Golf notebook: Former ASU golf coach Mann recovering after crash

Former Arizona State men’s golf coach Billy Mann said he’s “fortunate to still be above the divot’’ after surviving a car crash 70 miles east of Palm Springs, Calif., last month.

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Mann, who coached at ASU from 1961-77 and came back on an interim basis in 1986-87, said he’s doing much better after injuring his neck, both rotator cuffs and an artery to his brain in the rollover accident on Interstate 10.

“It was a Sunday evening (April 6) and I was returning from working (the scoreboard) for the LPGA at the Kraft Nabisco Championship,’’ Mann said. “Apparently, I fell asleep behind the wheel.

“The next thing I know, I see mesquite bushes flying all around me, and then I got back on the highway and overcorrected and the car flipped over. Luckily, no one was coming from the other direction.’’

Mann, who is affectionately known as “Coach,’’ said he also was lucky in that LPGA player Alena Sharp was driving right behind him along with her caddie Tina Bateman. Both are from Scottsdale.

“They witnessed everything, and stopped to help me,’’ Mann said. “It was kind of ironic because I once coached Tina Bateman’s father at ASU, Tim Bateman.’’

Mann spent three days in the hospital in Palm Springs then was transferred to Barrow’s Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where he spent another three days. He was treated for a broken neck, the rotator cuff injuries and the damaged artery, and then needed another week of intensive rehabilitation at a Scottsdale hospital.

“I’m slowly getting there,’’ said Mann, who turns 84 in July. “I’m walking around, which is pretty good considering they had to pry me out of the car the night of the wreck.’’

Mann, who has worked the main scoreboards for all of the major tournaments in Arizona for over 25 years, as well as many tournaments nationally, said he’s not sure when his well-known calligraphy skills will be back in play.

“As it stands right now, I’m still pretty sore,’’ he said. “With both the rotators hurting, I can’t reach the top of the scoreboard yet, so it’s going to be awhile.’’

For those who want to send him a get-well card, the address is 5519 N. 77th Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85250.

EAST VALLEY ENTRIES

The East Valley will be well-represented when the U.S. Open takes place next week at Torrey Pines Golf Course near San Diego, as 13 players from here made the 156-man field.

Particularly impressive was Scottsdale’s Michael Allen, who was the co-medalist in Daly City, Calif. Also making waves were Mesa’s Charlie Beljan and Rob Rashell, who were two of 36 players to make it through both local and sectional qualifying.

Other players with East Valley ties to survive sectional play were Gilbert’s Robert Garrigus and Scottsdale pros Pat Perez, Stephen Marino, Kevin Streelman and Mathew Goggin. Like Allen, all five play on the PGA Tour.

Already in the Open field were Scottsdale’s Aaron Baddeley, Paul Casey, Tim Clark, Geoff Ogilvy and Jeff Quinney.

CURTIS CUP RESULTS

Amanda Blumenherst of Scottsdale and Kimberly Kim of Queen Creek both won key singles matches as the U.S. team defeated Great Britain-Ireland to win its third consecutive Curtis Cup on Sunday at St. Andrews in Scotland.

In the first two matches of the day, Kim defeated Breanne Loucks, 3 and 1, and Blumenherst beat Jodi Ewart, 2 and 1. Carly Booth, who attended Red Mountain High School in Mesa last year and was playing for GB&I, lost her match to Tiffany Joh, 6 and 5.

The final tally went to the Americans, 13-7, as the U.S. now holds a 26-6-3 overall record in the biennial series.

WESTERN HO!

Paul Welle of Scottsdale beat Ken Kellaney and Michael Wog II in a one-hole playoff to capture the Western Amateur on Sunday at Yuma Golf and Country Club.

Welle birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Kellaney, the 2007 Arizona Player of the Year from Phoenix, and Wog, who also hails from Scottsdale. All three players had finished at 6-under-par 138.