Golf Notes: Pro to help Special Olympians, from dusk till dawn

A Sioux City, Iowa, golf pro from Council Bluffs has a busy Monday ahead of him.

Ryan Norman will attempt to play as many holes between dawn and dusk as he can at his club to benefit Iowa's Special Olympics athletes who will compete next month at the national games in Lincoln.

Norman is in his second year as an assistant pro at Sioux City Country Club. He graduated from Abraham Lincoln and the University of Northern Iowa.

Norman's boss, former Nebraska PGA section president Mitch Merrill, has played as many as 203 holes in a day in similar fundraisers. So Norman's stated goal now is 204. Some local Special Olympics athletes will tee off on the first hole with him during the day.

A Special Olympics spokeswoman said those wanting to make a pledge can call the Sioux City Country Club pro shop at 712-277-4612.

Nebraskans lead at PGA Junior Series

Two Nebraskans, McKayla Anderson of Fremont and Cameron Bargell of North Platte, were first-day leaders Monday at the PGA Junior Series event at Arbor Links In Nebraska City.

Anderson, who will attend McNeese State in the fall, matched par 72 for a three-stroke lead over Lincoln's Jacqueline O'Doherty in the girls 16-18 division. Bargell's 1-under 71 leads the boys 13-15 division by one stroke.

In the boys 16-18 division, John Spellerberg of Fremont is two shots behind leader Dylan Healey of Franklin, Tenn. Cassie Wang of Lenexa, Kan., tops the girls 13-15 field entering Tuesday's final round.

Boys 16-18: Dylan Healey, Franklin, Tenn., 70; Ryan Buerk, Blue Springs, Mo., 72; John Spellerberg, Fremont, 72; Charlie Danielson, Osceola, Wis., 72; Richard Schneider, Beemer, Neb., 73.

Boys 13-15: Cameron Bargell, North Platte, 71; Ryan Medhaug, Veblen, S.D., 72; Collin Hammer, Sioux Falls, S.D., 72; Greg Stanek, Bellevue, 73; Kade Brown, Oberlin, Kan., 75.

Girls 16-18: McKayla Anderson, Fremont, 72; Jacqueline O'Doherty, Lincoln, 75; Jordyn Wyzgowski, West Des Moines, 75; Shelby Phillips, Gilbert, Ariz., 75; Lisbeth Brooks, Waunakee, Wis., 78; Gianna Misenhelter, Overland Park, Kan., 78.

Girls 13-15: Cassie Wang, Lenexa, Kan., 82; Alexis Sadeghy, Edmond, Okla., 84 ; Sarah Jo Pravecek, Omaha, 86.

Jensen misses out on ninth hickory title

• Eight-time champion Randy Jensen, owner of Classic Golf in Omaha, couldn't come up with a ninth title in the National Hickory Championship. Jensen shot 78 in the final round at Oakhurst Links in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., but ended one stroke behind Mike Stevens of Tampa, Fla. Stevens became the only golfer other than Jensen to win the hickory-club championship more than once.

• John Spellerberg and Erik Krzyzanowski of Scottsbluff must wait until July 24 to complete their 36-hole match for the Nebraska Junior Match Play Championship. They got in 10 holes Friday at Fremont Golf Club, with Spellerberg winning the 10th for a 1-up lead, when another round of heavy rain halted play.

• Tuesday is the final day to enter the Nebraska men's match-play event at Omaha Country Club later this month. Pre-qualifying events are Thursday at Wild Horse in Gothenburg, Saturday at Oakland, Monday at Ashland Country Club and June 22 at the Pines Country Club in Valley.

• Alex Pieper, with a 78 at Goodman, opened a 10-stroke lead in the Omaha Junior Golf Championship that concludes Tuesday at Benson Park.

Countdown to Cox Classic

The 15th annual Cox Classic is July 29 to Aug. 1 at Champions Run in Omaha. A look at recent developments on the Nationwide Tour:

• This week: Fort Smith (Ark.) Classic. Purse: $525,000, with $99,000 to the winner. 2009 winner: Jason Enloe. TV: none. The big name in the field is native son John Daly, who has made six of 11 cuts on the PGA Tour with his best finish a tie for 24th.

• Last week: No tournament.

• Next week: Mexico Open Bicentenary.

• Gooch watch: Former Omahan Scott Gutschewski, now 19th on the Nationwide Tour money list with $88,637 in 10 events, is playing this week.

— Stu Pospisil

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