Columnist Peter Benton: Starks, Kirwan receive player of year awards

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2000 | 11:40 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

The Las Vegas Chapter, Southwest Section of the PGA recently held its annual banquet at the Paiute Golf Club, where Eagle Crest's Mike Starks, with 348 points for the season, was presented with the Chapter's player of the year sward. Jim Kirwan of the Calvada layout in Pahrump was named senior player of the year.

Tom Vold (Legacy) was honored as PGA golf professional of the year, with the hard-working pro from Angel Park, Eric Clark, being named PGA junior leader of the year in recognition of his outstanding job in teaching many of our junior golfers.

Paiute Resort's Jeff Jones was unanimously selected as golf instructor of the year and Liz Carroll, who works so diligently for our Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association, was the recipient of the prized person of the year Award.

Wes Weston (Shadow Creek), Dale Akridge (South Shore) and Starks were the top three placings for the year's stroke average.

* STEWART MEMORIAL: The Memorial Tournament has announced a special vote selecting the late U.S. Open Champion Payne Stewart as honoree for 2001.

This announcement was made by the Captains Club, an international group of golf authorities who advise on the constitution and conduct of the Memorial Tournament and who are responsible for selecting its honoree each year. Jack Nicklaus was named the 2000 honoree at the Captains Club meeting last June.

Several weeks ago, Nicklaus approached the Captains Club with the request and recommendation that he step aside as honoree in 2000 so that the Memorial could honor Stewart.

* COUNTRY CLUB RESULTS: Bernie Sindler, Mort Goldstein, Jack Vergiels and Kay Garske, with a score of 211, won the Las Vegas Country Club's blind draw, three low net balls of foursome Superbowl Golf Tournament.

Glen Raynes, Lil Weigman, Angie Gurrola and Lynn Weidman, along with the team of Sam Lionel, Brad Fields, Linda Jablon and Peggy Pettis, tied for second place with 213s.

* RENO SPONSOR: Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation President John Zidich has announced the golf Internet tee time reservation system Greens.com (formerly Golfgateway.com) has agreed to serve as title sponsor of the second-year PGA Tour event.

The new agreement renames the Reno-Tahoe Open to the Greens.com Open at Reno-Tahoe for a three-year period.

* ESPY ON THE LINKS: Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods have been nominated as professional golfer of the decade by the ESPY nominating committee.

Woods also is nominated as the male golfer of the year for 1999 along with David Duval and the late Payne Stewart.

ESPN's annual review of the best performances in sport will originate this year from the MGM Grand hotel-casino on Monday.