The 2008 U.S. Women’s Open coming to Interlachen Country Club has over $3 million in corporate sponsorship sales, plus advance ticket sales of about $220,000, according to Linda Mona, general co-chair for the tournament that will bring 156 of the best female golfers to town June 23-29. Those sales figures surpass any previous U.S. Opens approximately four months out from the tournament, she said.
Mona said sellout status will be about 22,500 spectators per day at Interlachen. So far the tournament is almost 50 percent sold out. The public can obtain ticket and event information at www.2008uswomensopen.com, or by calling 800-241-OPEN.
Funnyman emcee and Gopher basketball public address announcer Dick Jonckowski whispers a joke or two to Tubby Smith prior to tip off at each home game. Here’s Jonckowski telling the two stories he told Smith earlier this week: “Two kids in Hollywood are talking. One kid said, ‘my dad can beat up your dad.’ The other kid said, ‘my dad is your dad.’
“And the second one is a gentleman came up to me the other day and he said, ‘Dick, my wife’s an angel.’ I said, ‘you’re lucky—mine’s still alive.’ ”
Timberwolves guard/forward Gerald Green defends his title in the Sprite Slam Dunk competition tomorrow (Saturday) on TNT starting at 7 p.m. Green had a perfect score in the finals last year on a windmill dunk, leaping a table to defeat defending champion Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks. The dunk competition is part of NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans.
When the Twins go on the road to play National League teams and can’t use the designated hitter, newly acquired pitcher Livan Hernandez could be more than your usual feeble hitting pitcher. Hernandez previously spent his entire career in the National League where he has a .232 lifetime average with nine home runs and 73 RBI. In 2001 he hit .296 in 33 games and 81 at-bats.
Since the beginning of the 2000 season, Hernandez pitched 1,837.2 innings and 32 complete games, the most in major league baseball. His 270 starts are tied with Tom Glavine for the second, trailing Greg Maddux, 275.
The next Minnesota Wild Hockey Unplugged event is Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. at Primetime Sports Bar, 14103 Irving Ave. in Burnsville. Fans can receive autographs from Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik.
The Minnesota Minutemen announced the following candidates for the 24th Annual Mr. Hockey Award. Tyler Barnes (Burnsville High School), J. T. Brown (Rosemount High School), Cory Fienhage (Eastview High School), Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka High School), Joe Gleason (Edina High School), Justin Jokinen (Cloquet High School), Zack Lehrke (Park Rapids High School), Aaron Ness (Roseau High School), Drew Olson (Brainerd High School) and Jake Youso (International Falls High School). The Mr. Hockey Award is given to the outstanding high school senior and is selected by a panel of NHL scouts, Division I coaches and media.
The Minutemen also announced earlier this week that Joe Phillippi of Hill-Murray High School has won The Frank Brimsek Award in recognition of the state’s top senior goaltender.
The MIAC led all NCAA Division III conferences in football attendance for the third straight season in 2007. The conference’s nine teams averaged 3,594 fans per game, 372 more per game than in 2006. In 49 home games, the MIAC total attendance was a Division III-best 176,129 fans.
For the seventh straight season Saint John’s was the Division III attendance leader. The Johnnies averaged a school-record 8,769 fans per game. Concordia College-Moorhead finished second in the nation behind Saint John’s with an average of 5,441 fans per game.
The Crown Royal Golf Show is expected to have over 100 golf exhibitors, plus special attractions including the $100,000 Putt Challenge. The show will be at the Metrodome February 22-24.