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Dossier: Mike Reid By Jaime Diaz
MIKE REID
HEIGHT: 5'11" WEIGHT: 160 WORLD RANK: 194 NICKNAME: Radar FAMILY: Wife, Randolyn; Children, Brendalyn (2/3/81), Lauren (8/14/83), Michael (10/2/86), Clarissa (5/27/90), John (9/29/93), Hannah (5/7/97) DISTINCTION: One of the shortest (and straightest) hitters in Tour history. Known for mild manner and sharp wit. Never gets angry, which is why he cracked up the locker-room crowd after hitting two balls out-of-bounds on the same hole by saying, "Man, my chili was running hot." REVEALING STATISTICS: Longest drive this year is 284 yards (278th on Tour). Ranks third in birdies on par-3s, 167th in birdies on par-5s. ARE SHORT HITTERS BEING RUN OFF THE TOUR?: "No. The trend in course maintenance is soft fairways and hard greens, which makes it tougher, but not impossible, for guys like me. I'm playing my five-wood a little more, but a good swing will still get the ball close to the hole." ACQUIRED WISDOM: "The secret to playing the Tour is threefold: a sound game plan, good execution and support at home. The secret to golf is enjoying the walk. As Bobby Jones said, 'Why should we worry so when golf -- just golf -- is so much fun?'" RADAR THE READER AVERAGES ABOUT A BOOK A WEEK ON TOUR. HIS TAKE ON A PERFECT STORM: "It took me three months to feel dry." HOBBY: Collecting aphorisms. A favorite, by Robert Louis Stevenson: "If a man loves his work beyond any thought of wealth or fame, then the gods have called him." TUESDAYS WITH HALE: For years Reid played a weekly practice round with Hale Irwin. "He was the mold of the player I wanted to be: complete through the bag, competitive but serene. When I saw him recently, I said, 'I miss you.' He said, 'I don't miss you.' I took that as a compliment." ON LOSING THE '89 PGA TO PAYNE STEWART AFTER LEADING BY TWO STROKES WITH THREE HOLES TO PLAY: "After I missed a seven-footer on 18 to tie, I did more growing up walking the next 40 feet to the scoring tent than I had in the previous 35 years of my life. I decided that I had to be happy for the man who had beaten me, so I high-fived Payne and hugged him. In the locker room Jack Nicklaus told me he had never been so sorry to see someone lose. I was humbled. For the greatest player to say that to me added so much humanness to the whole thing. Right then I thought, Life goes on. And it does." Issue date: April 10, 2000
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