Father uses Web site to keep old buddies up to date on his daughters' successes

~ Robert Howard is just one of many parents walking the course.

Proud father's aren't too hard to find this week at the AJGA Dalhousie Junior Classic.

Follow Ginger Howard around Dalhousie Golf Club and you're sure to find one.

Robert Howard, whose daughter carded an opening 79 on Tuesday, is more than your typical pictures-in-the-wallet kind of father.

Anyone that wants to follow the golf exploits of his two daughters can do so on the family's Web site -- www.gingerandrobbi.com.

On the Web site, Howard likens his two daughters, Ginger, and 11-year-old Robbi to the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, in tennis.

Ginger, who turned 13 in March, is one of the youngest players in the field, while Robbi is not yet old enough to play in events sactioned by the AJGA, which is for golfers ages 12 to 18.

Robert Howard played tennis at Temple University in Philadelphia and now resides in Bradenton, Fla.

The father said he started the Web site to appease his curious buddies in Philadelphia who wanted to follow the careers of the two young girls.

"I was like, 'Alright guys, this is what I'll do for you. We'll get this Web site and I'll update it for you,'" Robert Howard said. "I keep it updated once a week so they can follow the girls' progress. Everything about the girls, we put on that Web site."

Howard is true to his word.

A check to the Web site includes such facts on Ginger: Number of trophies (78), maker and model of clubs in her bag (Nike NDS irons -- 4-iron to sand wedge -- with graphite shafts; driver -- Nike Sasquatch, Nike T60 3-wood, Callaway Steelhead 5-and 7-wood), golf ball (Titleist Pro V1x), low career score (69), hole in one and career timeline.

Similar information is also provided on Robbi.

Although he started swinging a club at the age of 1 1/2, Robert Howard Jr., 4, does not yet have a Web site.

Slow play prohibited

The American Junior Golf Association attempts to emphasize pace of play during its events.

Penalties are given to players for slow play. No penalty strokes were handed out during Tuesday's first round, but 16 red cards were issued as warnings.

Emily Matthews' group, the final girls trio, was given a red card after the 17th hole.

The group reached the clubhouse just behind Jack Connell Jr.'s trio, which was the last boys group and played up the front nine to end the day.

Toughest holes

While many golfers seemed to struggle with balls in the high grass, AJGA officials said the red card total was in line with their tournament averages.

The hardest hole for the boys was the par-4 10th hole, which played at a stroke average of 4.954. The hole featured Dalhousie's new tee box that can be used for both Nos. 1 and 10 and requires a driver over the water. For the 10th, the drive is roughly 250 yards to the right side of the fairway, although a shorter option exists on the left side of the fairway.

The ninth hole was second-toughest at 4.917. The 425-yard par-4 was the only hole not to yield a birdie.

The par-5 18th hole was the easiest for the boys at 4.713. It was the only hole to play under par. It yielded eight eagles with the pin placement on the upper plateau of the 85-yard green.

The 18th also was the easiest for the girls at an average of 5.086. There were no eagles, but nine birdies. The par-5 15th yielded six birdies with an average of 5.457.

For the girls, the toughest was the 12th, a par 4 playing at 373 yards with an elevated green for the second shot. With no birdies, 15 bogeys and 16 others, it played at 5.429.

Sight-ems

Seen working the course as volunteers Tuesday were Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Mark Hogan, Notre Dame's recently retired girls basketball coach Jerry Grim and Notre Dame boys soccer coach Brad Wittenborn.

Grim coached Emily Matthews on Notre Dame's boys golf team this spring.

The golf programs in the SEMO Conference will receive a portion of the total fundraising based on volunteer participation.

Also seen at the course watching Matthews play was former Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach B.J. Smith.

Walkie-talkie buzz

One girls player withdrew and had to be tended to by a medic on a typical hot, humid day in Southeast Missouri.

The medic was called again over the walkie-talkie system to tend to a player with a bee sting.

Also, a lengthy discussion took place over a rules issue that required one of the boys players in the afternoon to leave the No. 2 tee box for the first hole to replay his original ball after he completed the hole with a provisional.

Praise from Texas

Texas is well represented in the field with 18 competitors, and several of the parents from the Lone Star State followed the play of their offspring Tuesday at Dalhousie.

Dan Deichert of Dallas watched his 17-year-old son Patrick compete and came away impressed by the course.

"Most of the golf courses they play are much easier than this," Deichert said. "This is like real golf, not junior golf. [Patrick] has played around the country, but this is definitely the best course they've played."

Bruce Beeson of Aledo, Texas, tracked his son Brad, who was a member of the Texas Class 4A state championship team at Aledo High School that ended a seven-year run of titles for Highland Park. The father and son are veterans of the AJGA and have hand-picked the courses for their final season of junior competiton.

"I like to to look for good golf courses, and this one has lived up to its billing," Bruce Beeson said.

Young blasters

Tyler Mitchell, 17, of Cadiz, Ky., was one of several players to drive the 355-yard 14th hole.

"It was a little down-wind though," said Mitchell, downplaying the feat. "The pin was on the right back. I didn't think I could get there, but somehow I did it."

He was left with a 20-foot eagle putt and settled for a tap-in birdie.

"They said it was the third ball on the green, but they said it was the closest they'd seen," Mitchell said.