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All in the Rinker family
Posted: Monday May 22, 2000 02:17 PM
BEAVERCREEK, Ohio -- The old adage that golf is a family game could have easily originated with the Rinker family. Former PGA Tour players Larry and Lee are competing on the Buy.com Tour, and Laurie, who now has a hyphen and Graham attached to her name, is on the LPGA, making the trio probably one of the most recognizable sibling combos in golf history. I might be a bit prejudiced, considering I hold the distinction of being the only person to have caddied for all three. Last week, for about the 30th time in the last 10 years, I caddied for Laurie, at the Firstar Classic. In 1994 I looped for Lee at the PGA Qualifying School -- better known as Hell Week. And in 1997 I carried Larry's bag for most of the season on the PGA Tour. While all three are talented, like most siblings they are quite different.
All three golfing Rinkers (they also have an older brother, Lane Jr., who married a former LPGA player but is a mortgage broker) inherited their father's traits: They are stubborn, have a sarcastic sense of humor and are great at gabbing. Luckily, their mother, Pam, rubbed off on them, too. Pam is caring, genuine and basically a saint -- but then again, you would have to be to put up with Lane for all of these years. While the Rinkers have fewer combined wins in their careers than Phil Mickelson has grabbed over the last couple of months, their careers are notable for their longevity. At one point, Larry kept his card for 18 straight seasons. Despite being short off the tee, Larry's heart and his short game haave allowed him a respectable career. He is also probably the most laid-back of the three. Besides golf, Larry's passion is guitar, which gives him a great outlet from the frustrations of the game. Lee's outlet is usually slamming his putter against a bridge or breaking a club in half. Even though I have caddied the fewest times for Lee, I probably have the most stories about him. The putter-on-the-bridge incident -- the putter, by the way, didn't break -- happened in Pensacola, Fla., at a Nike event. On the next tee, I tried to calm Lee down by telling him if he didn't change his attitude he would shoot a wad. He replied, "The only thing I am going to be changing is my caddie." For that reason, I tabbed Lee "Earthquake." As with seismic activity, there is one major eruption and then many little aftershocks that can cause even more damage. But if he ever gets his anger in check, watch out. Lee is a talented player who can hit long irons as well as anyone, including Tiger Woods. But the most talented player in the family is Laurie. I'm sure that phone I hear ringing is Lee or Larry calling to debate this issue, but Laurie was a dominant junior (1980 Golf Digest Junior of the Year) and has won twice on the LPGA. In her early days on tour, Laurie, who could pass for Lee's twin, finished in the top 50 on the money list five straight years, including 12th twice. And as she tells it, Laurie carried Larry to win the 1984 JCPenney Classic mixed-team championship -- the only brother-sister combo to pull off that feat. The past five years, Laurie has concentrated more on raising her sons Brent, 5, and Timothy, 2. Her golf game is still there, but her confidence isn't. Her biggest problem is nerves. She is so hard on herself and is so afraid to fail that when the pressure is on she sometimes lets it get the best of her. Last week at the Firstar Classic outside of Dayton, Laurie may have had a breakthrough. She shot 10 under for the event and finished 11th. On Sunday, she fired a 68 and moved up the leader board, which is a nice change from her usually disastrous final rounds. Now Lane Sr. wants to add his name to my list of Rinker bags. He told me that he was working hard on his game and was wondering if I would be interested in caddying for him at the Senior Qualifying School. But I said no. I have to draw the line somewhere. Plus, I don't think they make a straitjacket that will fit me. Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section, caddies for Sara Sanders on the LPGA Tour. Click here to send him a question or comment. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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