Fittingly, Christi Cano's final round at the LPGA Tour qualifying school at Daytona Beach, Fla., dawned cold and raw.
To get back to the top women's tour in the world after more than a year's absence would take something all too familiar Sunday.
A fight.
Cano, teeing off early into the teeth of 30 mph gusts, was playing the 11th round of an arduous qualifying journey that began with sectional events in September. Even before that, however, injuries, inconsistency and economics had combined to knock her professional career on the ropes.
But over four hours Sunday, dealing with swirling winds and emotions, the San Antonio player took care of business in posting a 2-over 74 to tie for 29th out of 139 players. The top-30 finish, while not good enough for a full-time exemption, earned Cano status for at least 10 LPGA events next season.
“I can breathe now,” she said by phone shortly after completing the fifth round at LPGA International. “I was really happy out there today.”
The reasons for it outnumber the clubs in Cano's bag. She has competed in recent years with limited resources, working at Pecan Valley and other sites to mold more than just her game. She needed the paychecks.
The former Edison High School standout was one of the LPGA Tour's remarkable stories in 2006 when she emerged out of a Q-School playoff to secure a full-time exemption. However, a hand injury undercut her rookie season, forcing her to apply for a medical exemption to play the following year.
Erratic play, spurred in part by traveling each week on the cheap, hiring local caddies along the way, teamed to strip her of her card at the end of 2007.
She played a scattering of Duramed Futures Tour events this year before stepping away last summer to rehab her game, earn some money and focus on qualifying school. After Cano missed the cut at the first stage in California in September, she immediately headed cross-country to Venice, Fla., to move on from the inaugural stage there less than a week later.
On Sunday, she made sure the journey was worthwhile.
OLLIE’S FOLLIES
Eau de B.S.
The Associated Press reports that Penn State and North Carolina, among other schools, have created perfumes and colognes “that smell like the schools.” For example, the Nittany Lions offering reportedly is like “a blend of vanilla, lilac, rose and white patchouli,” while the Tar Heels’ aroma is a mix of “jasmine, rose, sheer vanilla and amber woods.” A company called Masik Collegiate Fragrances is producing the scents, with plans for several other universities on the drawing board. But it can hold off on a University of Texas scent. The Longhorns are already raising quite a stink.
Movie scar
At the San Diego Library last week, writer-director Tim Carr unveiled what he called a documentary within a movie on former Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf. The player widely considered to be the biggest first-round draft bust is the topic of a film simply titled, “Leaf.” Carr told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “I was like, ‘Chargers fans have been through enough — let them have this.’.” However, Carr, who also plays the quarterback in the flick, has been forced to re-edit what had been a redemptive ending because of the ex-player’s recent resignation from his West Texas A&M coaching job for soliciting painkillers from a team member. So much for turning over a new Leaf.
Land of milk and money
An English dairy farmer who doubled as a jockey went 28 years without riding a horse to victory before finally doing just that last month. Fittingly, Anthony Knott began celebrating his inaugural win prematurely, standing in his irons and waving to the crowd before the finish. He was almost overtaken in the closing stretch. “I’m a bit unaccustomed to victory,” Knott told the Daily Mail, adding, “I wasn’t thinking straight for a minute.” Just afterward, the 44-year-old retired. “I just wanted to win one race and I’ve done it now,” he said, “so I think I’ll leave it at that.” For Knott, it was win race and go.
Monkey shiner
Boo Weekley, one of the PGA Tour’s more colorful characters, admitted to reporters at the recent Ryder Cup that he had indeed once been knocked out by an orangutan at a carnival. “In short,” The London Independent noted, “the then-16-year-old was persuaded by his mates at a county fair to try to win $50 by climbing into the ring with the orangutan, and he then remembers two things. The first was having to sign a waiver — ‘Looking back, that was a bad sign’ — and the second was ‘waking up bleeding in the back of a friend’s pickup.’.” Yikes, talk about fists of furry.
Food for naught
The Washington Redskins’ team nutritionist ran into some stubborn players last week when she talked to the squad about maintaining good eating habits during the holidays. Jane Jakubczak recommended staying away from “butter- and cream-drenched mashed potatoes and fried anything,” according to reports, and told athletes to keep a food log to help reduce weight gain. Offensive lineman Randy Thomas, already a 317-pounder, was one of those not buying into the plan. “Look, I don’t live by that,” he said. “I live to be happy. I eat fried chicken. You’re going to tell me that’s living dangerously?” In other words, when it comes to following Jakubczak’s directions, fat chance.
Wham, Bambi
A hunter thought he had bagged quite the trophy when he shot a nine-point, 240-pound buck on a hunting trip to the Ozarks. But when Randy Goodman approached the presumed kill, the deer rallied to its feet and attacked him with its antlers, gashing the man’s head before making a break for a nearby fence, falling over it. Goodman, bloodied, picked up his rifle and finished off his prey with two more shots before heading to an emergency room to receive nine staples to close wounds. “I learned a valuable lesson,” Goodman, 47, told the Sedalia (Mo.) Democrat. “If you don’t think they’re dead, you might want to shoot them again.” If not, the buck stomps here.
PLEASE SIR, I WANT SOME MORE ...
... of Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun. After the Lightning promoted Rick Tocchet to head coach, Wyman noted, “He’s said to be an intense, demanding, no-nonsense guy. Oh, and he runs a hell of an NFL office pool.”
... of Matt Youmans of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. After a panel named Yankees SS Derek Jeter one of the worst fielders, the columnist disagreed. “But there is plenty of proof that Jeter can play the field,” he opined. “Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Mariah Carey, Vanessa Minnillo and Scarlett Johansson, among others.”
... of Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times. In his weekly “Sideline Chatter” column, he notes that a Chinese man is trying to market an amphibious sports car to investors, hoping to mass-produce it as a potential fishing vehicle. “Alas,” Perry wrote, “no nibbles so far.”
... of Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show.” Joking about Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, he said, “So, for any of you women that were in the Latin Quarter nightclub last Friday night and were wondering, yes, that was a gun in Plaxico’s pants, but he was happy to see you.”
IN A TWIST
WANE-TV in Fort Wayne, Ind., revealed the other day that a company in Boulder, Colo., now offers a test that can find a gene to help determine what sport a child will most likely excel at playing. Atlas Sports Genetics claims it can identify athletic youngsters early on and help steer them by finding a gene on the 11th chromosome that quantifies whether a boy or girl will be better at speed and power sports, endurance sports or a combination of the two. What? Overbearing, obnoxious sports parents don’t determine that?
ON THE CLOCK
1 - Day until the Spurs head to Dallas for the first time this season. When facing Mark Cuban, it always affects the B.S. rankings.
17 - Days until the premiere of “Bedtime Stories.” Not sure about the plot on this one, but I hear it stars Alex Rodriguez.
22 - Days until Tiger Woods celebrates his 33rd birthday. His left knee, however, is only 8 months old.
68 - Days until Major League Baseball players start reporting for spring training. Or, as the Texas Rangers call it, saying hello to the long goodbye.
Source: mysanantonio.com
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