European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday december 28,19b9 the stars and stripes Page 21 1989 in sports Golf s losers made for a strange year by Bob Green a Golf writer Curtis strange made history but Greg Norman is a better Symbol for the Peculiar Golf season of i989 when the losers were More prominent than the win ners. Strange s Victory in the . Open Over the rain soaked Oak Hill course in Rochester n.y., made him the first Man since Ben Hogan in 1950-51 to score consecutive triumphs in the american National championship. Move Over Ben strange said. Bui he won it because Tom Kite moved Over. Before strange could win Kite had to lose. And he did. From the Lead Kite hit his tee shot into the water on the fifth Hole of the final round made r triple bogey and opened the door to strange s historic Victory. Kite was not alone in his misery in the majors. Scott Hoch lost the masters before Nick Faldo won it. Mike Reid lost the pea handing it to Payne Stew Art. And Norman set a record for futility when he completed a playoff for the British open title with his Ball in his pocket nothing More than a Spectator to Mark Calcavecchia s Victory. And if that was t enough there was a tie that was a loss. That was in the biennial Ryder cup matches Between the United states and Europe at the Belfry in England. The matches ended in a 14-14 tie when a last Day . Comeback bid was blunted by the Ameri cans inability to play the final Hole. The europeans Winner of the two previous matches in 1985 and 87, retained the cup on the tic. Reid s loss in the pea and Norman s in the British open was the second major disappointment of the year for each player. Each had a Chance to win the masters. Reid had a last round Lead at Augusta but hit into the water on the 15th. Norman needed Only a last Hole Par to make the playoff. He made bogey. Ben Crenshaw also missed the playoff with a last Hole bogey. That sent Faldo who had a closing 65 in rain and wind and cold and Hoch to extra holes with Daylight disappearing. Hoch had a Chance to win it with a two foot putt on the first playoff Hole. He missed it and Faldo took the title with a 25-foot Birdie putt on the next Hole. The . Open also featured heavy Rains delays and one of the More unusual events in history. In a two hour period Friday morning Doug Weaver Mark Curtis strange look his second straight . Open. Wiebe Jerry Pate and Nick Price All made holes in one each with a 7-Iron, on the Par-3, 150-Yard sixth Hole. After Kite s disaster Early in the final round strange ground out a one bogey one Birdie score of Par Over the last 18 holes and won by a single shot becoming the first player in 38 years to successfully defend a . Open title. Tom Watson had a shot at an even older record in the British open and a Chance at another major mile Stone in the pea. He missed both. At Troon. Scotland he had a Chance to tic Harry Vardon s 75-year-old record of six British open titles until a putting lapse in the Middle of the final round left him in fourth place alone two shots out of the three Man playoff. He also needed the pea title to join Gene Sara zen Hogan Gary player and Jack Nicklaus As the Only men to score career sweeps of the game s big four titles. Watson was in Contention for 36 holes then faded. In the British open. Norman birdied the first six holes of the final round shot a 64 and tied Calcavecchia and australian Wayne Grady after the Regula Tion 72 holes. The playoff was a four Hole stroke play affair. Norman birdied the first two playoff holes to a cycad the third and then chopped up the last. His Long drive caught a Steep faced Fairway Bunker. From there he found another Bunker then hit one out of Bounds. He picked up and watched As Calca Vecchia s 5-Iron second shot set up a six foot Birdie putt that made him the first american Winner of the British open since 1984. And Norman became the first Man to lose major tournament titles under three different playoff for Mats an 18-Hole loss in the 1984 . Open a Sud Den death loss in the 1987 masters and a four Hole loss in the British open. In the pea Stewart birdied four of the last five holes for a 67 that left him two shots Back of Reid who still had three holes to play. Reid s bogey from the water on the 16th Cut the margin to one. He found a Bunker on the 17th and eventually three putted for the double bogey that made Stewart the Winner. Kite rebounded from his . Open disappoint ments and scored a third Victory of the year in the Nabisco championship set a single season Money winning record at $1,395,278, became golfs All time Money winning Leader and 1989 player of the year. Bob Charles dominated seniors tour Competition with five american victories and for the second sea son in a Row set a single season Money winning re Cord. He accumulated $725,887, breaking the Mark of $533.929 he set in 1988. Orville Moody won the seniors . Open and Larry Mowry took the pea. Betsy King won the ladies . Open and five other Lyga events set a Money winning record of $654,132 and was a run away Choice As player of the year. Nancy Lopez scored her 40th career Victory in the Lyga and Juli Inkster took the Dinah Shore. Frankfurt basketball tourney Wurzburg women knocked off twice Donau Mainz both Edge lady rattlers Frankfurt West Germany the defending Usa eur Champion Wurzburg women were eliminated after suffering two losses by a total of three Points wednesday in the Frankfurt invitational men s and women s Basket Ball tournament. The Hanau women nipped Wurzburg 82-80 at Gibbs Cavern and Mainz edged the lady rattlers 57-56 at the Eschborn gym other wednesday victors included he Wurzburg and Heilbronn men and the Frankfurt Stuttgart and bad Kreuz Nach women. Hanau women 82, Wurzburg 80 Eddie Riley hit a three Pointer and free throw in the final seconds to erase an 80-78 Wurzburg Lead. Stacy Justice gunned in 28 Points to Lead Hanau and Riley scored 15. Con stance Macon had 17, Jeannie Jean Pierre and Althea Brown had 16 each. Hanau led 42-36 at the half. Mainz women 57, Wurzburg 56 Kecia Thomas 24 Points and Carol docs scr s 12 helped the lady Mustangs eliminate the lady rattlers. Malcon had 18 and Jean Pierre 10 for the losers. With Mainz leading 57-55 and three seconds left Malcon made the front end of a one and on but missed the second shot sending her team Home. Mainz led 26-19 at the half. Wurzburg men 103, Giessen 96 Wurzburg s Chester Trotter pumped in a game High 33 Points to help the rattlers overcome Giessen s 56-50 halftime Lead at Eschborn. Gic Ssan committed 22 turnovers to Wil Ryburg s three which aided the rattlers comeback. Wurzburg took the Lead for Good with 6 22 remaining. Terry Taylor scored 18 Points for the rattlers and Michael Washington 14. Radick Riley topped Gic Ssan with 31 Points while Phillip Smith had 22 and Marvin Robinson 16. Heilbronn men 108, wild Flucken 99 Reginald Holmes tallied 27 Points to Lead Heilbronn and Rhuel Pringle had 18 and Frank Cooper 15 for the winners. The eagles took a 51-48  Lead and maintained control throughout the second half. Larry Brooks had a game High 36 for wild Flecken and Willie Bur Ett added 18. Frankfurt women 70, Span Dahlem 55 the Falcon ties took a 34-25 halftime Lead Over Span Dahlem then outscored the sabers 36-30 in the second half. Frankfurt s fast break and Spang turn overs were the keys in the second half. Frankfurt s attack featured Jurice har Din s 17 Points 14 by Vickie Shelton and 11 by Cynthia Henderson. Rosic Harrell led Spang with 17, and Laura Meyers added 15. Stuttgart women 80, Pir Masens 59 countess Irvin continued her regal scoring for Stuttgart with 27 Points and Lisa White added 18. The lady stallions led 49-32 at the half. Jackie towers paced the Road runners with 20 Points and go can Lee had 19. . Women 62, Baum older 61 Sheryl Talley topped bad Kreuz Nach with 19 Points. April Elliot added 18, and Joann Wilson had 13. To Owens 15 and dec Litt Liyon s 13 led Baum older s lady bears who enjoyed a 37-33 halftime advantage. In late games on tuesday Mannheim women 80, Frankfurt 67 Tracy Taylor had 30 Points and Kim Craven 28, including four 3-Pointcrs, As the lady Mustangs rolled Over the Falco Nettus. Hardin took game honors with 31 Points in a losing cause. Frankfurt men 113, Heilbronn 85 the hosts Rode Ronnie Manuel s 36 Points Many of them off Gregory Jordan s eight assists to Victory despite 38 Points from Heilbronn s Holmes. George Smith had 19 Points and Don null Sanders 12 for the victors. Jimmy Arnold had 13 and Burton Morris 10 for the eagles. There were two no shows that caused forfeits and Wiesbaden teams benefited from both. The Rhein main Rock cites forfeited to the Wiesbaden lady eagles who were to play Baum older wednesday night at Eschborn. The Wei Bricker. Men also forfeited to Wiesbaden. On thursday wies Baden will play the Winner of wednesday s Frankfurt Baum older game