Fishing is a hobby the Golden Bear shares with about 40 percent of the players on the PGA Tour, among them Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson, Mark O'Meara, Greg Norman and Nick Price. At Miami's Doral Golf Resort and Spa, players are encouraged to fish in the dozens of ponds on the Blue Monster and other courses at the country club. From the practice round through the cut at the Doral-Ryder Open in March, the golfers compete in an informal fishing tournament. The reeler who brings in the biggest catch gets a free hotel room during the tournament. These professional golfers are as competitive on the lakes as they are on the links.
Fish stories abound.
Golfer Mike Hulbert dipped his line into a stream at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami after a day of competition in the Doral Ryder Open in March. This year, Paul Stankowski, who didn't make the cut at Doral, reeled in a bass on his first cast of the tournament. By that afternoon, a caddy fishing near the driving range boasted to others that Mr. Stankowski had landed a 10-pounder. Later in the week, Curtis Strange could hardly wait for Bruce Lietzke to get on the Doral practice range so he could show him photos of a 35-pound striper he caught recently in California. Just as in golf, Mr. Nicklaus has all his fellow fishermen beat.