The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 16, 1997, Page 7, Image 7

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Phenom Tk c COLLEGE PRESS EXCHANGE ^ It's not your grandfather's game anymore. The college crowd has found a new fairway of fun?the golf course. Once shunned as a slow game of old geezers in funky plaid pants, golf has become one of the hottest leisure activities of college students. "Before golf was frowned upon as a sissy sport," said Jason Rodenhaver, assistant coach of the golf team at the University of ) Maryland, "now it's really hot." Indeed. With a boost from 21-year-old golf sensation Tiger Woods and other celebrities such as Hootie and the Blowfish, young people are now the fastest growing segment of golf players in the United States. * Lady Gameci BRYAN JOHNSTON Sports Editor Yet another USC softball pitcher has been honored, this time it's sophomore Nikki Beers. The Sacramento, Calif., native was named SEC Pitcher of the Week Tuesday by SEC officials. In three appearances last week, Beers (9-1,0.69 ERA) did not allow ^ a run, earned or unearned, in 13 ? 2/3 innings of work. She surrendered only eight hits while not giving up a walk and striking out six. Beers, winner of nine consecutive games, has a 3-0 record in SEC games with a perfect 0.00 ERA. In the latest SEC statistics, . Carolina is ranked at the top of nearly every category. Senior Tina Hew is eighth with a .357 batting average and senior Chanda Lee is ninth with a .351 11?? Decisions.. % ImIIIB Our. flexible leas Now Pr Carter-Haston \Y/ Properties ** 2 'HUP kWiium REALLY! Donate plasma today and receive up to $16C per month. Stop by the NABI BioMedical Cente ^ become a plasma done New Donors Earn An Extra AND $5 on 2nd Donation Y 254-2280 BE A PLASMA DONOR...BEC LIFE IS EVERYBODY'S BUS > B: t 215Assem Aero [CP Woods briii According to the National Golf groov Foundation the number of 15- to 30- "C year-old golfers grew 17 percent from hooke 1994 to 1995. fun. L Across all age groups participation At increased only about 2 percent.For becon proof of the phenomenon look no say pi further than college campuses. comir "It seems the thing to do is go to "Si the [driving] range," said Jen time i Nowitzky, a James Madison playei University senior who picked up golf male last semester. "After class you grab increz some clubs, a few friends and head Mi on out." a hall Gary Carpenter, a senior and co- an ex captain of Maryland's golf team, has the as been playing since he was 6 years the coi old, but he's seeing more and more for oth of his friends gettirtg itito'th'e^olf stress >ck honored r1 P| batting average. Hew also leads the SEC in RBI . with 41 and runs scored with 42. She is also in the top six in triples, base hits, stolen bases, slugging percentage, runs scored per game, triples per game and hits per game. L,ee is second in runs scored with 40 and second in stolen bases with 20. The pitching staff is also at or near the top of the conference. Senior Trinity Johnson leads the SEC in ERA (0.26), wins (24), strikeouts (263), saves (3), strikeouts per seven innings (11.29) and hits per seven innings (2.23). Junior Sky Brown (12-0,1.03 ERA) is ninth in the SEC in wins (12) and second in hits per seven innings (4.03). USC (45-3,17-1 SEC) returns to the field Thursday for a doubleheader against East Carolina. Game time is 3 p.m. ? 1 | I I L-_ .Derisions~D M Whaley's I W?;J Mill n es can fit almost any situatic e-leasing for summer and fa] haley's Mill 11 Main St. 254.7801 (mon-fri) 9:30-5:30 l , (SDI $10 On First Donation ithin 30 days. ^3? The CXjaRy Souce ioMedical Center WL ibly St Columbia, SC 29201 ss from Whaley's Mill SPORTS igs youthlulness to e. "Our generation feels )nce you take them out they're and overworked. Golf let sd. They're like, Teah, this is and take your mind off s< iet's go out again." JMU junior Seth Burtor some courses, students have Some students actuall le like the Energizer Bunny, for clubbing the ball. Sine x>s. They just keep coming and has become so popular, ig and coming. getting into a golf class tudents fill our course all the difficult as booking a tee now. It used to be more older sun-drenched day. rs, but recently the number of "I teach two section and female kids has really semester and five mir ised," Rodenhaver said. registration they're full, iryland has its own course, and Vanderwalker, an instruct '-price student greens fees is "I have students knockin tra incentive to hit the links, door to get on waiting lis sistant coach added. For some For JMU senior Lisa I arse is the ultimate playground; 101 was a required cours lers teeing off is a way to relieve "Golf is now kind of a req i. for business"majors. Our Deli Serves Two Hot Lunch Specials Daily I IM G L. U D I INI Gourmet Entrees, Brown Rice G Delicious Fresh Veggies! Deli Open 11:30-2:30 Mon.-Sat., 5-7 Mon.Eat inside, take out or enjoy lunch on our d Call 256-6410 for Deli Specials. AMD While Here, Check Our Complete Line Foods, Fresh Produce and Earth-Friea Personal Care Products & Supplemei (OSEWOOD MARK 2803 Rosewood Drive Mon-Sat. 9-7 Sun. 1-6 call 256-6659 ecmons |^||j or ^ CTk ?@9$?tfi)g ' ? grandfather's cooped up "All the bigwigs conduct busine s you relax on the course so you need to knc :hool,"said how to play," said Brown, ? t. international business major, y get credit Interest in golf has been buildii ?the sport for some years, but increase , however, substantially this year, Rodenhav i can be as said, largely due to Wood's presen i time on a on the PGA Tour. "College people finally have i s of gol f a idol they can identify with. He's ma lutes into golf cool," he said. said Bob And Wood's legendary stati or at JMU. promises to only grow. With a 7 g down my hole score of 18-under-par 270, Woo its." not only won the Mastei Jrown, Golf Tournament Sunday by a record : ?e?sort of. strokes, he shattered the the Maste uired class record of 271 that Jack Nicklaus ai Raymond Floyd*has7shared. Sat. leek. ; of I RayBan l Bolle i Suncloud ^ 9IH uts Bucci ^ SSU Oakley* rrp Costa Del Mar In I I *0aklBy'i will i ^Kma2^?u HBB game of golf iss And he did it as a 21-year-old >w rookie, becoming the youngest player i n ever to win the Masters and the first African American to do so. ag On the eve of his Masters victory ? d in Augusta, Ga., Woods himself said er he realized what an impact his win ce could have on the game of golf. "It's going to open up a lot of an doors," he told reporters. "On this de stage and this kind of media, I think it's going to do a lot for the game as us far as minority golf is concerned." n tit * j_ ir: 11 ror wooas, gon is more man a ds job or a game, it's an addiction. "It's rs like a drug," he recently told L2 Newsweek. rs' "If I don't have it I'll go crazy. It's id gone beyond love and hate. I got to keep playing." ^ j Koew WORLDWIDE SPONSOR 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES HB^^ Arnette Revo nBfflSE^B Hobie Gargoyle 3^^^^ Vuarnet I TitiB |/>f(iIfilHtU TH6N6UJ I u i 1 J V ? ? 2 1 r / OS' n nnn'n n'n n i it u l _ _ _ n ^ ^