Something Borrowed, Nothing Blue for Stadler

By THOMAS BONK

Feb. 26, 1996 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Craig Stadler, a reformed pessimist with a borrowed putter, won the Nissan Open on Sunday by a margin approximating the whiskers on his face.

It’s probably an unlikely winning combination of attitude and equipment, all right, basically because Stadler is known for having the personality of a neutron bomb.

If that’s not enough, then having to use a new putter because he lost his other one is exactly the type of circumstance that once would have sent Stadler running to the nearest eucalyptus tree where he would attempt to chop it down with a seven-iron.

Not anymore. Stadler spent a blissful afternoon at Riviera Country Club, where he peacefully constructed a closing-round 68, practiced good personality traits and scored a one-shot victory worth $216,000.

Not only was Stadler’s victory his fourth in five years, it was also a vision of mellow. It happened despite a back nine that featured two bogeys, no birdies and not a single bent shaft or thrown club.

“The club just remains in my hands now . . . most of the time,” Stadler said.

There was no compelling reason for Stadler to start airlifting his clubs. Never has a one-shot victory looked so big. Fred Couples, Mark Brooks, Scott Simpson and Mark Wiebe tied for second, but one by one, each took himself out of it until Stadler stood alone.

“It was just good enough,” said Stadler, whose six-under-par 278 was the highest winning score at Riviera since 1984.

“It’s so much fun to win. You hate to back-door in there, but you want to win. That’s all I come out here to play for, week in and week out. And I’ve been out here forever.”

Not really, but it may seem that way. Stadler, 42, has played the pro tour since 1976 and counts the 1982 Masters among his 12 career victories.

But he never has won after losing his putter the day before a tournament. That’s what happened to Stadler, who walked off and left his putter leaning against a table outside the locker room Wednesday night.

He didn’t even know it was missing until he was supposed to tee off in the first round. Stadler checked the lost and found, then remembered he might have one after all.

Randy Marchman, a sales representative for Kevin Burns Golf in Sunnyvale, Calif., said he had heard Tuesday that Stadler might be testing new putters.

“I just took one and stuck it in the back of his locker,” Marchman said.

What would Stadler do with the new putter? It’s enough to make a putter shudder, but after the way he was rolling golf balls into the holes this weekend, the putter may have a future in Stadler’s bag.

Just look at the results.

“I know I didn’t think I’d be here right now,” Stadler said. “I’m sure a lot of other people didn’t think so, either.

“Surprise, surprise.”

Indeed. Third-round leader Neal Lancaster closed with a 77 to finish 16th, but there were many others who had chances to edge Stadler.

Brooks bogeyed his closing hole when he missed the green on No. 9, chipped to six feet and missed. Couples missed enough putts to fill a barranca. Wiebe needed a birdie to tie at No. 18 and didn’t get it.

Tom Lehman was on the green on No. 17 in two and three-putted from 90 feet, then bogeyed the 18th to finish tied for sixth, two shots behind. Scott Simpson had a chance to catch his old USC roommate, but drove into the bunker on the par-three No. 16 and missed a 12-footer for par.

“I hit a lot of good shots,” Simpson said. “I hit some terrible ones too.”

On the 14th tee, Simpson was joined by his 9-year-old son, Sean, who had a few words for Dad.

“He said, ‘Well, it looks like Craig’s gonna win,’ ” Simpson said. “He ended up being right, the little guy.”

Stadler, the big guy, won with five birdies on the front, which got him enough of a cushion to hang on when everyone else struggled with the wind on the back.

For his part, Stadler said he would rather not struggle anymore, at least with his emotions. He’s not like he was before when he had chili powder instead of blood in his veins.

“I think you have to go back to the 1980s for when I was a maniac,” he said. “That’s what I was. I was my own worst nightmare.”

Now that the nightmare is over, it’s time for the vacation to start. Stadler is taking the next four weeks off, during which time he isn’t sure what he will do.

One thing he won’t do is look for a new putter. “It’ll get a couple of more chances,” Stadler said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Nissan Open

THE TOP NINE

Craig Stadler, $216,000: 67-70-73-68--278

Mark Brooks, $79,200: 74-69-72-64--279

Fred Couples, $79,200: 69-70-71-69--279

Scott Simpson, $79,200: 68-70-70-71--279

Mark Wiebe, $79,200: 70-70-68-71--279

Hugh W. Royer, $38,850: 71-70-73-66--280

Kelly Gibson, $38,850: 70-69-71-70--280

Tom Lehman, $38,850: 70-70-68-72--280