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Golf Notes December 19
David Duval was the first to use Nike Golf clubs, and the swoosh stable is
growing, with players such as Mark Brooks, Stewart Cink, Glen Day and John Cook.
Can Tiger Woods be far behind?
Woods said he has tried prototype Nike irons in the past couple of months and
could see himself using them on the PGA Tour as early as 2002 ``if things go right.''
``We're progressing,'' he said. ``We're heading in that direction.''
Woods has been with Titleist since he turned pro, although he continued to
play the same Mizuno irons that brought him three straight U.S. Amateur titles
until he felt the Titleist blades were suited for him.
``I designed the heads,'' he said. ``I designed them the way I wanted to have
them.''
Last year, Woods tested the Nike ball early in the season, tried it for the
first time in competition while in Germany and announced his switch just before
the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which he won by a record 15 shots.
TY'S ROAD
Ty Tryon turned professional two weeks before the PGA Tour adopted a new policy
that players had to be 18 years old before they could be members.
That led to speculation that the 17-year-old might challenge his status in
court.
Not so, his agent said.
``After speaking with Ty and his family, they all were in agreement that we
would go forward and abide by the rules laid down by the tour,'' said Jay Danzi
at IMG. ``Golf is a game of honor and rules. Ty totally understands and looks
forward to playing his seven.''
Even though Tryon earned his card at Q-school, he will not be a member until
his birthday on June 2. That means he can take only seven sponsors' exemptions
and play no more than 12 events until turning 18.
Still undecided is which seven, and there is no shortage of choices. Among
tournaments that already have offered exemptions are the Bob Hope Classic and
the Nissan Open.
Danzi said the Tryon camp is still trying to decide which tournaments make
the most sense for him to play.
FUZZY'S NEW TOUR
One idea to improve the Senior PGA Tour is to bring events to the hometowns
of popular players. Commissioner Tim Finchem already is working on events for
Austin, Texas, (Tom Kite, Ben Crenshaw) and Kansas City, Mo., (Tom Watson).
Add southern Indiana to the list.
Fuzzy Zoeller, a senior rookie next year, said he is trying to secure sponsors
for a senior event at Covered Bridges, his golf course located about 15 miles
north of Louisville, Ky.
``It's good that players get more involved,'' Zoeller said. ``We've talked
to the commissioner, and Covered Bridges is interested in hosting an event. It's
a matter of getting corporate sponsors, and we've got a couple of people were
looking at.''
TWILIGHT TIME
Fred Couples says one way to measure a great golfer is how long he contends
when he's past his prime.
Six players in their 40s were at Q-school this year, and only two of them --
Tommy Armour III and Blaine McCallister, a former University of Houston teammate
of Couples -- got their cards.
``If you're a good golfer, the deterioration can last longer,'' Couples said.
``If you're not a good player and you start to putt poorly, you're going to miss
your tour card.''
Couples putted poorly this year and didn't have one top-10 finish for the first
time in his 20-year career. Then again, he doesn't face the same kind of pressure
because his Players Championship victory in 1996 came with a 10-year exemption
on tour.
``I'm on this tour until 2006,'' he said. ``I can stay at last year's pace
and still do that. For a lot of guys, they're gone. The older guys have to be
good players or they'd be gone.''
NEW TOYS
Davis Love III figures that rest is the best way to handle neck injuries that
have plagued him the past two years. He's also considering new clubs.
Love played the Williams World Challenge with Titleist blades fitted with graphite
shafts, designed to reduce some of the shock from club pounding into turf.
``I've had so much trouble with my arms and neck, I'm going to try graphite
again,'' he said. ``These clubheads are so solid, plus the graphite shaft, that
it might help some.''
He doubted he would put the new clubs in play when the season begins at Kapalua.
Love did not play for five weeks before Tiger Woods' tournament, and needs
time to figure out if any changes are because of him or the clubs.
PREMATURE START
The Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge will be televised this weekend, and it marks
the debut of Fuzzy Zoeller on the Senior Tour.
One minor detail: The matches, the only competition that pits the PGA Tour,
LPGA Tour and Senior Tour against each other, were played the first full week
of November.
Fuzzy was still 49.
DIVOTS
Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Allen Doyle were voted player of the year
on their tours by the Golf Writers Association of America. They will be honored
April 10 at the GWAA's annual dinner at Augusta, Ga. ... Se Ri Pak has decided
to split with her coach, Tom Creavy. Pak, who dumped David Leadbetter, will start
looking for a new coach next year. ... Steve Flesch will start his 2002 season
at the Bob Hope Classic, a week later than usual. His wife is pregnant with their
second child, a daughter due any day. ... Louise Suggs became the first Hall of
Fame member to move to the World Golf Village. She bought a three-bedroom home
at Glenmoor, a resort retirement community.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Foreign-born players won 72 percent of the LPGA Tour events (26 of 36), the
highest percentage in the 51-year history of the women's tour. Annika Sorenstam,
Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak accounted for 16 of those victories.
FINAL WORD
``I'm the happiest guy in the world 19 hours a day. It's the five hours I'm
out on this golf course when I'm miserable. But that's not bad when you're happy
80 percent of the day.'' -- Mark Calcavecchia.
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