August 11, 2008--The depth of talent in Las Vegas of those golfers playing professional golf just keeps getting deeper and deeper. A couple weeks ago, Bill Lunde, whose career seemed over at about this time last year, won a Nationwide Tour event, and in the process almost clinched his exempt status on the PGA Tour for 2009. And now Scott Piercy, a 29-year old pro whose biggest success before this time last season (he won the Ultimate Game at Wynn) came on the Hooters Tour, has cashed the champion's check, winning the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open by two shots. Piercy collected about $94,000 for the win and jumped from 123rd on the money list to 35th, just 10 spots from the coveted Top 25 that ensures full PGA Tour playing priviliges for the following season. The Ultimate Game win was worth $2 million (half of the purse went to Piercy; the other half to his investors), but this win could be the true Ultimate victory. "It could be worth more than (the Ultimate Game win)," Piercy said following the round. "Getting my TOUR card is worth a lot more than $2 million. Hopefully, I'm on my way." Many of the golfers with Las Vegas ties play and practice at some of the best Las Vegas golf courses.

August 10, 2008 (BREAKING NEWS-3:30 PM) Piercy wins event by two strokes, more to come--Scott Piercy learned the game on various Las Vegas golf courses, and the 29-year old who has been playing the Nationwide Tour this year--and the occasional PGA Tour event--is going seriously low at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open, a Nationwide event. Piercy, who won two million bucks in The Ultimate Game in Las Vegas last summer, opened with a 64 and followed that with a 62, a round that didn't feel much different than any other. "That was definitely one of those feelings you wish you could have every day," said Piercy, who has made eight cuts in 10 events this season. "It was one of those eerie calms." Piercy 'cooled off' with a 65 in the third round, but had a three-shot lead over Hunter Haas entering the final round. Two weeks prior to this event, another Las Vegas golfer won on the Nationwide Tour. Former UNLV golfer Bill Lunde won the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational.

August 6, 2008 (UPDATED 9:00 AM PST 8/10/08) --Only one of the five golfers with ties to Las Vegas made the cut. Dean Wilson was in a tie for 61st hearing into the final round. The PGA Championship tees off Thursday, August 7, and there will be five players with deep ties to Las Vegas golf courses in the field, and one hoping to get into the field. The event is being played Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan and former UNLV golfer Adam Scott (pictured) and Tommy Armour III, who grew up in Las Vegas, are in the field, as are two other former Rebel golfers, Chad Cambpell and Ryan Moore, in addition to current resident Dean Wilson. Another former UNLV player, Charley Hoffman, is an alternate and hopes to get into the field if somebody falls out before tee off. (NOTE: Hoffman was listed as getting into the field, but for unclear reasons wasn't in the final competition) Scott is reportedly again battling an illness or injury at a major but was seen out practicing with Las Vegas pro Butch Harmon earlier this week so should be ready to go. Scott, one of the world's best players, battled a high fever at last week's World Golf Championship event at Firestone, and he struggled with a hand injury earlier this year at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. LIVE SCORING.

July 29. 2008--The Cleveland Golf Pro-Scratch golf tournament was played July 20-21 at Las Vegas' Angel Park Golf Club, and two Las Vegas residents, Nick Becker (L) and Kevin Tassistro (R) survived a playoff with fellow Las Vegas golfers Kenny Ebalo and Erik Nilsson to win. Becker, the pro, pocketed $2,500 while Tassistro earned $750 in Angel Park Golf Club gift certificates. "We were actually one shot out of the lead after the first day,” said Becker. “Fortunately, we were able to stay pretty consistent and our 6-under, 65 on the second day was good enough to send us into a playoff – eventually prevailing with a birdie on the second hole." Sixty-two teams competed for cash, gift certificates and skins throughout the two-day event. Following the first round of play, the top 15 teams that opted into the Derby received an opportunity to compete in a shoot-out on Angel Park’s famed Cloud Nine Short Course. A fun-filled “event within the event,” the team of Jeff Hood and Scott Carlyle took top honors.

July 28, 2008--If you are down today, or think the glass is half-empty or your theme for the week is "Life sucks and then you die,", you should probably take a cue from former UNLV Rebel Golf All-American Bill Lunde, who yesterday chipped in for birdie (click here to watch the video of the shot and listen to Lunde) on the final hole to win his first-ever Nationwide Tour event. About two years ago, Lunde, at least when it came to his golf game, shared that gloomy outlook, especially when things went wrong. But after quitting the game for about a year, and playing in charity scrambles at Las Vegas golf courses, Lunde changed his attitude and everything with his golf game started to change for the better. He won six of 11 times on the 2007 Butch Harmon Vegas Tour, parlayed that success into an expemtion for the Las Vegas FRYS.com Open PGA Tour event where he finished in a tie for 44th, and then went to Q School and qualified for the 2008 Nationwide Tour. "Attitude is an amazing thing," said Lunde, minutes after holing his chip to win the Nationwide Children's Hospitals Invitational.

July 25, 2008 {BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: 3:00 PM PST, July 27} --Bill Lunde birdies final hole for first-ever Nationwide Tour win--click for championship story --How many players in the world have gone from playing in charity scrambles on a regular basis at Las Vegas golf courses to leading a tournament on the Nationwide Tour? The answer is exactly one, and it happens to be Las Vegas golf's own Bill Lunde, an All-American member of the 1998 UNLV National Championship golf team. Lunde basically gave up the game a couple years ago and went to work in marketing and sales for the Las Vegas Founders, the group that operated Las Vegas' PGA Tour event for a couple decades. And since everyone knew that Lunde was the best stick around, the invites to area charity events poured in, and being the nice guy that he is, and the networking opportunity that playing provided, he accepted several offers. "It was kind of good for me to be out there playing in these charity events," says Lunde, who fired a 67 to share the lead after the first round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational. "I got invited to play a lot, because everyone knew I played golf and everyone thought I would be a good team member to have. So I got invited to play a lot and it was good for my work at the time because I got to meet a lot of people and meet a lot of the guys that were supporting charity events around Las Vegas." LIVE SCORING.

July 24, 2008--Natalie Gulbis is a resident of Lake Las Vegas Resort in Las Vegas, an area that is the home of three Las Vegas golf courses. She has played on U.S. Solheim Cup teams, been highly-ranked in the world rankings, and last year, broke through for her first LPGA Tour win at the prestigious Evian Masters in France. Before her title defense, she spoke at length with the media about working with Las Vegas' Butch Harmon, living in Las Vegas, the state of her game, and the meaning of defending her first title. "(There are) tons of memories," said Gulbis. "From being in the airport, to just being around Evian and getting to stay at the Royale this year, which is a great perk. It's fun to see all the pictures of all the other defending champions around the golf course. So it's a fun week." NOTE: Gulbis finished her title defense at -7 and in a tie for 17th with good friend Annika Sorenstam. LIVE SCORING. Photo: JRICKMARTIN.

July 16, 2008--Butch Harmon has lived in Las Vegas for just over a decade, and in that time has made an indelible impression in his new hometown. In addition to operating the Butch Harmon School of Golf at Las Vegas golf course Rio Secco Golf Club (pictured)--where many of the world's best golfers come to fine tune their swings--Harmon has gotten out into the Las Vegas golf community and helped where he can. He has a tournament series on the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Tour--operated by The First Tee of Southern Nevada--named for him; he's teamed with Greg Maddux to co-host a Las Vegas golf event that is closing in on raising a million dollars for charity; he's created the Butch Harmon Vegas Tour that offers aspiring pros a chance to earn a living; he's a member of the Las Vegas PGA Tour event executive board; and he's a member of the Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame. So, with that resume, it's no surprise that he is taking the high road in the saga of John Daly, who is again ripping Harmon for calling him out about his personal issues. We'll take Harmon's word over Daly's. Harmon and Daly are at Royal Birkdale this week for the playing of the British Open.

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.