Playing Golf

The conversation was focused on "shooting your age."More specifically, at what stage of a golfer's life should he consider the prime time to post a score the equal of his age.It was conceded to be before age 100 and after age 60. The best score ever recorded by a golfer at any age is 59.Still, the feat which has been described as the most satisfying thrill in the game has been accomplished at a wide variety of ages. It has been recorded even by golfers in their 90s.However, take it from former Piney Branch senior champion Vernon Sullivan, who, at age 72, feels he may be within striking distance of the rare accomplishment.

Spring is the time of rebirth and renewal . For some, that means tee time and a chance to be outdoors, unwinding from the stresses of everyday life. If golf is your sport of choice, then you need to check out the Zero Prostate Cancer Golf Classic. This event takes place on May 13 from 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Towson Golf and Country Club, where LPGA tour players will join other golfers to help fight against prostate cancer. Founded by Chesapeake Urology Associates as the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge Baltimore Classic, this event raises funds to further research and provide free screenings in dozens of cities across the U.S. A Driving Range Clinic with the LPGA pros, plus a brunch, is from 10:30 a.m. until noon when a shotgun start begins the 18-hole adventure.

Name: Greg LongHonored by the Carroll County Sun for: Being chosen the new golf pro at Bear Creek Golf Course in WestminsterAge: 32Residence; hometown: Westminster, Ellicott City, Howard CountyOccupation: Golf pro at Bear Creek Golf Course in WestminsterEducation: Graduate of Salisbury State University in WicomicoCounty; graduate of Mount Hebron High School in Howard CountyFamily: Mother: Shirley, systems analyst for Social Security Department in Baltimore County;...

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- The crown of the PGA Tour's Everyman has not always rested easily atop Phil Mickelson's head. Often, what you saw and what you got were not what you believed. There were the long lines of autograph seekers who were never left unsatisfied. There were the frequent appearances in pro-am events, especially those long grinds such as the Bob Hope Classic, where Mickelson actually seemed to enjoy every minute and always made his 15-handicap partners feel as if they actually mattered.

So Bill has made Hillary chairFor affordable medical care;If she's to succeed$ She'll probably needTo come in on West Wingand a prayer.Meet the deficit bashing duoOf P. Gramm and H.R. Perot:One ex-Democrat,$ One once-in-ring hatAll Tex'd up and no place to go.course, he could mopeon the shelfOr try playing golf for more pelf;But, gee, the rule says& Any boy can be prez --Or so Quayle keeps tellinghimself.Just 29 cents buys theWhite House,The Reagan-Bush keep-to-the-right house;But it's now come to pass)

Quote: "We know what we have to do. If you win, you're in [the playoffs]. If not, you're playing golf on Oct. 2." - Red Sox reliever Derek Lowe It's a fact: The Yankees' Denny Neagle has won his past four decisions. Who's hot: The Athletics have hit 23 homers in their past 11 games. Who's not: The A's Ben Grieve has hit into a major-league-leading 29 double plays this season, one short of the franchise record of 30 set by Billy Hitchcock in 1950. On deck: Pedro Martinez (16-5) and the Red Sox face Charles Nagy and the Indians in the finale of a three-game series between American League wild-card contenders.

Lorraine S. Knox, a homemaker and golfer, died of lung cancer Wednesday at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. She was 61. Lorraine Snyder was born and raised in Portsmouth, Va., where she graduated from high school. After her 1963 marriage to Louis P. Knox III, who survives her, the couple moved to Towson and later settled in Timonium. Mrs. Knox began playing golf in 1961. She was an active member and former president of Pine Ridge Women's Golf Association and Mount Pleasant Women's Golf Association.

FEELING FRANTIC? Got 20 hours' worth of work that you intend to plow through today? Join the crowd. It turns out that Tuesdays, on balance, are the work days in which we get the most done. That's from a survey of executives released this year by a national firm that provides temporary financial professionals. Mondays, as everyone knows, are tied up with meetings and water-cooler talk. How was your weekend? It comes in second as the most productive day of the week. After Tuesdays, the work week just falls off a cliff, according to executives' estimates of how much actually gets accomplished when.

It was with mixed emotions that the family and friends of Andy Gibson gathered to pay their final respects last week.There were sorrow and mourning for the loss of a loved one, but there was a joyous celebration, too -- for a life so well-lived for 87 years.And the stories! Anyone who knew Andy Gibson has a story to tell, most likely a personal recollection as vivid in memory now as when it happened, perhaps 40 or 50 years ago.Gibson was born in Prestwick, Scotland, and was already an accomplished golfer when he came to the United States at the age of 19 to pursue a job in the sport.

NEW YORK -- Has Merlin Olsen traded in those tickler bouquets for a blow gun armed with some very pointed darts?Well, after hearing his commentary during CBS's Giants-Phoenix game Sunday, we must say the man is going through a metamorphosis. Olsen took out the gun and aimed it at the biggest cat on the field -- Lawrence Taylor.After discussing Taylor's post-Philly freakout "47 people quit" remark with play-by-play man Dick Stockton, Olsen -- unlike assorted tapeheads and pen-toters who applauded Taylor's spiel -- made one heck of a point.

A year ago, R.W. Eaks came to the Baltimore Country Club for the Senior Players Championship playing the best golf of his life. Another strong finish, and possibly even his first major championship, seemed within reach. After an opening-round 67, which left him tied for the tournament lead, it looked like his dream season was only about to get better. A week later, he could barely walk. "I kind of sprained one of my knees [walking the hilly Baltimore Country Club course], and it kind of snowballed from there," said Eaks, who tumbled down the leader board and finished tied for 47th, 19 shots behind winner Loren Roberts.

Jane Catherine Hinds, a homemaker who had been a dental lab technician, died of Alzheimer's disease complications Saturday at Heart Homes in Lutherville. The Pinehurst resident was 80. Born Jane Catherine Clark in Baltimore and raised on University Parkway, she was a 1945 Eastern High School graduate who earned a degree at College of Notre Dame of Maryland. She worked at the University of Maryland Dental School for eight years as a lab technician. Family members said that she met her future husband, Dr. M. Eugene "Gene" Hinds Jr., an oral surgeon, in the lab. He asked for a specimen, and she handed him half a cadaver's head.

Dulaney junior Carolyn Chandler has already won two Baltimore County golf championships. Last fall, she also won the district title and finished 18th in the state championships. This summer, she won her fourth straight Jimmy Flattery Tournament title, in the 15-17 age group, and tied for first in the Middle Atlantic Junior Girls Championship. She also played in the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in July. A member of Hunt Valley Country Club, Chandler played several tournaments on the Titleist Junior Tour and American Junior Golf Association tour.

Marilyn A. Schwartz, former owner of a recreational vehicle agency, died of heart failure June 25 at a hospital in Orange City, Fla. The former Crownsville resident was 78. The former Marilyn Gabriel was born and raised in Chicago. After marrying her husband - who had been her grammar school boyfriend - in 1951, the couple moved to Rockville. Mrs. Schwartz worked as a legal secretary until 1968, when she and her husband established Happy Travelers in Gambrills. They closed the RV business in the 1980s.

Monica Evans smiled as she practiced her favorite part of golf, the full swing, on the driving range at Timbers at Troy Golf Course in Elkridge. A few feet away, Jim Bradley worked on his form as he whacked balls on a hot summer evening. Evans, 19, who has Down syndrome, and Bradley, 65, were taking part in a program that encourages people with and without disabilities to interact while they learn the game. The golf course in Howard County is one of two locations in the nation offering Project GAIN -- which stands for Golf: Accessible and Inclusive Networks.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- This might be Annika Sorenstam's tournament, but the world of women's golf still seems to revolve around Michelle Wie. Because Wie was sidelined for nearly five months because of a reported wrist injury, her presence this week in the Ginn Tribute brought reporters who normally wouldn't be here outside Charleston for the new LPGA tournament officially hosted by Sorenstam, herself coming back from injury after a two-month layoff....

Robert L. Kulp Sr., a retired master electrician, died of cancer Friday at his Linthicum home. He was 55. Mr. Kulp was born in Baltimore and raised in Curtis Bay. He attended City College until enlisting in the Army in 1964, and served with the 82nd Airborne Division in the Dominican Republic until his 1967 discharge. After completing an apprenticeship, Mr. Kulp worked as a master electrician through International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 24 AFL-CIO. He retired last year on a medical disability.

Joe Lynch of Baltimore County has been playing golf for only two years but has made progress quickly. He usually plays at Pine Shore Golf -- a tough 27-hole layout on Beauchamp Road that features three nines of par 30 each -- with octogenarian John McQuay.Recently, Lynch shot a 69 over 18 holes, topping McQuay for the first time. Even though 69 is 9-over-par, it's impressive since Pine Shore owner Al Janis has a standing challenge to anyone who plays par 72 courses to see how close to par they will be on the difficult course.

Jean A. Ault, a homemaker and longtime Gibson Island resident, died of breast cancer Sunday at her home. She was 84. The former Jean Hall Abbott was born in Elmira, N.Y., and raised in Western Springs, Ill., and LaGrange, Ill. She earned a bachelor's degree in human ecology in 1944 from Cornell University. She was married in 1944 to Jesse Louis Ault, a Western Electric Corp. manager at the old Point Breeze plant who died in 1985. Mrs. Ault had been an avid sailor, enjoying the Maine waters and Chesapeake Bay. She played golf until she was 84 and regularly beat her children at the sport.

Some golfers with two-bit swings will take aim at a $250,000 prize outside Ocean City this week. The Links at Lighthouse Sound is the setting for The St. Joseph Pressure Challenge, a reality show that will air on CBS May 14 and 20. It will be taped today through Thursday, and network analysts David Feherty and Bill McAtee are the only celebrities involved in a competition open to players with a handicap of eight or higher. The 30-player field will be pared to 20 at 2 p.m. today, with a closest-to-the-pin contest.