News Grab-Bag: 4/25/2014

I'm still collecting donations for the 8-Bit Salute. Donate and support the troops!

- R&A chief Peter Dawson announced Tuesday that he will be stepping down in 2015, ending his 16 year run as the head of the organization. He will remain the head of the International Golf Federation, which oversees golf in the Olympics, through at least 2016. With all the shake-ups at the top of the USGA, as well as Tim Finchem rumored to be stepping away in 2016, the world of golf, at least at the executive level, is going to look drastically different in a couple of years.

- The USGA received a record number of entries for qualifying for the US Open. 10,127 players are going to be competing in open qualifying, the first time in history that the USGA received over 10,000 entries. Local qualifying will begin May 2nd, and sectional qualifying will take place on June 2nd. US Open Sectional Qualifying, by the way, is one of the most exciting days for golf fans, with 10 golf tournaments taking place all over the country with the hope of playing in the national open. Two international qualifiers, in England and in Japan, will take place on May 26th.

- Lydia Ko got herself a lovely 17th birthday present, as she was named on of Time Magazines "100 Most Influential People". She follows Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Yani Tseng, and Michelle Wie as the only LPGA professionals to ever make the list. Ko is also the only golfer and one of only five athletes to make the list.

- Tiger Woods did some light work around the green this week, and his agent told Golf Channel that his time table to return is "sometime this summer". That could mean sometime between the US Open and the PGA Championship. If I had to guess, I would doubt we would see Tiger at the US Open. He'll likely wait until after the Tour returns from across the pond and come back in time for the PGA Championship. Circle the Bridgestone Championship in Ohio.

- The San Francisco Giants are giving these away on Monday. Anyone care to pick me up one?

- I didn't get to cover this in my wrap-up in Monday, but congratulations to 15-year-old Minami Katsu on becoming the youngest winner in JLPGA history. Katsu topped the record that was previous held by Hyo-Joo Kim, whom I previously mentioned in my wrap up, and follows in the footsteps of Ryo Ishikawa who also won in Japan when he was 15.