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Chat Reel: SI's Alan Shipnuck
Golf writer previews what's in store for Duval, Nicklaus
Posted: Friday January 07, 2000 10:56 AM
Sports Illustrated's Alan Shipnuck, who covers golf for the magazine and writes the weekly Golf Mailbag for CNNSI.com, recently joined users for a chat. Shipnuck previewed the upcoming golf season and fielded questions about who and what to watch in 2000. A transcript of the chat follows.
CNN/SI Host: Welcome to our golf chat with Sports Illustrated's Alan Shipnuck. Thanks for joining us, Alan!
Alan Shipnuck: Of course. Glad to be here.
From Guest: Will Sergio Garcia have the same "growing pains" that Tiger had in his second year?
Alan Shipnuck: In Tiger's second year he won the Masters. But no doubt the more Sergio plays, the more his inconsistency will show. There's no question that he's a sublime talent. But his golf swing and his temperament are not designed to withstand the grind of playing every week, especially on two continents.
From Guest: How do you like Mike Weir's chance to duplicate his success of last year?
Alan Shipnuck: It's a well-known fact that I've always been Weir's biggest fan -- the old mailbags will prove that. But seriously, Weir proved himself to be a player who plays well on tough courses -- and he got better as the year went on -- so I definitely like his chances in 2000 to win again and probably move up the money list.
From Adam: Alan, have you had any Mickelsonian reaction from David Duval after the piece you wrote on him in a recent SI? The story, by the way, was excellent and right on the money.
Alan Shipnuck: Thanks for the kind words. I've heard a few things, but not from Duval, mostly because the season is shut down and I haven't been traveling.
The piece I wrote from the Skins game was actually intended to be a defense of Duval, because I think he is misunderstood and hasn't had the chance to be heard. However, our interview was so contentious that I think a lot of people had the same reaction as Adam that Duval would be upset. But to answer the question, I haven't heard anything from David yet.
From Guest: Can Jack Nicklaus be a factor in the 2000 Majors?
Alan Shipnuck: I thought Jack was dead 10 years ago, but he keeps surprising us, so who knows. He certainly has been talking a lot lately about how good his hip and swing feel, and how positive his attitude is. It's no secret that Pebble Beach, site of the U.S. Open, is his favorite course in the world and he also loves St. Andrews, where the British Open will be played.
Both of these could be farewell appearances at these tournaments, and Jack is well known for rising to the occasion. I expect him to play well at both. That doesn't mean that I think he has a chance to win.
From Guest: Who do think is going to be the comeback player in 2000?
Alan Shipnuck: Without a doubt, Tom Lehman. I went on record saying this even before he won in that hokey Williams World Challenge. In 1999, Lehman played solid golf, and then something seemed to change at the Ryder Cup, where he rediscovered his old fire. He usually plays well on the West Coast, so I'd expect him to win before the end of February.
From Guest: Which, if any, of the "40-somethings" (i.e. Couples, O'Meara, Norman) do you think are capable of having a big year?
Alan Shipnuck: Hmmm, that's a good one. I would say of all the 40-somethings, Couples still has the most game when he feels like getting off the couch and playing. Toward the end of the '99 season, he expressed some regret about how he mailed in the entire season and has vowed to play more and to play better in 2000. I think he'll do both.
From Guest: Does anyone on Tour strike "fear" into Tiger's eyes when he sees them close on the leaderboard?
Alan Shipnuck: Absolutely not. Next question.
From Guest: Will Gary Nicklaus succeed at keeping his tour card in 2000?
Alan Shipnuck: That'll be interesting. When I was up on the Nike Tour, chasing Casey Martin around, I got to see Nicklaus a little bit. He was hitting it pretty sideways at that point and, more ominously, he was blowing up at local reporters every time they asked the obvious question about being Jack's son.
No doubt, Gary is going to generate a lot of interest and have to deal with a lot of distractions. If he can keep his card as a rookie,
it'll be a great accomplishment.
From Guest: Please comment on Mickelson's inability to win. Do you foresee another near-fist fight with him this year?
Alan Shipnuck: Just because Mickelson didn't win in '99, doesn't mean he has an inability to win. The guy has won 13 tournaments on Tour, so he knows how to get it done. The question with Mickelson over the last five or six years is can he win a major, which is an entirely different issue. I think he learned a lot at the U.S. Open and Pebble Beach and St. Andrews set up perfectly for him. And last time the PGA Championship was at Valhalla, he should have won it. So if there's ever a year he was going to bag a major, this is it.
As for our little tiff at the PGA, that's old news and I'm not worried about getting clobbered in the face by Phil.
From Guest: Is this Colin Montgomerie's year to finally win a major?
Alan Shipnuck: Every year is Colin Montgomerie's year to win a major. Like Mickelson, the problem seems to be between his ears. Monty's game is even more finely tuned than Mickelson's ... and just about every other player out there. The last time the U.S. Open was at Pebble Beach, Monty had a chance to win, and you can be sure he'll be there again. Whether or not he actually pulls it off, who knows.
From Guest: All of the higher-ups at the PGA have given their opinion on Casey Martin, but how do the guys on tour feel about Martin playing with them full-time in 2000?
Alan Shipnuck: The feelings are very mixed. There are a lot of crusty old-timers who see the issue as very cut and dried: If you can't walk, you can't play. A lot of guys, however, respect Martin as a person and as a player, and are looking forward to having the chance to play with him. I'd say it is somewhere around 50-50 as far as those who support him and those who don't. But there's no question the number of fans behind him is far greater. He'll be a huge story this year, especially if he plays well.
From Guest: Who is the best golfer in the LPGA, Webb or Pak?
Alan Shipnuck: That's a good one. It has to be Webb, based on results and consistency. Pak may be a pure ball striker, but week in, week out, Webb always has her A-game, something Pak needs to learn how to do.
From Guest: Will all the top players show up for the Andersen Consulting World Match Play Championships again this year?
Alan Shipnuck: All the top Americans, certainly. Many of the top international players who flew across the world, only to be dispatched in the first round, may think twice. David Duval erased some of the taboo about skipping the World Golf Championships. I think we'll see more players do exactly that in 2000.
From Guest: Will Tom Watson be a dominant force now that he is going to play full-time on the Senior tour?
Alan Shipnuck: Yes, although I'm not sure if he's going to stick to that plan. Just as Hale Irwin and Raymond Floyd did, I expect Watson to bounce between the two tours, no matter what he's said. It seems to take the players a season to figure you can't do both. So, in 2001 Watson will definitely dominate the Tour; as for this year, he may not play enough events.
From Guest: Is the quality of the Europeans in the Euro tour in decline, or is it just cyclical?
Alan Shipnuck: There may never be a group of dominant players like the big six who came along in the late '80s. Nevertheless there are plenty of outstanding European players, and there are more on the way, thanks to the Challenge Tour. The Challenge Tour is their version of the Nike Tour, which in the last five years has become far more competitive. I wouldn't say that the level has declined at all.
From Guest: Will either Paul Azinger or Corey Pavin find their A-games during the next year?
Alan Shipnuck: Pavin, yes. Unfortunately, Azinger is over like the macarena. Pavin put together a number of good tournaments in '99 and, even though his version of small ball is becoming increasingly obsolete, I think he'll have a fine season. Azinger is one of my favorite players -- and favorite quotes -- but he has simply never re-found his game or his intensity after recovering from cancer.
From Guest: Will David Duval bounce back from his second-half slump? Will this be the year Duval wins a major with his new body?
Alan Shipnuck: He definitely looks ready for the catwalk. I think his new conditioning is a sign of his increased dedication. You know he didn't enjoy getting blown away by Tiger in the second half. And last year he learned some things about what it takes to sustain the higher level of play, particularly in regards to scheduling. He's definitely gonna come strong this year. His quest to win a major will be one of the things that keeps us all tuned in.
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