Laid-Back Johnny Miller Presses Forward : He Doesn’t Get Mad, He Gets 66 to Pull Within Four at Torrey Pines

When Vince Lombardi created a football dynasty with the Green Bay Packers, he was said to espouse the philosophy, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”

There was a time golfer Johnny Miller practiced what Lombardi preached, but not anymore. Having done about all there is to do in 20 years on the PGA Tour, Miller figures the time has come to have some fun.

This is not to say that Miller’s new attitude at the age of 41 has reduced his golf game to rubble. He is only four strokes off the pace in the Shearson Lehman Hutton Open after shooting a six-under-par 66 Saturday in the third round at Torrey Pines.

But Miller has had enough of agonizing over his game, and why not? Since turning pro in 1969, he has won 23 tour tournaments plus the 1976 British Open and has earned $2,474,234. He once won eight events in a single year, 1974.

“This has evolved in the last couple of years,” said Miller, who was born in San Francisco and lives in Napa. “I don’t ever get mad except for golf, so that’s the ultimate test for me. But I’m really enjoying golf again, and because of that, I have more inner peace. Winning isn’t part of anything for me right now. It just doesn’t matter.”

Miller compared his situation to that of his younger contemporaries.

“A lot of guys on the tour are trying to prove something, and I can understand that,” he said. “But I have nothing more to prove, and I have nothing to lose. I’m not worried about being competitive anymore.”

He looked very competitive Saturday, finishing with the second-best round of the day, behind Greg Twiggs’ 64, which moved him into position to make a run for his second San Diego victory. Miller won this tournament in 1982, when it was called the Wickes-Andy Williams Open.

“I’ll admit it’s tough not to be competitive and look at the leader board,” Miller said. “But honestly, it’s not that big a deal for me at this point. There is too much ‘do or die’ in sports today.

“I’ll always remember what Nancy Lopez’s father told her one time. He said, ‘Play happy,’ and that was the most profound statement I’ve ever heard.

“I wish Mac O’Grady and the other guys who self-destruct on the golf course would adopt that attitude. Some of them are so negative that when they make a bad shot, they get teed off, and when they hit a good one, they say, ‘It’s about time.’ That’s ridiculous.”

Miller noted that most golfers today put too much pressure on themselves.

“Some people think you can make yourself win,” he said. “You can’t do that. You have to be comfortable, and making yourself do something is not being comfortable.

“Some guys who reach back for a little extra get something good. But most guys who reach back also get something--bogeys. As you get older, you should get wiser, but you may not have the wherewithal to get wiser with.”

Miller is off to a fairly good start in his 21st pro season, having earned $35,059 in the three events he has entered, and his round Saturday was his best to date. He had eight birdies, three on the last four holes.

“That was something, because I’m definitely Shakey’s Pizza when I’m putting,” he said. “I’m definitely borderline, right on the edge of falling off hard.

“One of the highlights of my round came on the 16th hole. It’s a par three, and my tee shot came down on a lady’s blanket and landed on her purse. I asked her for the money, but she said no. I got a free drop, and it wasn’t a hard chip shot from there.”

Miller has four sons, ranging in age from 18 to 9, and all play golf.

“My oldest boy (John) is doing well at San Jose State,” Miller said. “I also have high hopes for a couple of the others. It would be a thrill to follow them on the tour when I get older.”

How much older?

“Well, I’ll be 42 in April,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going on the Senior Tour eight years from now.

“Whatever happens, it’s going to be fun. We play a lot of sports for the wrong reasons. We should play for the joy of it, not how many hairs fall out of our heads.”