Golf schedule

Wednesday, July 16, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.

Site: Sandwich, England.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Royal St. George's Golf Club (7,106 yards, par 71).

Purse: $6.24 million. Winner's share: $1.12 million.

Television: TNT (Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 7-9 a.m.; Sunday, 6-8 a.m.) and ABC (Saturday, 6 a.m.-11:30 a.m.; Sunday, 5 a.m.-10:30 a.m.).

Last year: South Africa's Ernie Els won at Muirfield, beating France's Thomas Levet in the first sudden-death finish in tournament history. Els beat Levet with a par on the first hole of sudden death after Australians Steve Elkington and Stuart Appleby were eliminated in a four-hole playoff.

Last week: Els won the Scottish Open for the second time in four seasons, beating Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and Wales' Phillip Price by five strokes. ... Kenny Perry won the Greater Milwaukee Open, his third victory in his last four starts. Steve Allan and Heath Slocum tied for second, a stroke back.

Notes: Tiger Woods, the 2000 winner at St. Andrews, is coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Western Open. Winless in the last four major championships, he's attempting to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win the career Grand Slam at least two times over. Nicklaus accomplished the feat three times. ... Els has five international victories this year. In addition to the Scottish Open, he swept the PGA Tour's Hawaii stops and won twice in Australia. ... Greg Norman won the 1993 tournament at Royal St. George's with a record 267 total. ... The 2004 tournament will be played at Troon, and the 2005 event is set for St. Andrews.

On the Net: www.opengolf.com

PGA Tour site: www.pgatour.com

PGA European Tour site: www.europeantour.com ---- LPGA TOUR Big Apple Classic

Site: New Rochelle, N.Y.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Wykagyl Country Club (6,161 yards, par 71).

Purse: $950,000. Winner's share: $142,500.

Television: NBC (Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-noon).

Last year: South Korea's Gloria Park beat compatriot Hee-Won Han with a 6-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff.

Last week: Beth Daniel became the oldest winner in LPGA Tour history, birdieing the final two holes to beat Juli Inkster by a stroke in the Canadian Women's Open. At 46 years, 8 months and 29 days, Daniel broke the age record of 46 years, 5 months and 11 days set by JoAnne Carner in the 1985 SAFECO Classic.

Notes: Annika Sorenstam, the 1998 and 2000 winner, is skipping the tournament. ... Daniel won the 1994 tournament, beating Laura Davies in a playoff. ... Rosie Jones won the 2001 event for her fifth title in the state of New York. ... The Evian Masters is next week in France, followed by the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

On the Net: www.lpga.com ---- PGA TOUR B.C. Open

Site: Endicott, N.Y.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: En-Joie Golf Club (6,994 yards, par 72).

Purse: $3 million. Winner's share: $540,000.

Television: USA (Thursday-Friday, 4-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).

Last year: Spike McRoy won his first PGA Tour title, overcoming a seven-stroke deficit with a final-round 65 for a one-stroke victory over Fred Funk

Last week: Kenny Perry won the Greater Milwaukee Open, his third victory in his last four starts. Steve Allan and Heath Slocum tied for second, a stroke back.

Notes: Joey Sindelar, from Horseheads, N.Y., passed up a spot in the British Open to play in his home event. He won the tournament in 1985 and 1987. ... The Greater Hartford Open is next week, followed by the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich.

On the Net: www.pgatour.com ---- CHAMPIONS TOUR

Next event: Senior British Open, July 24-27, Turnberry Golf Club, Alisa Course, Turnberry, Scotland.

Last week: Craig Stadler won the Senior Players Championship, beating Tom Watson, Jim Thorpe and Tom Kite by three strokes.

On the Net: www.pgatour.com ---- NATIONWIDE TOUR Henrico County Open

Site: Richmond, Va.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: The Dominion Club (7,089 yards, par 72).

Purse: $450,000. Winner's share: $81,000.

Television: None.

Last year: Monday qualifier Patrick Moore won the first of three 2002 titles, holing a 15-foot eagle putt on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over John Maginnes.

Last week: Joe Ogilvie won for the second time this year, taking the Reese's Cup Classic to move within a victory of an automatic promotion to the PGA Tour. The former Duke player leads the money list with $315,177.

Notes: The tournament was rescheduled after rain wiped out play in late May. ... Notah Begay shot a 59 in the 1998 event. ... The Dayton Open is next week, followed by the Chattanooga Classic.

On the Net: www.pgatour.com

--- OTHER TOURNAMENTS Men

U.S. GOLF ASSOCIATION: U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, through Saturday, Blue Heron Pines Golf Club, Galloway Township, N.J. On the Net: www.usapl.org

NGA/HOOTERS TOUR: Health Facilities Rehab Classic, Thursday-Sunday, Boot Heel Golf Club, Sikeston, Mo. On the Net: www.hooterstour.com

CANADIAN TOUR: Edmonton Open, Thursday-Sunday, Windermere Golf Club, Edmonton, Alberta. On the Net: www.cantour.com