Thursday, April 23, 1998 | 7:39 a.m.
All Times EDT
PGA TOUR
Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic
Site: Greensboro, N.C.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Forest Oaks Country Club (7,062 yards, par 72).
Purse: $2.2 million.
Winner's share: $396,000.
Television: USA (Thursday-Friday, 4-6 p.m.) and CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).
Last year: New Zealand's Frank Nobilo won his first PGA Tour title, parring the first hole of a playoff with Brad Faxon. Nobilo closed with a 5-under 67 in rainy conditions to match Faxon at 14-under 274.
Last week: Davis Love III won his fourth MCI Classic, finishing with a 6-under 65 for a tournament-record seven-stroke victory over Glen Day. Love, also the winner in 1987, 1991 and 1992, had an 18-under 266 total at Harbour Town in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Notes: Sam Snead had a tour-record eight victories from 1938 to 1965, including consecutive victories in 1949-50 and 1955-56. His 1965 victory made him the tour's oldest winner at 52 years, 10 months, eight days ... John Daly is making his 12th start of the year. He missed the cut in the MCI Classic with rounds of 79 and 78. ... Love, skipping the tournament, set the course record with a 10-under 62 in the final round of his 1992 victory. ... Masters champion Mark O'Meara won the 1996 tournament. ... Chip Beck, a four-time PGA Tour winner and one of only two players to shoot a 59 in a tour event, has failed to complete a tournament in 32 straight starts. He has missed 30 consecutive cuts, and withdrew from two events. ... The Houston Open is next week, followed by the BellSouth Classic at Duluth, Ga. ... The tour's Web site is www.pgatour.com.
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LPGA TOUR
Chick-fil-A Charity Championship
Site: Stockbridge, Ga.
Schedule: Friday-Sunday.
Course: Eagle's Landing Country Club (6,248 yards, par 72).
Purse: $700,000.
Winner's share: $105,000.
Television: ESPN2 (Friday, 1-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 2-4 p.m.).
Last year: Nancy Lopez won the rain-shortened tournament for her 48th tour title, shooting 71-66. Australian star Karrie Webb, Deb Richard and Tina Barrett tied for second, two strokes back.
Last week: Webb successfully defended her title in the Myrtle Beach Classic, finishing with a 5-under 67 for a three-stroke victory over Meg Mallon. Webb, also the Australian Masters winner, had a 19-under 269 total. Mallon matched the LPGA record with a 10-under 62 in the first round. She closed with rounds of 73, 68 and 69.
Notes: Sweden's Annika Sorenstam is winless in six starts this year. She led the tour last year with six victories and record earnings of $1,236,769. ... Laura Davies set the tournament record of 15-under 201 in 1995. The English star had three straight 67s. ... The Mercury Titleholders Championship is next week at Daytona Beach, Fla., followed by the Sara Lee Classic at Nashville, Tenn. .... The tour's Web site is www.lpga.com.
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SENIOR PGA TOUR
Las Vegas Senior Classic
Site: Las Vegas.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: TPC at Summerlin (6,963 yards, par 72) and TPC at The Canyons (6,839 yards, par 71).
Purse: $1.4 million
Winner's share: $210,000.
Television: ESPN (Friday, 3-5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 5:30-7 p.m.).
Last year: Hale Irwin won the fourth of his record-tying nine 1997 titles, closing with a 1-over 72 in windy conditions for a one-stroke victory over Japan's Isao Aoki. Irwin had a 6-under 207 total at The Canyons.
Last week: Irwin won the PGA Seniors' Championships for the third straight year, closing with a 2-under 70 for a seven-stroke victory over Larry Nelson. Irwin, a 15-time winner in 65 senior starts, had a 13-under 275 total on PGA National's Champion course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Notes: The tournament has expanded from 54 holes to 72, with the final two rounds to be played at Summerlin. ... Las Vegas resident Jim Colbert won in 1995 and 1996. ... Gil Morgan, a three-time winner this year, leads the money list with $776,580. Irwin is second at $740,650. ... The Bruno's Memorial Classic is next week at Birmingham, Ala., followed by the Home Depot Invitational at Charlotte, N.C.
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NIKE TOUR
Huntsville Open
Site: Owens Cross Roads, Ala.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: Hampton Cove Golf Club, River Course (7,200 yards, par 72).
Purse: $225,000.
Winner's share: $40,500.
Television: The Golf Channel (Thursday, 1-3:30 p.m.; Friday, noon-2:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3:30 p.m.).
Last year: John Elliott won the rain-shortened tournament, closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory over Tom Shaw. Elliott had a 12-under 204 total at Cherokee Ridge in Union Grove.
Last week: Tom Scherrer won the rain-shortened Upstate Classic at Greenville, S.C., shooting a 6-under 66 on Saturday for a 16-under 200 total. J.L. Lewis finished a stroke back.
Notes: Casey Martin, two months removed from a federal court ruling that allowed him to use a cart in competition, failed to qualify for weekend play in his last two starts. Martin, who has a circulatory disorder in his right leg, won the season-opening Lakeland Classic on Jan. 11. ... Hampton Cove is part of Alabama's 18-course, seven-site Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. ... The South Carolina Classic is next week at Florence.
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PGA EUROPEAN TOUR
Spanish Open
Site: Barcelona, Spain.
Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.
Course: El Prat Golf Club (6,639 yards, par 72).
Purse: $918,500.
Winner's share: $153,072.
Television: The Golf Channel (Thursday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon and 9-11 p.m.; Sunday, 8-11 a.m. and 9-11 p.m.).
Last year: England's Mark James won at Golf La Moraleja II in Madrid, parring the third hole of a playoff with Australia's Greg Norman. James, also the 1988 winner, closed with a 3-under 69 to match Norman at 11-under 277.
Last event: France's Thomas Levet won the Cannes Open for first European tour title, finishing with a 2-over 73 for a one-stroke victory over New Zealand's Greg Turner, Germany's Sven Struver and Wales' Phillip Price. Levet had a 6-under 278 total.
Notes: Seve Ballesteros is winless since the 1995 tournament at Club de Campo. The Spanish star also won in 1981 at El Prat and 1985 at Vallromanas. ... Germany's Bernhard Langer, the 1984 and 1989 winner, tops the field along with Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, Wales' Ian Woosnam, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, and Italy's Costantino Rocca. ... The Italian Open is next week at Milan. ... The tour's Web site is www.europeantour.com.
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OTHER TOURNAMENTS
Japan PGA Tour: Kirin Open, Thursday-Sunday, Ibaragi Golf Club, East Course, Tsukuba, Japan.
NGA-Hooters Tour: Lady Luck Classic, Thursday-Sunday, Belwood Country Club, Natchez, Miss.
Japan LPGA Tour: Nasu Ogawa Ladies, Friday-Sunday, Nasu Ogawa Golf Club, Nasu, Japan.
Futures Tour: Sun 'N Lake Classic, Friday-Sunday, Sun 'N Lake Golf and Country Club, Sebring, Fla.
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