Old timers providing a sideshow

As a sideshow to the main entertainment at the Heineken Classic this week, two of the grand old men of the game - Gary Player and Lee Trevino - will produce their usual array of tricks and home-spun banter when they play in a novelty three-way event that may well produce galleries to rival those at the tournament proper.

Player, 63, and Trevino, 59, who between them have won 15 major championships, will compete for $100,000 over three days with Western Australia's own Graham Marsh, a lesser light in his prime but who is now making up for lost time on the US seniors tour.

Such is the public's penchant for nostalgia, and given that this could be the last time Player and Trevino are seen together in Perth, the chance to take a trip down memory lane at the Vines this week will be irresistible to many.

The three players will compete for $20,000 tomorrow, $30,000 on Saturday, and $50,000 on Sunday in separate strokeplay, winner-take-all events.

It's a contest that some might describe as a shameless publicity gimmick but, given the perception that the main golf tours are populated by grey automatons, tournament director Tony Roosenburg may well have hit upon a winner.

Player, for example, was assailed on the eighth tee on Tuesday by an elderly woman, who said she used to watch the young South African play when she was living in England. The woman said she had always enjoyed following Player's fortunes and thanked him for all the pleasure he had given her over the years.

``That's fantastic when you can do something like that,'' he said.

Player, of course, spent a large part of his early career in Australia when he won, among other things, a record seven Australian Opens, the last of which came in 1974, down the road from here at Lake Karrinyup.

Such is his love for this country, he has called many of his thoroughbred horses, which he breeds, by Australian names and there is one such beast running around in a South African paddock now called Wagga Wagga.

Trevino was a less frequent visitor - although he did manage in the mid '70s to describe Royal Melbourne's greens as ``a bigger joke than Watergate'' - but always attracted big galleries, fascinated by not just his incessant chatter but one of the most idiosyncratic swings in the game.

Yesterday, the pair put on their Zig and Zag routine at a news conference and we got their thoughts, often unprompted, on everything and everyone from from Tiger Woods to Monica Lewinsky.

And, of course, the usual moan from old-timers about the extravagant amounts of money being earned by today's players. ``I mean Ben Hogan won $248,000 in his lifetime,'' said Trevino. ``Hell, that was fifth place last week.''

In the main field, world No.5 Ernie Els is the tournament favorite at 5/1, ahead of a plethora of Europeans. Els got married on New Year's Eve and, a fortnight later, proceeded to go out and win his first event as a married man, the South African PGA.

He said he hoped it was a portent of things to come this year after a mediocre 1998 when he finished out of the top 30 on the US PGA Tour moneylist.

The local challenge will be spearheaded by Craig Parry, who is playing with a new make of clubs and ball, and Peter O'Malley, while the two Stephens - Leaney and Allan - are both back in harness after being struck down by a serious gastric bug this week.

The quartet is ready to fly the flag for the Australians, who have not been up on the victory dais at the Vines since 1995 - when Robert Allenby won his last tournament in this country.