Canon Cup selections: Four junior golfers from Scottsdale have been selected to play in the prestigious Canon Cup Matches, which take place Aug. 8-11 at the Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course in Alpharetta, Ga. Those selected include Amanda Blumenherst, Esther Choe, Philip Francis and Drew Kittleson.

Being selected for the 16 th Canon Cup, which is sponsored by the American Junior Golf Association, is perhaps the highest honor a junior golfer can receive. The year-long selection process targets the top 40 juniors in the country -- 20 girls and 20 boys -- and pairs them off in an East vs. West competition that is geographically divided by the Mississippi River.

Francis, a 16-year-old who left Notre Dame Academy to be home-schooled through a California-based Internet program, was the highest-rated player in the Canon Cup standings, coming in No. 2 to Californian Peter Uihlein. Blumenherst, a freshman-to-be at Duke University, was No. 3 in the girls ratings behind Angela Park and Tiffany Joh, both from California.

This also marks the first time that four Arizonans -- one-tenth of the field -- have been selected to play in the Canon Cup, even though Francis, Blumenherst and Choe, a junior at Cactus Shadows, had previously participated. Kittleson, a junior at Pinnacle High, earned his first-ever berth chiefly through his breakthrough win at the AJGA’s Heather Farr Classic in May.

NOTEWORTHY

Good news, bad news: Joe Penaflor, an assistant pro at the Golf Club Scottsdale, already has had a big week, winning Monday’s SWPGA Pro-Am at the Boulders, and then following it up on Tuesday with a victory in the 2005 Taylor Made-adidas Assistants Championship at Moon Valley Country Club. Even though Penaflor earned $2,750 for his win in the Assistants Championship, he is not eligible to advance to the National PGA Assistants Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port Lucie, Fla., because he did not register through the PGA of America by the deadline. Ouch!

Latest-greatest: Vista Verde Golf Club in Rio Verde is currently “fully grassed’’ and expected to open in early December. The official grand opening for the Ken Kavanaugh-designed tract, which will be private but open to the public on a limited basis, is set for January. “It’s a different look than the other four courses out here in Rio Verde (two at Tonto Verde and two at Rio Verde Country Club), and it’s got some terrific views,’’ said Dave Richey, president of Rio Verde Services and Development of Vista Verde, which is located on Rio Verde Drive (a.k.a. Dynamite Road).

Honoring heroes: Shalimar Golf Club in Tempe is offering free green fees during the month of August to all military, police and firefighters. According to the club’s head pro, John Gunby, “We wouldn’t be here enjoying golf as we do without the freedom our military provides us, and the sacrifices they and the police and fire personnel make for us daily.’’

LIP-OUT DEPT.

Wie, Wie: Expect Michelle Wie to turn pro following her 16 th birthday in early October. According to several national golf publications, Wie will make the Samsung World Championship (Oct. 13-16) her first pro event. More to the point, she is expected to receive a $10 million-plus package from Nike. For the record, had Wie been playing for money this season, she would have made $530,000 and be ranked No. 13 on the money list. Now, if she can just get the LPGA to waive that 18-and-under rule.

Presidential appeal: A fast and furious auction is currently under way on eBay to see who gets to purchase the golf cart which was recently used (and autographed) by former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. After 33 bids, the sticker price was $7,900 and rising with three days of bidding left to go .

And finally: Believe it or not, tickets for next year’s British Open at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) are now on sale at randa.org. By comparison with the other majors, the British Open is a “smoking deal’’ at 90 pounds (for the week of July 20-23) if purchased before Jan. 1, 2006 (a 45 percent discount). This will be the first time in 39 years that the British Open has been played at Royal Liverpool, where the legendary Bobby Jones won the second leg of the original Grand Slam in 1930.