Revisiting 2008's golf highlights

Golf offered a lot of wonderful story lines in 2008. Padraig Harrington won the last two major championships of the year as well as PGA player of the year honors. Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Open, despite playing on a gimpy left leg that included a torn ACL and two stress fractures. Captain Paul Azinger led the U.S. to a long-needed U.S. Ryder Cup victory. Trevor Immelman won the Masters. Greenville's Jay Haas won another Senior PGA Championship. Lorena Ochoa won seven times in 22 starts on the LPGA Tour. But maybe as important to that circuit's future was Michelle Wie finally going to qualifying school and earning her LPGA playing privileges.

Another major national story commanded a lot of local interest. LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who began hosting an LPGA event at Mount Pleasant's RiverTowne Country Club in 2007, announced she was "stepping back" from competitive golf to concentrate on other interests, including her upcoming marriage. The Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika went on, but there were questions about the event's future and in August it finally was announced that the event would no longer be played because a major sponsor could not be secured.

That didn't mean Charleston would be left without professional golf in 2009. The PGA Tour announced in late October it was bringing its Nationwide Tour Championship to Daniel Island Club for at least three years. The no-cut event features 60 players battling for a top-25 spot on the money list and a chance to play the PGA Tour the following season.

A couple of other things to look forward to in 2009: Boo Weekley, a star on the Ryder Cup team, returning to Harbour Town for a three-peat and the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in early October at Kiawah Island Club's Cassique Course.

Here's a look back at some of the top local events and other storylines from 2008:

--Frank Ford III made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Senior Amateur for the second straight year, an accomplishment that earned him an exemption to play in the U.S. Senior Open. He also won the Yeamans Hall Senior Amateur for the second straight year and finished second to Steve Johnson of Mequon, Wis., in the Senior Azalea.

--Bert Atkinson, who turned 50 in April, qualified for the Senior Open and made the cut. Atkinson also went on to win the Charleston City Senior Amateur in his debut by a whopping 17 shots.

--Lea Anne Brown won the Charleston Women's City Amateur title for a 13th time, finishing six shots ahead of runner-up Victoria Tsurutis.

--College of Charleston golfer Tim Tang, a Fort Dorchester product, beat Duke's Justin Hare in a playoff to win the Charleston Men's City Amateur title. Tang also advanced through local qualifying for the U.S. Open for the third straight year.

--Mount Pleasant's D.J. Trahan won on the PGA Tour for the second time in three seasons, capturing the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

--Zach Sucher, a junior at Alabama-Birmingham, beat a star-studded field in the Azalea Invitational at the Country Club of Charleston that also included defending champion Webb Simpson, Peter Uihlein, Kevin Tway, Trent Leon and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

--After finishing one shot out of a playoff the year before, Australia's Matt Griffin returned to Snee Farm Country Club and won the Rice Planters Amateur.

--A successful beach renourishment program on the Isle of Palms has allowed Wild Dunes Resort to rebuild the beautiful 18th hole at the Links Course after erosion washed away the green. The hole is expected to reopen this spring.

--Charleston native Beth Daniel has been extremely busy, lending her name to and helping raise funds for the Junior Azalea golf tournament at the Country Club of Charleston. The LPGA Hall of Famer also is busy as captain of the U.S. Solheim Cup team, but found time to throw out the first pitch at Fenway Park and Wrigley Field.

Reach Tommy Braswell at (843) 937-5591 or e-mail braswell@postandcourier.com. Also, check out Lowcountry Links at www.charleston.net/blogs.