Shorelines News

Shorelines ‘Cover Boy’ Playing in PGA Event This Week

Seneca, S.C. – After seeing an inordinate amount of first-time winners crowned during the first six events of the season, Jon Curran singlehandedly put an end to the streak two weeks ago in the Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic by becoming the first two-time winner this season on the NGA TOUR.

However, with Curran competing in the PGA TOUR’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week, the door is open for someone to join him as a two-time winner or another streak of first-timers could begin in the Mountain Lakes Classic presented by Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau at Cross Creek Plantation.

Curran is the featured on the cover of May’s Shorelines Magazine Savannah Lakes Classic tournament edition, expected to arrive at SLV homes within the next week.

Although Curran, a former Vanderbilt standout of Tequesta, Fla., will spend his week in Avondale, La., the Mountain Lakes Classic will feature plenty of NGA TOUR standouts, Web.com Tour members, former PGA TOUR members and a slew of the best up-and-coming talent in the country battling for the lion’s share of the $150,000 purse.

After earning their first NGA TOUR Pro Series victories earlier this season, Clayton Rask, Justin Lower and M.J. Daffue have added incentive this week to earn their second victories in the Mountain Lakes Classic. The top NGA TOUR money earner as of July 14, 2013 earns an event exemption into the PGA TOUR’s 15th annual Reno-Tahoe Open.

Lower, a former Malone University stalwart from Canal Fulton, Ohio, won the Spring Hill Classic and enters the Mountain Lakes Classic trailing Curran, the leading money earner on the NGA TOUR, by less than $9,000. With a third-place finish or better, Lower, who has three top-five finishes this season, should move atop the order of merit this week.

Rask, a former University of Minnesota golfer from Otsego, Minn., earned a two-stroke win in the Killearn Country Club Classic and has stayed steady over the past two months, earning three finishes of T26 or better. Rask, who is fourth on the money list, could overtake Curran with his second victory of the season.

Daffue, a former Lamar University standout from Pretoria, South Africa, can’t overtake Curran in earning with a victory, but another victory could put the former Cardinal within striking distance.

While he’s yet to earn his first NGA TOUR victory, Seth Fair could close within earshot of Curran in the money standings with a win this week. Fair, a former All-American at the University of Indianapolis from Brownsburg, Ind., is sixth on the order of merit and has been a model of consistency this season, picking up four top-10 finishes and finishing T42 or better in every start this season.

Although they’ve been shut out of the win column this season, perennial NGA powerhouses David Skinns and Jeff Corr will also be a pair to keep an eye on this week.

Skinns of Lincoln, England, won a Tour-high three times in 2012 and made 11 of 11 cuts en route to earning over $100,000. After a brief hiatus, Skinns, a former University of Tennessee All-American, returns this week to play in the Mountain Lakes Classic, where he posted at T8 finish in 2012.

Corr, a 2012 Web.com Tour member, has earned over $650,000 on the NGA TOUR and will be looking for his fifth Pro Series win this week. Thus far in 2013, Corr’s best finish of the season is a T5 at Killearn.

Blayne Barber of Lake City, Fla., should also be on everybody’s radar this week. After graduating from Auburn in 2012, Barber made some noise late last season on the NGA TOUR, where he won four events in his first nine starts on tour. The former All-American seems to have carried the momentum into 2013, too. In addition to finishing T5 in his only start on the NGA TOUR this season, Barber has made the cut in two PGA TOUR events and one Web.com Tour event.

The field will also feature several players with ties to the upstate. Former Clemson golfers Brent Delahoussaye and Matt Hendrix are in the field as well as past Coastal Carolina linkster Drew Ernst of Seneca.

Also schedule to play this week are 2012 NGA Pro Series winners Rick Cochran, Jay Woodson, Jonathan Randolph, Phillip Choi and Chas Narramore. Others notable participants include: Stuart Anderson, a 2012 Web.com Tour member; T.J. Bordeaux, a BWS winner and four-time Big West All-Conference selection at the University of Pacific; Major Manning, a former Web.com Tour member; Jack Newman, the 2008 U.S. Public Links champion; and multi-time NGA TOUR winners Matt Harmon, Hudson Johnson and James Vargas.

The first round of the Mountain Lakes Classic is scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. As always, admission is free to the public.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible fifteen (15) “Major” championships. On average, over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

NGA alumni include: 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson; 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley; 2010 PGA TOUR Player of the Year and 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk; 2009 British Open champion Stewart Cink; 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover; 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson; 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis; two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen; British Open and PGA  champion John Daly; British Open champion Tom Lehman; PGA champion David Toms; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland and many, many more.

Shorelines ‘Cover Boy’ Playing in PGA Event This Week

on April 24, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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… a continuation of the print edition (unabridged version) …

Lorenzo’s Wine Cellar

By Larry Russo

Definitions…

The mention of “Meniscus” to many of us here in SLV conjures up images of not-much-fun arthroscopic knee surgery.  In wine terminology however it translates to something altogether different.

Meniscus in wine parlance is the rim color of the wine, best seen by holding your partially-filled wine glass over a white background.  Holding the stem, tilt the glass to about a 45 degree angle.  The meniscus can be observed by looking at the very edge of the wine where it comes in contact with the glass.  You will see a thin, clear line of liquid at this point.  The thinner the Meniscus, the younger the wine.

For red wines, a Meniscus (rim color) that is lighter than the center indicates some aging of the wine.  Typically, the color of aged red wine Meniscus runs the spectrum from brick red to orange or even brownish.  Younger reds will show purple or pink rims.  Young white wine Meniscus color will generally run from colorless to yellow, with possibly a greenish tint.  As white wine ages, its color will deepen and become more golden to amber.

The reason for the Meniscus color change is because as the wine sits in the bottle small amounts of air seep in through the cork.  When wine comes in contact with air it begins to oxidize and thus begins bottle aging.

Observing Meniscus color is a good gauge of a wine’s age, except for those wines that were never intended to age, such as White Zinfandel, which will retain its natural liquid-pixie-stick color for as long as you have it.  (Hopefully, not too long).

Using the Meniscus check to gauge the true age of a wine is particularly useful when ordering wine in a restaurant to verify you’re getting the vintage you paid for (especially wine purchased by the glass)…Doesn’t work so well at home, once you’ve opened the bottle, the rest is academic.

Wine of the Month…

This month’s most enjoyed wine is a 2008 Simi Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Alexander Valley in Sonoma.  This is a complex, elegant wine that exhibits depth and concentrated fruit flavor.  Abv (alcohol by volume) is 14.5%.  The color is a deep opaque red.

The unique “Landslide” handle had its origins in ancient geologic activity in the Alexander Valley.  A giant landslide and earthquake upheaval created three distinctly different “terriors” that have been developed into three indigenous Landslide vineyard sections that are additionally divided into 44 small blocks.  Each of the three sections produces a wine that is markedly different from the others.  This particular wine blends in merlot to add softness and suppleness, along with small amounts of malbec, cabernet franc, petite verdot and tannat to enhance the roasted coffee aromas and rich cherry, plum and blackberry fruit flavors.  Landslide cab is aged in mostly-new small-oak barrels for 26 months.  As you would expect for such a well crafted wine that is rated at 90 points by Wine Spirits, it normally sells for between $40 to $50 a bottle.  Our bottle was a gift, but through some research we found that Simi Vineyards will ship it to you at that price plus an additional shipping charge.

Worst Pun of the Month…

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left.

More from Larry Russo’s “Lorenzo’s Wine Cellar”

on April 22, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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May recipe cards for Kitchen to Table

on April 20, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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The bug sculptures created by students in Lander University assistant professor of art Doug McAbee’s advanced sculpture class have been installed at the Lander Art Corner, at the intersection of Edgefield Street and Maxwell Avenue, in Uptown Greenwood. McAbee, who said the assignment allowed his students to “stretch their abilities as public sculptors,” added that he was “pleased with the skills the students were able to demonstrate.” Posing with the mosquito, at left, the work of Haley Floyd, of Greenwood, and the dragonfly, at right, the work of Samantha Brown, of Spartanburg, are, from left: Bethany Murray, of Ware Shoals; McAbee; Floyd; Whitney Price, of Anderson; Jermel Kennedy, of Toronto, Canada; Brown; Whitney Upchurch, of Saluda; Fred Parker, of Baton Rouge, La.; and Danielle Tavernier, of Simpsonville.

Bugs Invade Uptown Greenwood

on April 18, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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Community Invited To Special Cancer Presentation

Who: Self Regional Healthcare’s Cancer Center

What: Free Community Cancer Discussion, led by Matthew Bachinski, M.D.; John Konsek, M.D.; Joanna Sadurski, M.D.; and Clint Wood, M.D.

Self Regional Healthcare is inviting the community to a special community presentation led by four local physicians to discuss three of the most common types of cancer—breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer.

The physicians will discuss signs and symptoms, screenings and prevention, as well as treatment options, and be available to answer questions from the attendees.

When: Tuesday, April 23

5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Where: Self Regional Cancer Center Lobby

1325 Spring Street Greenwood, S.C.

To RSVP: Call Katie Davis, Oncology Navigator, at (864) 725-5977 or

email her at kdavis@selfregional.org

The event is complimentary, but RSVPs are requested. Light refreshments will be served. 

Community Invited To Special Cancer Presentation

on April 16, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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Jon Curran wins Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic 

Brunswick, Ga. – Over the first six events of the season, the NGA TOUR crowned six first-time winners. However, Jon Curran ended that streak on Sunday afternoon in the Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic by becoming the first two-time winner of the season on the top-rated developmental tour. And he did it in style.

Curran of Hopkinston, Mass., matched the course record with a 9-under 63 in the final round of the $150,000 event and cruised to a four-stroke win over Ryan Gildersleeve, finishing with a 21-under 267 total.

“I’ve been playing well all year, but it kind of clicked for me this week,” said Curran, who won $22,000. “I hit a lot of fairways and greens and made my share of putts. It was a really good week all around.”

Curran started the final round trailing leader Gildersleeve by a single stroke, but the Vanderbilt alumnus wasted little time putting his name atop the leaderboard, tying for the lead with a birdie on the par-4 fifth hole.

“It’s important when you’re in contention to get off to a good start,” said Curran, who also won the season-opening Members Only Shootout this season. “If you can make a couple of early birdies, it settles the nerves a little bit.”

It worked.

After making birdie on No. 5, his second of the day, Curran was merely getting started. The former Commodore birdied his final four holes on the outward nine en route to a 6-under 30, but Gildersleeve birdied his final three holes on the front to keep the event close.

“Ryan played well,” said Curran, “and he wasn’t letting me off the hook.”

Curran stayed two strokes ahead of Gildersleeve until carding back-to-back birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to double his lead. Gildersleeve birdied 16^th hole to pull within three, but a bogey on No. 17 gave Curran all the breathing room he needed.

But rather than limp across the finish, Curran birdied the final hole of regulation to match the course record. Over the entirety of the 72-hole event, Curran posted rounds of 66-70-68-63 and made just two bogeys.

With the victory, Curran, who finished T24 in the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open earlier this season, moves atop money standings and in good position to claim an event exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Reno-Tahoe Open, which will be awarded to the leading money winner on the NGA TOUR at the season’s midpoint.

“These guys out here are good, so nothing is ever safe,” Curran said of possibly earning another PGA TOUR start. “There’s a lot of great players right there in the money standings, so I’ve got to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

Despite coming up short of his first Pro Series victory, Gildersleeve’s runner-up finish was his career-best effort. Gildersleeve, a former South Alabama All-American from Clearwater, Fla., recorded rounds of 68-66-69-68 to finish with a 17-under 271 total and earn $11,378.

Peter Malnati, a former University of Missouri standout from Dandridge, Tenn., also recorded a career-best finish in the Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic. Malnati carded a 7-under 65 in the final round to move into solo third at 16-under par.

Seth Fair of Brownsburg, Ind., shot a final-round 69 to finish fourth at 13-under par, Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Orlando, Fla., posted a 4-under 68 to finish fifth at 12-under par and French-born golfer Cedric Scotto fired a 72 on Sunday to finish sixth at 11-under par.

Heralded rookie Trent Whitekiller of Sallisaw, Okla., continued his impressive season, shooting a 4-under 68 to finish in a tie for seventh at 10-under par. Jonathan Randolph (68) and Shawn Jasper (71) also finished T7 at 10-under par.

Although he missed the cut this week, Riley Wheeldon will earn an event exemption into the Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation, which will be played May 16-19 at Thornblade Club, Greenville Country Club’s Chanticleer course and The Reserve at Lake Keowee.

Wheeldon, a University of Louisville alumnus from British Columbia, Canada, earned $32,782 during the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic, NeSmith Chevrolet Classic, Milton Martin Honda Classic and Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic to claim the exemption.

The NGA TOUR Pro Series will return to action with the playing of the Mountain Lakes Classic, presented by Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau, at Cross Creek Plantation in Seneca, S.C., on April 25.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible fifteen (15) “Major” championships. On average, over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

NGA alumni include: 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson; 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley; 2010 PGA TOUR Player of the Year and 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk; 2009 British Open champion Stewart Cink; 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover; 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson; 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis; two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen; British Open and PGA  champion John Daly; British Open champion Tom Lehman; PGA champion David Toms; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland and many, many more.

Jon Curran wins Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic

on April 15, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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Lander Chamber Strings Concert Set for Friday

Lander University’s chamber strings spring concert gets under way Friday, April 12 at 8 p.m. in the Josephine B. Abney Cultural Center Auditorium.

Cellist Sarah Morris and other chamber strings musicians perform at a recent concert at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Greenwood.

Included in the program are Austrian composer Wolfgang Mozart’s “Symphony No. 25,” English composer Gustav Holst’s “Brook Green Suite” and selections from German-born British composer George Handel’s “Water Music Suite,” as well as works by German composer Felix Mendelssohn and Russian composer Victor Ewald.

Faculty sponsor Amy Blackwood said that the Mozart symphony and the Holst suite will feature not only strings, but also woodwinds and brass, something that is new for chamber strings audiences.

One of the most unique things about a chamber strings performance, according to Blackwood, is that there is no conductor. “All pieces are treated as true chamber music, where the concertmaster will lead the ensemble, but will also be playing. Therefore, the members of the ensemble have to watch and listen to each other, and rely on their ability to be flexible and create, blend and balance across all sections. This can create challenges, but can also be a very satisfying experience for everyone involved,” she said.

The concert, which will feature not only Lander students and faculty but also Greenwood area musicians, is free and open to the public.

Cultural Opportunity: Lander Chamber Strings Concert Set for Friday

on April 11, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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Expert Panel makes picks for NGA’s Brunswick Heritage Oaks Classic

Note: Shorelines editor Greg Deal didn’t pick this week, as he is preparing on deadline for the NGA Tour edition of the magazine for the upcoming SLV Classic.

Money Leader Lower, Rookie Leader Whitekiller make 3 lists each; Brehm, Brown, Lower, Wheeldon picked to win

Myrtle Beach, S.C. – (April 11, 2013) – To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NGA TOUR, we have assembled a Panel of Experts who specialize in the golf industry and have the experience of covering the NGA TOUR for multiple seasons. This panel of experts will make their top five selections each week for the NGA TOUR 18 Pro Series events this season and they continue with this week’s Brunswick Heritage Oaks Classic being held at Heritage Oaks in Brunswick, Georgia. The professionals will be looking for the win and a chance to play the ceremonial 19th hole off the back deck at Heritage Oaks in a scene that looks like it was pulled straight out of the movie Tin Cup (hold the Pelican please).

Our experts are really starting to show their stuff. Maybe it’s just something about Augusta and this time of year, but Kevin Faigle of WRDW-TV CBS in Augusta had three picks finish inside the top 10 last week with Trent Whitekiller finishing T9, Matt Hendrix T5 and Chris Wolfe T3. Nice job, Kevin.

Not to be outdone the Golf Monger and host of the Myrtle Beach Golf Guys Brian Stefan had four of his selections make the cut this past week: Whitekiller, Justin Lower, Gator Todd and James Vargas. Jesse Smithey from the Knoxville News Sentinel successfully predicted the comeback of two-time NGA TOUR money leader Brandon Brown, who finished T11, while also riding the Justin Lower bandwagon and selecting Middle Tennessee State alum Kent Bulle. Both Lower and Bulle made the cut. Our mid-west affiliate Jim Ellis, from the Miami News Herald, was one of the first to start riding on the Lower and Whitekiller freight trains – and they continue to make him look good.

While our experts did pick four different winners for this week, leading NGA TOUR money earner Justin Lower (Canal Fulton, Ohio) and leading NGA TOUR rookie Trent Whitekiller (Sallisaw, Okla.) made three of our experts’ lists. Lower was selected as the top pick by one of our experts and, even though he made three lists, superstar rookie Whitekiller didn’t make it to the top of any.

Ryan Brehm (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.), Paul Brown (Hartsville, S.C.), and Riley Wheeldon (Comox, British Columbia) were the other players to find their way at the top of our experts’ lists. Lower and Wheeldon are the only two of the four to post wins thus far on the NGA TOUR Pro Series. Brown has been a winner on the NGA Carolina Winter Series this year and Brehm has shown his muscle off by taking home an NGA Long Drive title.

Rookie Will McCurdy (Auburn, Ala.), who has been right on Whitekiller’s tail, Chris Wolfe (Warner Robins, Ga.), who has posted back to back top-5 finishes, and M.J. Daffue (Pretoria, South Africa), last week’s NGA TOUR Pro Series winner, each made two of our experts’ lists. Here are our complete experts’ picks for the upcoming 2013 Brunswick Heritage Oaks Classic at Heritage Oaks in Brunswick, Ga., (April 8 – 14), the seventh event of the 2013 NGA TOUR Pro Series season:

1. KEVIN FAIGLE (@kevinfaiglewrdw) has been the Sports Director for WRDW-TV CBS in Augusta, Georgia for seven years having covered the Masters plus numerous NGA Tour events during this time.

Picks:

JUSTIN LOWER (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Augusta, Ga.; College: Malone) – Currently on top of the standings and continues to play well every time out. He may live in Augusta nowadays so knowing what’s going on here may serve a little extra motivation to reach the next level.

BRANDON BROWN (Shelbyville, Ky.; College: Eastern Kentucky) – Finally got on track and cashed this past week. Now momentum is on his side. One of the best on tour and in golf momentum can go a long way.

KENT BULLE (Glasgow, Ky.; College: Middle Tennessee State) – The master of hitting it far who has proven his game is not just drive for show, but putt for dough as well and sits 23rd on the year. Was 31st last time out so looks like he’s building confidence

JON CURRAN (Hopkinton, Mass.; College: Vanderbilt) – he was 16th last week and now fifth on the season so he’s close, oh so close. Look for another top five for him this time out.

M.J. DAFFUE (Pretoria, South Africa; College: Lamar) – A South African who’s stepped up his game and is now in the winner’s circle. This guy has the credentials to reach for the stars and look for another big week out of him. Winning breads winning and playing well one week usually carries over to the next. No let up here.

2. BRIAN STEFAN (@GolfMonger) is host of the “Myrtle Beach Golf Guys” on Sports Radio 100.3 The Team in Myrtle Beach. Co-owner and editor of Sports Monger on the Green blog site, your home for all things golf. “I am a golf nut and try very hard to play to my 8-handicap as often as possible”. Some safe Brian has also perfected the Art of #Dufnering

Picks:

RYAN BREHM (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.; College: Michigan State) – Long hitters seems to be the theme of the week with all the talk at Augusta and the Masters.  So I think I will go with the same here. A long hitter that can overpower a golf course for sure.  He hasn’t done much yet this season, but if the pattern continues, there will be another new winner this week.

HUNTER HAMRICK (Montgomery, Ala.; College: Alabama) – Hamrick is very solid player that is due to win an event this season.  Another player that hasn’t done much on tour yet this season but should be ready to break out of the rut and get a win.

JUSTIN LOWER (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Augusta, Ga.; College: Malone) – NGA Tour money leader.  Strong candidate to win almost every time he tees it up.  I think it might be one of those weeks. He could be the first 2 time winner on tour this season.

TRENT WHITEKILLER (Sallisaw, Okla.; College: Oklahoma State) – This rookie has made all 6 cuts this year.  He is bound to win at some point. He is running away with Rookie of the Year so far early in the season.  A win this week would seriously cement his grip on that award.

CHRIS WOLFE (Warner Robins, Ga.; College: Armstrong Atlantic) – Chris maybe the hottest golfer on the tour without a win the past couple of weeks.  Coming off back-to-back top-5 finishes, Wolfe can keep it rolling this week.  A win would catapult him even higher up on the BMW exemption list.

3. JESSE SMITHEY (@JesseKNS) has been covering golf for the Knoxville News Sentinel since 2006. He has covered three Masters (2006-07, 2012), a PGA Championship (2011) and theWeb.com‘s News Sentinel Open eight times.

Picks:

PAUL BROWN (Hartsville, S.C.; College: College of Charleston) – Brown made 15 birdies in a three-day span last week to finish tied for third at the NeSmith Chevrolet Classic. He’s cashed in three times in four starts this season and has moved to 24th on the Tour money list.

TRENT WHITEKILLER (Sallisaw, Okla.; College: Oklahoma State) – Trent Whitekiller is doing his best to put Sallisaw, Okla. — his hometown — on the map. And I hope he does soon, so I’ll know where it is. Anyway, he has finished in the top 20 in all six of his starts and inside the top 10 five times. He’s just the no-brainer pick right now.

CHRIS WOLFE (Warner Robins, Ga.; College: Armstrong Atlantic) – A final-round 65 last week placed Wolfe third at the NeSmith, giving him consecutive top-5 finishes in his last two starts on Tour. That type of final-round score often gives a player confidence his next time out. Look for Wolfe in the winner’s circle this week.

PETER MALNATI (Dandridge, Tenn.; College: Missouri) – A great ambassador for East Tennessee golf, Malnati had a solid showing last week in another mini-tour event. He finished tied for sixth and only three shots back. Malnati ranks 30th in NGA Tour earnings.

WILL MCCURDY (Auburn, Ala.; College: Auburn) – currently sixth in NGA Tour earnings — just outside the cut line last week. A second-round 69, though, had to make amends with his game heading into this week’s event.

4. JIM ELLIS (@mnrsportsguy) is the Sports Director for the Miami News-Record and was recently inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall Of Fame. Jim has over 10 years of experience covering the NGA TOUR.

Picks:

RILEY WHEELDON (Comox, British Columbia; College: Louisville) – A win would be huge for Wheeldon since he has a chance to move atop the money leaders, wrap up the BMW Charity Pro-Am Classic exemption and move into the top spot in the bid for the Reno/Tahoe Open exemption. His T68 at the NeSmith Chevrolet Classic was his worst finish of the season.

MJ DAFFUE (Pretoria, South Africa; College: Lamar) – The former Lamar Cardinal would love to show that last week was not beginner’s luck. A former South African boys’ champ, he had a T47 at the European PGA Tour’s Joburg Open in February.

TRENT WHITEKILLER (Sallisaw, Okla.; College: Oklahoma State) – He’s going to break through sooner or later, and this week would be the perfect time. He’s been the top rookie with five top 10s in his six tournaments.

WILL MCCURDY (Auburn, Ala.; College: Auburn) – Could we have a McCurdy-Whitekiller shootout? Last week’s T58 in Georgia was very uncharactistic of McCurdy.

JUSTIN LOWER (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Augusta, Ga.; College: Malone) – He’s on a roller-coaster ride that hopefully will head back upwards this week. His lead atop the money standings has slipped to just $3,712 over Wheeldon.

KEVIN FAIGLE BRIAN STEFAN JESSE SMITHEY JIM ELLIS
@kevinfaiglewrdw@GolfMonger @JesseKNS @mnrsportsguy
1 Justin Lower Ryan Brehm Paul Brown Riley Wheeldon
2 Brandon Brown Hunter Hamrick Trent WhitekillerMJ Daffue
3 Kent Bulle Justin Lower Chris Wolfe Trent Whitekiller
4 Jon Curran Trent WhitekillerPeter Malnati Will McCurdy
5 MJ Daffue Chris Wolfe Will McCurdy Justin Lower

We are in full swing for our races to the Reno-Tahoe Open Exemption on the PGA TOUR and the BMW Charity Pro-Am Classic exemption on the Web.com Tour and the Brunswick- Heritage Oaks Classic will finalize one and help contribute to the race to the other.

The Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic is the final leg of our Race to the BMW Charity Pro-Am Classic exemption and the seventh event of 15 that will determine the tour’s winner of the Reno-Tahoe Open exemption. These exemptions provide our members with the opportunity to move up to the larger tours in-season, which is the goal of all professional golfers at this level. NGA TOUR members will have a lot on the line this week and the weeks to come as they compete for these exemptions. There are nine members that have a shot at the NGA TOUR exemption into the BMW Charity Pro-Am Classic and we’ll know the winner come this Sunday afternoon.

Expert Panel makes picks for NGA’s Brunswick Heritage Oaks Classic

on April 11, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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Community Invited To Annual Diabetes Program

Who: Self Regional Healthcare’s Diabetes Education Program

What: Free Community Diabetes Dinner Program

Self Regional Healthcare will host its annual Community Diabetes Event on Thursday, April 18, beginning at 5:45 p.m. at Self Regional Medical Center’s Cafeteria. The event will feature a vendor fair with companies that specialize in diabetic supplies and information for individuals with diabetes. The dinner speakers, Morgan Fleming, Molly Dougall and Lizzy Holden, who are PharmD candidates from Presbyterian College’s School of Pharmacy will present a talk about “Sticking to the Schedule: Immunizations for Diabetes.”

Diabetes Program Coordinator Rebecca Wise, RN and Certified Diabetes Educator, recommends that individuals who have diabetes attend the event. “This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about ways to stay healthy and manage your diabetes,” said Ms. Wise.

When: Thursday, April 18, 2013

5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. — Talk with Diabetes Vendors

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. — Program and Dinner Speaker from Presbyterian College

    School of Pharmacy

Where: Self Regional Medical Center Cafeteria

1325 Spring Street Greenwood, SC

To RSVP: (864) 725-5796

The event is free, but RSVPs are required. There are a limited number of reservations available for the event. 

Community Invited To Annual Diabetes Program

on April 10, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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Jo’Noah’s Story: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit A Life-Saver For Babies

NICU Baby Reunion Planned for April 27

Theresa Peterson of Greenwood was just 23 weeks pregnant when her son, Jo’Noah, was born. She had just gone for an ultrasound two weeks before, and had watched the computer screen to see images of a developing baby boy.

Neonatologist Terry Marshall, M.D., reads a story to his former patient, Jo’Noah, while his mother, Theresa Peterson, holds him. Jo’Noah was born at 23 weeks at Self Regional Medical Center and weighed just 1 lb. 6 ounces at birth. The little boy, who lives in Greenwood, is a natural jokester, according to his mom, and is growing and developing at a rapid pace.

There was no sign of trouble until she started having early labor pains. She went to Self Regional Medical Center, and hours later, Jo’Noah was born on January 19, 2012, weighing just 1 lb. 6 oz., and requiring a ventilator because his lungs weren’t fully developed. At birth, Ms. Peterson said her baby wasn’t yet able to see or hear and she was told the first 24 hours would be critical.

On Saturday, April 27, 14-month-old Jo’Noah and his parents will join other Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) families for Self Regional’s NICU Baby Reunion celebration. The NICU doctors, nurses and other staff say they look forward to the chance to see their former patients and see how the children have gone from fighting for their lives to reaching for and achieving developmental milestones that many thought they would never accomplish.

To understand just how special each child that is cared for by the NICU is, here’s more of Jo’Noah’s story.

Jo’Noah spent 14 weeks in the NICU, and it was five weeks before his mom and dad were able to hold him. Ms. Peterson, who works for Quest Diagnostics, returned to her job after just one month of maternity leave. Her office, located on the second floor of Self Regional Medical Center, allowed her to be closer to her son, who she would visit during her lunch and other short breaks.

It was emotionally draining for Ms. Peterson to leave her baby each day, and the tablet device she carries with her has dozens of videos she took while Jo’Noah remained in the NICU.

“Each time I left him, I never knew if I would see him again (alive),” she said. “I would take a video of him in case it was the last time.” She credits Jo’Noah’s father, Thomas Hackett, and the staff of the NICU as being a source of strength for her during the incredible ordeal of having a baby engaged in a daily fight for his life.

Neonatologist Terry Marshall, M.D., was intimately involved in Jo’Noah’s care while he was in the NICU. 

“I saw Jo’Noah at his earliest and when he was most critically ill,” said Dr. Marshall, who has been taking care of premature and babies born with other complications for more than 30 years. “When babies are born as small as Jo’Noah was, they spend a long time in the NICU, and we get to know them and their parents very well.”

Self Regional offers a Level III NICU, which allows the health system to take care of some of the smallest and sickest babies. Self Regional has the only Level III NICU in the Lakelands region.

While she was in the Army, Ms. Peterson said she was stationed in different places around the world including Australia, Korea and Guantanamo Bay; she was at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. However, she needed to marshal a different level of strength and determination on a daily basis to have faith that her baby would survive the odds against him.

“I am very determined, but it was so hard,” she said. “My heart has been broken a million times thinking each time I left could be the last time I would see him. Many times the doctors and nurses prepared me for the worst, but his dad always believed he would survive…from day one.”

Today, Jo’Noah is an active toddler, and attends therapy to help him with speech and movement. Most days, he spends lots of time playing, crawling and giggling. He is very slow to cry, and his mom says he is extremely tough and resilient. “For him, the only way to go is up,” she said. “He has already been at rock bottom, and he made it out.”

About the 2013 NICU Reunion

All babies (and their parents) who were patients in Self Regional’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are invited to attend the 2013 NICU Reunion on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Veranda, located inside the main entrance of Self Regional Medical Center. If you need additional information or have questions, please call Sharon Bagwell at (864) 725-4449.

“Having the NICU reunion is extremely special for me, and the other doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other support staff to see how the babies have grown and developed after they left the hospital,” said Dr. Marshall. “It’s a special feeling to know you have made such a huge difference in someone’s life.”

Jo’Noah’s Story: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit A Life-Saver For Babies

on April 10, 2013 by lakelandsmemories

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