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Sports Line Archive
January - June 2002
Richard Porter secures overall lead with his second EPDTour
title
(June 25) In an impressive performance at
the Schaerding Classic, Richard Porter of Germany celebrated
his second victory on the EPDTour and expanded his lead in
the EPDTour rankings. With rounds of 64 and 70, the 24-year-old
won the EPDTour tournament in Austria recording a fabulous
start to finish victory.
Porter started the seventh of 15 EPDTour ranking tournaments
this year with an outstanding 64 round, leading the tournament
by three strokes. He held on to this lead until the end. With
a solid 70 on the demanding par 73-course, Porter was able
to stay in front of his competitors and finished with a two
stroke lead ahead of the other players (total 134/ -12). The
win awarded Porter 2,100 Euros in prize money and important
points for the EPDTour Order of Merit. He now leads the rankings
with a total of 9,625 points, ahead of Joost Steenkamer (6,892/Netherlands)
and the Scotsman Euan McIntosh (6,243). The top four players
on the EPDTour Order of Merit will receive exemption status
for the Challenge Tour at the end of the year.
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Regional finals in Strausberg big success –
upcoming competitions in Frankfurt and Fuerth
(June 19) More than 100 kids participated
in the “Baseball Regional Finals” for the state
of Berlin-Brandenburg on June 15th in Strausberg near Berlin.
The “Baseball Regional Finals“ are the highlight
of the Play Ball! School program – a MLB grassroots
initiative in Germany – which allows kids from age 10
to 13 to participate in the Pitch, Hit & Run competition.
Participants of the Strausberg event competed in pitching,
hitting and running with the two best performers of each age
group advancing to the national final, which will be held
on July 27 & 28 in Cologne. The event was accompanied
by the Play Ball! Roadshow, MLB’s interactive baseball
tour, attracting many non-competing baseball fans with its
various attractions and entertainment opportunities.
On Saturday, June 22nd, Fuerth will be the site of the “Baseball
Regional Finals” for the state of Bavaria. The same
day, the “Baseball Regional Finals” for the state
of Hesse will be held in Frankfurt. Over 100 kids are expected
to participate in both events.
The Play Ball! Roadshow is currently visiting various schools
in Fuerth and will entertain crowds at the “Baseball
Regional Finals” competition on Saturday.
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Tina Fischer plays well at Evian Masters
(June 13) After the second round at the
LPGA Evian Masters in Evian, Haute Savoie, France, Tina Fischer
is currently 28th within the high-profile group of players
starting at the renowned tournament. Only a few strokes behind
the leading players, she still has the potential to advance
into the higher standings.
Karine Icher of France is the surprising leader of the $2.1
million tournament after two rounds. Shooting a 66 on Thursday
to gain a one-stroke advantage at 10-under-par 134, she leads
the International stars Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) and Se Ri
Pak (Korea), who are close behind. The Evian Masters is the
highest paying tournament in the world along with the US Open
and features the world’s top 78 women’s golfers.
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Marcel Haremza is US Airways' High Flyer of the Month
for May
(June 12) Marcel Haremza from Germany is
the winner of the High Flyer of the Month Award presented
by US Airways in May. Haremza, a member of the German PGA
Playing Pro Team, showed fine performances at the Schloss
Langenstein Classic, finishing fourth to go along with a victory
in Mooslargue, France. His victory in France was also Haremza’s
first professional tournament win of the year.
Each month, the most successful member achieving the highest
winnings through regular EPDTour events in that specific month
is selected to be the 'High Flyer of the Month', presented
by US Airways. The winner is rewarded with one transatlantic
round-trip ticket to any one if US Airways' 203 worldwide
destinations.
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2001 EPDTour winner Regis Gustave wins Dillenburg
title
(June 4) Last year’s overall EPDTour
winner Regis Gustave of St. Lucia made a special guest appearance
the past two days as the EPDTour made its 6th stop on the
2002 tournament schedule. It was Gustave once again showing
why he earned the 2002 Challenge Tour exemption as he fired
rounds of 71 and 68 to finish at five under par and win the
3,300 Euro first prize. The Dillenburg golf course featured
very firm fairways and extreme high rough rewarding only golfers
with a strong discipline of course management and patience.
Gustave known for his excellent ball striking ability clinched
the title with his perfect drive on the tight par four 16th
hole after hitting his drive within 2 meters of the flag and
securing an easy 2 putt birdie to move to (-5). Darren Leng
who was playing in the group in front of Gustave had several
birdie chances coming in over the last five holes but was
unable to see one find the bottom of the hole and finished
alone 2nd at (-4). First round leader Joost Steenkamer (NED)
shot an even par 72 to finish joint 3rd with Ted Bakelis (USA).
Current EPDTour leader Richard Porter shot 70 73 to finish
tied 5th along with current 2 place Order of Merit player
Euan McIntosh, so there was no change on the 2002 Order of
Merit.
In other news former EPDTour members Markus Brier (AUT) and
Gary Birch Jr.(ENG) finished 1st and 2nd in athe recent Challenge
Tour event in Austria.
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"Lower Saxony Day" features Play Ball!
Roadshow
(June 3) From June 7 through June 9 the
Play Ball! Roadshow will be featured at the "Lower Saxony
Day" 2002" in Northeim.
"Lower Saxony Day", and the accompanying Go-Sports-Tour,
showcase the regional clubs and federations as well as various
music and entertainment events. More than 250.000 spectators
are expected to visit the sports festival over the weekend.
Located next to the main stage, the Play Ball! Roadshow will
present an exciting and fun-filled introduction to baseball,
through first-class international baseball coaches from all
over Germany and overseas.
Various special events make the Play Ball! Roadshow an unforgettable
event for the big and the small, the young and the old. An
inflatable batting cage, power pitcher, baseball mini-field
and discovery zone, featuring different games and attractions,
turn the Play Ball! Roadshow into an exciting experience for
all participants and visitors.
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Baseball Regional Finals in Ellwangen
(June 3) Ellwangen will be the site of the
"Baseball Regional Finals" for the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.
The "Baseball Regional Finals" are the highlight
of the Play Ball! school program - Major League Baseball's
grassroots program in Germany- which provides kids age 10
to 13 the chance to participate in the Pitch, Hit & Run
competition. About one hundred kids are expected to take part
in the competition. The best participants will qualify for
the national final, which will be held on July 27 & 28
in Cologne.
In addition to the "Regional Finals" on Saturday,
the Play Ball! Roadshow will visit three schools in Ellwangen
during the week before travelling on to the "Lower Saxony
Day" in Northeim.
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Marcel Haremza is a first time winner on the EPDTour
(May 29) The 2002 Lalargue Classic in France
presented by Basler Versicherung provided characteristic EPDTour
finishing excitement this week. 84 players competed on the
6,200 meter Lalargue golf course which featured extremely
fast greens and heavy rough. After round one Arne Dickel (GER)
and Marcel Haremza (GER) both held the overnight lead with
three under par. However, both players had disappointing front
nines and let the rest of the field back into the competition
after 27 holes. Manuel Quiros (SPA) fired a course record
68 on the second day to finish joint clubhouse leader with
John Davies (DEN) and Matthias Ziegler (GER). Harmeza broke
the tie after he slammed in his birdie putt on the final hole
to finish one under par. However Ralf Miller (NED) who now
was playing behind Haremza was making a charge of his own
after birding 16 and 17 and was also at level par going into
the 18th. Miller hit his second shot onto the par 5 within
4 meters of the hole. Miller then missed his chance to finish
–2 and win outright, but tapped in his birdie to finish
at one under par setting up the playoff. After both players
made par on the first playoff hole, Haremza made par on the
second extra hole, after Miller who had hit his second shot
into the bunker failed to get up and down making bogey. With
his win the young long hitting Haremza catapulted his way
into the top 5 on the 2002 Order of Merit.
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Dick Norman wins Doubles Challenger
(May 28) Dick Norman teamed up with fellow
Belgian Tom Vanhoudt to capture the doubles competition at
this year’s ATP Tour Challenger tournament in Zagreb
from May 13 – 19.
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Baseball festival in Braunschweig
(May 27) On Saturday, June 1st, Braunschweig
will be the site of the "Baseball Regional Finals"
for the state of Lower Saxony. Additionally, several accompanying
events will turn the city into a baseball festival during
the week leading up to the Regional Finals.
The "Baseball Regional Finals" are the highlight
of the Play Ball! schools program - Major League Baseball's
grassroots program in Germany - which allows kids from age
10 to 13 to participate in the Pitch, Hit & Run competition.
The best participants will qualify for the national final
which will be held on July 27 & 28 in Cologne. More than
200 kids are expected to take part in the Braunschweig competition.
The event will be accompanied by the interactive MLB baseball
tour, the "Play Ball! Roadshow", featuring attractions
and entertainment for visitors and everybody interested in
learning about the sport of baseball.
In addition to the Regional Finals on Saturday, the Play
Ball! Roadshow will visit four schools in Braunschweig during
the week. Also, on Wednesday, May 29th, from 5 p.m. until
7 p.m, various attractions of the Play Ball! Roadshow will
be featured at the Burger King restaurant in Braunschweig
- Hafen. Visitors will have the exciting opportunity to experience
the world of Baseball and win attractive prizes through various
promotions.
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EPDTour in France from May 26-28
(May 23) The European Professional Development
Tour stages its first ever event in France next week. The
EPDTour tournament at the LaLargue golf club in Mooslargue,
France, 30 kilometers north of Basel, will be preceded by
a Pro-Am sponsored by Baseler Versicherung on Sunday, May
26.
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All eyes on defending champion Tina Fischer
(May 16) Tina Fischer tees it up today in
defense of her first LPGA Tour title at the Asahi Ryokuken
International Championship at Mount Vintage. The 31-year-old
German will be going against a strong field that includes
three-time 2002 winner Annika Sorenstam. Tina who starts up
at noon in a flight with Lorie Kane and A.J. Eathorne continued
to be in the spotlight as she prepared for this week’s
event – “This golf course is quite different to
all the other courses that we play because of the elevation
changes. For me it’s nice to know that I can come out
here and feel confident about knowing exactly how to play
it,” said the defending champion in her pre-tournament
press conference.
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Porter takes over EPDTour lead with win at Schloss
Langenstein
(May 8) Richard Porter of Germany joined
the EPDTour tournament winner’s list after his first
ever victory on the first extra play off hole in Schloss Langenstein
against fellow countryman Christoph Knapp. Knapp held the
lead after round 1 after setting a new course record 66 and
held a 2 shot lead over Joost Steenkamer of the Netherlands.
Knapp held on to the lead going into the par 5 15th at -8
but dropped shots on 15, 16 and 17 to end at -5. Playing in
the group ahead was Porter who fired a final round 68 on the
difficult 7027 yard championship layout to finish at -5 for
the event and setting up a playoff on the par 5 9th. Porter
closed the door quickly on his fellow countryman after hitting
an enormous drive and hitting his second shot to 3 meters
and made the eagel putt.
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Grand Slam winner Bruguera retires
(May 6) Despite winning a Challenger Series
ATP Tour event in Barletta, Italy just a few weeks ago, Sergi
Bruguera has decided to call it quits. The two-time French
Open winner was one of tennis’ biggest stars during
the 90s winning a total of 14 tournaments on the ATP Tour.
Through ITMS Sports’ efforts, Sergi starred in the German
bundes league for the first time in his career in 2001.
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Dick Norman wins second Challenger Series event
(May 4) Belgian tennis player and ITMS Sports
client Dick Norman become a two-time winner on the ATP Tour
Challenger circuit this year. With his victory at San Luis
Potosi, Italy Dick proved that he also has the patience to
win on clay after having defeated German Alex Pretzsch on
fast carpet in the finals of the Residenza Open in Magdeburg
a few weeks earlier.
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Play Ball! Leagues up and running
(May 1) The Play Ball! League, a part of MLB's grassroots
Play Ball! programs in Germany, was launched on Monday, April
29th in Erfurt. Despite the unfortunate events in Erfurt on
the previous Friday, the Play Ball! League started on schedule
with the first official practice. "The coordinators discussed
the situation. Currently, all students are sad and we thought
we should do something to get their minds off the horrifying
event. They welcomed the much needed distraction," said
Tino Wiedemann, one of the coordinators of the Play Ball!
League in Erfurt, explaining the decision to start the league
on schedule.
The Play Ball! League was established in four cities in 2001
and expanded to ten cities - Bonn, Braunschweig, Ellwangen,
Elmshorn, Erfurt, Freising, Fürth, Köln, Paderborn
and Strausberg - for the 2002 season. Over a period of six
weeks (the exact dates are determined by the vacation period
in the respective Bundesland) the teams face off weekly ending
with the city final. Following Erfurt, Braunschweig will be
the next to officially start their Play Ball! League season.
The other cities will follow in the upcoming weeks.
After the city finals, local coordinators in each city select
an All-Star squad to represent the city at the Play Ball!
World Series. Six-hundred kids in 40 teams take part in the
competition this year. The league is organized nationwide
by ITMS for MLB in cooperation with the German Baseball and
Softball Union (DBV) and coordinated with the local clubs
and schools. In each of the Play Ball! League city the young
participants play in four teams, each team dressed in a Major
League Jersey and representing a Major League team.
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Langenstein Classic next stop on EPDTour
(May 1) The next stop of the EPDTour will be the Langenstein
Classic tournament on May 6th and 7th at Schloss Langenstein
in Orsingen, Germany. The tournament is a new addition to
the EPDTour circuit for the 2002 season with prize money totalling
€17,500 to be awarded to the winner.
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McIntosh US Airways' High Flyer of the Month for April
(April 30) Euan McIntosh from Scotland is the winner
of the High Flyer of the Month award presented by US Airways
in April. After finishing winless in 2001, he re-emerged on
the EPDTour circuit with two stellar performances this month.
While finishing fourth at the Jakobsberg Classic tournament
in Koblenz, Germany on April 17th, he secured his first win
of the year only one week later at the Bad Windsheim Classic
tournament in Germany.
Each month, the most successful member achieving the highest
winnings through regular EPDTour events in that specific month
is selected to be the 'High Flyer of the Month', presented
by US Airways. The winner is rewarded with one transatlantic
round-trip ticket to any one if US Airways' 207 worldwide
destinations.
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Tina Fischer to start in Stockbridge
(April 29) Germany's top women's golfer Tina Fischer
will make her next appearance on the US LPGA Tour at the Chick-Fil-A
Charity Championship in Stockbridge, Georgia. The tournament
will be played from May 3rd until May 5th. With $1,250,000
in prize money, the tournament is one of the highest rated
events on the LPGA Tour. The first place winner will receive
$180,000 in prize money.
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Three Germans in North American Baseball-
Franke transferred to Raptors
(April 20) A record number of German players are playing
baseball in the Minor Leagues in the United States this season.
Michael "Mitch" Franke, who was the first German
player to sign a contract in the United States in 2001, is
joined this year by Tim Henkenjohann, who was signed by the
Minnesota Twins and Simon Gühring, who was chosen by
the Milwaukee Brewers. Franke had a very successful first
year in the States and, after only one year with the Rookie
League team of the Brewers in Tempe, Arizona, was moved up
to the Ogden Raptors in the Pioneer League. Gühring and
Henkenjohann should be assigned to teams within the next few
weeks.
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