Symetra Tour Player of the Year Ana Belac Inspired by Unlikely Source →

This year the Symetra Tour crowned its first champion from Slovenia, Ana Belac. Few on tour knew her name this spring. She did not start the season on the Road. In fact, she was gearing up for her senior year at Duke University to defend her teams 2019 NCAA Champion title before COVID-19 interfered. During quarantine Belac made the decision to turn professional and live a dream a younger version of herself barely knew existed. The entire country of Slovenia has only 13 golf courses for its 2.1 million people. That’s about the same population as suburban Charlotte, North Carolina where there are 50 golf courses and another 50 within an hour’s drive.

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Stacy Lewis goes into U.S. Women’s Open with Olympic hopes revived →

About nine months ago, Stacy Lewis figured she had no chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and earn the medal she missed by one bobbling putt in Rio.

“With where I was in the rankings, and tournaments were getting canceled, I just assumed there was no opportunity,” she said by phone Monday. “The Olympics really hadn’t been on my radar at all.”

Now, a return to the Olympics in 2021 is plausible. Strong play in her home state of Texas the next two weeks could vault Lewis into the top 15 in the world, a necessary floor to make the U.S. team come the June rankings cutoff.

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Separated from family and sleeping in a rental car to quarantine, the grind of 2020 couldn't be scripted →

Athletes are creatures of habit. They typically thrive on routine and spend a great deal of time trying to perfect it.

Right now, Jaclyn Lee doesn’t have much of a routine. Most of her days are spent listening to the gentle crash of waves along the shoreline of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. Lee, 23, is in the midst of a two-week quarantine after returning home from the LPGA Drive On Championship in Georgia. There’s no WiFi at the condo. No cable. Her dad gave her a few old movies to watch if she got bored, but she’s mostly using this time as a deep cleanse.

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Women's Open: Brittany Lincicome's 'heart breaks' to not be playing at Royal Troon →

American two-time major winner Brittany Lincicome says her "heart breaks" to not be playing at this year's Women's Open.

Lincicome, 34, has chosen not to play at the event at Royal Troon because of health and safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The event, formerly known as the Women's British Open, will take place from 20-23 August.

"I'm so bummed, my heart breaks not to go," she told BBC World Service Sport.

"This is my 16th year I think on tour and I'm not sure I've ever missed the British Open which is a huge event, it's one that I never want to miss."

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Ana Belac Set To Make Professional Debut →

Ana Belac makes the phrase “if you put your mind to it, anything is possible” come to life.

 Growing up in Portoroz, Slovenia, a coastal town along the Adriatic Sea near the Gulf of Trieste, the closest golf course—Lipica Golf Club—was roughly a 45-minute drive away. The practice balls were cracked and yellowed, and course maintenance consisted of mowing the grass and little else. Nonetheless, Belac won her first event around age seven. She didn’t fall in love with the sport right away, though. 

“I was the only junior at the golf club and I thought it was really boring because it was pretty much just a lot of older people,” said Belac. “I liked to ski at the time. I played tennis and was into track and field, all way more competitive and interesting to me as a kid. When I won, it gave me the motivation and showed me there was a real competitive side to golf.”

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Duke's Belac sees stellar career cut short by pandemic →

Duke senior Ana Belac's NCAA career was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryan Lavner looks at her journey to turn professional sooner than planned.

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A bumpy ending to a standout college career →

By Ana Belac

Our team was driving to a tournament in March when we heard the season was canceled and that college sports had been suspended because of the coronavirus. Two hours later, we heard the NCAA Championship was also canceled. It was difficult to process. In just a few hours, I went from being in a pre-tournament mind-set to having my senior year end. More than that, my final season with this team, representing the university I love, defending our NCAA title, was over. I became emotional thinking about it and everything I had accomplished.

I came to Duke from Slovenia, a country in central Europe, with only a duffel bag and my clubs. When the airline lost my duffel, an assistant coach gave me some team clothes from previous seasons, so I’d have something to wear. I didn’t see it as unusual until I saw freshmen showing up with truckloads of stuff. But it didn’t bother me. I told myself I could do this. I’d made it to campus, I had my clubs, and I could speak English. I was ready.

I started playing golf in Slovenia when I was 4 or 5. My first set was meant for a teenager. The 9-iron was as tall as me. My parents got me lessons at the closest course, a public nine-holer about 45 minutes from our house. That’s where I played growing up. It isn’t maintained like courses in the United States. The range balls were old and cracked. If you got a bad one, it’d go 100 yards with a driver. If you got a really bad one, it would break apart in the air. It didn’t matter. I won the first tournament I played, at age 7 or 8, and I was hooked.

Duke University’s Slovenian Golf Star, Ana Belac, Turns Professional →

As the spread of COVID-19 has brought collegiate golf seasons to an unanticipated end, Duke University senior, Ana Belac, signed with Sterling Sports Management and turned professional this week. With a T61 finish in Q-School, Belac secured full Symetra Tour status for the 2020 season, and will begin competing once the schedule resumes.

 Belac, 23, was born in Kranj, Slovenia, where the closest golf course was over 45 minutes away and had only nine, unkempt holes. Despite the challenges, Belac went on to build an impressive junior golf resume with the Slovenian national team. After claiming her place as the top female junior golfer in the country and representing Slovenia in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, Belac moved to the United States to begin her collegiate golf career at Duke University. 

 In 2019, Belac led her team to their seventh NCAA Championship in school history. She is also tied for Duke’s fourth-lowest scoring average of all time. Belac was named All-ACC and WGCA Honorable Mention All-American in 2018 and 2019, Golfweek Third-Team All-American in 2019, and preseason Golfweek Second Team All-American in 2020. She was a member of the International Palmer Cup Team in 2019, was presented with the 2020 All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year award, and also appears on the ANNIKA Award Watchlist for 2020.

Belac’s talent, class and determination all make her an excellent addition to the Sterling family. Her persistence through obstacles is sure to contribute to her success on the professional Tours as she tees off on the Symetra Tour later this year.

Without tournaments for income, Korn Ferry Tour's Conrad Shindler offers $20 video golf lessons →

On a normal Wednesday in March, Conrad Shindler would be preparing for a Korn Ferry Tour event.

These days, normal seems like a foreign concept.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced the cancellation and postponement of professional tournaments and major championships around the world. Six of the next eight Korn Ferry Tour events have been canceled, with two postponed to a later date.

So what was Shindler doing awake at 6 a.m. on an off day? He was working.

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Lauren Stephenson, LPGA Tour Professional, Signs Endorsement Deal with Carlisle Companies Incorporated →

As the 2020 LPGA Tour season commences, Carlisle Companies, Inc. has announced their partnership with LPGA Tour professional, Lauren Stephenson. The endorsement agreement will span over three years, during which time the Carlisle logo will be featured on Stephenson’s hat. Stephenson is teeing off on her second season on the LPGA Tour at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, where she will debut the new partnership.

 Stephenson is a young, rising star from the University of Alabama who holds the all-time record-low scoring average for a woman in the history of the NCAA. “I am so excited to join the Carlisle team,” Stephenson said. “For over one hundred years, Carlisle has been synonymous with excellence and delivering results. I am happy to represent a team that supports world-class, winning athletes in rowing, racing and now golf. I look forward to a successful partnership.”

 Chris Koch, President and Chief Executive Officer said, "I am pleased that Lauren will be part of the ‘Carlisle Crew’ family. Lauren represents Carlisle’s culture of integrity, continuous improvement and perseverance. Carlisle’s approximately 16,000 global employees are excited to follow Lauren’s progress on the LPGA tour.” 

ABOUT CARLISLE COMPANIES, INC.

Carlisle Companies Incorporated is a diversified, global portfolio of niche brands and businesses that manufactures highly engineered products and solutions for our customers. Carlisle is committed to generating superior shareholder returns by combining a unique management style of decentralization, entrepreneurial spirit, active M&A, and a balanced approach to capital deployment, all with a culture of continuous improvement as embodied in the Carlisle Operating System. Carlisle’s markets include: commercial roofing, specialty polyurethane, aerospace, medical, defense, transportation, industrial, protective coating, auto refinishing, agriculture, mining, and construction. Carlisle’s worldwide team of employees generated $4.5 billion in revenues in 2018. Learn more about Carlisle at www.carlisle.com. 

Jones' agent believes he can return to form in 2020 →

As the 2019 Major League Baseball season nears its conclusion as we are in the midst of the World Series, a lot of local fans have already shifted their attention to next year and the fate of local star, Nate Jones.

Jones, 34 in January, was acquired in July by the Texas Rangers, ending his long tenure with the club who drafted him in 2007, the Chicago White Sox. As Jones continues to rehab from a flexor mass tear in his right forearm, two important questions loom over the 2004 Pendleton County graduate: How effective can he be going forward? And where exactly will Jones be pitching in 2020?

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Why I Root for Stacy Lewis →

By Patty Ellis

For Patty, rooting for Stacy Lewis is far less-complicated than rooting for her favorite NFL team. Here’s why.

Rooting for an individual athlete is different than rooting for a team.

Teams are entities, not human beings with morals and other personal attributes. I’m a New York Mets fan regardless who manages them, plays for them, or owns them.

But when it comes to rooting for an individual athlete—especially an LPGA player, given how much LPGA golf I watch—I don’t waste my energy rooting for just anyone. All the current LPGA players have great swings, are fun to watch, and are likeable. But rooting FOR someone? Really wanting someone’s putt to drop? That’s different.

I was pondering this notion of “fandom” while I was sitting at the 10th tee of the ANA Inspiration, watching LPGA players make the turn and waiting for someone I liked enough to follow for 9 holes. Lots of players passed but no one who made me want to put down my coffee and get off my tuchas. That’s when I started wondering about being a fan.Why do we root for some players and not others?

There I was, deep in thought, when Stacy Lewis made the turn.

I LOVE STACY!

I put down my coffee, got off my tuchas and began to follow one of my favorite players. But I kept pondering what it means to be a fan, so I tried to isolate why I root for Stacy Lewis.

Here’s what I figured out.

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Rib Cage Injury Ends 2019 Season for Former World No. 1 Stacy Lewis →

On Tuesday, September 10th, Stacy Lewis, former world No. 1 and 12-time LPGA Tour champion, withdrew from Team USA at the 2019 Solheim Cup due to back pain she had been experiencing since the Cambia Portland Classic two weeks prior. After arriving back home, Lewis received a more definitive diagnosis, as her doctors were able to identify a rib cage injury. As a result, Lewis expects to be out for eight weeks, and will likely not return until the start of the 2020 LPGA Tour season.

 Juli Inkster announced Lewis as a captain’s pick on Monday of the Cambia Portland Classic, which would mark Lewis’ fifth Solheim Cup appearance. As the week went on in Portland, Lewis began feeling back pain that was amplified during play. She ultimately withdrew from Team USA’s roster and was replaced by first alternate, Ally McDonald, but stayed in Scotland to support the team. 

 As the 2019 LPGA Tour season winds down, Lewis will require time off to heal, and will likely miss the remainder of the season. Despite the setback, Lewis maintains a positive outlook and looks forward to her return in early 2020.

 “Given the nature of my injury, I will likely not return until the start of next year,” said Lewis. “The time off will give me the chance to get healthy and stronger, and to spend time with my family.”

LECOM Suncoast Classic Announces 2020 Tournament Dates, Inaugural Champion Mark Hubbard to Receive PGA TOUR Card

After the success of the inaugural LECOM Suncoast Classic, the tournament will return to the Korn Ferry Tour the week of February 10-16, 2020. Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida will again host the 144 professionals competing for a $550,000 purse and a chance to contend against the world’s best on the PGA TOUR. 

 The 2019 LECOM Suncoast Classic named Mark Hubbard, former PGA TOUR professional, its first champion. Hubbard shot an impressive 26-under to secure the victory and propel his season toward success. He is set to receive his PGA TOUR card and make his return for the 2020 season.

“My win was so early in the year that I knew I had some work to do still to lock up my card, but I feel like I needed to come back onto this Tour to learn how to win again,” said Hubbard. “It was nice to accomplish my goal so early in the year. It almost came as a surprise to me. I thought that I would have to build all year to get into position to win, but to win it at the LECOM Suncoast Classic was unbelievable. It jumpstarted my confidence and I’ve been a different player since then.”

The 2020 LECOM Suncoast Classic will provide another opportunity for a shot at the PGA TOUR, as the tournament continues in its five-year deal through 2023. Volunteer registration for 2020 will open in September, and volunteers from 2019 will have priority sign-up. Ticket sale information will also be released soon. 

ABOUT LECOM SUNCOAST CLASSIC

The LECOM Suncoast Classic, a tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour, made its debut on the annual schedule in 2019. The LECOM Suncoast Classic is contested at Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, and will be held the week of February 10-16, with 144 players competing for a $550,000 purse. A five-year deal is in place through 2023. For more information, please visit lecomsuncoastclassic.com.

LPGA Rookie Lauren Stephenson Announces Partnership with MyrtleBeachGolf.com →

Lauren Stephenson, LPGA rookie and South Carolina native, announced her partnership with MyrtleBeachGolf.com this week. Stephenson will serve as a brand ambassador for the Myrtle Beach area’s leading tee time and golf package originator, alongside 20-time PGA TOUR champion, Dustin Johnson. 

Stephenson, a Lexington, SC resident, began her collegiate career at Clemson University before transferring to the University of Alabama where she finished out her college career as one of the top female amateurs in the world. After obtaining her LPGA Tour card at the 2018 LPGA Q-Series, she secured a top-10 finish in her first professional event at the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open, and a T21 finish in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship last week. 

“It really is an honor to partner with a company from my home state that truly believes in me and my career potential,” Stephenson said. “I am excited to grow alongside of MyrtleBeachGolf.com and be a part of all that they are doing to grow the game of golf on South Carolina’s east coast. I am confident that this is only the beginning of a great partnership and am looking forward to what is to come.”

The booking service offers elite golf packages which can be reserved online, or customized over the phone with a local golf director. MyrtleBeachGolf.com is the largest coordinating service of its kind in Myrtle Beach, one of the premier golf destinations in the country.

“We are very excited about our new relationship with Lauren,” said Brian Miller, Director of Sales for MyrtleBeachGolf.com. “As a South Carolina based company, it is a unique opportunity for us to be able to sponsor a rising star from our state and at the same time, promote golf in Myrtle Beach. We look forward to our new partnership and all of the creative ways we can work together to get more golfers to visit our area.” 

Please visit MyrtleBeachGolf.com for more details on their services.

Vanmeter and Parsons Receive MiLB Uncle Ray's Player of the Month Awards →

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball today announced the Uncle Ray's Player of the Month Award winners for each of the 10 leagues for the month of April. In recognition of the honor, each winner will receive an award from Minor League Baseball and Uncle Ray's, the "Official Potato Chip of Minor League Baseball."

Louisville Bats (Reds) third baseman Josh VanMeter led the International League in hits (34), home runs (11), runs (24), RBI (28), total bases (72), slugging percentage (.758) and OPS (1.204) and was fifth in batting average (.358). VanMeter recorded nine multi-hit games, including a five-hit game on April 26 against Norfolk and a four-hit game April 29 at Toledo. VanMeter, 24, was originally selected by San Diego in the fifth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Norwell High School in Norwell, Indiana.

Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals) right-hander Tommy Parsons went 3-0 with a 0.30 ERA (30.0 IP, 1 ER) in four starts to claim Midwest League Player of the Month honors. Parsons held opponents to a league-best .106 batting average and allowed just 11 hits in his league-best 30.0 innings of work. He threw a nine inning, two-hit shutout on April 22 against Quad Cities, the only complete game in the Midwest League in April. Parsons, 23, was signed by St. Louis as a free agent out of Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan, on June 12, 2018.

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CME Group and Diamond Resorts to Honor Contracts with Expectant Tour Mother, Brittany Lincicome →

Brittany Lincicome, eight-time champion on the LPGA Tour, recently announced that she and her husband are expecting their first child on September 1, 2019. Following her announcement, two of her long-standing sponsors, Diamond Resorts and CME Group, both declared their support for Lincicome and her growing family, by committing to honor their contracts with her.

“We congratulate Brittany on her growing family, and we are happy to honor her full contract for the season,” said Terry Duffy, CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “At CME Group, a commitment to equality and fair competition is at the heart of our business. That’s why the CME Tour Championship purse is now the highest payout in women’s golf. We are proud to support the talented, diverse athletes of the LPGA, and proud to do our part to support working parents.”

 Similarly, Mike Flaskey, CEO of Diamond Resorts said, “Brittany is part of our Diamond Resorts family. We are committed to extending to Brittany time to connect with and care for her family, and feel strongly as an organization that women should not have to choose between a family and a career. Honoring Brittany’s contract was a no-brainer – it’s just another opportunity for us to show her how much she and her game mean to us. We are excited for Brittany and her family.”

 Together, Diamond Resorts and CME Group are hoping to change the precedent for expectant mothers on Tour.

 “I really can’t express how grateful I am for the outpouring of support from both CME and Diamond Resorts,” said Lincicome. “It is a wonderful feeling knowing that my sponsors care deeply for me as both a player and a person. This type of thing is not commonplace and I am so thankful for the opportunities they are both giving to me and my family.”

ABOUT CME GROUP

As the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products and metals.  The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex® platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform.  In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing.  With a range of pre- and post-trade products and services underpinning the entire lifecycle of a trade, CME Group also offers optimization and reconciliation services through TriOptima, and trade processing services through Traiana. 

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and, E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec, EBS, TriOptima, and Traiana are trademarks of BrokerTec Europe LTD, EBS Group LTD, TriOptima AB, and Traiana, Inc., respectively.  Dow Jones, Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and S&P are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and S&P/Dow Jones Indices LLC, as the case may be, and have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

 ABOUT DIAMOND RESORTS

Diamond Resorts offers destinations, events and experiences to help members make a habit of breaking from the routine. From unforgettable getaways to exclusive concert series to VIP receptions and dinners, members turn to Diamond to recharge, reconnect and remind each other what matters most. Our focus on quality resorts, customer service and flexibility means members can return to a favorite resort, book a cruise to explore new countries or attend a once-in-a-lifetime event with the same level of confidence and anticipation. With access to a world of entertainment and activities, a Diamond membership ensures that people are always looking forward to vacation.

Inaugural LECOM Suncoast Classic Boasts Impressive Field

Monday morning will mark the commencement of the inaugural LECOM Suncoast Classic, the newest stop on the Web.com Tour’s annual schedule. Hosted at Lakewood National Golf Club, the LECOM Suncoast Classic will welcome 144 professionals to the field for next week’s competition. 

The first-time event holds an impressive roster including many veteran players from the PGA TOUR. Ricky Barnes, Chad Campbell, Mike Weir, David Lingmerth, Angel Cabrera, and Boo Weekly are amongst the highly competitive group of athletes who will battle for next week’s win. 

The field also includes young, up-and-coming talent such as Norman Xiong, Maverick McNealy and Robby Shelton. Danny Walker, a Lakewood Ranch native, will also be in contention in his hometown next week. 

Although the field is still subject to change, the competition is sure to be fierce as veterans, rookies, and all in between seek to earn their place amidst the world’s best on the PGA TOUR. Tickets can be purchased at lecomsuncoastclassic.com.

ABOUT LECOM SUNCOAST CLASSIC

The LECOM Suncoast Classic is a new tournament on the Web.com Tour which is set to debut on the annual schedule in 2019. LECOM Suncoast Classic, which will be contested at Lakewood National Golf Club in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, will be held the week of February 11-17, with 144 players competing for a $550,000 purse. A five-year deal is in place through 2023. For more information, please visit lecomsuncoastclassic.com.

Rea signs with Cubs →

If things go as expected in spring training, expect a caravan from Cascade to Des Moines every time Colin Rea takes the mound.

Rea signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs Jan. 9. The deal is a one-year minor league contract with an invitation to the Cubs big league spring training.

Rea was designated for assignment and released by the San Diego Padres in November. Since that release, he and his agent, Joe Speed, have been considering offers from several major league teams. Rea said the deal with the Cubs is a good fit for him.

“I couldn’t ask for much better,” he said. “There were some other teams that were interested with the same type of deal, but the convenience of pitching in Des Moines and being close to home and playing for the Cubs put us over the top.”

Speed said five other clubs were negotiating with Rea. “I told Colin that we were probably getting near the end of new teams coming into play. Right after I had that conversation with Colin, the Cubs called. That kind of changed things. The opportunity to put on a Cubs uniform and step on the mound in Wrigley Field was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Rea said the Cubs need pitchers in their minor league system. “They have a lack of depth at the upper levels of the minor leagues. That’s what they told us. It’s a good opportunity to get some good eyes on me in spring training and for me to make a good impression. Then if something were to happen during the season, hopefully, that’s where they remember me from spring training and good things happen from there.”

Speed said Rea knows what he needs to do. “Colin needs to go out and show that he’s healthy. If he gets back to his best self, we’re certainly confident that will lead to bigger and better things.”

Speed was in Cascade the weekend before the deal, finalizing terms of the contract. “Just to see the reactions of Colin’s family and extended family to the news we were going to sign with the Cubs was something special that I’ll never forget.”

Rea has been working out at the Cubs facility in Arizona and plans to continue workouts until pitchers and catchers report in February.

Rea is 24 months removed from Tommy John surgery. “I’ve been throwing since after Christmas. Soon I’ll start to speed my arm up and back up to get some long toss in. My arm is feeling stronger and better.”

“We’re excited about this opportunity. I’ve had that dream of putting on a Cubs uniform and playing in Wrigley Field. It will be pretty special if we can get to that point.”

Giants' Travis Bergen: Gets shot in SF →

Bergen was selected by the Giants with the eighth pick in the Rule 5 draft.

A 25-year-old southpaw, Bergen logged an impressive 0.50 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 35.2 innings as a reliever for the Blue Jays at Triple-A last year. Of course, if he were as good as those numbers indicate, he would not have been left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft. He joins a bullpen with several southpaws (Will Smith, Tony Watson, potentially Ty Blach), so Bergen may be returned to Toronto if he does not impress in camp.