The Week: Catch of the Day

Ben Crane reeled in his first Tour win with a stunning surge on Sunday

By Alan Shipnuck

Crane was inspired by his Bible study partner, Jones. David Walberg GOLF PLUS EXTRA Teeing Off: A Lone Voice of Dissent Big Play: T. J. Tomasi TRUST ME Annika Sorenstam may get all the ink, but Se Ri Pak is going to have a better season. Sorenstam eked out a win last week but has looked shaky so far this year, while Pak is only getting better. NEXT UP PGA Tour: The Masters European Tour: The Masters INSTANT POLL Which 2003 major was the best? The Masters The U.S. Open The British Open The PGA View Results

On the eve of the final round of last week's BellSouth Classic, Ben Crane did a little twilight fishing in the expansive pond fronting the 18th green at the TPC at Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga. Crane, a low-key 27-year-old sophomore on the PGA Tour, was looking to unwind after a scintillating 64 earlier on Saturday. Asked if he had any nibbles, Crane said, "Oh, yeah, man. I caught five bass."

The next day he reeled in a much bigger prize -- his first Tour victory. Crane's performance was more outsized than a tale of the-big-one-that-got-away. Starting six shots back on Sunday, Crane shot a 29 on the final nine on his way to a closing 63, including a rousing eagle on the 72nd hole that was set up by a 357-yard clout off the tee. He won by four strokes, after having made the cut by only a shot. "I'm a little numb," Crane said following the victory. He added one more thought. "I am so thankful."

Crane lists Bible study under Special Interests in the Tour guide, and the first call he made following the final round was to his pastor. He attends the Wednesday night prayer meetings held at every Tour stop, and it is there that he has bonded with veterans Lee Janzen and Steve Jones. Janzen, winless since his second U.S. Open victory, in 1998, held a two-stroke lead heading into the final round, but after putting out a disappointing 77 he immediately went looking behind the 18th green for his study buddy.

"Where's the domed one?" he asked Crane's wife, Heather, a nod to her husband's prematurely bald noggin. When Janzen found Crane, he hugged him like a brother and said, according to Crane, "You shot 64-63 on the weekend -- I don't care who it is, you're going to kick anyone's tush when you do that."

Crane's victory may have been sparked, in part, by a different sort of encouragement he'd gotten at a Wednesday night session. Says Jones, "It's funny, only a week ago we were talking about what it takes to win out here, and he asked me, 'How many tournaments have you won?' I told him eight. He looked at me like, 'You've got to be kidding me. You've won eight tournaments?' I knew he was thinking, If Steve Jones has won eight, I know I can win too."

In a day full of highlights, Crane's biggest moment on Sunday might have been a 12-footer that he drained for bogey on the 9th hole to save his round. He went on to birdie 10, 11, 13, 15 and 16, the last of which gave Crane his first lead over Bob Tway, whose four-stroke cushion at the turn vanished with alarming speed. Crane was leading by two when he arrived at the 576-yard, par-5 18th, which plunges steeply downhill. Crane, all 5'10" and 165 pounds of him, likes to play a power game, and he fearlessly pulled his driver, leaving little margin for error. "I was in the clubhouse watching on TV, and when I saw that driver, I yelled, 'Oh, shoot!'" says Jones. Oh, ye of little faith. Fueled by adrenaline, Crane pounded his drive down the fairway, nearly to the bottom of the hill. (That the tees had been moved up helped, too.) Only 190 yards from the green, it no longer made sense to lay up short of the water, and he whistled a seven-iron to 20 feet, then coolly sank the putt, one last perfect roll in a weekend of great putting.

In years past Crane, who lives in Keller, Texas, would have been off to Augusta for the Masters, but the rule that gave Tour winners an automatic invitation was amended in 1999. So this promising young talent instead has a week off, and he wasted no time in starting his vacation. On Sunday evening, after he had collected an oversized cardboard check for $720,000, Crane was headed back to the 18th hole, and not to relive his climactic eagle. "We actually changed our flight to tomorrow night," he said, "so I can go back out there tonight and fish."

O.B.

Hank Kuehne was minutes away from teeing it up in the Monday qualifier for the BellSouth Classic when his cellphone rang. It was a tournament official offering a sponsor's exemption that had been freed up by a handful of last-minute withdrawals. Kuehne took advantage of the gift, tying for third and burnishing his reputation as one of the brawniest sluggers in the game. During a third-round 67 he blasted a 371-yard drive on the 7th hole and uncorked a 369-yarder at number 10. Kuehne, the 1998 U.S. Amateur champion, also showed a little finesse, acing the 131-yard 2nd hole with a wedge.

Steve Stricker was walking on the edge of the stream on Sugarloaf's 12th hole last Thursday when a rock gave way underfoot. Stricker lost his balance and stumbled and flailed along the bank, trying futilely to regain his balance before splashing into the creek, muddying one of his pant legs. After making sure that Stricker was O.K., playing partner Lee Janzen told him, "With that extra effort, I think you picked up the first down."

Ben Crane's BellSouth victory was a good one for stat junkies. His weekend 127 (64-63) has been bettered only twice since 1970 by PGA Tour winners: Ron Streck's 125 (63-62) at the 1978 Texas Open and John Cook's 125 (62-63) at the '97 Hope. Also, after opening 72-73, Crane was idling in 60th place. Since 1990 only José María Olazábal has started a third round in worse position and gone on to win. (Ollie was 69th through 36 holes at the 2002 Buick Invitational.) Want more? Crane's 63 on Sunday was his career-low round on Tour. Since 1970 only 15 other players have won by shooting a personal-best of 63 or lower in a final round. The list includes David Duval (59, '99 Hope), Johnny Miller (61, '75 Tucson), Greg Norman (62, '90 Doral) and Davis Love III (62, '92 Greensboro).

Issue date: April 14, 2003