Team-Play Event Prices Lowered to Attract Fans

In an attempt to improve on last year’s woefully small crowds, organizers of the Hyundai Team matches announced Monday two major changes that will make this year’s event more fan friendly.

Ticket prices, a major concern last year, have been slashed by nearly 50%, and an on-course shuttle will be available to ease mobility on a course that is notoriously difficult to walk, tournament director Gary Pollard said.

A three-day pass for the Dec. 15-17 tournament at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast will cost $65 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under. Single-day passes are priced at $25 and $15 for Friday practice rounds and $35 and $20 for the competition rounds Saturday and Sunday.

Last year, three-day passes were $125 and single-day passes were $65. No discounts were offered for children.

“We are pricing the tickets to reflect our desire to make this wonderful event more affordable to a greater number of people,” Pollard said. “And [we are] adding a complimentary on-course shuttle to provide greater and easier access to remote areas of the course.”

Both problems were major factors in the lackluster attendance at least year’s event. An estimated 5,500 attended the final day last year, though Pollard had hoped for 10,000.

A limited number of clubhouse passes will also be available for purchase this year. Clubhouse passes include admission to the tournament, the Pelican Hill Club House Grill and Bar and access to outdoor service area on the lower terrace. Prices are $105 for a three-day pass, $45 for Friday, $55 on Saturday and $60 on Sunday.

The matches, formerly the Diners Club Matches, feature four teams from each of the three major American professional golf tours competing in three separate tournaments.

Teams from the PGA Tour play each other as do teams from the Senior and LPGA tours.

Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson are defending champions in the Senior Tour division. Fred Couples and Mark Calcavecchia won the PGA Tour division and Dottie Pepper and Juli Inkster have won the last three titles in the LPGA division.

Phil Mickelson and Rocco Mediate of the PGA Tour, Gary McCord and John Jacobs of the Senior tour and Grace Park and Kelli Kuehne of the LPGA Tour have also committed.

Tickets: (949) 759-5175.

NOE TURNS PRO

Terry Noe of Fullerton has turned professional and will try to earn his PGA Tour card next month, his mother, Yon Noe, said.

Noe, a graduate of Sunny Hills High, is best known for defeating Tiger Woods in the first round of match play at the 1996 Western Amateur. It was the last time Woods, who turned professional that year, lost as an amateur. Noe also qualified for the U.S. Open and the Nissan Open in 1997.

The 1994 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, Noe won the Rice Planters Amateur championship this year and was runner-up in the SCGA Amateur.

He will try to qualify for the Buy.com Tour stop in Seaside next week through Monday qualifying and will do the same for the Inland Empire Open Oct. 9, Yon Noe said. He has sent in an application to play in PGA Tour qualifying school Oct. 17-20.

SENIORS TAKE AIM

Peter Daley of Newport Beach, Ira Dulaney of Santa Ana and Dennis Iden of Costa Mesa are in the field for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship beginning Saturday at Charlotte Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.

Daley and Iden played last year and both advanced to match play. Daly made it to the third round before losing, 3 and 2, to eventual runner-up Gary Menzel of Wisconsin. Iden lost in the first round to Thomas Mattox of Texas, 2 and 1.

KUNG FINISHES FOURTH

Top-ranked Candie Kung of USC, a Fountain Valley High graduate, finished fourth in the NCAA Fall Preview Sunday at Howey in the Hills Golf Course in Florida.

Kung a sophomore, shot 75-73--148 and finished two strokes back of co-champions Marta Prieto and Maria Beautell of Wake Forest (146).

Kung was an All-American selection last season and finished her freshman year ranked No. 3 in the nation. She began this year ranked No. 1.

CONWAY GOES LOW

Steve Conway, a UCLA freshman and Santa Margarita High graduate, shot a final-round, six-under-par 64 and tied for 11th in the Northwest Collegiate Classic last week at Trysting Tree Golf Course in Corvallis, Ore.

It was the low individual round of the tournament, which was won by Chris Carnahan of Oregon. Conway, making his collegiate debut, shot 70-74-64--208 and finished five strokes behind the winner. Nick Seymour of Tustin, a sophomore at Long Beach State, finished a stroke behind Conway.

ROBERT IN, ROBERT OUT

Robert Heath has taken over as director of golf at Pelican Hill, replacing Robert Ford, who resigned two weeks ago.

Heath is the former director of golf at Ocean Trails Golf Club in Palos Verdes.