BETHESDA, Md. -- Tom Pernice Jr. can think about winning for the first time in seven years, and not missing his 13-year-old daughter who is legally blind sing the national anthem in Dodger Stadium.
Brooke Pernice has Lebers Congenital Amaurosis, in which her retinas did not develop fully at birth. Last year, she released an album called Help From Above, and twice this year she sang the national anthem at road games for the Chicago Cubs in an effort to help raise money for Project 3000, which is trying to find the 3,000 estimated to have the disease.
Derrek Lees daughter also has the disease.
Brooke is trying to help Derrek with his charity to bring awareness to these people that have this disease that thought there was no possible cure, Pernice said. All we need to identify is the gene, and his charity will pay for the blood work.
His daughter sang at Petro Park for a Cubs-Padres game, and Dodger Stadium when the Cubs went to Los Angeles. Trouble was, Pernice was playing at the Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis.
He thought he might catch an early flight for the second game, but he played well enough that Pernice had to stick around to make sure he would not be in a playoff. Brooke told him to keep playing, and Pernice at least watched the video.
Shes doing awesome, Pernice said.
One can only assume that the singing voice came from her mother?
Neither one of us, Pernice said. Its a gift from the Father up above. Shes an amazing girl, and were awfully proud of her.
GOLF AND DIPLOMACY:
Among those watching the AT&T National on Saturday was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is slowly becoming more than a spectator.
Golf is a new passion, she said.
Rice said she took up golf three years ago, and while she played tennis and was a figure skater in her youth, nothing has captured my imagination like this. But just like everyone else, mastering the game has taken time.
Ive always been good off the tee. I the love the driver, Rice said in an interview with CBS Sports. And I love putting. My struggle is everything in between.
She said she recently established a handicap index for the first time'21' although Rice was quick to add that shes only been playing three years and travels too much to play more.
Her summer goal is to work on her short game. Tournament host Tiger Woods wont be around to offer a few tips, since he is in a full leg brace in Florida after going through season-ending surgery on his left knee.
Rice said she has met the worlds No. 1 player a few times’she taught at Stanford when he played on the golf team’but they have not seen each other at Stanford since both were at a basketball game in 2000 when the Cardinal defeated Duke.
Stanford hit a buzzer-beater, and Tiger and I rushed the court, she said. Thats our common experience.
OGILVIES BENEVOLENCE:
Joe Ogilvie looked like he would have the weekend off until making four birdies in a five-hole stretch to reach 2 over. But when he missed an 8-foot par putt on the final hole, that bogey brought 13 players back into the tournament.
If he had made the par, 70 players would have made the cut at 2 over. Instead, 83 players made the cut at 3 over.
Either way, Ogilvie kept playing.
But that brought in the infamous MDF policy’made the cut, did not finish. There was another cut for the top 70 and ties on Saturday because more than 78 players qualified for the weekend.
Ogilvie would have been guaranteed two days to improve his standing had he made the par putt Friday. He shot a 72 on Saturday and did not advance to final round.
Seven players whom Ogilvie let into the tournament advanced to Sunday, including Vaughn Taylor, who had a 64 and was tied for 20th.
I bought his dinner last night, Taylor said. I was in the hotel when Joe came in and told the waitress, Ive got his check.
ARMOUR TALK:
Whether it was the Booz Allen Classic or the AT&T National, Tommy Armour has only missed coming to this area twice in the last 20 years.
He had a relatively simply explanation.
I like D.C., I like to play golf, he said. Those are the two things.
Armour kept it short and sweet in explaining his round of 66 and just about everything else regarding the week at Congressional.
I hit the ball well. I made some putts. Thats what youve got to do on this course, he said. Its a good test of golf and I hit a lot of good shots.
And his thoughts going into the final round?
Need to play good, he said.
STRICKERS VISIT:
Steve Stricker had never been to a holiday birthday bash quite like this. He was among 14 players invited Friday night to the White House to celebrate Fourth of July and President Bushs upcoming birthday.
Ill remember that the rest of my life, Stricker said. Just the opportunity to go there and to see what goes on in throwing a party and trying to get into the place. Once youre in, they pretty much let you walk wherever you wanted to go.
Stricker had an audience with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who sat next to him and talked about golf.
No, slow play never came up.
It was interesting, Stricker said. Im really a fish out of water, me and politics. But it was fun to see.
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