European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday August 14, 1990 the stars and stripes Pago 23 Olf round hitting it straight was Oil that mattered by Jim litre the history of Golf should save a place for Wayne Grady if Only because he proved the fairways at Shoal Creek were even More exclusive than the clubhouse. The pea championship began shrouded in Contro Versy and ended decisively before record crowds under a Bright Alabama sky won by a Blond Gap toothed austra Lian who took up the game on a Public course. That alone should be a reminder that Golf can Only Benefit by being accessible to anyone and everyone struck with the curious desire to Chase a Little White Ball across a big Green expanse. The lesson should have been Learned six years ago. That was when the world s Best players first gathered at Shoal Creek and the Winner was a mexican named Lee Trevino. He Learned the game on courses where status was t measured by wealth or Power but whether you could hit the Ball straight. Sunday Wayne Grady hit it straight. Not As straight As Trcy Ino had in 1984, when he blistered Shoal Creek with a record 15-under-Par 273. But straight enough on a layout much tougher and much less fair than the one the pros saw the first time. And after his 6-under 282 left him three ahead of Fred couples and four better than or. Gil Morgan Grady proved he could talk straight As Well. When someone asked him whether the bickering commentary Over Shoal Creek s exclusionary practices would overshadow his Victory it seemed Only natural he remember his own Hara times first. That d be about bloody right would t it one of the tournaments i won in t around and they re going to forget this one because of the controversy Well he said i won t remember it like  whether and How Long the Public suspicion Over private clubs lingers has yet to be Learned. But As Grady proved and Trevino and Larry Nelson and Calvin Peete and others before him proved there Are people anywhere and everywhere who provided the Opportunity can Flat out play. Grady now 33, was 14 when he first picked up a club. He had by then scrapped his plans to be an air Force Pilot and trailed his parents countless times around the Virginia Golf club in Queensland Australia where countryman Greg Norman Cut his Teeth As Well. Two years after that Grady turned professional and Learned just As quickly that Manning the counter in pro shops was not what he wanted. He regained his Amateur status soon afterwards played in tournaments around his Home and in 1978 launched his pro career a second time As a 21-year-old. In a matter of months Grady won the West lakes classic and $12,000 and figured he d arrived on easy Street. But it was five More years before he go serious and still another year until he. Ventured out on the .  he won the Westchester classic last year. Grady has never escaped the Shadow of the taller blonder longer hitting Norman by the end of Sun Day s round however both owned the same number of major championships  it May Nave been the British open that both lost in a three Way playoff with american Mark Cal Cavecchia last year that steeled Grady for sunday Victory. Because there would not have been a playoff if three bogeys on the Back nine at Troon had t let the air out of Grady s once comfortable  think today was a lot tougher because of the Mem Ory of Troon Grady said. Freddie and Doc kept Mak ing birdies and keeping the pressure on. I just had to keep telling myself How Tough the course  and keep hitting it straight. The finish was far from dramatic traumatic might be a better word considering the damage done to Payne Stewart nor Man and especially to the previously unflappable Nick Faldo. But it was certainly skillful. Twice in the first 10 holes Grady stemmed the flow of blood by following bogey with Birdie. And he fought off panic when couples Birdie and his own bogey at no. 12 exchanged the Lead. Then at the Par-3, 195-Yard 13th, which began Cou Ples fatal string of four straight bogeys Grady managed a see Litke on Page 25 pea from Page 21 Bunker. He too shot 72, and finished. Second three strokes behind Grady s \ winning 6-Undcr-Par 282. When i needed it the touch just was t there he said. I Grady on the other hand got a break 1 when he needed it. Of on the 15th, with the Issue still very much in doubt he pushed a drive far to the right. The Ball was headed toward the j rough that had swallowed so Many Golf i balls and golfing Hopes. 1 it hit a towering Pine tree deep in the six Inch rough and bounced Back into the Fairway. He made Par from that Point and brought it Home finishing As one of Only three men to crack the grudging Par of Shoal Creek. I but it was far from easy. I m just glad tit s Over Grady said. I Don t think i could have gone any  he was forced to do that last year in the British open. After completing 72 holes in a tic with Norman and Mark Calcavecchia he went to a playoff. And he lost. It simply added to the runner up record that was becoming his trademark. Grady whose Only previous Victory in this country came in the 1989 Westchester classic turned that image around with an exhibition of self control in the run Down the stretch. Grady armed with a 2-stroke Lead when the Day s play started quickly expanded it with three birdies and a bogey on the first four holes a net gain of two. But a bogey from the rough on the ninth and couples front Side of 34 Cut that margin to one. Consecutive birdies from couples a two putt on the Par-5 11th and a 12-foot or on the 12th and Grady s bogey after he missed the 12th Green shifted the Lead into couples hands. But the Lead was fleeting for couples who immediately started his bogey Binge. He 3-putted the 13th, lipping out a 3 footer. He took three from the fringe on the 14th, missing a 3-footer to the right. He took three from the fringe on the 15th, missing a 4-footer to the left. And when he got it into the Bunker on the left at the 16th, it was All Over. Grady who had been running off pars that became More valuable with each succeeding Hole suddenly had a 3-stroke Lead. All he had to do was get it Home with out a major Accident. An he did just that. Bill Britton never really in the title Hunt was a Distant fourth at 289 after shooting a final round 71. Chip Beck Billy Mayfair and Loren Roberts tied for fifth at 290. Greg Norman whose Only major tournament title came in the 1986 British open shot 73 and was tied at 295 with current masters and British open title Holder Faldo at 295. Faldo came Back from a third round 80 with a 69. Irwin the . Open Winner shot a final round 74 to finish at 293.l,f i 1 of 1vuva to k4sj  v vhf of a a Ujj w w Gerring takes tourney on first playoff Hole Patton Mountain it map  281. 2 strokes hear of the Fiji a Lyga Winner Cath Gerrisi. Celebrates Lasof Birdie Stratto Mountain it. A Cathy Gerring put a charge into her Golf game and made a charge to the title in the Lyga Stratton Mountain classic. Gerring birdied three of the last five holes to gain a share of the Lead with Caroline Keggi then birdied the first playoff Hole to win her second tournament of the season. "1 am a scoreboard watcher the Way i play is an adrenaline player Ger ring said. I am an aggressive player. Seventy percent of the time it works to my advantage. I try to charge every  Gerring whose tee shot on the playoff Hole landed in the rough went for the Green from 165 Yards and put the Ball 3 feet from the cup. Keggi s approach was to the right of the Green the Ball hitting a Spectator and falling to the grass. After a free drop she chipped to within 2 feet. When that shot failed to fall Gerring won the tournament by sinking her Short Birdie pull. The $67,500 first prize raised her earn Ings to almost $270,000. Gerring and Keggi who each started the Day 2 shows out of the Lead shot 4-under-Par 68s to gain the playoff at 281,2 Clea Field. Keggi kept Pace when Gerring was making birdies. Keggi birdied five of her last six holes after starting with bogeys on 10 and 11 to fall to 2-under Par. Gerring who birdied three of the four Par-5s on the course had a Chance to win on the last Hole of regulation but missed a 12-foot putt for Birdie. Keggi came out of the Woods on 17 to get to 6-under, then Sank a 20-footer on 18 to tie Gerring. Cindy Figg Currier birdied the last Hole for a 71 to tie Lynn Connelly at 283. Each started the Day i stroke off the Lead. Connelly actually shared the Lead with Gerring at 7-under, on to fall off the Pace with bogeys at 16 and 17. Amy Ben who shared the third round Lead with Karen Davies of Wales had a Chance to get into the playoff head ing to the 18lh Hole. But instead of get Ting the Birdie she needed Ben hit an approach into a trap on the Way to a double bogey and a round of 7 that left her at 284. Davies shot 76. Rodriguez uses wrong Iron but wins anyway Albuquerque a Chi Chi Rodriguez proved sunday you can hit the wrong club so Long As it in t the Putter. Rodriguez made putts of 15 and nine feet on the final two holes to win the $350,000 Sun West senior classic by two strokes. Rodrix us came up Short of the Green on the final two holes because he did t have a 3-Iron in his bag electing instead to carry three wedges. Rodriguez played the final two holes into a 20 Mph wind that followed a 2 a hour rain and lightning delay. I hit the wrong club twice Rodriguez said. "1 did t want to hit a 2-Iron, so i hit 4-Iron both  his Putter did the rest. Rodriguez had eight birdies in route to a 4-under-Par, final round 68. Rodriguez who began the Day one shot Back of second round co leaders Coody and Joe Jimenez birdied four of the first six holes with his jabbing but effective putting stroke. He overcame a double bogey and two bogeys with his putting. He Sank a 15 footer Lor Par on the Par-3 17th and stroked Home a 9-footer on the final Hole to again save Par. Rodriguez finished the 54-Hole tournament at i 1-under 205, two shots ahead of the Trio of Jim Ferree Jim Dent and Charles Coody. Ferree and Dent both shot 68, while Coody shot 71. Coody the runner up last year had the final snot at Rodriguez. Rodriguez s second shot on the 4? 7 Yard final Hole found the left Bunker id Coody hit a 6-Iron through the Trees to within 20 feet. Rodriguez left his Sand shot Short but Coody s Birdie attempt just Slid by. Rodriguez then Sank the Par putt. George Archer Robert Betle and Larry Mower finished four shots Back Al 209. Archer had a final round 68, lie Ley a 69 and Mowry a 70. The win the third this season for Rodriguez was Worth $52,500 and boosted his earnings Lor the ear to a los 796. I he win also pushed ins career  to $ Voul ,272, enabling him to  the ninth p a or to reach the a million level