Langer Is Replaced By ‘Borismania’ in West Germany

It must be occuring to Bernhard Langer about now that he could have handled things a little better. How else to explain why the spotlight on him has moved on so suddenly?

It was less than four months ago that Langer was the toast of West Germany, having stunned the golfing world with his victory in the Masters at Augusta, Ga., in April.

Now, despite subsequent successes, he is old news, pushed into the shadows. Why didn’t Langer linger longer? Borismania, that’s why.

Boris Becker, he of the booming serve, has thrown West Germans into a tennis tizzy. First, it was his astonishing victory at Wimbledon. Then, just this past weekend, he led West Germany into the semifinals of the Davis Cup, ousting the United States in the process.

German fans can’t seem to get enough of him. There are Boris Becker posters, Boris Becker T-shirts, even a mop-headed Boris-look-alike haircut--for women.

The euphoria is nonstop, and the 17-year-old says it’s all a little bit overwhelming.

“In the middle of all the commotion, I’m happy to be on the tennis court. There at least I can find some quiet,” he said.

And what of Langer? Well, perhaps it’s just as well he didn’t capitalize as much on his success. Borismania has a bad enough sound; Bernhardmania would be too much to take.

In 25 years as commissioner of the National Football League, Pete Rozelle has seen the league grow from 12 to 28 teams, but he says the biggest change in the game has been an expansion of a different sort.

“The biggest change is, you have bigger, faster players running into each other now,” Rozelle said. “In 1952, when I started working for the Los Angeles Rams, I don’t recall all the injuries. Artificial turf makes it a faster game. It’s like if you shoot a BB into the wall, it won’t do the same thing as a howitzer.”

No kidding?

Angelo Spagnolo, the golfing grocer from Fayette City, Pa., appears to be hacking out a name for himself.

Earlier this summer, Spagnolo shot a 183-over-par 257 at Sawgrass to become the country’s worst avid golfer in a contest sponsored by Golf Digest magazine.

Spagnolo will be trying to do a little worse when he defends the title at a charity tournament Aug. 14 at Seven Springs Golf Course in Champion, Pa. The tournament, benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Service Society, is being billed as “bad golf for a good cause.”

Add golf: Amateur Scott Verplank’s victory in the Western Open has opened the door for Clarence Rose, a 27-year-old who finished 92nd on the 1984 money list, to play in the 67th PGA Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.

Because Verplank is not being allowed to compete, Rose, the first alternate, gets the spot. Rose is a big hitter who several years ago recorded the tour’s longest drive at the Byron Nelson tournament--396 yards.

Of course, the 346-yard, par-4 first hole on the Cherry Hills course is best remembered for the drive Arnold Palmer put onto the green 25 years ago en route to a closing round of 65 and his only U.S. Open victory.

After a different tee was used for the 1978 Open, the PGA opted to return to the so-called Palmer tee.

Yes, Rose has heard about the Palmer tee being used this time. “I’ll be going for it if they give me a crack at it,” he said.

Quotebook

Former Viking quarterback Joe Kapp, now the coach at Cal, on Minnesota Coach Bud Grant: “The longest dialogue I ever had with Bud was a monologue, and it lasted three words: ‘Get a haircut.’ And once I saw him show emotion: he raised an eyebrow.”