Leelanau Sports Guy at sportspig.com

Just got this note from reader Bob S…

Team USA downed Brazil to win the FIVB World Grand Prix of Volleyball which included 16 of the World’s top National teams. It was held from Aug 4 thru the 28th. Team USA, ranked no. 2, ended up playing Brazil, ranked no. 1, for a 26-26, 25-20, 25-21 over Brazil for the Championship match. Team USA defeated Serbia in the semifinal 25-22, 25-20, 25-21. Team USA had lost to both Brazil and Serbia earlier in Aug. but got it together to defeat both of them when it really counted—-Brazil was 13-0 going into the Championship Match. The matches were held in China, Hong Kong and Japan, with the semifinal and Championship matches being held in Macau, China. Through the month, a total of 90 matches were held leading up to the Title Match.

Alisha Glass and Lindsey Berg set for Team USA. Alisha, at 23, was the youngest player for Tean USA and Berg four year’s older and had prior Olypmic experience.

You can read more at www.fivb.org/EN/volleyball/competitions/WorldGrandPrix/2011/.

From The Grand Traverse Resort…

LPGA great Meg Mallon will be at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa on Tuesday August 30 to play The Bear, the first time she will play the legendary Jack Nicklaus golf course. Mallon will be at the Resort to play The Bear with three amateur golfers, who placed the winning bid on a Michigan Sports Hall of Fame fundraiser item to play with Mallon. Mallon was inducted in to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2010 class. During her professional career, Mallon won 18 LPGA tournaments from 1991 to 2004, and was a member of eight Solheim Cup Teams from 1992 to 2005. You can view Mallon’s career record and bio on the LPGA website. For more information about the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, visit: www.michigansportshof.org.

A quick note from J. Michael DeAgostino of the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa…

At the PGA Professional National Championship in Hershey, PA, today Grand Traverse Resort & Spa’s Head Golf Professional Scott Hebert scored an eagle, a hole-in-one on the 215-yard, par-3, 16th hole.

Hebert finished the day with a score of one-under-par 70. Currently on the third day of play, he is at 4-under-par and tied for 15th place. There is one more round to be played at Hershey tomorrow.

The top 20 finishers in the PGA PNC receive exemptions to the PGA Championship, to be held this year August 18-14 in Atlanta, GA.

It was in 2008 that Hebert won the PGA PNC.

Click here to see his scorecard at this year’s PGA PNC.

Watch this entertaining video from PGA Head Professionals Casey Powers and Mike Fay from Boyne Mountain.

One of my favorite memories with my Dad growing up was riding in the Leelanau Harvest Tour. It’s hard to believe I used to be able to bike 20 miles or more! Leelanau County offers many scenic roads that allow for amazing rides and views throughout the county.

The tour takes place on Sunday, September 19th, 2010 and starts at Glen Lake High School. Camping is available on Saturday night on the school grounds. The tour features 25, 45, 67 and 100 mile routes.

For cost, registration and more info, click the link below.

Leelanau Harvest Tour at Active.com

Here’s an exclusive article re-posted with permission from TMZ…

Tiger Woods is golfing like a man possessed — hitting ball after ball after ball at the golf course near his home in Isleworth … and TMZ has obtained the first unstaged photos of Woods back in action.

Woods hit the course yesterday with 2 male companions and practiced his ass off from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM — working on everything from drives to pitches and putts.

We’re told Tiger’s session was uninterrupted — and he seemed completely focused throughout the entire grueling workout.

As we previously reported, sources in Isleworth tell us Tiger is dead set on competing for the Tavistock Cup — which will be held at the same Isleworth golf course where he’s practicing.

And with that news … Phil Mickelson probably needs a fresh pair of undies.

The Jack Nicklaus designed golf course The Bear will celebrate it’s 25th year of challenging golfers this summer on June 17, 2010. The Grand Traverse Resort has invited the public to participate by sharing photos and stories and offering special prizes and savings during the upcoming golf season.

The Bear was the first Nicklaus designed course in Michigan and helped pave the way for modern designed golf courses in northern Michigan.

The Golf Association of Michigan’s most recent review of The Bear measured it at 7,078 yards, and gave it a rating of 76.3 and slope of 148. In spite of its difficulty, it is fair. Landing areas are generous and it rewards good shots. And good golfers can score on it, as the Resort’s Head Golf Professional, Scott Hebert, who won six Michigan Open championships on The Bear, will attest.

“The Bear is the best golf course I’ve ever played and after 25 years it has not lost any of its bite! Every hole is different, which makes it unique, and to play it well, your game should be sharp,” stated Hebert.

Perhaps the best-known golfer to play The Bear was the winner of the 1990 Ameritech Senior Open, Chi Chi Rodriguez, who said, “(The Bear) is one of the great golf courses we play. The thing that makes this course so great is that it can be set up as tough as you want. This course challenges you on every shot. This is the way golf courses should be designed.”

For more information and details visit www.grandtraverseresort.com.

Photo of The Bear courtesy of Grand Traverse Resort & Spa

Traverse City St. Francis Gladiator linebacker Max Bullough has verbally committed to the 2010 class at Michigan State University. Bullough is a familiar name at MSU as the Detroit News reports…

Max, Dantonio’s first commitment for 2010, is the grandson of former Spartans assistant coach and player Hank Bullough and the nephew of Chuck Bullough, a former second-team All-American linebacker at MSU who is a position coach at UCLA.

Shane Bullough, Chuck’s older brother, also played linebacker at MSU and was an All-American.

Max, listed by Rivals.com as 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, also considered scholarship offers from Notre Dame, UCLA, Stanford and Iowa.

As a Spartan fan, I have to say it’s very cool and MSU is getting one tough player!

Read Spartans lure familiar name in the Detroit News

The Record Eagle also has an article…

Read Bullough headed to MSU in the Record Eagle

where people are making resolutions (Big Al isn’t going to like #8!) and putting together best of lists for 2007, so it’s a perfect time to add a link to the Record Eagle’s Top 10 Sports Stories of 2007.

One of their stories is about former Leland volleyball star Alisha Glass helping Penn State win the 2007 NCAA Volleyball Championship.

Updated!
Here is the Leelanau Enterprise’s 2007 Year in Review!

Traverse City resident Chris Cooke is looking to put together a team to play in the 20th annual Men’s Senior Baseball League/Men’s Adult Baseball League World Series Oct. 29-Nov. 3 in Phoenix. Read the article below and contact Cooke if you are interested. For about 1/2 a minute I considered it, but then reality hit me. Ninety feet is a long way to run and I can’t remember the last time I did that!

Read TC man aims to form men’s baseball team in the Record Eagle

Mark Urban of the Record Eagle has compiled a report on area athletes participating in college athletics. This latest article features former Leelanau County stars…

Ben Darling (Freshman, Suttons Bay)
Men’s Soccer, Kalamazoo

Alisha Glass (Sophomore, Leland)
Women’s Volleyball, Penn State

Read College Notes: Burke comes up big for Colgate in the Record Eagle

Held In Conjunction With The 2007 Glen Lake High School Cross Country Invitational – Saturday, August 18th

When: 10am start time for the 1-Mile FUN RUN & WALK – Saturday, August 18th!

Where: Glen Lake School, 3375 W Burdickville Road, Maple City, Michigan

The 1-Mile FUN RUN/WALK is NOT a race.

All participants of the 1-Mile FUN RUN & WALK are guaranteed winners! Olympic Style Medals complete with red, white & blue ribbons awarded to ALL finishers.

The 2nd Annual Glen Lake 1-Mile FUN RUN & WALK is all about celebrating health and fitness out on Glen Lake School’s beautiful cross country trails.

The 2-Mile Invitational races (for High School Cross Country Teams only) kick off at 9 a.m. and the 1 Mile FUN RUN & WALK will follow immediately after – at roughly 10 a.m.

$10.00 entry fee includes special “Olympic Style” Glen Lake Health & Fitness Medals complete with red, white and blue ribbons for ALL finishers.

For more information please contact Coach Edwards – phone: 231-334-3080 or email: getfit@skiwalking.com

Runners, Walkers, Pole Walkers & Jogging Strollers Welcome!

This looks pretty cool, plus they have Bob Probert! Need I say more? Okay, I will. Michigan In Play! Magazine and president Jack Rosenberg have put together what appears to be a talented staff of writers and photographers to bring all kinds of Michigan sports coverage to you! It looks like there isn’t anything they won’t tackle! I’ll let them explain it to you…

Our Secret Weapon Is Our Content…Once You Read An Issue, You’ll Be Hooked!

Feature stories – each issue explores sporting and leisure activities (the list of possibilities is endless) in great detail… it may be Lions, Wings, Tigers, Pistons, boating or dog sledding in the U.P. We strive to bring you the very best Michigan has to offer.

It’s available at over 365 locations around SE Michigan, and best of all, it’s FREE!

So there you have it, just go to www.michiganinplay.com and check it out for yourself!

The Traverse City Record Eagle is starting it’s countdown of the top 10 sports stories of 2006 with a story about the Suttons Bay Norsmen golf team’s run to the state championship.

Read Sit-down meeting sparked Norse to title in the Record Eagle

I can’t imagine a better start to a college sports career than that of former Leland Comet star Alisha Glass. Glass has helped Penn State maintain their #2 ranking, start the Big Ten season 6-0, and remain undefeated for the season at 17-0.

Glass ranks seventh at 12.05 assists per game and eighth with 1.16 blocks per game. She is the only setter to be ranked among the conference leaders in both statistics.

Next up for Glass and the Nittany Lions are home matches versus Michigan on Friday and Michigan State on Saturday.

Read Glass steps up to challenge of leading No. 2 Penn State at ESPN.com