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Players Championship symbolic of a fickle season

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Imagine the odds that could have been offered on this at the start of the year. Going into the second weekend in May, Michelle Wie has made more money on her tour than Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson combined have made on theirs.

“You probably could have gotten some action there,” Pat Perez, no stranger to the Las Vegas casinos, said Tuesday once he digested the absurdity of it all.

Some of that speaks to Wie finding her form, having some fun and playing to her potential.

A large part, obviously, is due to Woods hardly playing at all because of a back injury that led to surgery. In just three PGA Tour starts, Woods missed a 54-hole cut in San Diego, withdrew in the middle of the final round at Honda and tied for 25th at Doral.

And then there’s Mickelson. The PGA Tour record book shows that he has never gone this deep into the season as a pro without a single top 10. Of course, that would be overlooking that runner-up finish in Abu Dhabi against a strong field. Mickelson has coped with a pair of injuries that forced him to withdraw from two tournaments. He also has been more unpredictable than usual.

Skewed statistics aside, it provides a snapshot on what kind of fickle season this has been on the PGA Tour.

Through 25 tournaments in the wraparound season, seven winners were not among the top 100 in the world while only two winners were in the top 10. The average ranking of PGA Tour winners this year is 83.4.

What better place to celebrate — or bemoan — parity than at The Players Championship, the tournament that is said to be the most difficult to predict.

“There’s no favorite. There’s no style of golf here that has to win,” Kevin Chappell said. “It’s the ultimate test of making it yours. You create your game plan, and whoever establishes that game plan and sticks to it the best is going to win.”

Woods last year became only fifth two-time winner of The Players since it moved to the former swamp known as the TPC Sawgrass in 1982. He also has had more finishes out of the top 20 than at any other tournament, including the majors.

Mickelson won in 2007. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 at Sawgrass since. The list of winners is almost as impressive as the list of those who have never won — Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington.

“This golf course does not love anybody,” NBC Sports analyst Johnny Miller said. “You go to Firestone, you go to Torrey Pines, you go to Doral, you go to those courses … Phil and Tiger, it loves those guys. But this course will chew you up and spit you out form year to year. You never know. You’ve got to hit it good, you’ve got to be lucky and you’ve got to miss it in the right spots. I just think it’s a course that no one ever gets feeling really comfy out there.”

Add that to a year of parity and this year could be more mysterious than ever.

Martin Flores might have summed up the season last week at Quail Hollow. He has never won on the PGA Tour. He has never spent an entire Sunday in contention. He was one shot out of the lead after 54 holes when he said on the eve of the final round, “Why not me?”

“There are so many guys who are so good,” he said after his news conference. “Just because you haven’t heard of them doesn’t mean they aren’t great players.”

The next day, he held his own for four hours and still had a chance until a bogey on the final hole to finish two shots behind.

Like most players, Chappell was surprised and amused to hear that Wie trumps the Tiger-Phil duo in tour earnings for the year. Wie won in Hawaii, was second in a major and is No. 2 on the LPGA Tour money list at $738,693. Woods, who has completed only one tournament this year, is No. 188 on the money list with $86,919, barely ahead of Tim Petrovic. Mickelson, who squandered a chance to win last week, is at No. 80 with $649,562.

“One tour is growing, and our tour is treading water at the moment,” Chappell said. “We’re setting ourselves up down the road. The back of our field is moving to the front, and that’s going to push the guys in front.” And then he chuckled and added, “Or move them to retirement.”

That day is coming when Woods and Mickelson no longer dominate golf’s landscape. They won’t be easy to replace, and it could be any number of players.

The Players Championship isn’t likely to provide any clues.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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