Chuck Burton, Associated Press Tiger Woods, left, and Michael Jordan created quite the buzz around Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., when they were paired together in yesterday's pro-am at the Wachovia Championship. Click photo for larger image. Birdies & Bogeys: 5/3/07 This week's Lipouts: 5/3/07 Next on the tee: 5/3/07 Past moment at Oakmont Country Club

Michael Jordan might get to play golf with Tiger Woods in a pro-am at the Wachovia Championship, but he isn't even among the top athletes, past or present, who play golf.

Mario Lemieux is recognized as a near-scratch golfer, a person who is the host to one of the best celebrity tournaments in the country, but he wasn't even the best golfer on his own hockey team.

Adam LaRoche brought 32 home runs and a .285 batting average to the Pirates this season, but he also brought something else -- a 4-handicap on the golf course.

Who are the best golfers among professional athletes? Golf Digest prints its list in this month's magazine and heading the list is former Pirates pitcher Rick Rhoden, who followed a successful career on the diamond with another on the golf course.

Rhoden, who won 43 times on the celebrity tour and played in 15 events last season on the Champions Tour, is one of three former Pittsburgh athletes who rank among the top six and one of six among the top 50 on Golf Digest's list.

"After 10 years I'd seen and been through everything in baseball," Rhoden said in an interview with Golf Digest. "Every golf course in America has scratch players, but that doesn't mean they can make a dime playing professional golf. Those guys are very good at not wasting shots, at shooting par or better when everything's not clicking. On the celebrity tour, if I shot around par, very few players would pass me. On tour, 50 guys would."

Rhoden heads the rankings with a plus-2.5 handicap, but two other former Pittsburgh athletes are close behind -- former Penguins forward Dan Quinn (plus-2.1, fourth) and former Pirates outfielder Andy Van Slyke (plus-1.8, sixth).

Former Pitt and Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino is ranked No. 43 with a 2.2 handicap. Lemieux (2.3) is No. 46 and former Penguins center Pierre Larouche (2.4) is 47th. The players were ranked according to handicap information from the United States Golf Association's Golf Handicap and Information Network.

Way down the list is Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, whose 7-handicap got him a No. 121 ranking. That doesn't even make him the best player on his own team, a distinction that belongs to punter Chris Gardocki (6), who is ranked No. 107. The only other current Pittsburgh athlete on the list is LaRoche, who is ranked 73rd.

Trivia

In the second round of the Corona Morelia Championship, Sarah Lee shot an 8-under 28 on her final nine holes to become the seventh player in LPGA Tour history to tie the record for low nine-hole score in relation to par. Who was the previous player to do it? Answer at end.

Olde Stonewall moving up

Olde Stonewall, acclaimed as the best public golf course in Western Pennsylvania by the Post-Gazette, is climbing the list of national rankings, too.

Designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Frye in 1999, Olde Stonewall has moved into the top 50 among America's Top 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest magazine. Also, it was named the No. 1 public course in Pennsylvania and the eighth best among all courses, public and private, in the state. Only Oakmont and Laurel Valley ranked ahead of Olde Stonewall in Western Pennsylvania.

In addition, Olde Stonewall was ranked the best public course in Pennsylvania by Golfweek magazine.

"You can't believe how many people have called because they're coming in for the U.S. Open," said Jesse Horner, director of golf at Olde Stonewall. "The national recognition not only brings credibility to your price, but it brings recognition from outside your area."

Olde Stonewall carries a steep greens fee -- $160 weekdays and weekend -- but the course attracts golfers from outside the state, despite its remote location in Ellwood City.

"It's kind of icing on the cake that we're doing something right," Horner said.

Quicksilver Classic next week

Quicksilver GC continues its foray into professional tournament golf when the NWA Hooters Tour Quicksilver Classic begins next Thursday, the second year in a row the 72-hole tournament will be at the Midway course.

Defending champ Gareth Maybin, who won last year's event with a 15-under 273, is among the players returning. Maybin's 72-hole score was a record at Quicksilver, which also had Nike Tour and Senior PGA Tour events in the 1990s.

Also in the field are Club at Nevillewood instructor Gordon Vietmeier and mini-tour player Bob MacWhinnie of Upper St. Clair, each of whom received sponsors exemption. Kevin Shields, who finished ninth in last year's tournament, is among the players competing in a qualifier at 7:30 a.m. Monday at Quicksilver.

"People may not recognize their names, but there are a lot of good players on the Hooters Tour," said director of golf Sean Parees. "Zach Johnson played on the Hooters Tour not too long ago. Nobody knew who John Daly was when he played in a Hogan Tour event here in 1990. A year later he won the PGA. So you never know which players out here could be a future star."

Ace that's not an ace

Brenen LaGard, an assistant at Edgewood Country Club, had every golfer's worst nightmare -- a hole in one with nobody watching.

Especially when it would have been his first hole in one.

LaGard, 21, was playing by himself a couple weeks ago when he aced the 171-yard 12th hole at Edgewood, using a 7-iron. Because the hole plays uphill, LaGard could not see the ball go in the hole.

"The hole is right next to No. 9 and there was a group teeing off and I was hoping one of them would see it," LaGard said. "But they didn't."

Because nobody witnessed the shot, LaGard said he cannot count it as an official hole in one.

"You're really supposed to have three witnesses," LaGard said.

"Half the people I tell don't believe me anyway."

Dissa and data

The ninth annual Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health/Mental Retardation outing will be Aug. 7 at Southpointe GC. Entry is $150 per player. Call 412-351-0222, Ext. 420 or visit www.tcv.net.

The Pennsylvania qualifiers for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship will be June 11 at Butler's GC in Elizabeth and June 22 at Wyncote GC in Oxford. Players under the age of 12 may register for the tournament at www.uskidsgolf.com. There is no handicap requirement to participate.

Trivia answer

Candie Kung shot an 8-under 28 at the 2006 Wendy's Championship for Children.