Dermot Gilleece's Golfing Log: During the 1980s, when Roddy Carr was looking after clients on the American LPGA Tour for Mark McCormack's International Management Group, his primary focus was Nancy Lopez.
And image being all important from a marketing perspective, it became a matter of some concern to IMG that Nancy was seen to be somewhat overweight.
There was nothing for it but to book their star client into a health clinic, which meant she wouldn't be earning any money on tour. But in operations like IMG, there's always a Plan B. So it was that Carr was asked to look to a marketing deal with the clinic as the place which got the great Nancy Lopez back into shape.
As it happens, her image on tour will soon be of no further concern to the 45-year-old, who is effectively retiring from tournament golf at the end of this season. After 48 tournament victories, the most charismatic woman golfer of her generation has had enough.
She made the announcement prior to competing in this week's Ping Banner Health Tournament in which, incidentally, Annika Sorenstam shot a 59 last year. So, she is unlikely to secure the elusive US Women's Open triumph which seemed within her grasp in 1997, when she became the only player in the history of the event to shoot four rounds in the 60s.
Scores of 69,68,69 and 69 were sufficient, however, only for second-place behind England's Alison Nicholas. Still, there has been some compensation for Lopez in being inducted into the USPGA World Hall of Fame in 1989 and in since passing $5 million (dollars) in career earnings.
Last weekend, after an impassioned speech at the end of a three-day "summit" meeting of the LPGA in Phoenix, Arizona, a highly emotional Lopez got a standing ovation from an appreciative audience. And she left her listeners in no doubt but that she will be greatly missed by a tour which is trying desperately to improve its image.
"The only way I can compete seriously out here is to put in more time practising," said the player who finished 90th, 126th and 157th on the money list over the last three seasons. "I'm a competitive person and I don't want to be 150th on the money list." She went on: "But with three daughters at home, I don't have the time to practise. Next year I will probably play a few majors and that will be it. There are a lot of people I want to see one more time, but I will always be around the LPGA."
Twenty years ago, having captured her 25th tournament to match her 25 years, the 5ft 5ins native of Torrance, California, was firmly established as the third great personality in the history of the women's tour, following Babe Zaharias and Mickey Wright. In fact by 1979, she had achieved a success rate which has never been matched by a man, winning 17 of her first 50 professional tournaments.
Before announcing her decision to retire, Lopez spoke to her father Domingo, who first put a golf club in her hand when she was eight with the accompanying words: "Every time you swing at the ball, hit it somewhere." Known as Sunday to his friends, he is now 86 and in failing health. "Dad," she said, "I don't think I'm going to play much golf anymore." "Good," he replied. "It is time."
"Maybe I'll get a free bowl of soup."
- British Open champion, David Duval, whose tournament earnings are close on $16 million, on being asked what he expected in return for allowing his club, Pablo Creek in Jacksonville, to display the Claret Jug.
New book manages to turn ancient game into child's play
When Rita Hughes told me the title of the book, I knew I couldn't possibly decline an invitation to Thursday's launch. In the history of the Royal and Ancient game, was there ever a more fetching title than The Baffled Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids Golf (Ragged Mountain Press)?
The author, Detty Moore, will be familiar to the more mature members of Woodbrook GC, who remember her from the 1980s as a more than useful five-handicapper and a person of considerable warmth and communication skills. And by way of proving it, she went to the US in 1987 and has since claimed a place among the top 50 women golf-teaching professionals there. Ita Butler (right), president-elect of the ILGU, did the honours at the launch, where she enthused: "Detty succeeds marvellously in conveying her love and enthusiasm for the game. For parents starting a child into golf, this book is invaluable."
The author's pragmatism is evident in the various questions and answers through the book. Such as: "My daughter likes to keep her right/rear hand under the shaft and grip the club in the palm. Should I insist that she cover her left/target thumb?" Answer: "Your daughter may feel she has more control with this grip. If she is very young and she's able to hit the ball, you may leave it. As she gets older, however, she should be able to cover the left thumb. An imperfect grip will only cause problems at a later date."
Aimed at six to 12-year-olds who will be taking up golf as a recreational sport, the book aims at simplifying a complicated game. And succeeds.
Sorenstam's slack manner becomes a cause of concern
Annika Sorenstam, America's current golfing sweetheart, has come in for some surprising criticism from LPGA Tour officials, in their attempts at promoting the female cause. They believe women need to work on their image as much as they work on their game. And they need to understand that tournament golf is a business in which the players have to reach out to the fans.
By way of highlighting where players are falling short, it was noted that when Sorenstam was invited to a formal awards lunch last weekend, she arrived in slacks and a Hawaiian shirt, instead of the expected business attire. And the charismatic Swede began her Player-of-the-Year acceptance speech by twice stammering "I don't know what to say" in her first four sentences.
This, according to former LPGA Tour commissioner, Charlie Mechem, was neither right nor smart, especially when it was disclosed that the women's segment represented 20 per cent or $160 million of Callaway's business last year.
Meanwhile, in the context of women's golf, it may be appropriate to note the words of John Mortimer, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey. "I suppose true sexual equality will come when a general called Anthea is found having an unwise lunch with a young, unreliable male model from Spain."
Lahinch tales
"I'm sure your wife's niece is a lovely girl, Mr President ..." "All I'm asking, Mr Manager, is that you give her an interview when the time comes for taking on additional staff. I would, of course, be ever so grateful if she happened to be selected." In the face of such a request, what was the poor man to do? And so Miss Monaghan was duly hired.
The consequences of the secretary/manager's decision make one of the delightful little tales in Lazy Days at Lahinch (Sleeping Bear Press) by G A Finn, which arrived on my desk this week. It is a compilation of imaginary stories about events at Lahinch GC, where Miss Monaghan, incidentally, though quite clumsy with computers, showed herself to be an absolute wizard at languages. Charming.
This day in golf history
On March 16th, 1958, Augusta dominated the golfing headlines. But this was not Augusta National GC but the neighbouring Augusta Country Club, where the Titleholders Championship was won by Beverly Hanson. Founded in 1937, when Patty Berg became the inaugural winner, the event was a major social gathering as well as a competition. Indeed there were card parties and a Titleholders Talent Night. Sadly, it disappeared from the LPGA schedule after Sandra Palmer's victory in 1972.
Teaser: A competitor returns his scorecard, and the score for one hole is lower than actually taken due to failure to include a penalty of two strokes which he did not know had been incurred. The error is discovered before the competition has closed. Would the committee be justified, under Rule 33-7, in waiving or modifying the penalty of disqualification prescribed in Rule 6-6d?
Answer: No. It is the responsibility of the competitor to know the rules and their interpretations as contained in Decisions on the Rules of Golf.
