Catching up on a few golf odds and ends after another long, cold, lonely winter . . .
- The Franklin Quest Championship has already snagged a major player from the Senior Tour for this year's tournament. Gary Player, one of only four golfers ever to win all of golf's four majors, will not only be at the Franklin Quest tournament come August, he will also become a spokesman for the Day-Planner company. The official announcement is expected to be made Monday. - Back in the 1960s, Player was one of the "Big 3" along with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Franklin officials feel like thay have a chance to get one or both of the latter two for the Aug. 26-28 tourney, but no commitments have been made yet.
- The local contingent at next week's Masters will number four. Ex-Utahn Billy Casper, a former champion, has a lifetime exemption and ex-Utahn Johnny Miller, earned his way into the tourney for the first time in seven years with his win at Pebble Beach earlier this year. The other two are Provo's Dan Forsman, who had a chance to win last year until his famous quadruple-bogey, and ex-BYU golfer Rick Fehr, who was the low amateur at the Masters a decade ago.
- Jim Healy, the longtime pro at Salt Lake County's Meadow Brook course, will be the head pro at the new Riverbend Golf Course in Riverton. Although some holes are playable now, Riverbend is not scheduled to open until Aug. 1.
- Among the other new courses in Utah, the Eaglewood Golf Course in North Salt Lake is open and already doing a brisk business. Roosevelt will open a new nine in late May, Carbon CC will open a new nine in July and Dinaland's revamped 18 holes will open in late summer.
- Golf In The Round, the largest practice facility in Utah and perhaps the nation, has been open for business for more than three months now. It is located just off the freeway at 3300 South and 600 West.
- The Utah Section PGA is starting a new program aimed at the average junior golfers, called the Junior Golf Club. The superbly-run Utah Junior Golf Association caters more to the top junior golfers, many of whom play in national tournaments. This year, the Junior Golf Club will have six tournaments plus a state final tournament.
- The latest Utahn to make the bigtime is Salt Lake native/Heber resident Bruce Summerhays. Actually he hasn't made it yet, but he's off to a good start as a Monday qualifier on the Senior Tour. He ranks 70th on the money list with $7,025 in two tournaments. Summerhays turned 50 just last month. Bob Betley, who won a tournament and earned exempt status last year, ranks 34rd on the Senior money list.
- Provo's Mike Reid, who turns 40 this year, is back out on the PGA Tour after sitting out most of last year with wrist injury. He has earned $27,222 in six events to rank 118th on the money list. St. George's Jay Don Blake is off to the best start among locals with $143,193.
- The Masters, one of the few golf tournaments on TV worth watching for more than 10 minutes, will be televised on USA network Thursday and Friday at 2 p.m. live and 7 p.m. on tape delay. As usual, CBS will have 15-minute taped highlights the first two nights and live coverage Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.