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The tour's likely Survivor
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- If CBS is looking for some contestants for the next season of Survivor, the network might want to check out a few LPGA players. Like the rest of the country, many LPGA stars were tuned in last Wednesday when Richard Hatch became the first $1 million winner. The next day talk turned to who on tour could survive for 39 days on a deserted island. While there were no official ballots, we did come up with some candidates who might fair well in this contest. But who would be the ultimate Survivor on the LPGA?
But as fast as Pepper was nominated, the consensus was that her personality would do her in. "She would probably piss everyone off the first week and be the first to be voted off," said one player, who asked to remain anonymous. Then someone nominated Dottie's polar opposite: Meg Mallon. Everyone agreed Mallon was warm enough to be kept on the island but wondered if she would be able to endure life in the wilderness. Mallon assessed her own chances: "My idea of nature is a screen porch," she said. "I wouldn't last a day." Mallon's soul sister in the goody-two-shoes department, Lorie Kane, was also considered. The Canadian plays many tournaments and doesn't spend much time at home, which would be a plus. But I don't think she could go a week without the Outback Steakhouse. Many thought Korean Se Ri Pak would also make a good candidate. When she was growing up, her father made her spend the night in the cemetery to develop mental toughness. But I don't think Pak would be "Happy" without her puppy for that long. Besides Pepper, Cindy McCurdy probably received the most votes as the tour's toughest player. She is the workout queen of the LPGA, but her duties as President of the LPGA might slow her down. Maybe the strongest player, pound-for-pound, on tour, Caroline Blaylock could muscle her way through the 39 days. She is only about 110 pounds soaking wet, but she can bench-press 185 pounds. I also know she can climb a rope without using her legs, which could come in handy. If living outdoors was the only requirement, veteran Sally Little would be get some votes. The South African travels the tour in her motor home and camps out virtually every week. But then again, there wasn't a fully stocked kitchen or a satellite dish on remote Pulau Tiga. The surprise candidate was Donna Andrews. One player said, "I know she could eat rats as long as she had a little peanut butter to go with them." Andrews admitted she could rough it until she started missing her razor. To her credit, she did once spent 10 days on a trail in the Arizona desert with no shower or bed. One of the keys to Hatch's victory was his scheming ways. Sara Sanders, the former field hockey star at Stanford, says she would resort to anything if it meant winning $1 million. "I think I could make it to the final four," Sanders said. "I can be conniving if I need to be." If that doesn't work, she could always just crosscheck all the others off the island. Let's not forget Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam. These two didn't get to be No. 1 and No. 2 on the money list, respectively, without any mental toughness or fortitude. Sorenstam is probably the most like Hatch: a strategist who would probably chart the weaknesses of her competitors and know exactly when to go in for the strike. Webb, like Hatch, would be the fisherman in the group. She did just catch a 35-pound dolphin while she was at home. Said one player: "She wins everything else, why not Survivor?" When all is said and done, my choice as the ultimate Survivor on the LPGA would be Dale Eggeling. This 26-year veteran is witty, likeable and has a never-say-die attitude. The fact that she went 14 years between wins, an LPGA record, shows she can stick it out. While she wasn't a Navy Seal, at 46 years old she would be the sentimental choice, comparable to Rudy Boesch, who would have won had he kept his stupid hand on the pole. "I think I would win," Eggeling said Thursday to a group of players on the putting green. "I was a Girl Scout and did all of that camping and cooking stuff." As the entire group busted out laughing, trying to hold back the tears, Eggeling piped up and said, "If you don't believe me, I have all of the badges to prove it." Tom Hanson, a regular contributor to Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus section, is a longtime caddie 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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