From: martin@chiton.ucsd.edu (Martin Olivera)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf
Subject: Grand Slam at La Quinta
Date: 12 Nov 92 19:02:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: chiton.1992Nov12.190237.6309
Organization: Scripps Inst. of Oceanography - MPL

Did you guys see the 2-day 4-man tournament yesterday and day before yesterday?

I watched parts of both days. I saw a great golf exhibition by Nick Price (what
a way to putt!! What a short game!). He made putts from everywhere, had 
unbelievable sand shots, accurate driving and mid-iron game. Yesterday he put
his second shot on 15th? (par-5) in the water, he dropped and then hit a 9-iron
to 10 feet and made the putt to save par. Overall, a very strong game in all 
aspects. Fred Couples got it to -4 during the first round, but finished bogey, 
double-bogey (tee shot OB on 18th) and never really recovered (71-71, -2 total).
Birdied par-5's, but was inaccurate in some par-4 in a golf course that when 
you miss you really pay the price. Nick Faldo had it going for a while during
the first round. His putting was poor (left most putts short) otherwise he would
have scored better (72-71, or 71-72, total -1, for last place). Everything
seemed to bother him: the birds, the airplanes, the people. Even when his shots
were acceptable (20 feet pin high) he was disgusted. The story of the two days
was Tom Kite, without taking any credit from Price's win. He shot a 75 (+3) the
first day, then bogeyed the first hole yesterday to go +4, but ended up shooting
a blistering 62 (-10) for the day and a -7 for the tournament to tie Nick
Price (70-67, -7 total). When everybody had pretty much written out Kite
("it's a 3-dog race now", said the announcers), he turned it around with 
excellent, at moments spectacular, play. His putts started to fall in. His long-
iron game was brilliant: he hit a 4-iron 205 yards that almost went in the
hole for a double-eagle, and left him a 6-inch putt for eagle. He held a 2-shot
lead over Price, but Price sank a 45-footer for birdie on 16th and Kite bogeyed
the 210-yard par-3 17th to even the score. Watching them play 18th was exciting
(par-4, 450 yards but playing about 415). Whereas Price drove it perfectly
down the middle of the fairway (165 to the pin, 7-iron to 16 feet or so above
the pin), Kite drove it right into the long sand trap, and almost into the
water. He had 185 to the pin, all of it over water. He hit a 5-iron off the
sand that barely cleared the water and left him 15-20 feet below the pin (pin 
cut in front). Price made the putt for birdie and put pressure on Kite. But 
Kite also made his birdie putt and they went into a sudden-death playoff!!. 
Price parred with a tap-in putt, whereas Kite failed to make the fairway on his 
tee shot, then hit what it seem a pefect shot, bit the ball bounce near the pin,
then took off and finished in the left bunker. His sand shot left him a 15-20
footer to save par, which he missed for a Price's win. Kite bogeyed that first
hole all three times he played it. All in all, a very exciting tournament to
watch. It was very close up to the very end and these guys made some remarkable
shots. The announcers were Scully (pretty bad, he kept trying to convince
every one to watch the movie coming up after the golf broadcast, even at the
awards ceremony!), John Daly (had a few good comments, but was repetitive. But
hey! he's no announcer), and on-course Bobby Clampett (fair) who gave details on
club selection and state of mind of the players. Hope next year the bring better
ones.

Martin
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