Tailored Shorts: Golf News You May Not Have Heard!

Norman and Evert Split

No, he didn’t dump her by text but just 15 months after they were married, golf star Greg Norman and tennis great Chris Evert announced they have separated. The news came on the eve of the President’s Cup where player’s wives and partners are under the spotlight. They were married June 28, 2008, a month before Norman nearly won The Open. Norman was coming off an ugly divorce from Laura Andrassy, the mother of his two children, which ended in a settlement that paid her just over $100 million.

Evert was married twice previously, most recently to Olympic downhill skier Andy Mill, with whom she had three children. They were divorced in December 2006.

Grieving Perry To Play President’s

Kenny Perry's mother Mildred has died after a long battle with blood cancer. Even as Kevin Perry enjoyed one of his most successful years on Tour, he had been coping with the ever more saddening situation of his mother’s condition and recently had his son, Justin, caddie for him to keep close as a family. The 49-year-old American said he would play in the Presidents Cup next week in San Francisco at his family's request. ``While Kenny is deeply saddened by the loss of his mother, he and the entire Perry family are finding comfort in knowing that after a lengthy battle with cancer, her suffering has now ended'', his agent said.

Who Wants to be a Billionaire?

According to Forbes, Tiger Woods is first athlete to reach the $1 billion career earnings mark, ahead of basketball legend Michael Jordan and Formula One’s Michael Schumacher. Woods had earned a cumulative $895 million going into 2009, through several channels including prize money, appearance fees, endorsements, bonuses and his golf course design business. This year he won $10.5 million in prize money, and his FedEx win of $10 million took him through $100 million mark in annual earnings and past $1 billion overall. Financial analysts say the 33 year old, through potential playing and course design earnings may earn further billions in years to come. Tiger is followed in this years earnings totals by Phil Mickelson ($53 million) and LeBron James $42.4 million).

Tour Wrap

The final senior major of the year, the Senior Players Championship turned into a battle royale between legend Tom Watson and Jay Haas. Haas birdied the 18th hole to match the course record with a 6-under 64 to edge Tom Watson by a stroke. The 60-year-old Watson was trying to become the oldest major winner on the 50-and-over Tour but struggled with three final round bogeys to shoot a 70. This was Haas’ second consecutive win after claiming the Greater Hickory Classic two weeks ago. It was also his third senior major and 14^th Champions Tour win.

It's been a quiet year on the LPGA Tour by Lorena Ochoa’s standards. From 2006 to 2008 she averaged seven tour wins per year. On Sunday Ochoa bagged the Navistar LPGA Classic, her third win this season.

Finally, a Cinderella story. Jerod Turner a 34-year old, self-taught Texan had earned less than $8,000 on the Nationwide Tour and was contemplating giving up the game three weeks ago. Suddenly, having won the Nationwide Tour's $1M Soboba Classic, he's inches away from the PGA Tour. Turner’s win was worth $180,000 propelling him into an automatic qualifying spot with only three events left.