Off the tee: Ormsby opts to stay at home

As Lynnette Brooky celebrates her NZ$84,200 victory in the French Open this week, another Kiwi golfing legend has no regrets about opting out of the European women's tour.

Brenda Ormsby, many times national champion, gained her tour card through the qualifying school in Europe and then earned around $15,000 in two tour events staged in Australia.

But she had been offered, and accepted, the professional's job at the Springfield Club in Rotorua and she opted out of any more European tournaments.

Nursing a bad case of the flu at home this week, Ormsby applauded Brooky's achievement but ruled out any second thoughts on her own decision.

"I'm too old to wonder what might have been," she said. "I'm quite content. I'm doing a job I wanted and earning a reasonable living.

"I might go over and compete in Aussie when they play there, but I have no regrets about staying home."

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New Zealand golfer Michael Long, who lost his place on the United States PGA tour after one season last year, is making a good run at regaining his PGA card through the second-level Nationwide tour.

Long finished equal 13th in the Lake Erie Charity Classic at the weekend, five shots behind the winner, Guy Boros.

He has won US$102,958 ($175,000) after 10 events and lies 10th on the money list, in line for automatic qualification for the main tour.

The money leader is American Zach Johnson with US$186,866.

Ryan Palmer, who won the Clearwater Classic in Christchurch in March, is sixth with US$126,474.

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Michelle Wie, the 13-year-old Hawaiian schoolgirl who is emerging as a potential Tiger Woods of the women's game, has become the youngest player to win a senior national title in the United States.

Wie won the final of the women's amateur public links championship at Palm Coast, Florida, one up over the reigning collegiate champion, Virada Nirapathpongporn of Thailand.

The previous youngest winner of a senior title in the United States was Laura Baugh, who was 16 when she won the women's amateur in 1971.

Wie has been invited to play against the men on the Canadian tour in August and the Nationwide tour in September.

She will be competing in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey this weekend.

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Nineteen-year-old Hutt golfer Kyla Welsh, winner of the national under-21 title, will join Queen Sirikit Cup representatives Enu Chung (Auckland) and Penny Newbrook (Rotorua) in the 2003/2004 Titleist Women's Academy.

Welsh, originally from South Canterbury, 15-year-old Chung and 19-year-old Newbrook from the Springfield Club, have represented New Zealand in the Tasman Cup against Australia.

To become members of the Titleist Women's Academy, golfers must meet stringent criteria and make an application to Women's Golf New Zealand to be selected.

The academy players are selected every six months and they must maintain a certain level of performance to keep their place.

They receive tournament assistance and equipment in addition to professional support in the form of coaching, sports psychology, fitness testing, nutrition advice, sports science, sports medicine and career development guidance from the New Zealand Academy of Sport.

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Jonathan Kaye, who won the Buick Classic on Monday after a playoff with John Rollins, defies the PGA tour's cleancut image.

A serial tobacco spitter on the fairways, he has fallen foul of both galleries and officialdom for some of his antics.

He was suspended at the start of the 2002 season for his behaviour at the Michelob Classic the previous year. He disputes the findings but they involved lewd behaviour after being asked for his ID by a clubhouse attendant.

Maybe the winner's cheque for US$900,000 this week will improve his temper.