GOLF COLUMN
Austin Shows A Different Side
Published: Aug 14, 2007
ADVERTISEMENT
More from this channel:
Search for more information:
TULSA, Okla. - Woody Austin admits he's not the average PGA Tour player next door - and that's not even taking into account those crazy shirts that have become his trademark.
What makes Austin so different is that positive thinking does not come naturally. He demands perfection in a game that allows no such thing and reacts accordingly.
The 43-year-old Tampa native has three career wins but is known more for all the grimacing, the huffing and puffing, the arms raised in sour astonishment during rounds. And on more than a few occasions, the self-inflicted physical self abuse.
Over the years, Austin has punched himself in the face in punishment for a poor shot and, in one particular and memorable show of unhappiness, bent the shaft of his putter by repeatedly banging it against his head after a three-putt.
That's the memory with which most fans identify Austin, primarily because that moment lives forever thanks to television replays.
And that makes Austin want to take his putter and, well, do something that has nothing to do with a pendulum motion.
"Every time I'm on, the whole prelude into it is that," Austin said. "My take on that is if you catch me on the golf course doing something bad, and you want to lead in with that, so be it. But if you're going to lead into that after I shoot 62 or win a golf tournament, why?
"You lead into everything that Tiger [Woods] does with the fist-pumps and all the good stuff. You never lead in with all of his bad stuff. So why is my one thing in 10 years, where I did something outrageous, the only thing that I'm looked at?"
At the PGA Championship, Austin finally might have given his image some new footage. Sunday's final-round 67 gave golf a whole new prospective on the 13-year PGA Tour regular who now lives in Derby, Kan., with wife Shannon and their two sons.
Showing no signs of nerves, he outplayed Woods during the final two rounds and finished second, two shots back of the world's top player.
Austin matched Woods' 69 during the third round and bettered him 67-69 on Sunday.
"I'd like to know exactly how I did it, to be honest," Austin said. "I was able to control myself better and what the formula is, I have no idea. But I'm going to take this as far as I can and try to be as positive as I can."
PRESIDENTS CUP: When the Presidents Cup matches are played in Montreal next month, Canada will have its biggest star to cheer.
International team captain Gary Player made Mike Weir, a former Masters champion, one of his two at-large picks for the 12-player team that will meet a U.S. squad. Player also added Australian Nick O'Hern, the only player to beat Woods twice in match play.
Jack Nicklaus' captain's picks for the U.S. team were Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan.
Glover finished 11th on the points list that took the top 10 finishers, getting edged by Austin on Sunday.
Mahan, who has not finished out of a tournament top 25 since mid-May, earned his selection thanks to a recent hot hand. He shot 63 during U.S. Open qualifying and has been rolling since. He won the Travelers Championship in Hartford, Conn., for his first PGA Tour victory, got into contention the next three weeks (including the British Open) and finished 14th in the point standings.
The Presidents Cup will be played Sept. 27-30 at Royal Montreal.
COURT GOLF: Callaway Golf has filed two suits accusing TaylorMade Golf of violating its patents on three golf clubs and a ball-covering material.
The maker of Big Bertha and Steelhead brand clubs is seeking monetary damages and an order that all the infringing TaylorMade products be destroyed. The company also wants an order permanently blocking TaylorMade from using the disputed technology.
