Tuesday, December 27, 2011

ITALY'S 'MR GOLF' - MARIO CAMICIA - DIES AT AGE OF 70

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Mario Camicia, the man regarded by many as Mr Golf in Italy, has died following a brave battle with illness. He was 70.
The Tournament Director of the Italian Open for many years until 1992, Camicia was also Italy’s first recognised golf commentator on television and gave his authoritative views on the game to viewers for 20 years, helping grow not only the understanding of the game in his home country, but also the interest.
His first commentating role in 1981 was with Mediaset and then for the satellite TV Telepiu, now recognised as Sky Italia.
His passion for golf came through his commentary and his emotive words when Costantino Rocca holed his famous putt from the Valley of Sin at the 18th green at St Andrews in 1995 to force a play-off with John Daly for The Open Championship, have been replayed on numerous Italian websites since his passing.
Away from commentary, he was also a co-founder of the magazine ‘Golf Italiano’ which he left in the 1980s. He was also involved with ‘il Grande Golf’ and ‘Golf e Turismo’ where he was still Editorial Director. In his time he also collaborated with ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’ and ‘il Giornale’ and was a consultant for ‘Golf Style.’
Leading the tributes to Camicia’s influence was European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady who knew the Italian during the bulk of his working life in the game.
“Mario epitomised everything that was special about Italian golf,” said O’Grady. “He was a fervent supporter, a tireless administrator and Tournament Director of the Italian Open, and for many years a great and passionate television commentator who contributed so immensely to the growth not only of all levels of Italian golfers but the whole European Tour.
“He, and his unique welcome to Italy, will be sadly missed by all of us and so very many of our Members. He was, quite simply, unique.”
Rocca’s prominence in the 1990’s, which included three Ryder Cup appearances, thrilled Camicia greatly as did the emergence in recent years of Edoardo and Francesco Molinari – who followed Rocca into The Ryder Cup arena in 2010 – and Matteo Manassero, who was The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year on The European Tour in the same season.
He is survived by his wife Silvia and his children Francesca (23) and Michele (16).

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IAN BAKER-FINCH, Open champ who drove himself out of golf for years

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Most past Open champions are remembered for the way they played the game at their peak. Except that is for Australian Ian Baker-Finch, Open champion at Royal Birkdale in 1991, who has the misfortune to be remembered for his total loss of world-class ability in a comparatively short space of time.
Golfers of quality are not immune to the "yips" but in 99 cases out of 100 its the putting "yips."
For Baker-Finch, born in Queensland in October, 1960, it was the "yips" with a driver in his hand.
At an Open championship over the Old Course, St Andrews before Ian's plight forced him to give up the game for a number of years, he hooked out of bounds from the first tee, i.e. across the first fairway, across the 18th fairway and over the white posted fence, more than 100 yards off line!
The 6ft 4in Aussie became a TV commentator/analyst - still is - in the United States, where he lives not all that far away from Tiger Woods at North Palm Beach, Florida, before gradually regaining enough self-confidence to play the game competitively again and be a winner in seniors' events Down Under.
Baker-Finch now plays his tee shots off the ground to avoid duck hooking the ball.
According to Jim Lapsley, a New Zealander, who partnered Baker-Finch in a seniors' tournament this past year, the Australian can still be a brilliant golfer
"I played with Baker-Finsh in Western Australia and the guy's short game is amazing. I played two days with him and he put the ball into the greenside bunkers nine times," said Lapsley.
"He got up and down in the first seven, and they would have all been gimmes. The last two would have both been from 40-45 metres, and he knocked them to 10 feet too.
"It was an absolute masterclass. That's why they call it the Legends Tour in Australia."

TO READ THE SPECTACULAR RISE AND FALL OF IAN BAKER-FINCH ON THE GOLF LEGENDS WEBSITE

CLICK HERE

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MENA TOUR TOP TRIO INVITED TO ASIAN TOUR FINAL Q SCHOOL

FROM THE ASIAN TOUR
The top-three players on the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) Golf Tour have received invites to compete in the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand next month.
Englishmen Jake Shepherd and Peter Richardson as well as Ireland's Sean McNamara, will be among the Tour hopefuls at the Final Stage, played over two courses at the Imperial Lakeview and Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin, Thailand from January 18 to 21.
Shepherd, who topped the money list on the four-event Mena Golf Tour, is delighted with the opportunity of playing in the Final Stage, where the top-40 and ties will earn their 2012 Asian Tour cards.
"It will be an honour to play on the Asian Tour and we are grateful to them for the first-stage exemption," said Shepherd.
Players in the Qualifying School will also be eligible to play in the fledging Asian Development Tour, launched in 2010, where the top-three players at the end of the season will earn Tour cards for the following year.
Scots James Byrne and Michael Stewart are among the entries for the Asian Tour Q School.

27/12/2011 01:20 PM

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