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Golf Notes November 14
Success can be fleeting in golf, never more so than this season. Of the top
30 players in the world ranking at the start of the year, 13 failed to win anywhere
in the world.
Take away the last two weeks and the number could have been higher.
Mike Weir bagged his first victory of the season at the Tour Championship,
while Padraig Harrington holed a 25-foot putt on the final hole to win the season-ending
Volvo Masters on the European tour. Harrington was a runner-up seven times this
year.
``Terrible things run through your mind when you have all those second places,''
the Irishman said. ``Even the dreaded choke word.''
For the others, it's another dreadful word -- drought.
Ernie Els, who took part in the four-man playoff at the Tour Championship,
failed to win for the first time on the PGA Tour since 1993, and the first time
worldwide since 1991.
Lee Westwood of England became the first player since Sandy Lyle in 1986 to
win the European tour money title one year, then fail to win a tournament the
next year.
The other top-10 player at the start of the season who failed to win was Tom
Lehman.
The rest of the list: Nick Price, Stewart Cink, John Huston, Loren Roberts,
Carlos Franco, Bob May, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Kirk Triplett, Chris Perry and Paul
Azinger.
Vijay Singh became the PGA Tour's first $3 million man without a victory, although
he did win two tournaments in Asia in late February.
Only six players who didn't win this year remain in the top 30 -- Els, Azinger,
Lehman, Westwood, Cink and Rocco Mediate.
GAMBLIN' MAN
The biggest winner at the Tour Championship was Mike Weir, who pocketed $900,000
for his playoff victory. The second-best week might have belonged to Phil Mickelson,
who wasn't even there.
Mickelson, home in Arizona to be with his newborn daughter, was seen at the
World Series that week, apparently with some cash riding on the outcome. According
to the Business 2.0 Web site, Lefty put down $20,000 before the season on 35-1
odds that the Diamondbacks would win the World Series.
That's a $700,000 payoff.
A year ago, Mickelson predicted the Baltimore Ravens would win the Super Bowl.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he collected $560,000 on 28-1 odds.
STADIUM HOLE
The size of the Phoenix Open crowd at the rowdy 16th hole will nearly double
next year.
Another section will be added to stretch the bleachers nearly the full length
of the hole, and new bleachers will be erected down the left side, tournament
chairman Scott Henderson said.
While the 16th hole is the shortest on the TPC at Scottsdale at 162 yards,
it has produced some of the most thrilling moments, including an ace by Tiger
Woods in 1997.
``That hole has always had an arena feel to it,'' Henderson said. ``By putting
bleachers down both sides, it will make it truly a golf arena for the players.''
For the 2002 tournament, golfers will come to the tee box from an opening under
the bleachers, much like a football or basketball arena, and hit tee shots down
a virtual tunnel with fans on both sides.
SURVEY SAYS
Every week on the PGA Tour, the Darrell Survey takes inventory of what's in
the bag and on the body. Final results for the season show it was predominantly
Acushnet brands.
According to year-end results, Titleist and FootJoy had the most players using
their products in four of the eight categories -- balls, shoes, gloves and putters.
Taylor Made replaced Titleist this year as the brand with the most drivers
in play.
As expected, Titleist was the overwhelming choice for golf balls -- 3,644 players
used its balls during the 47 PGA Tour events. Nike was second, with 878.
Taylor Made had 2,471 players use its drivers, followed by 1,572 players who
used Titleist. Ping (743) was third, followed by Callaway (739).
Callaway topped the fairway metals count with 2,818 players, while Mizuno again
won the iron count. The closest race was wedges -- 4,404 players used Cleveland
wedges, while 4,326 players used Titleist.
TOP SALARIES
The PGA Tour had 10 people earn at least $2 million in 1999 -- nine players
and one commissioner.
Golf Digest magazine reports in its December issues that PGA Tour commissioner
Tim Finchem earned $2.25 million in 1999, making him the highest-paid golf executive.
The report was based on the most recent tax returns on file for golf's nonprofit
organizations.
Finchem's salary and bonus would have placed him fifth on the money list that
year, behind Tiger Woods, David Duval, Davis Love III and Vijay Singh.
``He might be underpaid,'' Scott Hoch said. ``Look at what he has done.''
Under Finchem, the PGA Tour's total revenue has increased from $280.4 million
in 1995 to $634 million last year.
His compensation still trails that of other sports commissioners. Paul Tagliabue
of the NFL earned $8.6 million in the 1998-99 fiscal year, while NBA commissioner
David Stern made $9 million. Those leagues generate much more revenue through
TV deals.
According to Golf Digest, eight of the 13 highest salaries among golf administrators
were from the PGA Tour. Jim Awtrey, chief executive of the PGA of America, was
third with $589,962, while U.S. Golf Association chief David Fay was ninth at
$360,042.
DIVOTS
No one finished the year better than Bob Estes. Along with ending with 25 straight
rounds at par or better, winning Las Vegas and the Fall Finish bonus program,
he spent the week after the Tour Championship playing with soccer star Mia Hamm
and Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. ... Thai teen-agers Aree and Naree Wongluekiet
are playing in the Futures Tour qualifying tournament, which starts Wednesday.
The top 27 in the 293-player field are exempt on the LPGA's developmental tour.
... Paul Casey of England has been named the European tour's rookie of the year.
... The Senior Skins Game at Wailea in Maui will be played over one day instead
of two, on Jan. 26.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Four rookies won PGA Tour events this year, the first time that many first-year
players have won since 1976.
FINAL WORD
``They have these great lawn mowers today. We had sheep.'' Gary Player, on
the conditions of modern golf courses.
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