|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Sutton is Tour's Mr. Cool
Posted: Wednesday May 03, 2000 11:25 AM
Sports Illustrated senior writer Gary Van Sickle will answer your questions every Thursday during the golf season. Click here to send him a question. A year ago at this time, Hal Sutton was busy blowing the Shell Houston Open because he couldn't chip or putt. Now he's arguably the No. 1 player in the OTTW (Other Than Tiger Woods) Ranking. Sutton's comeback story has been told and retold, but I like the way he's become the coolest man on Tour. His short game was surprisingly solid at the Ryder Cup last year, and while he has the occasional glitch on the green -- he four-putted during his win at Greensboro and during a match he lost in the World Match Play; he slice-yipped an 18-incher that never even sniffed the cup -- Sutton doesn't let these things become demons in the brain and rolls right along like a rodeo star who keeps getting back up on the bronc. He has always had the best backswing in golf. Now he's finally racking up wins the way everyone thought he would when he was unfortunately dubbed the Bear Apparent early in his career. We always like our heroes better after they've overcome adversity, and the same is true of Sutton. He didn't buy into the Woods worship/intimidation program, said so at the Players Championship, then went out and proved it on the course by snuffing Woods. That makes him golf's coolest guy, it says in this column, replacing Fred Couples and, in certain parts of the country, Tim (Lumpy) Herron. This week's mail call:
I dropped Steve Stricker out of my fantasy golf league because he doesn't play enough. Can he ever win again? What's going on? I wish you were famous, Al, just so I could see those Wheel of Fortune contestants try to solve your name in a puzzle. As a former Milwaukeean, I feel obligated to say that Stricker can still win and play as well as he wants. He gets down on himself when he isn't playing his best, as of late, and traveling the Tour isn't as much fun for him now. For one thing, he's got the cutest blonde-haired little daughter in the free world. For another, his wife, Nicki, doesn't caddie for him anymore and doesn't travel with him as often. That, combined with not playing well, has temporarily (I think) and understandably caused him to lose a little interest. Most people, even golfers, find their jobs less interesting and important compared to being parents.
Don't suppose you'd like to inform us eight handicappers what kind of instruments you carry in your bag? How many putters do you have, and which do you enjoy the most? I carry lethal instruments, Bob. Watch your step. Wear a helmet. I've got two sets of irons I'm going back and forth with since I like them both so well -- Hogan Apex and Mizuno T-Zoid Pro II. Stiff steel shafts. Two Adams Nick Faldo sand wedges, 56 and 60 degrees. An old Titleist PT three-wood, 15 degrees, courtesy of SI writer Jaime Diaz. An aging Taylor Made Tour Burner driver (the smaller tour head), 9 degrees. At the moment, I've got an Adams five-wood in the bag, temporarily (or maybe not) replacing my two-iron. Putter is Bobby Grace's original Fat Lady. I've got six other putters in the basement but I don't enjoy them very much. That's why they're in the basement. In fact, the Fat Lady isn't exactly singing, either.
In your last 'Bag you wrote, "Why does the USGA tell me to alter my score before I post it if I made more than a double bogey on a hole? I call that cheating. The USGA calls it handicapping." Can you explain this? I assumed you calculated your score by adding all of the strokes over 18 holes and deducting your handicap? It's called "equitable stroke control." As a low handicapper, I'm not supposed to score anything higher than a double bogey on my card when I post it. So if I made an 11 on the 4th hole, a par-4, the USGA says I should change it to a 6 and correct my total accordingly before I post the score. Apparently, the rule is in place to try to stop sandbaggers from inflating their handicaps for club events, but there's no stopping cheaters, especially when they can walk up to the pro-shop computer and punch in any score they'd like. Despite the USGA's edict, I post what I shot without alteration. I know it's a radical concept, but if I made an 11 I write down an 11. Sorry, USGA, but when I play in a real competition, I can't say, "Oh, just gimme a 6."
You mentioned how top players often bypass tournaments during this swing on the PGA Tour. Why don't these tournaments pay appearance fees to get the name players? Tennis does it, why not golf? Professional tennis is doing so well, who wouldn't want to emulate it? Get serious. With purses of $3 million and up, where's the need for appearance money? The PGA Tour doesn't allow it. Besides, the top golfers, such as Woods and David Duval and Vijay Singh, already have so much dough that money has no real meaning for them. In case you haven't noticed, pro tennis totally sucks, killed by appearance fees, prima donnas and 700 mph serves.
Do you think that big money will eventually hurt golf? Or is it insulated from some of the excesses we see in the NBA, NFL and MLB? P.S.: I enjoy your analysis and insight but do you really have to endure working with Alan Shipnuck? What's big money for golf is chump change for Kevin Garnett or Ken Griffey Jr. Compared to other sports, golf's rising purses are barely spare change. The so-called big money could lead players who are already incredibly pampered to get fat and happy even sooner, if that's possible, and hurt their drive, motivation and incentive to play. We've seen the best players slowly shrink their number of PGA Tour appearances, often replacing them with silly-season paydays or overseas appearance-fee outings. On the other hand, the money and the game's upscale image is attracting athletes who used to play other sports. So we're going to see more powerful golfers shaped like Woods in the future and fewer shaped like Craig Stadler about 40 pounds ago. That will help the competition. As for Shipwreck, we really only cross paths at the majors or when he calls me on the phone begging for morsels of golf expertise ... and mercy.
Alan Shipnuck is talking serious smack about your Augusta showdown. He said you ducked him. What is your story? The only quacking sounds I hear are coming from the S.S. Shipwreck. Alan and I were much too busy searching for news stories at the Masters to get out and play (well, that's not what Ray Romano says), but, c'mon, it's no match. Shipnuck wants a bunch of strokes. I'm sorry my handicap is 20 shots lower than yours, Al, but that's why I practice. Real men play matches straight up. Of course, if it quacks like a duck ...
Click here to send your golf question to Gary Van Sickle.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
