indian wells

Ames repeats at Skins game
Indian Wells, CA (Sports Network) - Stephen Ames drained a seven-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Sunday to successfully defend his title at the Skins Game, which was contested on the Celebrity Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort.

The closing birdie was worth eight skins and $625,000. Ames finished with nine skins and $675,000.

"Standing over the putt on 18, I felt a little nervous, so I had to go back to some of the things I've done in the past - focus on my breathing and stuff," Ames admitted. "I made a great putt, and it went right in the middle of the hole, exactly where I saw it. It's not quite the Masters, but it's $675,000."

Fred Couples, a five-time winner of this event, won the other nine skins and $325,000. Skins Game rookies Brett Wetterich and Master champion Zach Johnson were shut out.

"I certainly enjoyed the experience and playing with these three guys," said Johnson. "It's a very unique event, it's nothing like I've ever been familiar with. Alongside that, I've very disappointed."

"I enjoyed myself out there today. I had a lot of fun, kind of goofing around," stated Wetterich. "I wish I could have played a little bit better, maybe made a few more birdies."

At the 18th, all four players found the fairway off the tee. Ames played first and dropped his second seven feet from the cup. Couples' approach stopped 20 feet from the hole before Wetterich knocked his second to 10 feet and Johnson spun his approach back some 40 feet away.

Johnson rolled his birdie putt past the right edge, then tapped in for par. Couples missed left and tapped in for par. Wetterich just missed on the left edge clearing the way for Ames.

Ames poured in his birdie putt to become the fifth repeat winner.

"It was a hard nine-iron in there," explained Ames. "I hit a great shot. It was probably one of two shots that I hit solid all day. But that is the Skins Game isn't it."

Couples looked as though he would win the title for the sixth time as he got off to a spectacular start. He pulled his drive left off the 10th tee, but hit a stellar approach to five feet.

Ames, Wetterich and Johnson all had birdie putts to try to put pressure on Couples. However, all three missed those chances. Couples drained his birdie putt to collect six skins and $250,000.

Wetterich nearly holed his second at the 11th, but settled for a tap-in birdie. Couples sank an eight-footer for birdie and the halve. Couples and Johnson halved the par-three 12th.

Couples again had a chance to win the 13th. Wetterich and Johnson missed the green, while Ames had 15 feet for birdie. He could not convert, leaving Couples an eight-footer for birdie and three skins. Couples missed his putt too.

Johnson was the only one in the fairway off the tee at the par-five 14th, but he left his second shot short in a bunker. Ames found a bunker off the tee, then played down the fairway with his second.

Ames knocked his third inside two feet. With Couples and Wetterich scrambling, it was up to Johnson to pressure Ames. Johnson blasted out of the sand to seven feet and he drained the birdie putt. Ames kicked in his short birdie effort for another carry over.

Couples ran home a 20-foot birdie putt on the 15th, but he was unable to pick up the winning skins as Johnson drained a 12-footer to halve the hole.

Ames had the best shot to win the 16th, but he could not convert from seven feet. After the other three players played their third shots, Couples had a chance to win the 17th, but his 20-foot birdie try missed just right of the hole.

"I won the 10th today, which was a big win, and I just couldn't really win another hole," Couples said. "Zach made a great putt on 15, or I
have been asking our city manager for three years about adding a traffic light on Indian Wells. I was first told that it was needed, but the funds weren't there. Now, after a "survey" has been conducted, the city feels there is not enough traffic on Indian Wells and that there haven't been enough accidents to warrant any changes.

Apparently, our city manager and his surveyors don't travel Indian Wells much. Now, to make matters worse, the city has placed a crosswalk on Cornell and Indian Wells. I have no problem with a crosswalk, but the "vegetation" on the corner of the water store lot makes it impossible to see. Some of the growth has been cut back, but now, with the crosswalk, you have to stay back even further.

Indian Wells, California
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Indian Wells, California

Location in Riverside County and the state of California
Coordinates: 33°42′57″N 116°20′28″W / 33.71583, -116.34111
Country United States
State California
County Riverside
Area
- Total 13.4 sq mi (34.7 km²)
- Land 13.2 sq mi (34.3 km²)
- Water 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
Elevation 89 ft (27 m)
Population (2000)
- Total 3,816
- Density 284.8/sq mi (110/km²)
Time zone Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code 92210
Area code(s) 760
FIPS code 06-36434
GNIS feature ID 1660797
Indian Wells is a city in Riverside County, California, in the Coachella Valley (Palm Springs area), in between Palm Desert and La Quinta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,816.

It has the highest proportion of millionaires of any city in the United States.

The city hosts the Indian Wells Masters (also known by its current sponsorship name of Pacific Life Open), one of the nine tournaments in the Tennis Masters Series of high-level events operated by the Association of Tennis Professionals (i.e., the men's tennis tour). The event is held in the 16,000-seat stadium of the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.


[edit] Geography
Indian Wells is located at 33°42′57″N, 116°20′28″W (33.715755, -116.341109)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.7 km² (13.4 mi²). 34.3 km² (13.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.19%) is water.


[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 3,816 people, 1,982 households, and 1,323 families residing in the city. The population density was 111.4/km² (288.5/mi²). There were 3,843 housing units at an average density of 112.2/km² (290.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.33% White, 1.49% Asian, 0.39% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. 2.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,982 households out of which 8.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.93 and the average family size was 2.28.

The age distribution is 7.6% under the age of 18, 1.5% from 18 to 24, 9.4% from 25 to 44, 35.3% from 45 to 64, and 46.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 63 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $93,986, and the median income for a family was $119,110. Males had a median income of $88,709 versus $49,539 for females. The per capita income for the city was $76,187. About 1.2% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.