Tag: golf

A good walk shared: D.J. Gregory making strides alongside PGA Tour stars

by Bob Young
  • Slug: Sports-Golf-Phoenix Open walker, about 1300 words.
  • Photos available.

By Christopher Gleason
Cronkite News

SCOTTSDALE – Born 10 weeks premature, D.J. Gregory has had 11 surgeries in his lifetime, five on his legs and six on his eyes. One of those involved having the abductor muscles in his legs cut, leaving Gregory without the ability to balance.

As a result, he went from army crawling on his stomach around the house as a child, to using a walker, then using two canes. Such is the life of someone who has cerebral palsy, a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture.

Now at 42 Gregory needs just one cane. And does it ever get a lot of use.

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Phoenix Open breaks another record: This one involves Thunderbirds, charities

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Thunderbird charities, 560 words

By PERRY COHEN
Cronkite News

PHOENIX  — The Thunderbirds announced another record-breaking performance for the Waste Management Phoenix Open. This time, it wasn’t just about attendance.

At the newly renovated emergency department at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, tournament chairman Andy Markham revealed Wednesday the 2017 event raised more than $10 million for charity.

The total eclipses the previous record, set in 2016, by approximately $850,000 and marks the sixth year in a row the Thunderbirds have set a fundraising high.
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Chandler’s Andersen, caddie father ready for U.S. Open

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Sports-ANDERSEN, 750 words
  • Photo available

By GREG MACAFEE
Cronkite News

CHANDLER — Mason Andersen, a recent Hamilton High School graduate, will compete with some of the best golfers in the world Thursday at the U.S. Open.

Mason won’t be tackling this year’s star-studded field at Erin Hills Country Club in Wisconsin alone. At a tournament that concludes on Father’s Day, his dad, Richard, will be walking alongside him as his caddie.

“I’m no real caddie,” Richard said. “I’m just there to calm him down really or to keep him up. Sometimes he’ll make a couple bogeys to start a round and I have to remind him that ‘you’ve done this before. I’ve seen you start off with three bogeys and then follow it up with three birdies and you’re right back where you started. You can do this.’ ”

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Cardinals play golf for good cause with NFL draft on the mind

by Paola Boivin
  • Slug: Cardinals golf, 520 words
  • Photo available

By MARK HARRIS
Cronkite News

CHANDLER — It was a normal Wednesday morning at the Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, except for one small detail: The Arizona Cardinals were in attendance.

Cardinals players, coaches and team personnel hit the course to connect with fans and for a charitable cause in conjunction with Dignity Health and Cardinals Charities.

And although golf was what brought the Cardinals together, it wasn’t the only focus. Before the event started, Cardinals management admitted it had the 2017 NFL Draft on its mind.

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LPGA players offer glimpse of life off the golf course

by Adnan Alam
  • Slug: Sports-LPGA Players, 630 words.
  • No Photo available

By TYLER HANDLAN
Cronkite News

PHOENIX — Three Valley-based LPGA Tour stars gathered at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa Thursday to preview the Bank of Hope Founders Cup golf tournament coming in March.

However, rather than spending a lot of time talking about the Wildfire Golf Club course, or the current state of their games, Cristie Kerr, Cheyenne Woods and Ryann O’Toole took the discussion outside the ropes.

Kerr talked about her passion for wine. Woods discussed shopping and fashion. And O’Toole described a daredevil’s love of surfing, skateboarding and wakeboarding.

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