clinic is at 1 p.m. and includes the Dennis Walters golf experience,” tournament director Robb Grainger said. Walters is a trick-shot artist, but he’s disabled so he hits from a specialized golf cart. “We have him coming to just put on a show for the families and kids in attendance,” Grainger said. John Daly and his instructor, Michigan’s Rick Smith, also are scheduled to make appearances. After the entertainment, there will be 10 hitting stations
where kids can hit shots and receive on-the-spot instruction from Michigan PGA pros. Kids also will receive a gift bag. “We think it’s great for families,” Grainger said. “The Tuesday event has nothing to do with making money. It’s about presenting a cool opportunity for kids to be exposed to the game, learn about the game and have a good time.” Wednesday is pro-am day, and among the celebrities expected to attend are new Lions coach Jim Schwartz and three of his players — center Dominic Raiola, kicker Jason Hanson and quarterback Drew Stanton.
Kirk Maltby and Dan Cleary of the Red Wings also are scheduled to play, as are former Pistons Bill Laimbeer and Vinnie Johnson, and new coach John Kuester. Former Michigan State basketball star Charlie Bell, now with the Milwaukee Bucks, is a member at Warwick Hills and also is scheduled to participate. Tickets for the pro-am are $20 and will be available only at the gates. Tournament-day tickets, Thursday through Sunday, are $35, $30 if purchased before Sunday.
dana.wakiji@detnews.com