European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 12, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Jim Colonna staff writer Skeeter Heath was he had made the Cul the first time in three wee Sand his two straight 72s Over the sprawling Hubby Ralh Golf course near dts Meldorf had put him into Contention Tor Hogerman open he fett self assured once but three one of the finest the world was not Heath and More than 400 aspiring Golf professionals had missed an Opportunity at playing against Guys hta Reno for prics Antwun Longto there is Little doubt that Skeeter Heath is an at at the lanky virginian hits Tho Ball a country to is As accurate with his weapon As David was with his but Hoath was not Able to slay the Heath is one of the pro golfers you never read about in the headlines bringing Home and More a fugal now ii it in Pouble for him to even he Doest have a touring card thai pea professionals carry that allows them to go to places like Greensboro and Palm Springs Sandbo seen on television and have color pictures in Heath is one of hundreds of professional golfers who he spent 1300 to go Tole pea Bui he fell Short of getting into the three Day school and getting that All important think playing in a pea tournament Heath laying that nothing compared to he pressure you fed playing the six rounds to try and get had professionals trying to qualify last Only nude von just cant believe the Guys were throwing up id the locker room and throwing up on the Golf this is their and they Are undergoing the greatest test that they will have to Skeeter Heath had played t first three he shot an opening round followed by a 71 and another he was nine under but he fell Oft to a 75 and 78 in his last three rounds and missed act Long his card by a Mere two at another with the Field not quite so Good or the course playing just a Little even Par May been enough for Heath to he might have earned the right to go to just about any professional tournament he but such was not the Case Tor the Man from last doily Magazine golfer Steven Prugh carries bag to save Caddy when i missed the didst know what to do i was then making the Cut its More pressure and you learn to Golf pro Skeeter at the German her husband didst make it Twenty nine men earned the right to continue their in Hopes that one Day they would win for four sounds like easy All thai card does is give you the right to go out on monday and try to Quality for the Heath there arc Over a Hundred of these Guys every week trying to get into the people think a professional golfer leads a glamorous ill Tell you right now its once you make it big then it is but not very Many people make it even after a player earns us card he has another he must win at least or Bis card will be taken away irom him and hell have to Start All Over Ive met a lot of people since turning Heath Ive seen some Guys spend years trying to make they cant get married because it is too much i cant live like when in or i expect to be making a Good living playing 1 want to be on my some Guys cant afford to take a week they play every week just to try and make ends i dont want that i want to be i want it bad Novim going to give it my Best i think a lady can make or break a in but i see some advantages of having a wife with sometimes it gels awfully Boring and lonely just staring at four Walls in a Motel if you have a wife who is Nally supporting it can mean All the four months ago Skeeter Heath didst know what to his dream had been he had All but Given he was 22 but had aged i didst have the right he says but 1 didst want to give i figured id work 01 my game and try again in sep tember for the next everything i do now is pre paring me for the have More Confidence when you want something bad youll Heath said the pea qualification rules Are changing instead of one big tournament of six youll have a local of two rounds with the top Guys going to a regional two round then those going to the finals which will be four who has played Golf since he was five years said he will attempt the locals at either or Washington his regional meet will be Heath and other american Grifon in the same paid a los Angeles film to come to Europe u play the Linn paid our eaten la ill the Lomanno and took care of our be we pay our in Pali Meta to Tiff la dim since coming i have Learned a great Deal and 1 feel Ive got a better to working harder on my Golf game than Ever before and i am play ing i Only got to play in five of Shote tournaments As a pro before the its different playing in a 73nole tournament where you have to worry about qualifying and August 1977 i said Back problems had kept him from doing better in his two tournaments in Europe the weather was bad and my Back was killing me i could hardly get around the now 1 m playing i didst make the Cut in either the Swiss open or scandinavian open in making the Cut this week really takes some of the pressure As Skeeter Heath was saying this a Fitow american Gaiter walked goodgame his Friend where Are you going in off to Skeeler heaths Friend didst make the Cut and now must qualifying Amsterdam for the dutch Guys a helluva Good Heath ill Tell uus is but in glad i made the Cut i Danl a veto qualify next Jual and you if you make the you almost always win sits a huh by Jim Cole for the German open there were 80 exemptions and 69 More places to be there were about 180 people trying for those remaining 6b after two rounds of the All but the Best 85 players of h9 starters were first prize was about the Solh place finisher would win about fifteen of the people who made the Cut would go Home All of those who didst make the Cut went Home but what Are you going to do Heath a sour and Skeeter Heath is luckier than Many of the golfers he has two agents who More or less sponsor provide him with pocket Money on his he la also on the Wilson sporting goods they give me my balls and other same players dont have those a couple of americans at the German open had to carry their own bags because they didst want to Shell out for a Heath was playing he was shooting for birdies on six with putts of under 10 none of them with a couple of Breaks he would have been in excellent Butte did make the the next two Days Heath went out and shot the put still we rent he wound up at two Over Par he finished i9u and won about a South Stenle won the tournament with a Thunder Par no american has won the German open since it began in it has been played every year except for two periods when toe world look Lime out for for Heath and the other 30plus americans trying to make a Success of Golf in it is on to the nether lands and the dutch which starts Heath is exempt from having to Skeeter Heath jul go Back to the in a couple of then heu go u Canada and compete in mine tournaments there along with some of the same who have been playing in my two agents Are just they really stand behind me and help i dont know what id do without you in probably of Luckiest Guy in the whole United most Gou fans think Tom Watson the stars and stripes Page 13