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Family ties Verplank to area
Posted: Saturday April 06, 2002 8:29 PM
By Scott Michaux
The Augusta Chronicle
The Augusta region always has had a strong bond with championship golfers.
Some are born to it, such as Augustans Larry Mize and Charles Howell or Thomson's Franklin Langham. Others simply bond with the Masters Tournament.
Scott Verplank married into his connection. His wife, the former Kim Woodard, is from Aiken. His mother-in-law, Ann Woodard, still lives there. His wife's grandmother, Francis Tarte, lives in Augusta.
But Verplank's familiarity and comfort with Augusta National and the Masters Tournament stops on Washington Road. In terms of competitiveness, the recent Ryder Cup captain's selection has no connection.
Verplank has competed in six Masters since 1985, when he was invited as the U.S. Amateur champion. He's never made the cut.
"I've never done any good," he said of his Masters record. "I've played horrible there. But that's OK."
Verplank's family ties to the area began when he met Kim Woodard in Dallas at a tournament. They were introduced through Kim's sister Fran, who is married to former PGA Tour pro and current rules official Dillard Pruitt. Scott and Kim were married 11 years ago and have three children.
Marrying into the Aiken line didn't get him any closer to the Masters. From 1990-98 he never qualified for the tournament, battling health issues along the way, from major elbow surgery to diabetes.
But Verplank, who won the 1985 Western Open as an amateur, surged back. His diabetes controlled with the use of an insulin pump, Verplank rose to 18th in the Official World Ranking and was a captain's pick for the 2001 Ryder Cup team.
His game is so much stronger that he nearly buried his Masters demons in 2001. His first-ever sub-par round at Augusta National was a 69 that had him tied for 11th after the first round. But a Friday 78 caused him to miss the cut by two strokes.
"Last year I was playing pretty decent and just imploded on the back nine (Friday)," he said, noting the double bogey/bogey/double bogey spin through Amen Corner that doomed him to another weekend as a spectator.
Reasons for his struggles are varied. Verplank is not a long hitter (his 272-yard average ranks 137th) and he thrives on the type of accuracy off the tee that is demanded at U.S. Open-style venues. Heading into this year's Players Championship, his 82-percent accuracy at hitting fairways ranked the best on tour.
In that regard, the changes at Augusta National aimed at placing a premium on accuracy off the tee could work in his favor.
"I wouldn't necessarily say that I have a chance to win the tournament because I don't have a very good history there," he said. "I drive it straight and it sounds like they've moved the tees back but also tightened up some fairways. If they took away some of the advantages to carry the hill, then it's probably going to help me a little bit. I generally prefer the golf course playing hard."
Despite the scarcity of quality play in the Masters (76.42 scoring average in 12 rounds), the tournament is not without its personal highlights. The undisputed high-water mark came last year, before the tournament even started. With his 9-year-old son, Scottie, as his caddie, Verplank aced the ninth hole during the Par-3 Contest.
"I just hope they haven't changed the par-3 course any," he said. "They can do whatever they want to the other course, just don't mess with the par-3 course."
Verplank does not subscribe to the Par-3 jinx. He'd gladly accept the Crystal Chalice given to the Par-3 winner, a token some would never want, because the winner has never gone on to win the Masters in the same year.
"I screwed up the real tournament, but the Par-3 was a blast because I had my son on the bag," he said of last year's appearance. "This year I'll have my middle daughter (Hannah, 7) as my caddie. I hope I can win her some more crystal."
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