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Sunday, July 29, 2001

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Steve Wheatcroft did something strange a week ago. He won a golf tournament. A big one, too. The Northern Amateur, a 72-hole event in Chesterton, Ind., one of the biggest amateur tournaments in the country.

He did so by leading wire-to-wire, finishing with a score of 10-under par.

Leading a tournament, or, at least, being close to the lead, is nothing new for Wheatcroft, a Washington, Pa., native who graduated in the spring from Indiana University. He spent most of this summer hanging around the top of leader boards, lurking like a dog waiting for a soup bone to fall off the kitchen counter.

Until last weekend, he had managed to kick away chances to win three of the biggest tournaments in Western Pennsylvania -- the Tri-State Amateur, the West Penn Amateur and the West Penn Open. Then, for good measure, he got into the final-day hunt at the $100,000 Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational at Sewickley Heights, only to fall short again.

"I didn't play well at all," said Wheatcroft, who shot a final-round 73 and finished sixth at 3-over 291. "But to still be near the top is satisfying.

"It's been good. Every tournament this summer, with the exception of the [U.S.] Open qualifier, I've been in contention on the last day."

Wheatcroft, 23, wants to be in contention in one more big tournament this year. It's called the PGA Tour Qualifying School.

He will turn professional at the end of the summer, after he tries to make it to the U.S. Amateur, after he plays for the West Penn amateur team against the Tri-State PGA section pros in the Palmer Cup matches.

"My goal is to get to the third stage of qualifying," said Wheatcroft, who spends his time working as a caddie or helping on the driving range at Oakmont Country Club when he's not playing. "It being my first year, I know my chances aren't very high. I'm trying to get on the Buy.com Tour. If not, I'll go play the Canadian Tour and try again next year."

It could have been an unbelievable summer for Wheatcroft. Instead, it was merely sensational.

Consider:

He was leading the Tri-State Amateur by three shots with three holes to play, but bogeyed the final three holes to lose to Alcoma's Jeff Hovanec and finish fourth.

He was in the final group on the final day of the West Penn Amateur with Sean Knapp, got within two shots of the lead and eventually finished third, six shots back.

He was one shot from the lead with two holes to play in the West Penn Open, but bogeyed the 17th hole and finished third to another amateur, Marshall Marraccini.

One good thing: His victory in the Northern Amateur got him an invite to the Western Amateur being contested this weekend in Benton Harbor, Mich.

"I'm getting closer," Wheatcroft said. "That's five tournaments in a row where I was right there."

Trivia question

John Mahaffey's only major championship came in the 1978 PGA Championship at Oakmont Country Club, when he defeated Jerry Pate and Tom Watson on the second playoff hole. Mahaffey established a PGA Championship record that day that has never been matched. What is it? Answer at end.

Count check

Ian Woosnam's costly extra-club gaffe at the British Open might have been avoided if it were a PGA Tour or USGA sanctioned event.

If it were a PGA Tour event, representatives from Darrell Survey, a company that logs the types of clubs players use each week, would have been on the first tee going through a player's bag with the caddie. Also, the USGA has an official on the first tee of its championships, asking players to count their clubs.

However, neither service was in place at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for the British Open. That led to Woosnam's two-shot penalty for having 15 clubs, one more than the limit.

Jordan sighting

If you thought you saw Michael Jordan around town last week, if you thought that shaved head and glistening smile looked eeriely like that of the famous basketball player, relax.

It was Jordan.

The former Chicago Bulls star was in town visiting his friends, Mario Lemieux and Dan Quinn, for a little golf. And he brought along a pal -- TV sports host Ahmad Rashad.

They played at Williams Country Club in Weirton, W.Va., Monday, then went to Oakmont -- Lemieux's other home course -- Tuesday.

No word on whether Jordan was consulting Lemieux about comebacks.

One-handed

Jim Cichra, an instructor at the Island Sports Center on Neville Island, was never one to worry about looking unorthodox.

A couple of weeks ago, Cichra was practicing on the putting green, using only his right hand in an attempt to get a better feel for his putting stroke.

He liked putting that way so much he putted with one hand in last week's Frank B. Fuhrer Invitational at Sewickley Heights. It looked like a, uh, stroke of genius when Cichra made six birdies and shot 3-under 69 the first round.

"He was making it from way over there," said Oakmont East pro John Baker, who played with Cichra. "I couldn't believe it."

"It just feels better," Cichra said. "I was making everything when I practiced that way so I thought I'd try it."

Dissa and data

Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will serve as captains of the U.S. and International Teams, respectively, for The Presidents Cup in 2002 in George, South Africa.

Jen Hanna, whose parents live in Treesdale, recorded the 19th double eagle in LPGA history, and the first on tour in nearly two years, during the second round of the Sybase Big Apple Classic. Hanna hit a 3-wood from 203 yards on her second shot to record the double eagle at the par-5 15th hole. The ball took two bounces and rolled into the hole, making her the first player to record a double eagle in LPGA competition since Sophie Gustafson at the 1999 Weetabix Women's British Open.

Rosie Jones, who won the Big Apple Classic in New Rochelle, N.Y., last week, has made more money in the state of New York than any other player in LPGA history. Jones has won five tour events in the state -- the LPGA Corning Classic (1996-97) twice, the Wegmans Rochester International (1991, 1998) twice and the Sybase Big Apple Classic -- and is the first LPGA player to earn $1 million in the state of New York.

Trivia answer

Mahaffey, who shot an opening-round 75, made up a seven-shot deficit on the final day, the greatest come-from-behind victory in the history of the PGA Championship.