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Notes from Pebble Beach
Posted: Monday June 19, 2000 02:34 PM
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 few stray thoughts from Pebble Beach as the U.S Open kicks off: Why not a U.S. Open at Spyglass Hill some day?
I can't wait to read Mark James' controversial book on the Ryder Cup, including all the details of how the Europeans pulled off the biggest choke job in golf history and then blamed the Americans for celebrating instead of facing up to the loss like real men. There are three books out or about to come out on Payne Stewart. I think I'll read the two, which were written by people who actually knew him. The bizarre weather in Monterey -- temperatures over 100 just a few miles inland from the Monterey Peninsula -- bring this harsh reminder: Next year's Open will be at Southern Hills. In Tulsa, Okla., in June. Bring your own ice pack.
Mail Call
Given today's growing purses, why don't they show career or yearly earnings as a percentage of the prize money the player was eligible for? Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan or Jack Nicklaus may still show up in the Top 10 career percentage earnings because of inflation. This method would keep the past greats -- some who played for $1,000 purses -- up with the $1,000,000 players of today. Great idea. I think you're onto something. Let us know when you've got the calculations done for every player over the last 40 years. We look forward to seeing them.
I was looking at the tee times for the first two days of the U.S. Open and wondered why the "no-name" qualifiers are not grouped with the regular touring pros. Is there a reason for this? Or do the touring pros simply dislike playing with the qualifiers? It's sort of like quarantine, Scott, or trying to keep a demolition derby within the confines of the track. A big-name player who has a legitimate chance of winning the Open doesn't want to have to deal with a shaky qualifier shooting 87 and getting in his way. Of course, if I qualified, I'd want a pairing with Monty and Phil Mickelson -- mainly so I could hang out with Amanda and Amy all day.
Is Monty as big of a jerk off the course as he appears on? Saw him on the Golf Channel being interviewed by Peter Kessler and he seemed fairly pleasant. Monty is capable of being delightfully charming, witty, funny and mischievous. He's smart and opinionated and a wonderful interview. After a poor round, or at any given time is approached by a reporter, my Brit writer friends say Monty can be petulant, churlish and insufferable. So overall, no, he is not a big jerk. He can be pretty cool -- just not all the time.
Why does two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen seem to get less air time or respect than someone like, oh, Duffy Waldorf? I'm slightly biased, having attended Florida Southern at the same time Janzen and Rocco Mediate and Marco Dawson were cruising to a couple of national titles. But even someone like Rocco gets more pub and he hasn't sniffed at the success Janzen has attained. Is there any modern-day golfer with two majors under his belt who is less hyped? There's Andy North, a two-time Open winner, for starters. And how about Larry Nelson, who won three majors? I disagree with you that Janzen gets less respect or attention than Duffy and Rocco but you're right, he doesn't get a lot. That's because Janzen has won only one tournament in the last five years, which happened to be a U.S. Open. He played so poorly before and after that winning the Open wasn't even enough to get him on the Ryder Cup team. He didn't even make the Presidents Cup team and only got to play when Hal Sutton had to withdraw because of the death of a relative. When you never play your way into contention, media types tend to forget about you. Janzen is turning into a big disappointment. Hence, no hype.
I hear Ken Venturi say, "Don't give away the hole," usually on a tricky little putt. I have no idea what he means by that, and he says it constantly! Please enlighten. Hey, Rich, at least he completes the sentence. Ken means "don't play too much break, don't aim outside of the cup.". If you think a putt breaks a little left and you aim, say, an inch right of the hole and the ball goes straight instead of breaking, you miss. If you aim just inside the right edge and the putt breaks an inch and a half or goes straight, you still make it. Translation: "Don't give away the hole" means "this putt won't break much... but I'm not sure."
Corey Pavin seems to have disappeared from leaderboards lately. And he lost that very elite status seemingly all at once. Why so quickly? I read his changing clubs was one reason, so can't he go back to the clubs he was using? In general, what particular golfing skill causes these collapses so precipitously? Pavin was playing poorly months before he started switching equipment. It had nothing to do with his clubs and everything to do with his length off the tee -- way short -- and the way courses are set up on Tour. Since Pavin's '96 U.S. Open win, the Tour has set up courses with firmer, faster greens and deeper, thicker rough, putting an emphasis on the power game. Players such as Pavin, who have to be hitting on all cylinders to win under such conditions, are therefore put under more pressure. Whether it was complacency or just age, Pavin's game slipped a notch while the rest of the Tour was turning it up two notches. It's a long-hitter's Tour and a high-ball-hitter's Tour. Other styles can still win, but players have to play their very best. Look at Justin Leonard. His putting fell off just a little bit this year, and he felt as if he was mired in a deep slump (which he has come out of during the last two events). It's the proverbial fine line. On Tour, there's not much difference between a 68 and a 72 or even a 74. If Pavin ever wins again, it'll be on a firm and fast course when he can get some roll on his tee shots.
Click here to send your golf question to Gary Van Sickle.
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