Canadian Tour in Mexico
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:36:47
In a bunker just behind the seventh green at the Palma Real Golf Club, a full-sized female crocodile has laid her eggs and his keeping an around the clock watch less than ten feet away. Players unnerved at the sight of the toothy reptile watching them putt can exhale-not surprisingly, the bunker has been taken out of play for the tournament. The waters around the course are also croc-infested, meaning players won't be overly-anxious to retrieve balls launched into the pond.
A total of 132 players are in Mexico for the fifth official event of the campaign. Americans Hank Kuehne and Jeff Quinney, who won titles earlier this year, have both withdrawn from the tournament. Steve Scott of Wellington, FL sits third on the Tour's Order of Merit ($40,737) and will look to vault into top spot with a victory here. Also in the starting field is Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, ON, who is seventh on the money list ($14,700) after a second-place showing at the Scottsdale Swing at Eagle Mountain two weeks ago.
The 6875-yard, par-72 layout in scenic Ixtapa will be the site for play when the opening round gets underway Thursday morning. Palma Real's course record is an 8-under 64.
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