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 Costly break for Masters champ Olazabal withdraws after breaking hand punching wall
Posted: Friday June 18, 1999 05:12 PM
PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) -- Jose Maria Olazabal couldn't handle the course. He fared even worse against a wall in his hotel room. The Masters champion, irate over poor play in the U.S. Open, dealt a one-punch knockout to himself when he took a swing at the wall and broke a bone in his right hand. He was forced to withdraw Friday. "I was upset with myself," said Olazabal, who was injured Thursday night after shooting a 5-over 75 in the first round. "I wanted to do well this week. After the way I played ... I did something I should not have. Now, I'm paying the price." Wearing a splint, Olazabal arrived at Pinehurst No. 2 to try a few practice swings with a club in his hands. But, as soon as the Spaniard realized he couldn't play the second round, he walked to the parking lot and drove away. Tom Lehman and Nick Price teed off without the other member of their threesome. A "WD" on the scoreboard served as golf's version of the white towel. Olazabal was rated among the favorites at Pinehurst, where the spacious fairways, short rough and treacherous greens seemed a perfect fit for a player with an imaginative short game. Instead, his withdrawal left Jack Nicklaus as the last man to win both the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. That happened 27 years ago. Told of Olazabal's misfortune, defending Open champion Lee Janzen said nonchalantly, "I guess that takes him out of the Grand Slam." Greg Norman and Corey Pavin didn't provide a lot of sympathy, either. "I would have kicked the wall," quipped Norman, who failed to make the cut after dueling with Olazabal at the Masters. "I wouldn't have punched it." "That's under the stupid-things-I-did-in-my-life category," Pavin added. "I'm sure he feels pretty dumb about it." Two players at opposite end of golf's mental spectrum said they could relate to the Olazabal's frustration after the first round. "That's understandable," said Tiger Woods, who was among the leaders at the midway point of the tournament. "We do get angry out here. We do get frustrated and sometimes we take it home with us." John Daly should know. He's had several drunken rampages during his continuing battle with alcoholism. "This game is crazy," he said. "I've done a lot of crazy things with my fists. I never hit anybody, but I tore up a few houses and a few cars. It's not the total glamorous life that everybody thinks." Still, Daly seemed taken aback that a player known for his calm temperament had let his emotions get the best of him. "Hell, if I'd have won the Masters, I don't think I'd have been punching the walls," Daly said. "I'm the only one right now who has a reason to punch anything. I haven't done crap all year. At least he's got the green jacket." Olazabal broke the fifth metacarpal on his right hand and will be out 3-4 weeks, possibly jeopardizing his spot in the British Open at Carnoustie July 15-18. "Fortunately, it is a clean fracture," Olazabal said. Also, a broken hand is not nearly as serious as the ailment that threatened the Spaniard's career after his first Masters victory in 1994. Olazabal was out of golf for 18 months because of foot problems that were mistakenly diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. He feared he wouldn't be able to walk again, much less play golf. Now, he's simply got to work on his temper.
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