LPGA : Stephenson Credits Nicklaus for Her Improved Attitude

Is this the greening of Jan Stephenson?

After living 36 years and winning nearly $1.5 million, the world’s second-most-famous Australian-born golfer arrived at Rancho Park, saying she’s only just begun.

“My best years are ahead of me,” Stephenson said. “That’s pretty amazing, I think.”

So it is a new attitude, especially on the greens, that Stephenson carries with her into the AI Star Centinela Hospital tournament, a 54-hole tournament beginning Friday.

Not too long ago, Stephenson’s confidence in her putter was so badly shaken that people she didn’t even know began sending her putters, mirrors, videotapes and other instructional aids.

“I had about 36 gimmicks,” she said. “I had a new putter every week.”

Nothing seemed to help, though. Then someone else gave her a word of advice and everything turned around. That person was Jack Nicklaus.

Stephenson and Nicklaus were playing in a skins game last August and, afterward, Nicklaus told her something that seemed to click in her mind.

“He told me I had a good game, but that I really needed to work on my patience,” Stephenson said. “If something bad happened, I didn’t have the patience to wait for something good. I’ve been told that a million times before, but when Jack Nicklaus tells you, you listen.”

Stephenson has played 10 tournaments since Nicklaus spoke with her and has finished in the top 10 in 9 of them. After finishing 3rd in the Mazda and 9th at Sarasota, Stephenson had consecutive 4ths, a tie for 20th in Phoenix and then set her sights on the Nabisco Dinah Shore.

So what happened? She putted poorly again.

Stephenson finished in a tie for 10th at the Dinah Shore, but she also finished without any of the self-doubt about her putting that had been such a part of her game for so long.

“I’m getting over that,” she said. “I’m tougher. The game is so mental. I’m finally getting to the right stage. Positive thinking is so important. Now, I prepare for every tournament like it was a major.” Stephenson closed out 1987 in a rush. She tied for second with Muffin Spencer-Devlin and Kelly Leadbetter at Portland, Ore., then won at Seattle and won again the next week at San Jose.

After six tournaments in 1988, Stephenson is 10th in money winning, which means not only that she is playing good golf, but also that another Jan Stephenson calender is probably in the works.