By Ron Green Jr.
rgreenjr@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Monday, Apr. 26, 2010
Stephen Curry might be known as a basketball player, but he’s pretty good on the golf course, too.
Curry made three birdies playing with his father, Dell, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe, NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip and PGA Tour golfer Steve Lowery during the Monday pro-am at the Quail Hollow Championship.
It’s only the second pro-am that Stephen Curry, who just finished his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, had played. The first was at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro last summer.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Curry. “I’ve watched my dad do it three or four times and I got to measure myself against a tour pro. We had a blast…but I think my dad got me by a couple of shots today.”
NOTES
MAYFAIR MOVES IN: Billy Mayfair shot a 5-under par 65 Monday to lead four players through qualifying at Carolina Golf Club and into the Quail Hollow Championship.
In addition to Mayfair, Carlos Franco, Willis Ring and Charlotte resident Cortland Lowe also played their way into the PGA Tour event. Lowe survived a playoff with David Mathis, Chris DiMarco and Jeff Gove for the final spot.
TIME TO CHANGE: Charlotte’s Johnson Wagner has changed caddies, parting with Steven Hale, who had worked with him for more than five years.
Wagner now has Matt Hauser, J.J. Henry’s former caddie, on his bag. Wagner made the move after the Verizon Heritage and Hauser began working last week in New Orleans.
“I’ve thought about it for a year,” Wagner said. “It was too long not to make a decision. Steven and I are good friends and it was a hard decision to make.”
Wagner has struggled through the early part of the PGA Tour season and felt the need to shake things up.
“I just kind of got stale,” Wagner said. “It felt like we were experiencing the same things every week. It was time for a change. Matt’s been great. He’s already helped with my short game and been such a positive influence.”
STAR WATCH: Though both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will play in the Wednesday pro-am, there is no certainty either will be at the course Tuesday. Both are expected to arrive in Charlotte in the morning, but might not be at Quail Hollow.
Woods will play at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday while Mickelson has a 1:03 p.m. tee time.
THE REAL WINNER: Tim Hurley, executive director for the Charlotte branch of Teach For America, said without the Quail Hollow Championship, the program probably wouldn’t exist here.
Teach For America puts teachers in schools in low-income areas to help improve the educational opportunities. As the primary beneficiary of the Quail Hollow Championship’s charitable contributions, the organizations has received approximately $7 million since the event began in 2003.
The money goes to recruit, train and support the teachers, who agree to spend two years working in schools. There are 230 Teach For America teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools this year, Hurley said, with 130 alumni remaining in the area.
ALL-STAR LINEUP: As impressive as the field is for the Quail Hollow Championship, the support crew has its own impressive pedigree.
A group of 125 workers from 15 states and some of the most prestigious golf clubs in the country are working at Quail Hollow this week.
Among the national clubs that have sent personnel are Pine Valley, Merion, Somerset Hills, Bethpage, Riviera, Muirfield Village, Southern Hills, Saucon Valley, Ridgewood, Kinloch, Wade Hampton, Harbour Town and Bay Hill.
Local support comes from Charlotte Country Club, Carmel, Providence, Longview and Gaston Country Clubs.
HELPING OUT: Wells Fargo arranged to bring the 28-member traveling party of the under-18 soccer team from England that is stranded temporarily in Charlotte to the Quail Hollow Championship today.
The team is stuck here due to airline scheduling problems related to the Icelandic volcano. It won the Julian Brown Memorial Cup two weeks ago but has been unable to return to England. Local families and businesses have chipped in to help the team during its extended stay which now includes a visit to the tournament today.
CHIP SHOTS: Retief Goosen withdrew from the tournament after suffering a broken toe…Two-time champions Melissa Sage and Patty Moore of Charlotte along with Diane Yelovich of Pinehurst and Pat Brogden of Garner are in the field for the North Carolina women’s senior championship, which will be played Tuesday and Wednesday at Cedarwood Country Club. Moore is the winningest female golfer in Carolinas Golf Association history with 13 CGA titles.