Women's rights advocate and Masters antagonist Martha Burk is scheduled to be the inaugural guest on the "WDAY Golf Show," a new radio program debuting Saturday on WDAY-AM (970).
Hosted by Forum sports columnist Mike McFeely and golf professional Mark Johnson of the Meadows Golf Course in Moorhead, the "Golf Show" will air from 8-9 a.m. Saturdays through Sept. 4. It will focus on local, regional and national golf issues and tournaments.
Each week's show will feature a guest interview segment and an instruction from a PGA professional. Larry Murphy of Moorhead Country Club is scheduled to be on Saturday's program.
"It's going to be a little bit of everything," Johnson said. "We'll definitely have an area flavor, but from time to time we'll bring in a national person. It should have something that appeals to everyone."
The show will also be streamed live over the Internet. A link will be available on The Forum's Web site at www.in-forum.com .
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Burk, chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based National Council of Women's Organizations, became nationally recognized last year when she butted heads with Augusta National Golf Club and its chairman, Hootie Johnson, over the club's membership policy.
Augusta National, the Augusta, Ga., club that hosts the annual Masters tournament, does not have a female member. Burk called on the club to admit a woman member, threatening protests and backlash against corporate sponsors if it did not.
But Johnson relieved the sponsors of their obligations and Burk's demonstration the week of the tournament drew more media and police than protesters after the city of Augusta ruled she could not protest outside the gates of the club.
She has said she will not protest at this year's Masters, which will be played next week.
-- Forum staff reports
Moorhead bantams shine
Moorhead's Bantam A team made some history last weekend after winning the 49th Annual VFW State hockey tournament.
The Moorhead bantams became only the eighth team in Minnesota to win two state titles in the same year. In addition to its VFW title, the Moorhead bantams won the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association state championship earlier this season.
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The only other bantam teams to win two state titles win one year were: Roseau (1959), Grand Rapids (1969), Bloomington (1979), Duluth (1981), St. Paul Park-Cottage Grove (1982), Rochester (1985) and Anoka (1995).
The Moorhead team, comprised of 14 and 15 year olds, posted a 51-2-2 record for the 2003-04 season. It became the first Moorhead bantam team to finish with only two losses.
The team was coached by Sean Bucy, David Christian and Dennis Bushy.
-- Forum staff reports
Hafner on display
Consider the upcoming baseball season a big year in the young big-league career of North Dakotan Travis Hafner, a graduate of Bowdon-Hurdsfield-Sykeston High School.
Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge has promised Hafner and Ben Broussard regular playing time at first base and designated hitter with the intention of learning what the left-handed hitters can do.
Cleveland opens the season Monday against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.
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Hafner, 26, and Broussard, 27, split time at the positions last year. Hafner, a rookie last season, also battled injuries and spent time in the minors.
This year the Indians hope to give both players at least 500 at-bats to see if they can establish themselves.
"We just don't know what kind of players Travis and Ben are going to be," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Six months from now, I hope we have an answer."
Hafner hit .254 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 91 games with the Indians a year ago. Projected to 500 at-bats, Hafner would have produced 24 homers and 69 RBIs.
"(Hafner and Broussard) both have a chance to be the kind of guy who can hit in the middle of the lineup," Wedge said. "They have the ability, but nothing is definite. A consistent approach will make that happen, but they both have been consistent and inconsistent."
While the Indians are one of the most offensively-challenged clubs in the American League, Hafner has put together a solid spring training. After Monday's game, he was batting .327 with three homers and nine RBIs in 52 at-bats.
Hafner is considered a patient hitter who needs defensive work at first base.
"Once a big-league team gives you at-bats, they expect you to produce," he said. "I think we have four or five guys who can drive in between 80 and 100 RBI. I think me and Benny can be two of those guys."
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Last August, Hafner hit for the cycle against the Twins at the Metrodome.
-- Forum staff reports
Bison wrestler recovering
North Dakota State freshman wrestler Tony Noyes, who suffered a concussion in an open tournament in January that caused him to drop out of school this semester, told head coach Bucky Maughan on Monday that he's planning on returning to NDSU next fall.
Noyes, an unbeaten Minnesota state champion at New London-Spicer, was a Bison redshirt competing as an unattached wrestler at a Itasca Junior College tournament when he landed on his head.
"It was pretty severe," Maughan said. "He was having trouble concentrating and reading so they ran him through some more tests."
Maughan said Noyes is back in Spicer undergoing therapy.
"He could be a good one down the road but we have to make sure he's completely cleared," Maughan said.
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-- Jeff Kolpack
Valpo game gets approval
NDSU's Aug. 28 home football game with Valparaiso University (Ind.) received NCAA approval this week. A Division I-AA game scheduled before Sept. 2 had to be OK'd by the NCAA Football Issues Committee.
"It's just a calendar issue," said NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor.
Taylor said he sent Valparaiso a contract on Tuesday and expects the game to be finalized soon.
The Bison have 10 games. Taylor is hoping to land another home game to bring the Fargodome schedule to six games.
-- Jeff Kolpack
Fargo team wins Old Pro
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Fargo Corporate Technology won its third straight North Dakota amateur basketball Old Pro (over 40) title in Bismarck last weekend, beating Minot Williams Eye Clinic 78-55 in the championship game.
Corporate Technology's John Rygg was named tournament MVP. Andy Askegaard scored 27 points in the title game.
Other members of the team included Dale Pederson, Jeff Dehne, Mike Leier, Dave Bischoff, Bob Nagle, Tom Wilberscheid and Greg Sorensen.
-- Forum staff reports
Inside information
Amanda Thieschafer's NDSU school-record 43-0½ triple jump that she turned in last week at the University of Miami's Hurricane Invitational last weekend is less than seven inches off the best amateur leap in the country this year, according to USA Track & Field. Nicole Gamble of Raleigh, N.C., competing unattached, ripped off a 43-7 earlier this month. ... NDSU women's basketball coach Amy Ruley was featured in the NCAA Division II women's championship game program for being one of five coaches to have at least 500 victories. Northern State (S.D.) head coach Curt Fredrickson was also featured in the same article. ... Concordia's Bucky Burgau is one Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory shy of becoming the first MIAC baseball coach with 300 in a career. The Cobbers are scheduled to play a doubleheader against conference foe Bethel at 1 p.m. Friday in St. Paul.
