The Star Press from Muncie, Indiana • Page 17

The Star Press Monday, March 2, 1998 Page 3C Rejuvenated Mayfair beats Woods in playoff I And a Classroom Runs Through It vv Tlie Outsider i -v II 111 GOLF: Woods has three top-three finishes so far "this year. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS VALENCIA, Calif. Billy May-fair ended a 2-year run of bad putts, bad bounces and self-doubt. Tiger Woods came oh-, so-close again, but was left looking for his first tour victory since July. Mayfair, who won two tournaments and finished second on the money list In 1995 then slipped Into a slump, caught Woods by sinking a 4-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation Sunday.

He then rolled in a 5-footer for another birdie on the same hole shortly thereafter to win the Nissan Open. Woods, who has finished second twice and third once in tour events this year and also won recently in Thailand, shot a clos- lng 5-under-par 66 that Included birdies on three of his last four holes in regulation. But his pitch from 40 yards on the first playoff hole rolled 18 feet beyond the pin, and his putt coming back stayed left, giving May-fair his chance. "Having won and having beaten the best player out here, it's awesome," said Mayfair, who was in the group behind Woods and had a 67 to finish at 12-under. "There was no doubt In my mind that Tiger would play well, but I wasn't going to change my game because of him." Woods, who made his tour debut in this tournament in 1992 and missed the cut as a 16-year-old amateur that year, obviously was disappointed he didn't win in front of a hometown crowd.

But he was happy with his effort. "The great thing is, granted that I didn't win, but that I bird-led three of the last four," Woods said. "I wanted to go to 12-under, which I thought would be a winning number, and I did. "Billy played great, played steady golf." Asked if he would reflect on "letting this one get away," Woods said, "I don't see it as getting away from me. I was right there.

I made some good putts, hit some good shots. And I had a chance on the first playoff hole." Woods, who grew up In Los Angeles, said he enjoyed having his friends and family at the tournament, and also the fact that Charlie Slfford. the first black player to win a tour event, was honored at the event. "It was a special week," Woods said. "Charlie, he's like a grandfather to me." Mayfair essentially won it when he hit his wedge from 90 yards within close birdie range on the playoff hole.

Woods pushed his tee shot into the gallery on the right for the second time in a row, hit his second shot 40 yards short of the green, then left himself a long birdie attempt. i Washington upsets UCLA, keeps tourney hopes alive Attention bait anglers! Fess upl You've been threatening to learn how to fly cast and fly-fish for years, and you've threatened to get around to it "some day." Well, some day Is here. The Ball State office of recreation programs will offer a "Fly Casting and Fly-Fishing" class beginning March 30 and continuing for five consecutive Mondays. Weather permitting, the class will Include a field trip to a local watering hole (a real and your final exam will require you to fool a bluegill with artificial bait. Class Instructors are Warren Vander Hill, a fly fisherman who has fished many blue-ribbon streams, and Ken Langell, a fly-fishing expert who works at Orvls's Royal River store In Indianapolis.

Vander Hill is also the BSU provost and first taught a fly-fishing class here In 1983. Part of the class's charm is the make-up of class members. In the past, Muncle executives, physicians, laborers, high school students, collegians, and professors have stood side by side to learn the "gentle art" of casting, said Vander Hill. Interviewed In his BSU office, with numerous paintings and carvings of trout all around, Vander Hill stressed that the class is both hands-on, as well as "spiritual and contemplative." You'll learn to tie knots, to tie some flies, to choose balanced rod-reel outfits, to become familiar with Insect hatches, and to master the ageOold art of casting. But the instructors also plan to refer to the veritable library of fly-fishing classics, particularly A River Runs Through It, the famed novella by Norman Maclean that was turned Into a cinema classic by Robert Redford.

In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing," begins Maclean's novella. And hearing Vander Hill speak reverentially about the sport, there's no question that fly-fishing for him is more an opportunity for spiritual renewal than It is a way to escape the pressures of academe. Vander Hill began fly-fishing at 15, long before the sport became a fad for urban professionals. He continued to fish as an undergraduate and Hank NUWER graduate student in the trout-rich states of Michigan and Colorado respectively. In an interview, he often makes reference to men and women who take the class to learn to fish with their fathers.

He himself fishes with a grown son who works as a software engineer In Wisconsin, and the two discuss waders, fly preferences, and fishing tips via e-mail. Vander Hill said he was "guardedly optimistic" that long-term environmental pressures on trout can be relieved. His frequent trips to Montana have shown him the ill effects on trout because of pressures from over-fishing, development and Industry. Personally, he can't recall the last time he kept a trout he landed, opting to use barbless hooks that let him release even 20-inch fish unharmed. Students In the BSU class will leam not only how to catch trout, but also how to play them without working them to death and how to release them unharmed.

"When I teach the course I say we have a responsibility to develop an environmental ethic," said Vander Hill, who also fly-fishes for saltwater fish. The class emphasizes the need to preserve the species and to begin anew In areas of North America where trout are threatened with extinction. The class will be taught in spacious, slick-surfaced University Arena. But Vander Hill remembers the first classes in the early 80s, taught in a tiny Muncie school gym, when half the class was spent extricating lines from basketball nets. For more information on the class, call the BSU office of recreation programs at 285-1753.

Hank Huwer covers outdoors topics for The Star Press. reacted like the 17-year old teenager she is. Williams repeatedly pumped her hands In the air in the "raise the roof gesture." She hugged her father, Richard, and took out a pocket camera and asked WTA representative Jaye Cavallo to take a picture while they stood behind the scoreboard. Finally, Williams lofted the trophy and held a $27,000 winner's check. The money, a mere pittance compared to the $350,000 she earned for reaching the U.S.

Open singles final last year, was less important than the experience. "Winning the tournament meant a lot to me," Williams said. "It's one I'll always remember and I'll be able to say, 'It all started in Oklahoma City." COLLEGE BASKETDALL: Sunday featured several conference matchups. i By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SEATTLE Todd MacCulIoch's two free throws with 2.1 seconds Teft lifted Washington to a 95-94 over No. 18 UCLA on Sun- day, keeping the Huskies' NCAA tournament hopes alive and breaking a 10-game losing streak against the Bruins.

Kris Johnson's three-pointer with 12 seconds left gave UCLA a one-point lead, but teammate J.R. Henderson fouled out by holding MacCulloch on an lnbounds play, sending the 7-footer to the line for the decisive free throws. The fourth-place team In the Pac-10, Washington won its first game over a ranked opponent after five defeats. The Huskies are seeking their first NCAA berth since 1986, the longest tournament drought among Pac-10 schools. (4) Kansas 71, (25) Oklahoma State 67: In Stillwater, Raef LaFrentz scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half and also grabbed 14 rebounds to help No.

4 Kansas to a victory over No. 25 Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks (31-3, 15-1 Big .12) led by 13 points at halftime rand by 10 with 6:28 remaining, but had to withstand a rally to beat Oklahoma State 21-5. 11-5) for the sixth straight time and end the Cowboys' seven-game winning streak. (24) Temple 74, (20) Massachusetts 66: In Philadelphia, Pepe Sanchez scored 19 points, and Rasheed Brokenborough added 16 as the Owls won the Eastern Division of the Atlantic 10.

v- The victory gave Temple (20-7, 13-3) a first-round bye In the league tournament, which begins The Associated Press CHAMP: Billy Mayfair holds the championship trophy after he defeated Tiger Woods in a playoff Sunday in the Nissan Open. Mayfair had a career year In 1995, when he won twice and finished second on the money list with $1.4 million. Since then, he had lost his touch. '1 32. rebounds as top-seeded Illinois State beat Wichita State for the third time this season In the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

Illinois State (23-5) Is 5-0 against Wichita State the last 2 seasons. The Redbirds, who are trying to become the first Valley school to repeat as regular season and conference tournament champions, will carry a five-game winning streak and well-rested starters against Southwest Missouri State in the final tonight. The winner will receive a bid to the NCAA tournament. TARA LIPINSKY: Figure waves to crowd Sunday. skater I w.r i rrv it fl i i -A Ths Associcitod Prsss JUST FOR KICKS: Syracuse's Allen Griffin (12) collides with Georgetown's Boubacar Aw as they battle for a pass Sunday.

Venus wins first tournament Wednesday In Philadelphia. Monty Mack had 15 points for the Minutemen (20-9, 12-4) who committed 20 turnovers. They will meet Virginia Tech in the tournament's first round. (23) Syracuse 77, Georgetown 72, OT: In Syracuse, N.Y.. Todd Burgan's clutch shooting and timely defensive plays rallied the Orangemen.

Burgan scored all 19 of his points after halftime as he led Syracuse (22-7, 12-6 Big East) back from a 10-point deficit over the final 5:14 to send Georgetown (14-13, 6-12) to Its seventh loss In 10 games. Murray State 92, Tennessee State 69: In Nashville, Isaac Spencer had 20 points and 11 rebounds as Murray State routed Tennessee State to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship and its third trip to the NCAA tournament In the past 4 years. The Racers (29-3) already had their 10th regular season title In 11 years, but they earned their sixth trip to the NCAA tournament In the 1990s with one of their best shooting performances of the season. Butler 67, Wright State 48: In Green Bay. Rolf van Rijn scored a career-high 19 points to lead Butler past Wright State In a Midwestern Collegiate Conference semifinal game.

Butler (21-10) Jumped out to an early 12-point lead and maintained a comfortable margin over Wright State (10-18) throughout the game. Butler, defending conference champion, will play Bay (17-11) in the championship game Tuesday night. SW Missouri State 67, Bradley 58: In St. Louis, Danny Moore led a second-half charge parents to the strains of the Olympic theme song. Houston Mayor Lee Brown presented her with a bouquet of yellow roses as the crowd waved American flags and hoisted signs reading, "Welcome to Tara-tory." "She's made all of Houston proud," 13-year-old Casey Kimsey said.

At a brief ceremony In the airport terminal, Brown presented Lipinskl with a key to the city and read a proclamation declaring March 1 'Tara Lipinskl Day." "We are proud to honor and celebrate your achievement, and to show you In a big, big way that we are Houston proud," Brown said. "You've shown the world side-by-side racing drama at the gently banked, super-smooth 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway. However, that was due mostly to the Fords' domination. Many of the 107,000 fans remained seated during the race, not sure what to make of the lopsided racing or perhaps bored by the strung-out, single-file fron-trunners. Some fans even left before the race ended.

"I didn't see much of the race, but I know I passed a whole lot of cars, and that's racing for me," said Martin, who started seventh In the No. 6 Valvoline Ford and led a race-best 82 laps. "Whether it was the kind of show you expected to see, I don't know. I passed a lot of cars." Johnny Benson (fourth), Ted Musgrave (sixth) and Chad Little (10th) gave the Roush team an uprecedented five In the top 10. DALLAS MORNING NEWS OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.

Venus Williams's career has been filled with endorsements, talk show appearances and brilliant flashes of the talent that one day could make her the best tennis player in the world. But it wasnt until this week that Williams had the overall consistency to win a tournament In singles. Williams finally became a sin gles champion Sunday, taking just 64 minutes to overpower Joannette Kruger, 6-3, 6-2, in the IGA Tennis Classic finals, to win the first pro title of her career. When Williams's forehand to the corner glanced off Kruger's racket on match point, she Gold-medal skater receives warm welcome with 12 of his 18 points as Southwest Missouri State advanced to the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament with a victory over Bradley. Southwest Missouri State (16-15), the No.

3 seed, will play top-seeded Illinois State (23-5) in the final at 9:30 p.m. today. Southwest Missouri handed Illinois State its only two losses In the conference race. Illinois State 75, Wichita State 54: In St. Louis.

Rico Hill had 19 points and seven what Houstonians are made of." U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, also presented Lipinskl with an American flag that has flown over the Capitol, calling her "a champion for all Americans and for all young people." Afterward, Lipinskl was whisked away In a stretch limousine to a victory parade in her hometown of Sugar Land, a Houston suburb. She rode down the streets In a horse-drawn carriage as thousands of well-wishers cheered and waved. The parade included several local high school bands, floats and mascots from Houston's professional sports teams and several past Olympic champions.

We have what By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HOUSTON Riding In a horse-drawn carriage while thousands cheered and bands played, figure skating sweetheart Tara Lipinskl finally came home Sunday. And now the 15-year-old gold medalist would like to take a break from the world of limos and luxury and simply relax and play with her dogs. "It's so great to be back home," she said at Bush Intercontinental Airport to the cheers of hundreds of fans. A little more than a week after, fulfilling her dream In Japan, Lipinskl flashed her trademark smile and walked off the plane with her you want! rtKtii OES? GsOMfcp GCtem mm- Martin, Fords dominate in Vegas All the high school basketball tournament action in sports everyday. Stay In Touch! Upgrade your phone today.

Call us for details. 24-lleur Customer Care HOMETOWN CELLULAR 2l09W.Godman 137 E. Main 2125 S. Memorial Dr. Muncle Portland Newcastle 286-1610 219-726-3468 529-7607 Several to choose from i if- 4 DALLAS MORNING NEWS LAS VEGAS Sunday's Inaugural Las Vegas 400 Winston Cup race won't go down as the kind of exciting show NASCAR or the city is famous for providing.

Unless you happened to be a Ford driver or a Ford fan. Mark Martin beat his Roush Racing teammate Jeff Burton by 1.605-seconds leading a seven-car Ford train. It gave the new Taurus race car Its first regular-season victory and Martin his 23rd. Dale Earnhardt's eighth- Elace effort was tops for Chevro-tt, which had only two Monte Carlos among the top-15 finishers. Ward Burton's 18th place was the best showing for a Pontlac.

And for a new track hyped by drivers as the ultimate In race-ability, there was very little AH four tourneys All four classes All four weeks toll free 1-800-783-2472 AUTHORIIiO mimi turn TheStarPress New activations only. Subject to credit check and approval. One-year service agreement required. Fee will be charged for early cancellation. Other restrictions may apply.

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