European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday june 22,1988 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary too Early of Coll strange fhe beef even As Curtis strange accepted the Seth . Open trophy monday he was being hailed As the world s Best golfer. You re the Best a voice in he gallery was say ing you re the but one of the most damaging tendencies for any golfer is to Rush the shot. And in their desperate search for somebody anybody especially an american to emerge As the world s Best the tendency is for the american Golf Public to Rush the Coronation. If there is a new world s Best golfer every few months then there really is no world s bcs1 golfer. Curtis strange is u Classy popular Champion who is on a hoi Streak with tour tournament victories this year and $548,525 in pea tour earnings after three victories and a record 1925.911 last year. Bui there arc too Many Quality golfers in the world to suddenly Crown strange As the Best just because he finally won his first major title at the age of 33. His finally winning the open can t compare to inc Lime Jack Nicklaus who won a record 20 major lilies Over More than a a Quarter of a Century de served to be described As inc world s Best golfer As Well As history s Best golfer. Or even to when Tom Watson was winning eight major titles in less than a decade. Despite his 71-75 Victory Over Nick Faldo in monday s 18-Hole playoff let strange win another major before the Date of his Coronation is scheduled. And let him win that major soon. If he does t Winthe British open or the professional golfers association championship this year he will be just another successful Louring pro who finally won a major remember that before inc open started Sandy Lyle inc Scot from England was being described As the world s Best golfer for having won the masters two months ago. But after an opening round 69 Anda burst of birdies that had him leading the open Halfway through the second round at 6 under Par Dave Anderson Lyle s name dropped off the Leader Board with a thud. Never to return. Lyle has won iwo major titles including the if85 British open at Royal is. George s. Among the other Young Lions often described As the Sivc Jalle Sirus of Spain has won four majors and Greg Norman has won one. If indeed strange is the world s Best golfer today please wait until tomorrow. Or at least until nest month s British open a tournament that strange has not bothered to enter in recent years because it starts the wednesday after his Hometown a tour event in Williamsburg va., where he is inc Host pro. Unlike the sudden Dalh playoffs that decide win ners in pea tour events As Well As in the musters and the professional golfers association championship the British open uses a five Hole total str pc playoff. But for inc open the . Golf association has maintained an 18-holc playoff that traditionalists prefer. Strange however did t commit himself to a preference saying you be got to look Al the whole picture. You might prefer 18 because one Hole can t Knock you out. But my record in sudden death is pretty of his sin sudden death playoffs strange has won four including a Triumph Over Norman on the first extra Hole of the Independent insurance agents open in Houston seven weeks ago. If monday s playoff Hud been sudden death. Strange would be won with a Par 4 on the third Hole where Faldo missed a Par pull of about 18 feet after blasting out of a Grcen Side Bunker. By coincidence the two previous opens at the country club were decided in 18-holc playoffs Wonky Francis Ouimet a 20-year-old hos Lon Amateur in i913and by Julius Boros in 1963. In the 1913 playoff Ouimet stunned Harry Don and Ted Ray he to reigning englishmen of that Era Ouimet shot 72, Vordon 77 and Ray 78 on a drizzly Day. Fifty years later Boros the husky tour ing pro with the nonchalant swing shot 70 to Jackie Cupil s 73 and Arnold Palmer s 76. Now a Quarter of a Century later the open finally returned to the country club s shag Gily stylish 7.010-Yard course that surrendered a record 11 sub Par 72-holc totals. The previous record had Bee nine Al Canterbury in 1946, Oakmont outside Pitts Burgh in 1972 and Pebble teach in i9h2. This course Peter Jacobson had said saturday despite a 76 in the third round is too not that it was easy for All the golfers. But in the final round Jacobsen showed it was easy for him. He shot Only the sixth 64 in open history one stroke off the record 63 set by Johnny Miller during he final round in winning Al Oakmont in 1973 and equalled by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf in inc opening round at Baltusrol in 1980. Through the years the Urga invariably has reacted to the difficulty or the Case of the pre Vious year s open in setting up inc next open course Titis year according to Many of the Louring pros the Urga finally provided a Short Collar of rough around inc greens thai enabled the golfers to save Par More often with Chip shots. But with i Host 11 sub Par 72-holc totals at the country club look for the Urga to resume its i Bulica style in setting up Oak Hill in Rochester. N.y., next year when strange will be trying to win his second open title if he does maybe then he a deserve being described As the world s Best golfer. The new Yortis Tom Mobil meet tackled olympic questions by Frank Tampa Fla. Not for such ath letes As Roger kingdom and Vicki Huber. The Usa Mobil outdoor truck and Field championships answered tics tons. Far such athletes As Eric Metcalf and Hrenda Webb they created questions. Those four won titles in the four Day championships which ended saturday night. Their next major target is the . Olympic trials july 15-23 in Indianapolis where All have Strong chances to analysis make the . Team and compete three months from now in Seoul South Korea. Kingdom the 1984 olympic Champi on in the men s 110-meter hurdles has been up and Down since. Here in inc absence of Greg Foster the world Champion kingdom won in 13. Is seconds the 1 old fas Lisl time Ever. Tonie Campbell 13.28 and Arthur Blake 13,29 finished Well Back despite their fast limes. To Otic kingdom said we re going to gel into Greg Foster s Huber a Villanova Junior has won the last iwo National collegiate titles in the women s 3,000 meters and will run that distance in the olympic trials. But she was not sure she could run with the Best postgraduates until her convincing Victory in the 1.500 meters Here in 4 07.40, her career Best. This meet really did t feel that Dif Ferent she said until they introduce people As american champions rather than collegiate champions. I still think the olympic trials will blow me is a Heisman trophy contender a Texas running Back who catches passes and returns kicks. Hurdler Roger kingdom predicts we re going la get into Greg Foster s he is also the new National Champion in the men s Long jump after Clearing 27feet 8 it inches and upsetting Mike con icy by almost a fool. In inc past. Metcalf said if he had to choose Between the olympic trials and football he would pick football. Now. After becoming history s ninth longest jumper he ii not sure. Ill go to the trials he said. Previously my thinking was if i made the olympic team i would turn it Down. But now if i was to make the team i might say i wanted to go to the olym pics. It just depends on what happens. I m right in the Middle at 34, the 5-fool-2-Inclt, 90-Pound Webb is running faster than Ever. She won the women s 5,000 meters in 15 18.71 and became the fifth fastest american Ever. But the 5,000 is not an olympic Dis Tance so Webb must decide whether Torun 3,000 or 10,000 meters in the olym Pic trials. "1 Don t know what to do she said. I have a few races in the next few weeks and maybe they will help me de in the olympic trials Webb would face Mary Decker Slancy in the 3,000 and Margaret Groos Francie Larrieu Smith and probably Lynn Jennings in the 10,000. Slancy Groos Larrieu Smith Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses were among the elite athletes who passed up the National championships a common happening in olympic years. With the olympic trials so close most athletes Are playing it cautiously. For example. 32-year-old Willie Smith a 1976 and 1980 olympian has been running Well and qualified for inc men s 400 meter final Here. But a hamstring twinge in his semifinal scared him and he did not run in the final. He seemed to be speaking for All Al cites when he said it s Loo late to gel Hurt because i m setting my sights on inc am sports radio baseball new York Yankees at de troll 1 to . Thursday
