Stephenson is a true legend

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- Two weeks ago Natalie Gulbis, the tour's newest glamour girl, and Jan Stephenson, one of the originals, strolled down the 18th fairway at Eagles Landing Country Club discussing something dear to each one's heart -- fashion.

Gulbis' blue eyes lit up when Stephenson told her who was designing her new clothing line.

"A designer from No Fear and Roxy? Wow, that should be awesome," said Gulbis, sounding like the 19-year-old that she is.

While Stephenson, who admits the new outfits are not meant for her, may have hit the half-century mark in age, she has proven once again that she's timeless.

THE SHAG BAG After her 34th career win on Sunday, at the Aerus Electrolux USA Championship, Annika Sorenstam was bombarded by a bevy of questions from 10-year-old Abbey Brown and 11-year-old Mary Fugua. The two, who were working for the Coleman Tribune of Huntsville, Ala., trailed Sorenstam up the stairs to the locker room, questioned her at her locker, and then followed her back down the stairs, which prompted the Swede to joke: "Are you guys writing book?" ... By the way, Sorenstam's 64 was the lowest Sunday score by a tournament winner this season. ... Rookie Natalie Gulbis went to bed Saturday with the third-round lead and was feeling the nerves while warming up on Sunday. "I shanked about 10 balls. I didn't know what was going on," said Gulbis, who shot 5 over on the first six holes but battled back to finish eighth. ... Eric Pohl has been a tour caddie for only two weeks, but he already has been baptized with a nickname. The former Sacramento-area club pro is working for Gulbis, and during the first round he ended up in the pond on the second hole. After Gulbis dropped her ball near the green, Pohl headed down the bank to retrieve the ball but accidentally slid down the hill into waist-high water -- earning the moniker "Splash." ... About 80 players were part of the crowd of 5,000 that gathered on the driving range at the Legends Club of Tennessee to listen to a free concert from Vince Gill, Amy Grant and a host of stars. During the two-hour performance, Grant dedicated a song, I Will Remember You, to the retiring Nancy Lopez. During the encore, the Hall of Famer then got on stage and did her best Milli Vanilli imitation, lip-synching along with Gill on his hit song Liza Jane. Lopez later admitted: "I wasn't singing, I was talking." ... It was bizarre to hear Grant on stage singing gospel hymns from her new album, Legacy, while a concession worker walked through the crowd barking, "Cold beer here!" ... Many noticed the name Gill on the leaderboard. "Vince is playing great today," one player cracked. But this Gill, who fired a first-round 68, was Tonya, who lives in Nashville but is not related to the country-music superstar. ... "There are a lot of days you would like to have 65," Bob Barker noted on last Wednesday's Price is Right telecast after Sally Dee spun the Showcase Showdown wheel and ended up on that number. Dee won the Showdown, taking home a brand new truck and a camper, even though she underbid by $7,500. ... ESPN golf director Jason Wald is starting a children's charity to honor his daughter Samantha, who passed away last month, three days short of her third birthday, from a rare bacterial infection. Wald hopes to help children experience live sporting events. To make donations, call (407) 497-6356.

Over the past couple of weeks I had the pleasure of caddying for Stephenson, and I quickly found out why she is so admired. Even at 50, her golf game, and especially her ballstriking, still shows the signs of someone who has won 16 LPGA tournaments, including three major championships, plus 15 international events.

Even more impressive than her golfing prowess is her ever-present charisma and moxy. During the final round of the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship, we couldn't pass a hole without someone from the large galleries yelling out, "Jan, we still love you," or, "Jan, you're the greatest." And as she finished up her round, people of all ages lined up to get her autograph. "I still have your poster up in my den," a man in his late 40s told Stephenson.

The poster the gentleman referred to was the one that put Stephenson and the LPGA on the map. In 1978, Stephenson posed in a bathtub full of golf balls. Today's hottest topic may be players selling the tour using sex appeal, but Stephenson has the original patent on this marketing ploy.

When Jill McGill recently was approached by Playboy to pose nude, to whom did she turn for advice? "I told her that she would be silly not to do it," Stephenson said. "She could handle the pressure, and the money (a reported $600,000 plus a percentage of the sales) is too much to pass up."

Stephenson knows all about offers and the pressures of posing nude. She says Playboy offered her $125,000 in the late '70s to grace its pages. At the time, she was a proven winner on the tour and she felt the offer wasn't high enough.

Unlike McGill, who has no LPGA victories, Stephenson had other ventures off the golf course that brought in income -- like her own line of golf clubs, the ones with which Gulbis started playing the game.

"I used to have your clubs, Jan," Gulbis told Stephenson, who admitted she felt old when she heard that. "The ones with the gold shafts. I played them for a long time."

After the round, Gulbis said she was nervous about playing with one of her idols. Even though Stephenson is old enough to be Gulbis' mother, after a few holes the two were chatting as if they were long-lost sisters.

"I was intimidated by her," said Gulbis. "But she was so nice. It was a great day."

Last Saturday at the Aerus Electrolux USA Championship, Stephenson, who had missed the cut, ran into Gulbis in the locker room, and gave her a hug and wished her good luck. The talk must have been inspiring; Gulbis went out and shot her season low -- a 66 -- to take the third-round lead.

"That meant so much to me," Gulbis said. "I joked that she has become like a grandmother to me." (Aside: Laura Davies has always called Stephenson "Nana.")

While Nancy Lopez's pending retirement has drawn a lot of attention, not much has been mentioned about the fact that this is also Stephenson's last full season on the LPGA Tour. After 28 years she is turning her attention to golf-course design. With her first project -- the Walkabout, an Australian-themed course in Titusville, Fla. -- already completed and negotiations ongoing for another course in Bowling Green, Ky., Stephenson is destined to leave her mark on the game.

Hopefully, her endeavors on the course will be remembered even more. Though her win totals leave her a couple points shy of the 27 needed for automatic induction, the Veterans Committee should consider Stephenson for the LPGA's highest honor. Because there is no doubt that she she is an exemplary candidate for the Hall of Fame.

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.

 

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