Weekend recap - by the numbers

   

Some important numbers from this weekend's worldwide golf action:

17, 2 - Seventeen refers to the age of Matteo Manassero, the winner of last weeks European Tour stop.  Manassero closed with a four under 68 to beat Gregory Bourdy by a stroke and 54 hole leader Rory McIlroy by two.  Two refers to the number of wins under Manassero's belt after winning the Castello Masters last October.  Two could also refer to the number of consecutive tournaments McIlroy has failed to win after holding at least a share of the 54 hole lead.

1, 231 - One refers to the number of career PGA Tour wins for Brendan Steele after the conclusion of the Valero Texas Open. It can also refer to the number of strokes he had for a cushion after taking the 54 hole lead, the number of strokes under par he managed to card in his final round, the number of strokes he won by, or the fact that this is the 28 year old Steele's first year playing on the PGA Tour.  Two-hundred and thirty one refers to Steele's Official World Golf Ranking at the start of the tournament, the highest ranking in the final threesome of Steele, Kevin Chappel (Ranked 270) and Cameron Tringale (not ranked).

6 - Six is the number of strokes John Cook carded on the par four 18th hole in the final round of the Champions' Tour Outback Steakhouse pro-am after hitting his approach shot in to the water.  The double-bogey dropped him in to a tie with Jay Don Blake.  Playing the same hole for the playoff, Cook hit a six-iron to six feet for the winning birdie.

3 - The number of consecutive weeks with no tournament on the LPGA Tour after the cancellation of the Tres Marias Championship, scheduled for April 21-24 in Morelia, Mexico, due to the level of drug cartel linked violence in the local area.

0, 8,000,000 - Zero is the number of times the PGA Tour may return to Harbour Town Golf Links after this year.  The Heritage Classic, a tour staple since 1969, is being played without a sponsor this year.  The tournament's most recent sponsor, Verizon, pulled out after last years event and no sponsor has yet been willing to step up.  Lack of sponsorship could render extinct one of the most unique tournaments on tour, as Pete Dye's twisty, tight layout rewards accuracy and shotmaking prowess over length and strength.  Eight million is the number of dollars a sponsor must be willing to pony up to cover tournament costs, just in case you have that kind of scratch laying around.