Johnson
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – PGA Tour winner and rising star Dustin Johnson was arrested Monday and charged with driving under the influence in South Carolina, police said.
Johnson, who won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February for his second PGA Tour victory in five months, was booked into the J. Long Detention Center on Monday and released 22 minutes later.
“I made an error in judgment that I deeply regret,” Johnson said in a statement released by the PGA Tour. “I have let myself down and others who support me. I am handling the matter privately, and rest assured, I will definitely learn from my mistake.”
A trooper pulled over Johnson’s black sport utility vehicle about 1 a.m. Monday in Horry County for a traffic violation. During the stop, the officer determined Johnson was under the influence and arrested him.
Johnson, 24, is No. 9 in the FedEx Cup standings and is No. 40 in the world ranking. He is scheduled to play in the Shell Houston Open this week before playing in the Masters for the first time.
Ballesteros continues treatment
MADRID – Pale and thin but resilient as ever, Seve Ballesteros says he’s been given the “mulligan of his life.”
Speaking for the first time about his battle with cancer, Ballesteros appeared in photos Tuesday in Marca, a sports daily. He has lost 33 pounds since being admitted to Madrid’s La Paz hospital in October. The 51-year-old golf great has had four operations and chemotherapy to destroy a malignant brain tumor.
“This is the most important shot of my life. I’m fighting to win my sixth major,” the five-time major said. “Life has given me a second chance.”
Ballesteros started his fourth round of chemotherapy Saturday.
Augusta National moves to top
For only the second time in 25 years, there’s a new No. 1 in Golf Digest’s biennial list of “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” – Augusta National.
The home course of the Masters has replaced Pine Valley atop the list, which is in the May edition of the magazine that hits newsstands Tuesday Augusta was No. 3 two years ago.
Pine Valley is No. 2, followed by Shinnecock Hills, Cypress Point and Oakmont Country Club. Pebble Beach, the only other course to be ranked No. 1 ahead of Pine Valley, has slipped to No. 6 in the 2009-2010 list. Rounding out the top 10 are Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia, Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, Fishers Island Club in New York and Seminole Golf Club in south Florida.
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LOCAL HOLES-IN-ONE
Chad Warlaw, 138-yard No. 10 at 49ers Country Club, pitching wedge. Witness: Charlie Sales.
Gerry Fischer, 138-yard No. 10 at 49ers Country Club, pitching wedge. Witness: Terry Olsen.
Carl C. Wachsman, 158-yard No. 15 at El Rio, 5-wood. Witnesses: Doug Hedlund, John Birch.
Jeanne Lentz, 95-yard No. 15 at Fred Enke, 8-iron. Witnesses: Mary Adams, Mary West, Jan Jacobson.
John Kling, 178-yard No. 9 at Silverbell, 5-iron. Witnesses: Tom Roper, Bill Gordon.