Davis Love III already knows
the answers he'll receive when he calls sports psychologist Bob Rotella this
week. But it never hurts to get some reassurance when battling a slump.
"I need someone to be honest with me and say, 'OK, settle down a little bit',"
said Love, who hasn't won on the PGA Tour since April 1998. "It's all boring
stuff, like pick out a target, make a good practice swing."
"Then you get on the course
and say, 'All right, if I can birdie this hole then I can catch him'. It's simple
to say, but hard to do. Sometimes you just start pushing a little too hard and
thinking too much."
Love, playing at the Greater
Greensboro Chrysler Classic for the first time in three years, figured his career
would take off after winning the 1997 PGA Championship, shedding the title of
the best golfer who hadn't won a major.
But Love has won just the
MCI Classic in 1998 since then and is in the midst of a 24-month stretch without
a victory.
During the slump, Love
has seen younger players like Tiger Woods, David Duval, Justin Leonard and Phil
Mickelson pass him.
"I don't like the fact
that Tiger has won more tournaments than me and I've been out here this long,"
Love said of his 13 wins in 14 years on tour.
"Phil Mickelson has won
more tournaments than me. I want to get some wins and each week is very, very
important.
"I've obviously been putting
too much emphasis on winning and that's probably been holding me back a little
bit. But that's what it's all about."
Love's problems appear
more mental than physical.
He has four top four finishes
this season, is third in scoring average and birdies, and 10th in driving distance
and putting. But there have been no strong finishes and no wins.
"Even though Tiger has
done what he has done over the last year, winning all these tournaments, you
still need a few breaks," defending Greensboro champion Jesper Parnevik said
yesterday.
"I wouldn't be that concerned
if I was (Love). He is up there enough times. The only enemy he has is himself."
And maybe Woods.
Love is 0-4 against the
game's No. 1 player in recent head-to-head competition, and he was criticized
by some players last month when he said Woods was nearly impossible to beat.
Others were surprised the
talented Love would make what they viewed as defeatist comments.
"If you compliment the
guy and you talk about the guy and say he's a very good player, you're either
sucking up to him or you're saying you can't win," Love said.
"When Greg Norman played
well I complimented him and when Tiger plays well I'm going to compliment him."
Woods last beat Love a
month ago at the Bay Hill Invitational, shooting a final-round 70 while Love
carded a 72 and lost by four shots.
"Things are going right
for him right now,'' Love said of Woods.
"Does that mean that if
I get paired with him on Sunday that I'm going to just pack it in and go home?
"No, I'm going to try to
beat him. But I am going to know that 72 ain't going to beat him.
"I don't have to play perfect
to beat him, I just have to play good golf."
Love shrugged off opinions
that his comments about Woods made him appear soft and interested more in a paycheck
than winning.
"If I wasn't trying I would
be sitting at home," Love said.
"I just built a big house
and my little boy is playing two of his first-ever baseball games this week.
If I wasn't trying to win I wouldn't be here."
