Lopez learns to take the long view

Fourteen months on, Nancy Lopez is finally coming to terms with the pain of Pumpkin Ridge. And she has had to do it without the help of a tournament win since the bitter disappointment of being runner-up to Alison Nicholas in the US Open. Nor was there any solace in this year's event, in which she missed the cut.

Recalling the aftermath of the 1997 Open, when the post mortems seemed endless, she said: "It was really hard not to start crying because I instantly felt the emotions I had walking to the 18th before missing the putt that would have given me a play-off. They came back like they had just happened."

The 41-year-old mother of three has no fewer than 48 LPGA tournament wins to her credit and $5.15 million in career earnings since the stunning five-in-a-row from her rookie season of 1978. But the coveted US Open crown continues to elude her after 21 attempts in which she was runner-up four times. Still, she hasn't lost her sense of humour.

As it happened, disappointment visited her in the most bizarre circumstances. For instance, in 1977 at Hazeltine, where she might have won the title but for the fact that the zip on her pants broke, causing her to be distracted throughout the final round. She lost by two strokes to Hollis Stacy.

Even in these politically correct times, the story can be told because Lopez gladly volunteers to do so. "I just couldn't keep my mind off the zipper and it opening up," she said. "I couldn't even bend down to read my putts. It would open and close, but as soon as I bent over or put any pressure on it, it would open. Now I check my zipper before I leave the hotel."

It eats at her that as an LPGA Hall of Fame member and winner of this year's Bobby Jones Award, she has failed where far lesser players have succeeded. "I think about it and analyse it," she admitted. "Maybe the pressure is so much on the favourites in the US Open that it lets somebody come in there and sneak a win."

She lives with her husband and children, Ashley (14), Erinn (12) and Torri (six), near their 603-acre farm in Ashebrook, Georgia, where she maintains a strict, daily fitness regime. In fact she is slimmer now than she was almost 20 years ago when excess weight was creating an image problem.

That was a time when Roddy Carr represented Mark McCormack's clients on the LPGA Tour, of whom Lopez was easily the top money-earner. I recall Carr telling me how IMG, McCormack's company, arranged to have Lopez booked into a health farm.

"It gave me a great insight into McCormack's business mind," recalled Carr. "When the Lopez arrangement was being made, he inquired if there might be a way of getting the health farm to exploit their association with such a famous client."

Money was money - whether it came from tournament winnings or endorsing a health farm.

"I'm a Republican, not a Democrat, so I wanted to know from President Bush what the protocol was." - Greg Norman explaining a call he made to the former US president, before accepting an invitation to play golf with the current incumbent, Bill Clinton.

The woman was curious about her mixed foursomes partner having an attache-case fitted to his trolley. "I'm an assassin - a hit-man for the Mafia," he explained calmly. "These are the tools of my trade and I have to carry them at all times."

"Go on then," she chided. "Show me." Whereupon the case was opened and a quickly-assembled rifle was handed to her. "This telescopic sight is terrific," she enthused. "I can see the far end of the course. I can even see my house. Look, there's the bedroom. And there's . . . How much do you charge?"

Paul Leonard became such a dominant figure in the Efteling European Seniors' Trophy last weekend that one tended to overlook what happened to be a remarkable, collective effort by the Irish challengers. There were five Irishmen in the top 10 - an unprecedented effort in a European event.

While Leonard was cruising to a seven-stroke win, Denis O'Sullivan and Liam Higgins shared second place with Neil Coles and Maurice Bembridge. Two strokes further back, Eddie Polland and Arnold O'Connor were in a share of 10th place.

The last time Irish players were so much to the fore was back in the Dunlop Masters in 1959, when Christy O'Connor beat Joe Carr and Norman Drew into a share of second place at Portmarnock.

From then until last weekend, Irishmen had been first and second, as opposed to joint second. Like the 1986 Italian Open in which David Feherty beat Ronan Rafferty in a play-off, while Eamonn Darcy was fourth. And in another play-off later that year, Feherty beat Christy O'Connor Jnr for the Scottish Open title.

But a more recent effort was in the 1990 Desert Classic in Dubai where Darcy won, Feherty was second and Des Smyth was tied third. "Some Spaniard spoiled an Irish clean sweep," said Smyth jokingly at the presentation ceremony. Whereupon Seve Ballesteros exclaimed: "That was me. That was me."

Irish positions in the Seniors' money list are (number of tournaments in brackets): 3 Eddie Polland (16) £78,506; 4 David Jones (14) £65,394; 12 Denis O'Sullivan (13) £42,721; 14 Paul Leonard (16) £40,386; 31 Liam Higgins (15) £24,450; 43 Arnold O'Connor (14) £14,539; 48 Gordon Parkhill (14) £12,734; 49 Christy O'Connor Jnr (2) £10,097.

David Leadbetter's Academy at Mount Juliet will be closed for two weeks from tomorrow. But patrons need have no cause for concern: it has nothing to do with the news about Nick Faldo parting company with his long-time guru. In fact, the resident professional there, Mark Reid, is departing on a return trip to India, where he did some instructional work last April.

This time, a more extensive itinerary will involve clinics in Bombay, New Delhi and Bangalore. And the sessions are to be made into a TWI television documentary. "There are some really outstanding Indian players who have the same feel for the game that we are familiar with in these islands," said Reid.

Arklow GC have embarked on a £250,000 course development programme to upgrade the 1927 design work by the celebrated partnership of Fred Hawtree and J H Taylor. The work will be undertaken by agronomist Eddie Connaughton, who re-designed the seventh hole last year as part of the club's 70th anniversary celebrations.

Connaughton has now turned his attention to the construction of new 15th and 16th holes to enhance the overall appeal of this delightful links. And he expects to complete the assignment without interfering with the existing layout, which Henry Longhurst would have described as a "sporty" par 67.

This day in golf history . . . On September 26th, 1934, Neil Coles was born in London. From modest beginnings - he had the audacity as a 16-year-old to turn professional with a handicap of 14 - he became one of the most consistent players on tour. Winner of the 1965 Carrolls International at Little Island, he continues to play regularly at Seniors' level.

Despite a hooker's grip, Coles was the first European to pass £200,000 in career earnings, and he played 68 tournaments between 1973 and 1979 without missing a cut. He might have had further international success, but for an aversion to flying, after a frightening experience on a flight from London to Edinburgh. He is currently chairman of the PGA European Tour.

In brief: The Paddy Hillery Golf Classic in aid of GOAL will be held at Powerscourt GC on October 5th. Further information from Lisa O'Shea at (01) 2809779 . . . Cairde Clanna Gael Fontenoy, with the help of AIB, are having their annual eve of the All-Ireland Football Final golf outing at Druids Glen today.

Teaser: In fourball strokeplay on handicap, partners A and B both holed out in four at the eighth hole; partner A did not receive a handicap stroke at the hole, but partner B did. The marker, who was a fellow-competitor, recorded a gross score of four for A, who did not receive a stroke, and no gross score for B. However, the marker also recorded a net three in the better-ball column. On completion of the round, the card, in all other respects correct, was signed and returned to the committee. Both the marker and the partners were interviewed and it was established that, in fact, both partners had gross scores of four at the eighth hole. What is the ruling?

Answer: Under Rules 6-6b and 31-4, it was the responsibility of one of the partners to check the side's better-ball gross score for each hole before countersigning the card. When checking the card, the partner concerned should have noticed that there was no gross score for the hole. It is the responsibility of the committee - and not the competitor - to record the betterball net score for each hole.