Will Yanagisawa Overseas

Will Yanagisawa (1995), former Stanford All-American and NCAA team champion, writes about his professional golf travels overseas.  Next up for Will is the China Open in Tianjin, China April 19th to the 22nd.  Follow his progress at www.chinapgatour.com.  Go Will!

Ten thousand and four miles, eighteen hours eleven minutes in the air on a direct shot going five hundred fifty miles per hour.  That's the distance and time it would take to fly from Johor Bahru, Malaysia (which was my location) to Augusta, Georgia in the event I was to get a last minute invitation to the place with gentle piano music, Azaleas, Magnolias and a golf hole named "Chinese Fir".  The invitation didn't arrive so I was happy to make due w/ my afternoon start at the Johor Golf Club.

Formerly, "Royal" Johor Golf Club, this gem of a course is located just outside of Johor Bahru City which is a mere thirty minute taxi ride over the causeway from Singapore.  It costs $50 Singapore dollars to have a specially designated "Singapore-Malaysia" taxi make the journey.  Once in Johor City it's another seven minute, 8-20 Malaysian Ringit taxi to the clubhouse.  Taxi's in Malaysia will invariably meander along the "scenic" route unless otherwise specified, running up the meter and separating a few extra ringit from the unsuspecting tourists' wallet.  A guy tried this on me one day.  Upon arrival he said, "Twenty ringit, sir."  I said, "I've been here for three days, making two trips a day and it's never been more than nine."  He didn't even bother to take me on the scenic route.  I gave him nine, told him Allah is watching and went our separate ways.

"Royal" designations like those found on courses such as The Royal and Ancient Club of St. Andrews, Royal Calcutta, Royal Liverpool, Royal County Downes or Royal Colwood are granted by requesting a special charter from the Crown.  Apparently, upon approval, the club gets a letter from Buckingham Palace that says it's o.k. to put "Royal" on the score cards and sign boards.  Not sure what would de-list a course from the "Royal" designation but when I played the Iskandar Johor Open in 2009 (where KJ Choi emerged the victor) we played the Royal Johor Golf Club.  Last week we played Johor Golf Club.  

All said, it was the same course I remembered from 2009 complete with narrow fairways, elevated tees, blind second shots to severely pitched greens that tilted from front to back (!).  Jungle was never very far from a wayward wood or iron and the native cow grass made chipping an extra delicate affair.  Staying below the hole helped maintain sanity, especially on holes nine and eighteen.  In the above mentioned Johor Open, I saw a guy four tap from inside 3 feet on 18 to make the cut on the number.  The fourth was from a foot above the hole and it was the best putt I hit all week!

Rainfall in Johor this time of year has to be in "the meters", creating soft raised collars.  This combined w/ sloped, firm greens made front pin locations difficult to attack.  Play it too fine and it plugs short, hit it hole high and it bunny hops into places where only local monkeys feel safe.  After 72 holes, I stood -3 which was good for a T4th finish and a fist full of ringit.

Next up is the China Open in Tianjin, China (April 19-22).  I'll be giving it my best against the flashy buckle, tight shirts on the European Tour and the mostly Australian contingent of the OneAsia (or "G'die Myte") Tour.  Followed by the opening event on the China PGA Tour. 

Follow it online at www.europeantour.com or www.oneasia.asia.  China Tour events at www.chinapgatour.com.

Thanks for reading...catch up again soon!

Cheers,

Will

Donald Kennedy, member of the 1939 national championship team passes at 93

 

 A member of the 1939 Stanford national championship golf team, Donald P. Kennedy, passed away recently at the age of 93. Kennedy graduated from Stanford in 1940 and went on to a long and successful business career.  The following press release was from First American Financial, a major corporation that Kennedy built into a large company.  Here's a link to the history of Stanford golfers from 1930 to today where you will find info about his late 1930s teammates.  Here's a timeline with photos and comments from those who knew him provided by First American.

SANTA ANA, Calif., March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF - News), a leading global provider of title insurance and settlement services for real estate transactions, today announced that its Chairman Emeritus Donald P. Kennedy passed away on March 24 at the age of 93.

During his career with First American, Kennedy helped to lead the company's extraordinary growth from a one-office firm in Santa Ana into a global FORTUNE® 500 company and helped introduce many of the technological innovations that transformed the title insurance industry. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120326/LA76912)

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Don Kennedy," said Dennis J. Gilmore, chief executive officer for First American. "Don was a true visionary and a man of tremendous integrity who was admired by all those who knew him. While we will greatly miss his wise counsel and quick wit, he leaves behind a legacy of creativity and innovation that will always remain with our company." When Kennedy began leading First American's expansion efforts in 1957, the company's revenues were less than $1.5 million. By 2006, they exceeded $8 billion. In a spin-off transaction completed in 2010, First American's data businesses became a separate company known as CoreLogic. First American and CoreLogic are now traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

 The grandson of First American's founder, C.E. Parker, Kennedy served First American for more than 60 years. He is credited with beginning the company's expansion efforts in 1957 with the acquisition of title companies outside the Santa Ana area. Kennedy's strategy of allowing the leadership of each First American office to operate as if it was its own company played a key role in driving this expansion and the company's profitability. First American continued to grow in later decades through international expansion and through the addition of other businesses whose products and services were involved in the real estate transaction process. In 1985, the company began developing and acquiring extensive databases of real property information, and offered products and services using this data. Parker S. Kennedy, First American's chairman and Donald Kennedy's son, stated, "When Dad started with First American, the company had one office in one county and now it has hundreds of offices throughout the world. He saw the opportunity for growth and worked tirelessly to create a great company. I couldn't have asked for a better dad and the company couldn't have had a better leader." Donald Kennedy, whose family roots in Orange County date to 1873, attended Santa Ana High School and graduated from Stanford University in 1940.

After serving in the Navy during World War II, where he took part in the landings in Southern France, he graduated from the University of Southern California School of Law. Kennedy joined First American in 1948, when it was known as Orange County Title Company. After passing the bar exam in 1949, he served as the company's associate counsel for three years, then was appointed vice president of First American in 1951, executive vice president in 1958, president in 1963, and chairman of the board in 1993. He was named chairman emeritus in 2003, a title he maintained after retiring from the board of directors in 2008. Kennedy also served as vice chairman of First American's principal subsidiary, First American Title Insurance Company. He consistently went to his office at First American's Santa Ana campus until he was 90 years old. Kennedy has left an indelible mark not only on First American, but also on the title insurance industry, helping to usher in many of the advancements and practices that are commonplace today. Among his many professional affiliations, Kennedy served as president of both the California Land Title Association and the American Land Title Association, and chaired numerous committees in both organizations.

A lifelong philanthropist, Kennedy's extensive involvement in community affairs included support of dozens of organizations focused on Orange County and Santa Ana. A past chairman of the Orange County Business Committee for the Arts, Kennedy also served on the boards of South Coast Repertory and the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, among others. When serving on the board at Bowers, he was instrumental in negotiating the museum's partnerships with the Smithsonian Institution and the British Museum. His support for the museum's north wing, which was named the Dorothy and Donald Kennedy Wing in 2007, tripled the size of its exhibit space.

He served on the board of trustees for Chapman University and was a member of Stanford University's Athletic Board, as well. Kennedy also provided key support for the creation of the Chapman University School of Law and was recognized in 1999 with the dedication of the Donald P. Kennedy Hall, a state-of-the-art teaching facility and home of the university's school of law. That same year he was named "Man of the Century" by Orange Coast Magazine. An avid life-long golfer, Kennedy scored his first hole-in-one in 1930 at the age of 12, and went on to score eight more over the next seven decades. Kennedy was a member of Stanford University's 1939 NCAA championship golf team and also was an active member of the Santa Ana Country Club for most of his life. When elected as the club's president in 1952, he was the youngest person to have served in that capacity.

Kennedy is survived by his wife of 65 years, Dorothy; his son, Parker S. Kennedy; two daughters, Elizabeth Myers and Amy Healey; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. For more information on Kennedy's life, please visit www.firstam.com.

Strong Finish for Sihwan Kim

Sihwan Kim (2011) finished 3rd, earning $11,486, in this past week's eGolf Professional Tour's Palmetto Hall Championship on Hilton Head Island.  Kim fired rounds of 70, 71, 67, 71 for a 4-day, 9-under par total of 279, just two shots behind champion Brent Delahoussaye.  To read more click here.


In other alumni news, Alex Aragon (2000), Zack Miller (2007) and Joseph Bramlett (2010) opened their 2012 campaigns on the Nationwide Tour at the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship in Bogota, Colombia.  Aragon finished 65th, earning $1,650, after rounds of 71, 70, 74 and 75 for a 4-day, 6-over par total of 290.  Miller and Bramlett missed the 2-day cut.  All three are scheduled to play March 1st-4th in the next Nationwide Tour event, the Panama Claro Championship in Panama City, Panama.

Alumni Update: California Coast and Beyond

Four Cardinal, Notah Begay (1995), Tiger Woods, Zack Miller (2007) and Joseph Bramlett (2010), competed in this past week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.  Woods grabbed headlines as he tried to claim his first PGA Tour title in over two years.  Woods, playing alongside eventual winner Phil Mickelson, struggled on Sunday with a 3-over par 75 to finish t15.  Bramlett, seeking his first PGA title, momentarily climbed into 3rd on the leaderboard by reaching 11-under on Saturday.  Unfortunately, Bramlett struggled in the later stages of Saturday's round and closed with a 75 Sunday to finish t40.  Both Begay and Miller missed the 3-day cut.

In other alumni news, Will Yanagisawa (1995) and Dodge Kemmer (2009) are grabbing attention overseas.  Yanagisawa (pictured below) won this past November on the China PGA Tour in Chongqing, China closing with a final round 67 to win by one.

Earlier this year Kemmer (pictured below) fired rounds of 66, 70, 69 and 71 to finish t2 in Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand.  Kemmer's 2011 and 2012 professional golf travels have taken him around the world competing in events in North America, Africa, Europe and Asia.  In his most recent event, the ICTSI Philippine Open, Kemmer struggled to a t74 finish.

Four Cardinal Look to Advance to Q School Finals

Notah Begay (1995, pictured above), Alex Aragon (2001), Joseph Bramlett (2010) and Steve Ziegler (2011) all compete this week in the PGA Tour's 2nd Stage of Qualifying School in hopes of advancing to the final stage.  Zack Miller (2008) is exempt into the final stage since he finished 141st of 2011 PGA Tour Money List with earnings of $427,341.

Bramlett and Ziegler tee it up November 16th - 19th at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, CA.  Begay and Aragon play the same dates but at Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation, FL.  Go Cardinal!

First Stage PGA Tour Qualifying Results

Last week four Cardinal alums, scattered across the country, competed in the First Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School.  Steve Ziegler (2011, pictured above) and Alex Aragon (2000) played their way into 2nd stage.  Rob Grube (2008) and Dodge Kemmer (2009) fell short in their qualifying bid.

Ziegler fired rounds of 70, 70, 67, 73 for a 8 under total of 280--good for 2nd place.  After opening with 72, 73, 74, Aragon rallied with a final round 69 to finish T21st, squarely on the cut line at even par.
Grube finished T25th, one shot above the cut line, and Kemmer finished 41st, five shots above the cut line.

Exempt from 1st stage, Zack Miller (2007) and Joseph Bramlett (2010) will join Ziegler and Aragon in the quest for a 2012 PGA Tour Card.  Miller and Bramlett, both 2010 PGA Tour members, return to Qualifying School after finishing outside the top 125 on the money list.

Golf helping Kemmer see world

Dodge Kemmer news keeps coming ...

BY BOB LUTZ

The Wichita Eagle

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  Larry W. Smith/The Wichita Eagle | Buy this photo
  WICHITA, KS - AUGUST 5, 2010: Dodge Kemmer from Wichita tee's off on hole number eleven during the first round of the Wichita Open in Wichita, Kansas on Thursday, August 5, 2010.
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  Larry W. Smith/The Wichita Eagle | Buy this photo
  WICHITA, KS - AUGUST 5, 2010: Dodge Kemmer from Wichita waits to tee off on hole number ten for his first pro event during the first round of the Wichita Open in Wichita, Kansas on Thursday, August 5, 2010.

• Want more Bob Lutz? Check out his blog for near-daily insights from The Eagle's sports columnist

Dodge Kemmer is a Stanford graduate with a degree in human biology. He studied pre-med. He has an uncle who is a physician. So is his uncle's wife. His parents are petroleum geologists.

Something tells me that if golf doesn't work out for Kemmer, he'll find a way.

So far, though, golf is his meal ticket. Not that he's eating at the finest restaurants; Kemmer, a 2005 graduate of Wichita Independent, is working through the maze that ultimately could lead to a nice career.

Or he might get stuck. It's too soon to tell.

Kemmer recently became a client of International Sports Management, a United Kingdom-based firm that represents four recent majors winners from Europe: Darren Clarke, Louis Oosthuizen, Rory McIlroy and Charl Schwartzel, along with Lee Westwood and a flock of others.

Kemmer, a former Stanford captain, was ranked among the world's top 20 amateur players and has spent much of 2011 playing professional on the Canadian Tour, having earned medalist honors and full exemption at the California Winter Qualifying School. He has two top-10 finishes in Canada this season and will start Q School in Dayton, Ohio., on Oct. 18 in his quest to play on the PGA Tour.

Last month, Kemmer won a Europro Tour event, the Integral Collection Classic, by five shots.

Kemmer, though, isn't stressing about his future. Talking to him gives a sense of his well-roundedness, a golfer who isn't defined by the game he plays.

"I don't think I'm a typical American touring pro,'' he said. "I've always expressed a lot of interest in playing golf in Europe and going abroad. It's definitely possible that I would try to play on the European Tour, which is something a lot of guys in the United States don't even consider. But when I turned pro, one of the things I wanted to do was use it as a chance to travel and do all the things I wouldn't be able to do if I had a more stationary job.''

That same uncle and his wife are avid bird watchers who have been to more than 100 countries, Kemmer said.

"I've never gotten into bird watching myself, but I would be willing to give it a try,'' he said. "It seems kind of cool.''

Kemmer's base is in Mountain View, Calif., near Stanford. He loves the serenity and beauty of his surroundings. He qualified for the Nationwide Tour's Wichita Open in 2010 but failed to make the cut.

Like most young golfers with professional aspirations, Kemmer is caught on the merry-go-round of emotions and disappointments, quelled at times by that one really good round or tournament.

He grew up playing in events against Topeka's Gary Woodland, who went to Kansas and might be the rookie of the year on the PGA Tour this season.

"He's always had a great game,'' Kemmer said of Woodland. "It's just a matter of being able to play well for that one or two months. There are so many guys who have the game to be out there on the PGA Tour. It's a matter of whether they're playing well at the right times.''

Kemmer said he chose to spend more time in Canada this year than on some of the mini-tours in the southeast because of the variety.

"When you're playing down there, the courses kind of look the same week after week,'' Kemmer said. "It's the same area and the same weather. The people in Canada were very friend and they come out and support those tournaments. And the courses were great, a little bit different every week.''

Whatever happens, Kemmer doesn't want to be a stranger to Europe. He was elated by ISM's decision to bring him aboard as a client and feels loyalty to the continent.

Kemmer's sister, Callie, is a standout golfer at Yale. His little brother, Riley, is a 6-foot-7 shooting guard at Collegiate and a potential Division I recruit.

Basketball is in the Kemmer family's blood; Dodge's grandfather, Howard Engleman, is an all-time great at Kansas.

"I'm sure Riley's height comes from my grandfather,'' Kemmer said. "I'm a little peeved that he got that.''

Kemmer got plenty, though. At 24, he has a killer golf game, a Stanford degree and a family heritage he is eager to live up to.

While at Stanford, Kemmer was part of a team conducting medical research on lupus, an auto-immune disease that most commonly attacks women and their skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys, blood and brain. He has been helping a Stanford Ph.D. candidate with a paper on the subject, which is nearly ready to submit.

"With my parents being geologists, science was always a high priority growing up,'' Kemmer said. "It caught my attention.''

This is a golfer with a back-up plan.

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/10/07/2052113/golf-helping-kemmer-see-world.html#ixzz1a6jnnDCx