Thank you, Jim Justice.

Thank you for restoring The Greenbrier to its much-deserved status as a world class resort.

Thank you for bringing a major sports event to West Virginia.

Thank you for having our state cast in a positive light on national television for four straight days.

By all accounts, The Greenbrier Classic was a rousing success.

Save for Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson - who skipped the event -and the senior golfers who rightfully wanted to play for their U.S. national championship, the rest of America's top pros gathered at The Greenbrier for a week-long competition.

They tore up Old White, as we figured they would. After all it is called OLD White for a reason and modern-day golfers, thanks to improved equipment and physical training (the former much more than the latter), can drive the ball much further than their predecessors. Thus, the course was no match for the considerable skill on display.

But that hardly mattered.

What mattered is that West Virginia showed the rest of the world it can put on a first-class event.

Justice also showed the golf world that golf doesn't have to be the only attraction of the week.

By day, The Greenbrier was all about the golf.

By night, it was all about musical concerts featuring the likes of Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

Justice always has been a trendsetter.

Perhaps other PGA venues will follow his lead and attempt to draw more than just the golf crowd to their town.

The best thing about what took place from Thursday through Sunday is that West Virginia was in the national spotlight not for some tragedy or natural disaster but because it was the epicenter of the golf world.

The coverage displayed our state's beauty and there is no better part of the state to show off that valuable commodity than Greenbrier County.

Let's hope this isn't a one-year wonder.

Let's hope the PGA comes back.

Maybe even Tiger and/or Phil eventually will give in and make their way here.

But not even their much-noted absences could take away from what was a great week for the Mountain State.

Again, thanks, Jim Justice.

Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com

August 1, 2010 Justice prevailed at Greenbrier Classic By Dave Morrison Register-Herald Sports Editor

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS  If you can't get inspired, or motivated, when listening to Jim Justice speak, you might want to take your pulse, or check your heart.

As eventual runner-up Jeff Overton was hitting on No. 3, Gentleman Jim, owner of The Greenbrier, was holding a press conference in the media room of the Greenbrier Classic.

The man was there to say thank you. To the state, to his outstanding team, to the fans, the players and yes, even the media.

"I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart," he told the assembled media. "You're a really big part of it, and I really appreciate you."

He had several great quotes and a lot of good information Sunday afternoon.

Justice said next year he will likely give exemptions to both the State Amateur champion as well as the State Open champion.

"We thought about he West Virginia Open (champion), and we were going with that, and I thought, really and truly, we need an amateur in this event," Justice said. "So we went that way. I think we'll do 'em both next year. I think we'll do 'em both, yeah. You know, I think we'll do 'em both."

He was asked about his week, which included playing a round of golf with John Daly in Wednesday's Pro-Am and introducing Brad Paisley Saturday night at the concert in Fairlea.

"Well, sure it's been enjoyable," Justice said. "I mean, that's for sure. It was fabulously enjoyable to play with John Daly and to introduce Brad Paisley and to get to hug Carrie Underwood. It was all really good. It was great."

Justice also turned to state natives to help him run the state's first PGA TOUR event, guys like Tim McNeely (the tournament director) and Kelly Shumate (superintendent).

"We were struggling," Justice said. "And of all places, we go to Brier Patch, a little golf course that I own over in Beckley, and the guy who is over there taking care of the greens and stuff over there and does a magnificent job, Kelly Shumate. So I bring Kelly over here and I say, Kelly, we gotta go now.' And everybody vapor locked.

"Between Kelly Shumate, Bob Cochran and Joey Cochran  you know, they're my right-hand guys, they've been with me a long time  I know what they're capable of. They work. They work from daylight till dark. The condition of the course, I mean, they pulled it off and they pulled it off magnificently.

"Tim McNeely's done a magnificent job. Tim's worked hard all year in player recruitment and everything."

Other topics Justice addressed included:

n On the economic impact of the tournament: "I've heard like 92 gazillion. When the economic impact of this whole thing comes out, it'll be incredible. That's all there is to it. (It may be) the biggest event that's ever happened to West Virginia."

n On the trophy which will stay at the resort: "I'm not going to be good at what it's made out of (crystal and silver) but I know what it cost. It cost $220,000. It's made out of really, really special stuff. We came up with the idea and the idea was (The Greenbrier's iconic) Spring House."

n On bringing a major to the Old White course: "I told (PGA) Commissioner (Tim) Finchem I won't stop till they come to me and tell me this is the best event they have on the PGA TOUR. Now I'm telling you there's a lot of stuff right now that they're already saying it is the best that they have. But to have a major here, we'd probably have to add a little more length, and there are ways to do that out there; maybe pinch in the fairways a little bit and toughen it up just a little bit.

"But really and truly, look at the support. We had 41,000 people here yesterday. And we had back-to-back concerts with 50,000-plus. The first night we had, I think, 32,000. Look at the first day when we came out on a Monday Pro-Am and all the pros were coming in saying, What's going on here? We've never seen this many people at a Monday Pro-Am.'

"President's Cup, a major, we're way down the road. We want to walk a little before we run. Let's step away from this and clean up our mistakes. But we've batted a pretty good batting average here."

n On the field for this year's event and looking ahead to next year: "In all honesty, I knew it was going to happen (no Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Ernie Els in the field). And I'll promise you to the Lord above that there are players sitting at home saying, Why in the world did we not go to this event?' I mean, you would have to. Look at the people.

"Not to take away from other events that are going on, but you've seen events where there's nine people walking around. And these players love the fans and they have to be talking.

"Next year I think it'll get better and better. I would say right off the get-go, it's better this way. It's better. If we had Phil and Tiger and everybody in the world here right now, what could we look forward to? Let's walk before we run."

n On the traffic problems at Saturday night's Carrie Underwood-Brad Paisley concert: "What happened (Saturday) night was just this: Everybody was supposed to have a badge and a ticket to come to the concert. Well, all of a sudden we've got 20,000 people that show up and they're trying to buy tickets. Well, we've got another 40,000 who have badges and everything. Well, we didn't expect that to tell you the truth. Nobody did. And when they called Jeff Kmiec, our general manager, said, We finally locked it down.' Well, we did. We had everything locked up last night."

And they've certainly locked down an event that, based on popularity alone, isn't that short of a major. It's certainly major in this state.

July 26, 2010 Justice swinging back into action By BRIAN WOODSON Bluefield Daily Telegraph

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS  Justice has prevailed at The Greenbrier.

More than 30 years ago, The Greenbrier had a part in ending the golf career of Jim Justice.

It didn't, however, end his love affair with the game.

"I am a golfer at heart," said Justice, the owner of The Greenbrier and creator of the inaugural Greenbrier Classic. "I had a pretty tough injury, it happened in 1976. I was playing here in the state amateur and I dislocated my shoulder. That was the last round of competitive golf I ever played."

After years away from the sport  which Justice played in college at Tennessee and Marshall  he recently picked up the game again, but only so he'll be able to tee if up Wednesday in the Sam Snead Celebrity-Pro-Am, one day before The Green-brier Classic begins on the Old White course.

"I started back trying to play about two months ago. I just hold my shoulder in tight and it feels now like you have beat it with a meat tenderizer because I played (Thursday)," Justice said. "I am actually trying really hard to get it where I can at least go out there and just beat it around and just enjoy the day.

"I am not going to break any records as far as scoring."

Justice grew up playing golf, and proved to be good at it. Justice said he won the West Virginia Junior Amateur twice in the late 1960s, and he went on to spend one school year at Tennessee and the rest at Marshall, playing golf all the way through.

It was as a youth golfer that the 59-year-old Justice first visited The Greenbrier. He was raised in a hard-working, but poor family, one so poor that he doesn't remember his grandparents on his mother's side ever having indoor plumbing.

No wonder The Greenbrier wasn't on his family's list of regular destinations.

"The first time I was ever able to come here, I guess I was 11 or 12," Justice said. "I played a lot of junior golf, and I was really and truly pretty daggone decent as a young player so I got to come here to play in our state amateur and that was really the first time I ever got to come here."

He had dreams of professional golf, but reality quickly set in after his collegiate career came to an end.

"Probably like every kid that was the thing, but reality was I just wasn't good enough to be able to do that," Justice said. "I'm just telling it like it is, I was a really good junior golfer, a decent college golfer, but it takes exceptional talent to be able to be a PGA player."

Those dreams, if not already shattered by reality, were dashed in ‘76 when Justice hurt his left shoulder during the West Virginia Amateur at the Greenbrier.

"It was really a bizarre injury, I went all over the country with people trying to figure out what to do," Justice said. "I loved golf and surely wanted to get it fixed, but it was really bizarre."

Golf was no longer an option for him, but everything else was. His shoulder was fine for every activity, except for swinging a golf club.

"I could play other sports and I could play basketball. I was really involved in playing a lot of really competitive basketball," said Justice, who finds time in his busy schedule to coach girls basketball at Greenbrier East High School.

"I loved basketball, and it never bothered me. I could shoot left-handed, right-handed, it didn't bother me, and I loved hunting and fishing and in September ('76) I got married to my beautiful wife Cathy.

"It just never bothered me, but every time I picked a golf club up and hit a golf ball, down I would go."

Too bad it wasn't 20 years later and perhaps he could have continued to swing the sticks. Still, he's not complaining. He turned his attention to commerce, and is now the owner of an amazing 47 businesses in six states, including The Greenbrier, which he purchased in May of 2009.

"It was dislocated both ways, it was a very difficult surgery," said Justice, who has two children, Jim III and Jill, and has been married to Cathy for almost 34 years. "At the time it was a seven-hour surgery and they said you would lose some mobility in your arm.

"Today it would be a piece of cake to fix, especially if you were 26 years old, but I just really didn't play, I didn't play for almost 30 years."

He is back, but still doesn't plan to play much. He will leave that to the pros.

"I started back trying to play a little bit," Justice said. "You try to hold your shoulder in to protect your shoulder and you bunt it down the fairway compared to how you used to hit it, but I surely miss it."

Justice will try to "bunt" his way around the course in the pro-am. He doesn't have any idea who he will play, but will find out on Tuesday evening when the pairings are announced.

"I am going to draw right out of the hat just like everybody else," Justice said. "It wouldn't be Jim Justice to say I am going to play with (Phil) Mickelson if he comes.

"I am just going to just draw out of a hat and just play like everybody else."

Justice has no hard feelings for Tiger Woods or Mickelson, neither of whom chose to play this week. Perhaps they'll make it in 2011.

"We have already got a terrific field, the only two players that we don't have right now that we would really love to have would be Mickelson and Tiger," said Justice, who was still holding hope for Mickelson at week's end. "Tiger has got so many complex things going on in his life, he has a whole host of things he needs to try and get straightened out

"Mickelson has got some real tough things he is dealing with too like (his wife) Amy. He probably commits years out on what he can do. In the beginning he absolutely told us he would come, but that is subject to how Amy is doing and we'll just wait and see if he is able to pull that off.

"If he can't we will wish him the very best with Amy and hope to see him next year."

When the tournament opens for real on Thursday, no one will be more excited than Justice himself.

"I can't wait," he said. "It is going to be spectacular."

Justice has picked a "magic" number that might prove to be the winning score on the 7,031-yard, Par-70 course, and while not in the position to pick a favorite, he does like Kenny Perry. Perry will donate $2,500 from every birdie he gets to the victims of the Montcoal mining tragedy.

"I think if it rains and it gets soft, these guys are good enough that they can go at pins everywhere," Justice said. "If we don't have rain or whatever, I think ultimately the score is going to be 11 or 12 under to win it."

While golf  after fishing and hunting  is possibly the most popular participatory sport in America, Justice said there is a reason why the PGA slogan, "these guys are good" applies to the 150-plus professionals that will tee off this week at The Greenbrier.

"In life I believe you have to have incredible passion for what you do, if you don't have that passion, I mean incredible passion, then you probably won't be great at what you do," Justice said. "I played with a lot of people that had incredible drive and a real passion for what they were doing, when the flag goes up, you have got to perform and perform under pressure.

"There is just a very select few that are able to really gather themselves and really handle that level of pressure because it is intense no matter who you are, to be able to especially perform around the greens and with the short game, that is the difference."

For the first three days at The Greenbrier, the players will be practicing, working on their games, and enjoying the Wednesday pro-am. That all changes the next day.

"I have played with a lot of players, Monday through Wednesday, you could take them out and play $2 Nassaus and rob them," Justice said. "All of a sudden when the flag went up on Thursday, they would beat your brains out. It is really a unique characteristic that the great golfers have.

"There (are) a billion players out there that can stand and hit a 7-iron 165 yards and knock the flag down with it, but when the real pressure is on, how many of them can really stand over a 12-foot putt and make it.

"You're even seeing that now with Tiger, from a mental standpoint. It just takes an incredible level of concentration, discipline, and the ability to handle that level of stress, there are only a few that can do it."

Justice will learn a little bit about how the pros feel on Wednesday. He will try to play a little golf, and will be doing it in front of what he hopes is a huge crowd. Even if they won't necessarily there to see him.

"I can't wait," he said, with a laugh. "I am going to play in the pro-am so I am sure on that day we will have an extra 50- to 75,000 people here."

Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

Golf part of Greenbrier Resort Lore

By Mike Whiteford, Staff writer The Charleston Gazette

Golf did not make its Greenbrier debut until 1910, long after the 1778 discovery that the area's mountain springs brought soothing relief to sufferers of chronic rheumatism. By Mike Whiteford, Staff writer The Charleston Gazette Advertiser Golf did not make its Greenbrier debut until 1910, long after the 1778 discovery that the area's mountain springs brought soothing relief to sufferers of chronic rheumatism.

A century ago, The Greenbrier had established itself as an out-of-the-way resort that had attracted such 19th century icons as Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay, but the place lacked a place to play golf, a sport that began exploding in national popularity with the 1894 formation of the U.S. Golf Association.

When a nine-hole layout known as the Lakeside Course opened in 1910 on The Greenbrier grounds, it was one of 267 golf courses in the nation. It was expanded to 18 holes in 1962 and is considered the most picturesque of the resort's three courses.

It came to be known as the Meadows after a 1998-99 renovation that included the addition of three holes and aesthetic upgrades to the greens, bunkers and tees.

The 18-hole Old White Course, named for the Old White Hotel that stood from 1858 to 1922, followed in 1914 and shortly thereafter played host to President Woodrow Wilson, an avid golfer, who made the trip with his wife from Washington to White Sulphur Springs in a private railroad car for an Easter vacation in 1914.

The Greenbrier Course, another 18-hole design, was completed in 1922 and underwent a Jack Nicklaus redesign in 1977. At the dedication, Nicklaus joined Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio for an exhibition.

In its first century of golf, such greats as Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson and Nicklaus have played on Greenbrier courses. Watson was named pro emeritus in 2005.

Hogan, in fact, shot a 64-64-65-66-259 in the Greenbrier Open, and Snead fired a 59 on May 16, 1959, on the Greenbrier Course, prompting a congratulatory telegram from, among others, England's Queen Elizabeth. Snead was The Greenbrier's golf professional from 1936 to 1975 and was pro emeritus at the time of his death in 2002.

President Dwight Eisenhower was a regular, sometimes accompanied by Palmer, and President Richard Nixon broke 100 on the Old White. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and the Duke of Windsor played there.

Golf did not make its Greenbrier debut until 1910, long after the 1778 discovery that the area's mountain springs brought soothing relief to sufferers of chronic rheumatism.

A century ago, The Greenbrier had established itself as an out-of-the-way resort that had attracted such 19th century icons as Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay, but the place lacked a place to play golf, a sport that began exploding in national popularity with the 1894 formation of the U.S. Golf Association.

When a nine-hole layout known as the Lakeside Course opened in 1910 on The Greenbrier grounds, it was one of 267 golf courses in the nation. It was expanded to 18 holes in 1962 and is considered the most picturesque of the resort's three courses.

It came to be known as the Meadows after a 1998-99 renovation that included the addition of three holes and aesthetic upgrades to the greens, bunkers and tees.

The 18-hole Old White Course, named for the Old White Hotel that stood from 1858 to 1922, followed in 1914 and shortly thereafter played host to President Woodrow Wilson, an avid golfer, who made the trip with his wife from Washington to White Sulphur Springs in a private railroad car for an Easter vacation in 1914.

The Greenbrier Course, another 18-hole design, was completed in 1922 and underwent a Jack Nicklaus redesign in 1977. At the dedication, Nicklaus joined Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio for an exhibition.

In its first century of golf, such greats as Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson and Nicklaus have played on Greenbrier courses. Watson was named pro emeritus in 2005.

Hogan, in fact, shot a 64-64-65-66-259 in the Greenbrier Open, and Snead fired a 59 on May 16, 1959, on the Greenbrier Course, prompting a congratulatory telegram from, among others, England's Queen Elizabeth. Snead was The Greenbrier's golf professional from 1936 to 1975 and was pro emeritus at the time of his death in 2002.

President Dwight Eisenhower was a regular, sometimes accompanied by Palmer, and President Richard Nixon broke 100 on the Old White. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and the Duke of Windsor played there.

"One of the great golf experiences in America,'' said longtime Greenbrier historian Robert Conte, "is standing at the elevated first tee of the Old White Course, looking down a very long fairway to a distant green sitting at the foot of the splendid expanse of Greenbrier Mountain."

The Old White played host to the U.S. Women's Championship in 1922 and was won by 19-year-old Glenna Collett, who won the tournament a record six times. The Greenbrier was also the site of two other international tournaments, the Ryder Cup in 1979 and the Solheim Cup in 1994.

nn

In the inaugural Buick Open, Billy Casper, a 27-year-old San Diego native, fired a 3-under-par 285 for a one-stroke victory over Arnold Palmer and Ted Kroll at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich. It was June 23, 1958.

The tournament survived until 2009 and was considered a tuneup event for major tournaments until giving rise to the Greenbrier Classic, which will make its debut Thursday.

The Buick Open continued in Grand Blanc through 1969 but dissolved into a series of pro-ams and unofficial events played mostly at the Flint (Mich.) Golf Club until 1977 when it returned as a sanctioned PGA tournament at the Flint Elks Club.

A year later, it began a three-year run as the Buick-Goodwrench Open and returned to Grand Blanc, where it continued through 2009. The tournament's name reverted to the Buick Open in 1981 and remained unchanged.

Tiger Woods, who won the tournament in 2002 and '06, won the final Buick Open last year, after which General Motors announced it would no longer sponsor the event.

Reach Mike Whiteford at 304-348-7948 or mikewhitef...@wvgazette.com.

Thursday July 15, 2010 Greenbrier Classic gets unique golf trophy Design is replica of resort's signature springhouse by Jared Hunt Daily Mail staff

View new trophy picture at bottome of this page.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Greenbrier Classic, sure to be a one-of-a-kind event for both players and spectators, is deserving of an equally unique award.

New York-based Steuben Glass has announced the completion of a handcrafted crystal trophy to commemorate the addition of The Greenbrier Classic golf tournament to the PGA Tour.

The 3-foot-tall, 60-pound trophy was commissioned especially for The Greenbrier in celebration of the event and soon will go on display in the resort's lower lobby. It will remain on permanent display at the hotel following the tournament.

"We really pulled out all of the stops for this," said Robert Nachman, vice president of marketing and design at Steuben.

The trophy is a replica of The Greenbrier's springhouse, the dome-and-column structure on the hotel grounds that marks the spot where people first began to bathe in the healing waters near White Sulphur Springs in 1778.

Nachman said The Greenbrier approached Steuben last year to create a trophy for the tournament. Designers began formulating several ideas in October to present to the tournament committee.

"In the end, they ended up choosing the one most tailored to the springhouse," Nachman said. "It's been a six-month process to do the blowing and etching and the assembly."

The fluting for the dome was created with copper wheel engraving - a rare 17th century technique - and is topped with a sterling silver golfer.

"At Steuben, we train our own copper wheel engravers, and it's a six-year apprenticeship to master. I really think there are less than 250 producers in the world that still practice this technique," Nachman said.

He described the apparatus used as something akin to a dentist's drill hooked up to a sewing machine. Artists make their own drill bits and switch them out as they're etching the glass.

Nachman said exposition pieces made using this process can require 75 to 100 hours of labor in the etching alone.

iPhone App Launched for Greenbrier Classic

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP)  The PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic has launched its own iPhone application. Greenbrier resort spokeswoman Lynn Swann said Thursday the new app is available for downloading to Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod.

The PGA Tour already delivers live scoring, player information and other features on its own iPhone app.

Swann says the Greenbrier's app includes directions and maps, a schedule of events, pricing information, and a hole-by-hole description of the Old White course, where the inaugural PGA event is being played from July 29 to Aug. 1.

It also has links to the tournament's Facebook and Twitter pages. GETTING TICKETS

The Greenbrier Classic is a brand new PGA Tour event that will be played for the first time on July 29-August 1, 2010 on The Old White Course at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The Greenbrier Classic will be replacing Flint, Michigan's long standing Buick Open date on the PGA Tour calendar.

Earlier in the year, the PGA Tour and The Greenbrier jointly announced that they have entered a six-year agreement through 2015. The historic West Virginia resort will sponsor and host The Greenbrier Classic as part of the FedExCup beginning the week of July 26, 2010. The announcement was made at The Greenbrier during an afternoon press conference attended by resort-owner James Justice, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, World Golf Hall of Fame member and Greenbrier Golf Professional Emeritus Tom Watson, and, via videoconference, PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem.

The new Greenbrier Classic tournament will be held on The Old White Course, the Greenbrier's original of four golf courses, dating back to 1914. The Greenbrier will form a separate non-profit charitable organization to serve as the tournament operator.

Measuring nearly 7,000 yards, the par-70 Old White Course was originally designed by Charles Blair MacDonald and most recently underwent an extensive renovation by Lester George -- returning the course to its original design and reopening in 2006. In preparation for the Greenbrier Classic tournament some minimal course modifications are expected, resulting in a couple of additional tees and an enhanced practice facility.

Lincicome ready for Sour Mash appearance Tournament set for July 12 at PCC

By KERRY PATRICK, kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com POSTED: June 20, 2010 SEMINOLE, Fla. -Being a golf professional on the LPGA Tour has its perks.

Whether it's throwing out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game or partnering with Barbie's Top 10 Women to Watch promotion, Brittany Lincicome is taking advantage of her celebrity status.

The Mid-Ohio Valley will catch a glimpse of the 24-year-old native of St. Petersburg, Fla., when she plays in an 18-hole exhibition at Parkersburg Country Club in conjunction with the 39th annual Sour Mash Memorial on Monday, July 12.

Her visit to Vienna serves as an opportunity to reunite with friends and family. Her father, Tom, graduated from Parkersburg High School, while her mother, Angie, hails from Point Pleasant.

Lincicome's arrival will occur one day after the conclusion of the U.S. Women's Open in Oakmont, Pa., and complete a stretch of four straight weeks of tournaments. She competed at this week's Shoprite Classic in Galloway, N.J., then will begin her quest at the second major of the season - the LPGA Championship Presented by Wegmans in Pittsford, N.Y., on June 24-27.

"Wegmans has been a regular stop on the tour and now it's a major, so I don't know how to take that one," Lincicome said in a phone interview last week. "It's a good golf course as long as you drive it in the fairway. The rough is always thick.

"Of course, the U.S. Open is one of my favorites. Obviously, the money is not too bad and the golf course is really hard so scores are not too low."

Heading into this week's action, Lincicome ranked 17th on the LPGA money list with $194,621 in winnings. She is among the tour leaders in driving distance while averaging 273.2 yards per tee shot and sits atop the leaderboard with five eagles.

According to the drives which are rated, she slips down the list in accuracy at 121st overall, but Lincicome admits that figure may be a bit misleading.

"I don't feel like that actually reflects how well I am hitting the ball," Lincicome said. "If I'm one foot off the fairway, I count that as being in the fairway. Last week (at the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill.) I can't recall hitting into the hazard or out-of-bounds even once."

Lincicome's performance at the State Farm Classic, which included four rounds under par, brought promise for the upcoming summer season. She wants to make a dent into the Solheim Cup standings so that she doesn't have to rely on a captain's pick for the event scheduled for 2011 in Ireland. Currently, she is ranked No. 9 among U.S. golfers.

Last year, she helped solidify a spot on the roster with her incredible victory at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. It was among the shots - if not the shot - of the year that sealed the win and still remains a topic of conversation wherever she goes.

Trailing the leaders by one stroke going into the final hole, Lincicome took her hybrid from 220 yards out and put the shot within a few feet for eagle. Hands shaking, she managed to sink the putt and claimed the first major title of her career.

"I'm reminded of that shot every day," Lincicome said. "It was a great shot and is in the front of my memory in case I ever need that shot again. Maybe not exactly that same shot, but it gave me the confidence to hit a shot like that."

Lincicome not only made the splash into Poppie's Pond at Championship Lake for the winner's traditional dive into the water, but she also reaped the benefits of her golf exploits.

On occasion, the Tampa Bay Rays invite Lincicome to throw out the first pitch. Several weeks ago, she threw off the mound at Pittsburgh's PNC Park.

"My favorite stadium is always throwing for the hometown Rays," Lincicome admitted. "They are my hometown team and I feel like people know who I am.

"It's nervewracking, though. If I don't throw off the mound, I get grief about it. It's so far away."

Known as Bam Bam on tour, Lincicome has earned a new moniker "Barbie" since she is one of 10 individuals featured as the doll manufacturer's "Women to Watch in 2010."

She joins the likes of professional race car driver Danica Patrick and "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, along with people in the fashion business and university professors.

A Barbie replica of Lincicome shows the intricate details of the earrings and outfit worn by the golfer, down to the spikes on her shoes.

Her agent, Jeff Chilcoat of Sterling Sports Management in Columbus, was responsible for getting the proverbial ball rolling with Mattel, Inc.

"It seemed to make sense because Brittany conveys such a positive image," Chilcoat said. "She is involved in their 'I Can Be' DVD series which is sort of a program which explains to girls that if they set their mind to something, the sky's the limit."

On the charity front, Lincicome and many of her fellow tour members are involved with a project called "Veins for Life." The awareness program helps patients and families take an active role in decisions regarding their chemotherapy treatment.

A benefit outing earlier this month in New Jersey raised $250,000.

"It hits home because I lost a grandmother to breast cancer," Lincicome said. "I don't know if there is anybody on the LPGA Tour who doesn't know somebody who has been affected by breast cancer. It's a horrible disease and we will keep raising money to find a cure."

By Jim Workman Register-Herald Sports Writer

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS  The Greenbrier Classic will feature one of only two par 3 finishing holes on the PGA Tour FedExCup schedule this season.

It should make for a memorable finish on Old White.

The event will take place July 26-Aug. 1.

"There are a lot of things unique to the finishing hole at the Old White Course," said Robert Harris, the director of sports and recreation at The Greenbrier. "The proximity of the clubhouse and the natural amphitheater around it are unique. It will be even more of an amphitheater with the (soon to be added) skyboxes and grandstands.

"It's going to be an 8-iron shot for most players. So there's the possibility of an ace to finish a tournament."

There are few similarities in the two par 3s, however.

"The 18th (hole) at East Lake for the Tour Championship in Atlanta is a 5-iron shot, so it's a fairly long shot," Harris said. "But this is a fairly short shot. Maybe the big players will play 9-irons. The possibility of an eagle on 17 and an eagle, or hole-in-one, on 18 is a real possibility. I don't think it will be over until it's over, so to speak."

The last hole could make for dramatic round conclusion.

"Making up some ground late is a possibility," Harris explained. "But it's far from a given.

"You're not going to be out of it (heading into 18). There's not going to be a drive that goes in the rough. There's not going to be the drive that goes in the bunker that forces the player to pitch. Of course, a bad shot on 18, a ball that gets on the wrong side of the horseshoe ridge, a three-putt is certainly a realistic possibility, even for the best players in the world.

"One player could go ace and the next (player) go four (strokes). You'd have a three-shot swing just in a five-minute span right in front of 20,000 fans plus a TV audience."

With The Greenbrier Classic beginning this season for its first of at least six annual events, one may wonder what the PGA officials' response has been to a par 3 on 18.

"They love it," Harris said. "It's going to add drama. Who knows, it might be a trend-setter. It won't be over until that last putt is in."

The strategy when approaching 18 may be simple, but one wrong stroke could prove costly, Harris warned.

"The key is really distance control," he said. "It's 162 (yards) from the very back of the tee to the center of the green. The center of the green has a large ridge in it. What will fool the players is the wind. The wind really goes right to left, but it sort of bounces off the clubhouse. So when you stand on the tee, you feel like the wind is in your face. The players will want to hit it a little club or maybe a little bit harder. But if they do that, they'll end up in the back bunker. And the back bunker is deep, it's narrow, it has high fescue grass around it. You could end up with a very poor lie and have to go out sideways. Then you could conceivably make a five on that hole."

The final three holes will require a different set of skills and strategy.

"The drama of the finishing holes is remarkable," Harris said. "You have The Cape  over the water on 16, down the creek on Oak at 17 and a potential one-shotter to finish on 18. You have a four, five and a three (par) on the final three holes. It's a great variety to finish.

"It's great for the fans," he added. "We'll see if it's nerve-racking for the players."

The gallery will have many outstanding vantage points to watch the world's greatest golfers.

"The nature of the course is easy to walk," Harris said. "Standing on the 17th green, you can see about 15 of the holes from there. The spectators are going to get to see a lot of the course."

Sergio Garcia, a seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, became the first player to commit to The Greenbrier Classic last month.

A private concert featuring Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will take place July 31 for Greenbrier Classic attendees and participants. Access to the concert is included with the purchase of a weekly badge.

For more information about The Greenbrier Classic, visit www.greenbrierclassic.com.

 E-mail: jworkman@register-herald.com