His Poor Finish Takes Edge Off Larry Mize’s Record Riviera Round

Larry Mize, the newest holder of the course record at Riviera Country Club, hopes to have a much longer career than the golfer whose record he replaced.

Terry Mauney, the previous record-holder, shot a 63 in the opening round in 1982, was off the tour a few months later and is now an anchor newsman for a CBS affiliate in Charlotte, N.C.

Mize, who broke Mauney’s mark with a nine-under-par 62 in the second round of the Los Angeles Open Friday, doesn’t intend to let that happen. Mauney faded so badly after his amazing start that he won only $2,000 in the tournament. Although he was disappointed with the way he played the last two rounds, Mize finished tied for seventh and earned $12,050. Mize shot a one-over-par 72 on Sunday in the final round to finish with 275.

“I’m not very happy with the way I played the last two days,” the personable, dark-haired youngster said. “But when I look back, I know I’ll really enjoy that record. This is one of the best courses on the tour. It is really exciting to hold the course record. I just wish I had finished nearer the top.

“I felt I still had a chance for my second tour victory when I teed off today. And, I really started to feel good when I had birdies on one and three. Lanny (Wadkins, the tournament winner) had not teed off yet, so I was only a stroke behind.

“Maybe, I was too pumped up. On the par-3 fourth, I hit my drive over the green, chipped back and three-putted for a double bogey. That put me right back where I started the round.”

Mize, 26 and in his fourth season on the PGA tour, may have been destined to be a golfer. He was born in Augusta, Ga., where the sport is revered. He was born not far from Augusta National Golf Course where the Masters is held.

He was 10 when his parents introduced him to golf at Augusta Country Club. Surprisingly, though, he did not play on Augusta National until he earned a chance by winning the Memphis Open in 1983. In his introduction to the Masters last year, he finished in a tie for 11th to earn another chance this year.

One would have thought the No. 1 player on the Augusta High School golf team, one of the top amateurs in Georgia and a member of the Georgia Tech golf team would have played at Augusta National.

“Although it is difficult to get to play there,” Mize said, “it was by choice that I didn’t play there until I earned it. From the time I started playing golf, I dreamed of earning a chance to play in the Masters.

“As my game improved, I felt confident my day would come. It wasn’t until I sank the 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole at Memphis, though, that I knew I had actually made it.”

Pressure has never been a problem for Mize, a distant cousin of Johnny Mize, a former major-league home-run hitter with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and New York Yankees. After qualifying for the tour on his second try, in the fall of 1981, Mize almost lost his card his first year.

With only two tournaments remaining, he still needed to win $14,000 to make the top 125 who don’t have to qualify again. He finished ninth at Pensacola, Fla., but needed another good finish in the Walt Disney World tournament.

“I had already prepared to go back to tour school,” he said. “I birdied three of the last four holes to slip into 124th place. From then on, things seemed to fall into place and I feel secure on the tour.”

Mize said the record round came as a surprise. He once held the record at his home course at Columbus, Ga., but Hale Irwin broke it in the Southern Open a couple years ago.

“I played well last Sunday at Phoenix,” he said, “but there was nothing special about the 70 in the first round here. I mainly wanted to make sure I made the cut. All of a sudden I had four or five birdies and I was on my way.

“But some of the excitement of that 62 has been dulled because I played only par golf in the other three rounds. That’s not good enough.”

Mize earned $172,000 last season, was in the money in 26 of 31 tournaments and was in the top 10 six times. In just three tournaments this season, he has earned $37,700. It took just $82 more last season for Brett Upper to earn the 125th spot on the tour.

“I like playing out here,” Mize said, “so I will play in the Crosby, at Hawaii and at San Diego before I take two weeks off.”