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NEWS AND NOTES - Practice Round - Tuesday
By Dave Seaman, Columbus Wired

DUBLIN- One former Big 10 Champion is hanging up his clubs, while one hopes
to start a long run at Muirfield Village Golf Club this year.

Tournament founder and host Jack Nicklaus is ending his run of playing in
every Memorial this year. Fellow Ohio State golfer Kevin Hall makes his
first trip to Muirfield after playing in only five Tour events in his young
career.

"I'm excited to be here this week compared to three months ago when I played
in the Pebble Beach tournament at AT&T," Hall said. "My game has come a long
way. It's a different game since then. I'm more conformable playing out here
now. ... It's normal to play in a Tour event."

Hall is also a former Big 10 champion and has one other key quality -he's
deaf. Because of this, he is a visual person and he knows how to block out
distractions. He said he has played Muirfield 10-15 times, when he was in
college.
He now has a different outlook on playing here.

"I like it now because there's many pretty girls in the gallery," he joked.

Hall had an easy time learning the game of golf, primarily though his
teacher who taught him in a visual way. He said that he was taught by using
body language, which he copied. The technical part came naturally to him.

"It took a long time to learn the technical parts, but learning naturally,
because it was visual, that was the easy way to learn," he said.

The highlight of Hall's career since leaving Ohio State was wining the first
stage of the qualifying tournament at Jennings Mill in Georgia. He said the
lowest point was finishing last in the second stage. "The first hole of the
second stage, I hit a house, hit the water 3-putt, 4-putt, 5-putt, second
stage."

With his Buckeye followers around him, Hall has high expectations this week
at Muirfield. He won't make a prediction on making the cut, but he said if
he plays one shot at a time, then the outcome will take care of itself.

"I'm going to hit it straight, on the greens, 2-putts," Hall said. "I hope
to just play solid golf, no stupid mistakes."
Regardless of Hall plays, he's just honored to be playing the Memorial.

"It's the Jack Nicklaus tournament and it's my hometown, so its big," he
said. "This is Ohio State's town and I'm an Ohio State graduate and I'm
really happy to be here and part of it."

Hall tees off Thursday at 10:50 a.m. and 1:50 p.m. on Friday.

HAPPY TIMES FOR HOWELL

Life is good for David Howell these days. The European Tour pro won the BMW
Championship last weekend.

"Things are going great in general," he said. "I got off to a reasonably
slow start in the Middle East just after Christmas. But in January, I played
very nicely and I feel a lot more comfortable when I've played over here. I
feel more comfortable as a member of the Tour, rather than last year where I
was playing on invites."

Howell was playing is best tee-to-green on Sunday when he held a
three-stroke lead. He said that when you play that well, it helps you for
future situations.

OPENING ROUND TEE TIMES

The earliest tee time for Thursday belongs to Justin Rose and Ryan Moore,
who begin tournament play at 8 a.m. Among the morning starters are Fred
Couples (8:30 a.m.); Nick Price and David Duval (9 a.m.); John Daly (9:10
a.m.); Phil Mickelson (9:50 a.m.); Vijay Singh (10:10 a.m.) and Hall (10:50
a.m.).

Afternoon tee times include: Ernie Els (11:30 a.m.); 2005 Memorial champion
Bart Bryant (11:50 a.m.); Ostrander native Ben Curtis (noon); Jim Furyk
(12:10 p.m.); Ben Crane and Stewart Cink (12:50 p.m.); and the final group
including Thomas Levet tee off at 1:50 p.m.).

QUOTING JACK

One of the highlights of the pre-tournament festivities is the annual Jack
Nicklaus press conference. Some of the notable comments from the Golden
Bear.

On not playing in this year's Memorial: "I'm used to not playing. I thought
about playing this year, but I said 'no, not this year.' I retired from
tournament golf last year and I reserve the right to host the Memorial
Tournament if I want to. I played Sunday, when we had our Memorial club
play. I played the back tees on Saturday and I cruised around here with a
77, just easy as can be."

On Phil Mickelson coming to Muirfield: "It's nice that Phil is here. I'd
like all the guys to come play if they can. The look of the field is
probably as good as we've ever had."

On Michelle Wie's approach towards professional life: "I don't know what her
approach is. How would I know that? I haven't talked to her about it."