Notebook: Ishikawa ekes into big event at last minute again

Ryo Ishikawa still hasn’t won this year on the Japan Golf Tour, although he has a knack for finishing runner-up at just the right time.

In the final week to earn a spot in the U.S. Open, the 19-year-old from Japan lost in a playoff and earned enough world ranking points to move to No. 49 and get an exemption into Congressional. On Sunday, he was runner-up to K.T. Kim and moved up four spots again to No. 49 -- just in time to qualify for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, the third World Golf Championship of the year.

The cutoff for the top 50 was Sunday, with another cutoff after this week. Ryan Palmer (No. 52) and Webb Simpson (No. 53) are not eligible for Firestone, although both are playing the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

Also at The Greenbrier is Anthony Kim (62), who has not missed Firestone since his rookie year in 2007.

LPGA QUALIFYING: The good news for 16-year-old Alexis Thompson is that the LPGA Tour has waived its age requirement and will allow her to join the LPGA Tour if she can earn a card. But that meant having to abandon qualifying for the Ricoh Women’s British Open for the first of three stages at the LPGA qualifying tournament.

The 72-hole event began Tuesday at LPGA International, featuring Thompson, Stephanie Kono of Hawaii and Victoria Tanco of Argentina. Only the top third of the 150 players advance to the second stage at the end of September, and the top 70 from the second stage get to the finals.

Thompson had the 54-hole lead at the Avnet LPGA Classic before stumbling to a 78. Since then, she missed the cut in three straight events (including two majors) and has a scoring average of 74.3.

SETTING ASIDE RIVALRY: Raising money to help tornado victims is enough to united Alabama and Auburn.

Three days of festivities will conclude Aug. 15 with a charity pro-am at Greystone Golf Club in Birmingham, Ala., in which tour players such as Jerry Pate, Leonard Thompson, Steve Lowery and Boo Weekley have agreed to participate. Among the school celebrities who plan to play are Cornelius Bennett, Lee Roy Jordan, Al Del Greco, Gene Stalling and Pat Dye.

Amateurs will play in a group featuring one pro and one celebrity.

The pro-am follows a flag football game between former players of the two schools on Friday and a silent auction on Saturday. The weekend is known as “Heart in Dixie,” and all proceeds go to the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund.

DIVOTS: Asked on Tuesday if he were still Tiger Woods’ swing coach, Sean Foley replied, “Yes.” And the Internet-fueled rumors that he is not? “Hilarious,” he said. … There were no bogey-free rounds at the Canadian Open, the first time that has happened at a regular PGA Tour event was in 2008 at The Players Championship. … Paul Casey has donated the $32,600 he won from the “PowerPlay Golf” exhibition at Celtic Manor to the English Golf Union for its help during his amateur career. “I had great support from the EGC when I was coming through the ranks as a junior, so I am very happy to help them with their player development program,” Casey said. … With so much attention on UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay, Bud Cauley has quietly put together a nice summer since turning pro at the U.S. Open. Cauley already has earned $319,145 in four starts, and needs another $244,584 by the end of the year to earn special temporary membership.

STAT OF THE WEEK: Only 10 players who won an NCAA title have gone on to win majors over the past 50 years.

FINAL WORD: “What keeps you going is just your love for the game and the love for the competition. Plus, if I quit I’m probably going to be flipping burgers because I can’t do anything else.” -- Sean O’Hair.