Local Links: Colonial searches for director; Starburst Junior; Warrior Open; Club Corps acquires 3 N.Y. facilities

Officials of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial will organize a search committee on June 23 to find a replacement for tournament director Peter Ripa, who left for a similar position with the Famers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Ripa served as Colonial’s tournament director for five years. He helped with marketing, the
recruitment of players, and increase charitable giving to a tournament high $6.6 million in 2008.

Ripa begins his new job on July 5. He will be tournament director for Famers in 2012 and then will replace Tom Wilson as executive director of the tournament’s charitable organization.

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The 13th annual Starburst Junior will be June 13-15 at eight area golf courses in Waco. Players from Mexico, Puerto Rico and nine states will compete for 11 divisional championships in ages 7-18.

Tournament events include the Titleist Demo Night on Monday at the tournament home course, Cottonwood Creek, and Tuesday’s Time Warner Cable Sports Helicopter Ball Drop, which will have one $2,500 winning ball.

Play will be at Twin Rivers GC; Ridgewood CC; Wildflower CC; Stonetree GC; Cottonwood Creek GC; White Bluff GC; Mill Creek GC; and Marlin CC. Information: starburstgolf.com.

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Paul McConnell and Christopher Brown of Garland, and Isaiah Huerta of Duncanville qualified for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

McConnell won the 36-hole qualifier at Firewheel GP’s Lakes Course. He shot 73-71 to finish one stroke ahead of Brown and Huerta. Luke Kwon of Carrollton earned first alternate, and Austin Quinten of Sand Springs, Okla., was second alternate.

The Public Links Championship will be June 27 through July 2 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.

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The George W. Bush Presidential Center announced May 31 the formation of the Warrior Open golf tournament at Las Colinas CC. The Oct. 10-11 event will feature members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were severely wounded during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Applicants can contact their local PGA professionals who are affiliated with military golf programs or who are employed by golf facilities at U.S. military bases. Applications must be submitted via www.warrioropen.com by July 15.  Applicants must have a handicap of 20 or less; been seriously injured in the war on terror; be active-duty, retired or honorably discharged; and have a current Uniform Services Identification Card, or separation form DD214.

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Dallas-based ClubCorp has acquired three golf properties in the eastern area of Long Island, New York: The Hamlet Golf & CC in Commack, The Hamlet Willow Creek Golf & CC in Mt. Sinai, and The Hamlet Wind Watch Golf & CC in Hauppauge.

ClubCorp plans major renovations of the clubs, which were purchased from the Holiday Organization. ClubCorp has more than 150 golf and country clubs, business clubs, sports clubs, and alumni clubs, mostly located in California, Texas, Florida, and Georgia.