July 14, 2008 (UPDATED 2:45 PST, July 18)--There are three golfers playing in the British Open--officially called The Open Championship--with deep ties to Las Vegas. First is Adam Scott, the former UNLV golfer who is the world's third-ranked player, and a pick by many to win his first major this week. Scott is making his 9th appearance in the event, and is riding a streak of making four cuts in a row at the Open, including a tie for 8th in 2006. Second is Craig Barlow, a native of Las Vegas who plays out of Reflection Bay Golf Club, who nabbed a spot in the Open by qualifying in late June at Dearborn Country Club in Michigan. It is the first appearance for Barlow at the Open, a 12-year veteran of the PGA Tour. The third Las Vegas golfer is Alex Cejka (pictured), who now resides in Summerlin and plays a lot of golf at TPC Las Vegas. Cejka grabbed a spot on the same day as Barlow, but at the TPC of Michigan. Cejka finished tied for 11th in 1996 and tied for 13th in 2001, and is making his 7th appearance. Scott is still working through a hand injury, but says he wouldn't be playing if it wasn't OK. "I am ready for 100 percent golf but whether my finger is 100 percent healed I'm not sure," Scott said before last week's Scottish Open. "The finger seems okay and I'm still having treatment on it but it doesn't bother me. But I would not be playing this week or next week if it was not okay." Horrible weather greeted the golfers in the first round, and unfortunately Barlow's early tee time sealed his fate. He followed his first round 79 with a respectable 72 in the second round but missed the cut. Scott is in at +4 and in a tie for 16th. Cejka shot 76 to land in a tie for 74th after the first round and followed with a 74 and missed the cut by a single shot.

July 7, 2008--There were names of Las Vegas golfers all over the final results of the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour over the July 4th weekend, including Tommy Armour III (grew up in Las Vegas, pictured) and Dean Wilson (resident), who finished in a tie for third at the AT&T National, while Alex Cejka (resident) finished in a tie for 9th. And U.S. Women's Open champ, Inbee Park (resident), continued her strong play with a 10th-place finish at the LPGA Tour's P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Classic. Plus, Stephanie Louden (grew up in Las Vegas) made her first appearance in 2008 following her stint away due to the birth of her first child. She finished in a tie for 49th in Arkansas. Armour III has made 9 out of his last 10 cuts, and finished in the top 10 five times during the stretch that started about the same time his brother, Sandy, hopped back on his bag as caddie. Armour III flashed his notable personality during the week when asked why he enjoys playing in the Washington, DC area, where the event was held at Congressional Country Club. "I like D.C., I like to play golf and those are the two things," Armour III wryly said. "I just like to come here. There's nothing particular. I like the area. I've always enjoyed coming here."

June 29, 2008--Las Vegas golfer Inbee Park is pictured warming up just minutes before her final-round tee time at the U.S. Women's Open, and is showing off an all-white outfit as she begins the final round two shots behind the leader, Stacy Lewis, who stands at 9-under par. Park, a former Bishop Gorman High School player here in Las Vegas, finished in a tie for fourth at the U.S. Women's Open last year, and is trying to become the first golfer with strong Las Vegas golf ties to win a major championship. But Park told the media after shooting a 2-under par 71 in the third round that she didn't have any special plans for the final round, a la Tiger's red or fellow LPGA Tour star Paula Creamer who goes pink. "Special plans?" she said, repeating a reporter's question. "No, I'm not too superstitious and I played good through the last three days, so I'll just keep doing the same thing and watch what happens tomorrow." But if she wins the Open today, it probably is safe to assume that Park will be wearing white a lot on Sundays. The photo was taken by Women's Southern Nevada Golf Association President Sherry Corsello who is serving on the television rules committee at the Open. As this was posting, Park chipped in for birdie on her first hole of the final round. LIVE SCORING.

June 28, 2008 9:00 AM PST (UPDATED 11:21 AM PST)--There are Las Vegas golf ties to the U.S. Women's Open all over the place. The most prominent tie currently is that former Bishop Gorman high school player Inbee Park (pictured) is challenging for the title. But maybe the most interesting story for the everyday fan is that of Sherry Corsello, the president of the Women's Southern Nevada Golf Association, who is assisting the television crews and getting a seat inside the ropes as the best women golfers in the world compete for the ladies' national golf championship. Plus, there are six other Las Vegas golfers in the field, including Natalie Gulbis, Amy Hung, Kim Hall and others. After two rounds Park, who works with Sean Callahan at Las Vegas' Butch Harmon School of Golf at Rio Secco Golf Club, was at -5 and one shot behind leader Angela Park. Meanwhile, Corsello says that her job is as the leader of the television rules committee that is riding along with the handheld cameras that capture the fairway and putting shots of the leaders or hot players. Read on for Park's complete post-round press conference. Corsello reports from the course that Inbee is smiling and talking to her caddie after birdieing the first hole, and also trying to keep her cap on in the cool and windy conditions. Park then made bogey on two. Follow Inbee's scorecard. LIVE SCORING.

June 27, 2008--Could it get much better than this: winning a workout session, 9 holes of golf, and dinner with LPGA Tour superstar Natalie Gulbis? Now you have your chance with an essay contest recently launched by one of Gulbis' sponsors, RSM McGladrey. Gulbis lives on the fairways of Jack Nicklaus' Reflection Bay Golf Club, one of three Las Vegas golf courses located at the prestigious Lake Las Vegas Resort. The "Who's Behind Your Success?" contest, which is open to anyone over age 18, invites participants to submit essays of 200 words or less, highlighting the most influential and/or inspirational individual behind the success in their life. The contest is based on Gulbis' own essay about her father, John, who inspired her to greatness. Click now at Win a Day With Natalie to enter. Gulbis unfortunately missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen Country Club in Minnesota, even though she said before the tournament that the course setup was very fair. LIVE SCORING. "Interlachen is very fair and very challenging ... if you control your approach shots and stay below the hole you can score," Gulbis wrote in an email before teeing off. "If you do not drive the ball in the fairway and stay below the hole, making par is difficult."

June 14, 2008--Torrey Pines--9:30 AM PST (UPDATED JUNE 18 10:31 AM PST) --For the most part, the talk about the galleries at Torrey Pines for the U.S. Open has been very good. Thousands upon thousands of golf fans have flocked to the stunningly beautiful Torrey Pines on the coast of California to get a glimpse of the world's best players, and nearly all are having a good time and minding their golf manners. But there is an exception to every rule. Tony Navarro, the caddie for Las Vegas golfer Adam Scott, a former UNLV Rebel and current student of Butch Harmon at his school located at Rio Secco Golf Club in Las Vegas, got into a scrap with a father and son during the second round. Soon the police intervened and arrested the two who were apparently drunk. Scott was paired with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for the first two rounds, and the incident happened on the final hole of the second round. JUNE 18: At first, reports were that Navarro could be charged in the incident but a San Diego police spokesperson says the investigation is over and no charges will be filed against Navarro. We are awaiting word from the USGA on any other comment about Navarro's actions. Photo courtesy USGA.org.

June 13, 2008--Torrey Pines--10:30 PM PST--Tiger Woods (pictured), at 2-under par, is lurking at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, just one shot behind the second-round leader Stuart Appleby. And that's after two double bogeys in the first round and four bogeys during an 8-hole stretch in round two. But the reason it appears he is well on his way to the winner's circle is that little 30 he threw down on his back nine of round two (the course's front nine). Woods appeared to shake off the rust from his layoff on the walk between the 18th and 1st tees, and went on a birdie binge with four on the first five holes. He finished with another birdie on the 9th hole, his 18th, and with a round of 68. Former UNLV golfer Adam Scott again played with Tiger and Phil Mickelson, but ended the second round at +4 and in a tie for 35th with Mickelson and others. "This golf course is only going to get harder and more difficult," said Woods. "Adam and Phil were playing pretty good. But it doesn't take much, just make a couple of mistakes here and there. This golf course will bite you quick. And you just have to hang in there and stay patient." Three Las Vegas golfers made the cut, while three didn't. Photo courtesy USGA.org