With apologies for yet another (hopefully final!) computer-related delay...

PGA Tour:  The Players Championship

Site: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium course)  -  Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Yards: 7,215     Par: 72
Defending: Phil Mickelson 277  (beat Sergio Garcia by 2)
Field:   World Top 25: All except Tiger Woods (1)   Other Notables: Everyone else who’s physically able.

Notes: This is the 35th edition of The Players Championship, which was initially played at the Atlanta Country Club, the Colonial Country Club, the Inverrary Golf & Country Club in 1974, ’75 and ’76, then at the Sawgrass Country Club from 1977-81.........Pete Dye’s legendary Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass opened just across the road from the Sawgrass Country Club in 1982 and, through multiple renovations, has hosted the event ever since.........The tournament record is held by Greg Norman, who torched the Stadium course for a 264 total in 1994 which remains the Sawgrass record by six and the overall record by five.........Always boasting an elite field, this year’s Players features the entirety of the world top 25, with the exception of the injured Tiger Woods.........The PGA Tour will, of course, trumpet this relentlessly as “The Fifth Major” which would actually be amusing were it not so mind-numbing.........I’m not absolutely certain that there aren’t Tour players who’d actually rather win this than the PGA Championship, but any way you look at it, four is four is four…

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European PGA Tour:  Methorios Capital Italian Open

Site: Castello di Tolcinasco Golf Club  -  Milan, Italy
Yards: 7,283     Par: 72
Defending: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 200  (beat Markus Brief in a playoff)
Field:   World Top 25: None   Other Notables: Anders Hansen, Robert Karlsson, Stephen Dodd & Charl Schwartzel.

Notes: The Italian Open is one of the European Tour’s most established events, having been contested since 1925.........Though won by homeland stars like Alfonso Angelini, Aldo Casera and Ugo Grappasonni in the early postwar years, it has generally been dominated by British and European players, especially France’s Auguste Boyer (who won the title four times before the war) and Belgium’s Flory Van Donck (who claimed it three times afterward).........The only American to win it was Billy Casper, who edged Briton Brian Barnes by one in 1975.

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Japan & Asian Tours:  Pine Valley Beijing Open

Site: Pine Valley Golf Resort  -  Beijing, China
Yards: 7,259     Par: 72
Defending: Gaurav Ghei 272  (beat Adam Blyth by 2)
Field:   World Top 25: None    Other Notables: Thongchai Jaidee & Thaworn Wiratchant.

Notes: This is the second playing of this young event, but the first time it will be tri-sponsored by the Asian and Japan Tours, and the China Golf Association.........Though the Asian and Japan Tours have collaborated once before, this is the first J Tour-sanctioned event to played off Japanese soil – let the OneAsia conversation begin!.........Though the event is trumpeting its invasion of J Tour stars, the field is actually a light one, as the region’s elite will, of course, be in Florida for the Players Championship.

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Sunshine Tour:  Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open

Site: Royal Swazi Sun Country Club – Swaziland, South Africa
Metres: 6,166     Par: 72
Defending: Des Terblanche +50 (Stableford)  (beat James Kamte by 2 points)
Field:   World Top 25: None    Other Notables: Desvonde Botes, Darren Fichardt, Hennie Otto & Des Terblanche.

Notes: Like the Asian and Japan Tours, the Sunshine circuit – which generally sees few of its world-class stars compete at home during the American summer months anyway – is virtually devoid of world-class talent this week, though men like Darren Fichardt and Hennie Otto have certainly proven their worth in Europe.........This event has been played under the Modified Stableford system since 2003, twice being claimed by 17-time Sunshine winner Des Terblanche during that time (2003 & ’07).........Sadly, our hero, PowerHouse McIntyre narrowly missed qualifying when a bogey at the 18th hole knocked him fron the final spot.

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LPGA Tour:  Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill

Site: Kingsmill Resort & Spa (River course)  -  Williamsburg, VA
Yards: 6,315     Par: 71
Defending: Suzann Pettersen 274  (beat Jee Young Lee in a playoff)
Field:   Ranked: The entire Rolex top 20 except Ji-Yai Shin (7), Se Ri Pak (12), Sakura Yokomine (17) & Yuri Fudoh (19).    Other Notables: Laura Davies, Meg Mallon, Liselotte Neumann, Grace Park & Michelle Wie.

Notes: The LPGA returns to Pete Dye’s River course at the Kingsmill Resort for the sixth time, having replaced the PGA Tour her in 2003 following a 22-year run (1981-2002) by the men.........A strong field is entered, including the world’s top six players, led by number Lorena Ochoa, who will be looking to begin a new winning streak after tying for 5th at last week’s SemGroup Championship.........With her playoff triumph over Jee Young Lee, defending champion Suzann Pettersen claimed her first-ever LPGA victory here a year aho, kicking off a run that included five wins, a Major title (the LPGA Championship) and a rise to second in the world ranking.........Kingsmill seems well-suited to brining out the best as past winners have included Grace Park (2003), Se Ri Pak (2004), Cristie Kerr (2005) and Karrie Webb (2006).

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Elsewhere...
On the women’s side, the LET makes its maiden visit to Turkey for the Garanti American Express Turkish Open, the JLPGA returns to Tokyo for the grandly named World Ladies Championship, and the KLPGA remains in action with the KB Star Tour in Chungcheong.   On the male side, the Nationwide Tour travels to Arkansas for the Ft. Smith Classic.