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British Open qualifying leaves younger players out

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

The British Open this year decided to scrap its 36-hole qualifiers on the European Tour and PGA Tour in favor of what effectively is 72-hole qualifiers. Four leading players from the top 12 on the leaderboard at Congressional and the Greenbrier earn spots. In Europe, the leading three players from the Irish Open, French Open and Scottish Open get into The Open. The John Deere Classic gets one spot.

It’s the same amount of qualifying spots as were available last year through both 36-hole qualifiers.

But it eliminates any chance for Web.com Tour players, or for some of the top college players who turn pro in the summer. The only chance they have to qualify — without a trip across the Atlantic — is to get a spot in the PGA Tour (or European Tour) fields.

“These matters have been very much considered by the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and their request certainly has been to evolve from what we were with the 36-hole stand-alone into the series we have now,” R&A executive director Michael Tate said Tuesday. “They don’t have that simple opportunity. They can, of course, still travel to the UK and qualify. But I understand how difficult that is.

“I think in the world of the game of golf, what we achieved and what we are doing now is probably correct.”

Indeed, 288 players currently are playing for 12 spots at four regional spots in Britain the next two days. A decade ago, local qualifying was the only way into The Open, and it was held the weekend before the championship.

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MATCH PLAY: There’s still no word on a title sponsor, though the Match Play Championship at least has a spot on the 2015 schedule.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday that Harding Park will host the Match Play next year. The only open date for it is May 13-17, when the weather is ideal in the Bay Area. It would be a huge coup for Harding Park, which also is getting the PGA Championship in 2020 and the Presidents Cup in 2025.

It would be the second World Golf Championship for Harding Park. Tiger Woods beat John Daly in the American Express Championship in 2015.

A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday. The PGA Tour had no comment.

The Match Play Championship had been held the last eight years at Dove Mountain north of Tucson, Arizona, and the field was beginning to lose top stars amid complaints of the golf course. Among those who missed last year were Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson.

A move to San Francisco would cause a lot of congestion for May. It would follow the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow and The Players Championship in Florida. The PGA Tour would go from California to Texas the next two weeks.

And it would be a big dose of golf for San Francisco, one of the country’s great golf markets. Already on tap for 2015 is the LPGA Tour event at Lake Merced, which was played this year the last weekend in April; and the new U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship the first week of May at The Olympic Club.

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WATSON’S HOPES: Tom Watson has played 36 times in the British Open, but only four rounds at Royal Liverpool. That’s mainly because it was out of the Open rotation from 1967 until 2006. Watson tied for 48th with no rounds in the 60s in 2006.

But he saw enough of it to believe that age 64, he can contend — especially if it’s firm.

Watson concedes that he doesn’t have the distance to compete with players more than half of his age. Then again, Tiger Woods only used a driver one time when he won eight years ago.

“One of the things about playing Hoylake is I don’t hit the ball far enough to have to lay up with the driver,” he said. “So go ahead and hit the driver. The driver is one of the strong suits of my game, so that fits right in against some of the kids. They have to kind of guess what to lay up with. I just go ahead and hit the driver out there. The course plays simpler for me than it does the kids.”

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LPGA SELFIE: Karrie Webb took a selfie when she won the JTBC Founders Cup, not realizing how quickly it would catch on.

It now is one of the best traditions going in golf.

LPGA photographer Gabe Roux shot the photo of Webb taking her own picture with her cellphone, and the LPGA immediately posted it to its social media channels. Since then, every LPGA Tour winner has taken a selfie with the trophy.

That included Michelle Wie at the U.S. Women’s Open, and the USGA asked the LPGA to be sure to tag them to the photo on Twitter.

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SLOW START: Justin Rose opened with a 74 on his way to a playoff win at the Quicken Loans National. That was the highest first-round score by a PGA Tour winner this year. And it was only the second time a player shot over par in the opening round and went on to win.

John Senden opened with a 1-over 72 when he won the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook, and Adam Scott shot a 1-over 71 when he won at Colonial.

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DIVOTS: Henrik Stenson, who lived in Dubai with his family before moving to Orlando, Florida, has signed a two-year partnership with Jumeirah Golf Estates. … Justin Thomas has shot par or better in 39 of his 41 rounds on the Web.com Tour this year. The exceptions were both 1-over 73 in the third round in Panama and Midland, Texas. He is 78-under par for the year and No. 7 on the money list, virtually assured of a PGA Tour card next season. … Jimmy Walker has been atop the FedEx Cup all but one week this year. Walker and Bubba Watson (No. 2) are playing The Greenbrier Classic this week. … No one had a bogey-free round at Congressional on the weekend.

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STAT OF THE WEEK: Martin Kaymer won The Players Championship and Bernhard Langer won the Senior Players Championship, the first time the winners have come from the same country other than the United States.

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FINAL WORD: “You get used to scoring how you’re scoring.” — Geoff Ogilvy, who has only four scores in the 60s in his last 28 rounds on the PGA Tour.

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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