Beck Is Beating Par Off Course

Chip Beck entered 32 tournaments this year and made the cut three times. But he’s happy.

Beck has not made the cut in 24 consecutive tournaments. But he’s happy.

Beck has made $10,653, his lowest total in 17 years. But he’s happy.

Does this guy need a net thrown over him or what? There’s a smile on Beck’s face, even though his golf game has been so rotten, the towel on his bag should be a handkerchief.

How could anyone feel so good while playing so badly? Actually, it’s simple, said Beck, who is playing with David Frost in the Shark Shootout at Sherwood Country Club.

Mary Catherine Beck, 7, made her figure skating debut in competition Friday back in Lake Forest, Ill., while her dad tried to figure out how to pull his golf game out of the deep freeze.

Karen Beck is supportive of her husband, as usual, and the five other Beck children are all in Dad’s corner. Of course, Dad’s happy about that too.

“I’ve had the best year of my life off the course and the worst year of my life on it,” Beck said. “I’ll take it that way every time.”

If nothing else, Beck is perpetually peppy, even when confronted with the kind of results that would drive a grown man to weep.

It has been eight months since Beck made a cut. He hasn’t made a dime since he finished tied for 45th and made $4,655 at the Honda Classic on March 16.

Mechanically, his swing is in dire need of a tuneup. It’s enough to try a person’s patience, not to mention his disposition, but Beck has no problems putting a positive spin on his golf.

Peter Jacobsen isn’t surprised by Beck’s reaction.

“You can tell a lot about a guy, how he acts when he’s down,” Jacobsen said. “Chip is down, but he smiles . . . and he shows up every day. He’s the same person whether he’s shooting 62 or 82. There have been more 82s than 62s for Chip recently, but you watch how he handles it.”

Beck has won four tournaments and nearly $6 million in a professional career that began in 1978. He hasn’t won since 1992 in New Orleans, but he’s also the guy who shot a 59 in the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational in 1991.

Beck would settle for something within 10 shots of that these days. At 41, he’s convinced there are going to be more good days.

“The tough times have made me stronger,” he said. “At one point this year, I didn’t know if I had the ability to play any more. I got so disappointed that I really didn’t get my heart in it.

“If I didn’t have it in my heart, I would have retired. I feel if I can handle what I’ve handled, I can handle anything. I’ve got a lot of hope.”

*

It’s nice to be running the show: Jacobsen, whose production company is putting on the Shark Shootout, teamed with John Cook to post a three-shot lead after the opening round Friday.

Cook-Jacobsen’s 62 in the alternate-shot format leads John Daly-Fuzzy Zoeller, Brad Faxon-Lee Janzen and Mark Calcavecchia-Andrew Magee. The three teams all had 65.

Cook said there was a plan: “I put it close and Peter made the putt.”

Daly-Zoeller produced three eagles, including one on the 424-yard ninth hole when Zoeller holed a wedge from 72 yards.

“It still shocks me when one of those goes in,” Zoeller said.

Beck-Frost shot a 71.

*

There’s some serious money at stake in the $1.1-million tournament.

So even in the midst of golf’s “silly season,” the string of big-buck, off-season events between the PGA’s Tour Championship and Christmas week, the field of 20 has approached these proceedings with appropriate solemnity.

All except Zoeller, that is.

Zoeller has never needed much of an excuse to break out the quips, gestures and occasionally controversial comments. For him, the first round was just another opportunity to try out new, or old, material.

Removing the furry yellow ducky cover from his driver on the first tee, the 23-year tour veteran gave fair warning to the rest of his foursome.

“Have a little fun,” he said. “A few laughs.”

Jacobsen winced instead.

“No jokes,” Jacobsen pleaded. “God, we’ve been down that road before.”

They must have had some fun. Their foursome was 17-under-par.

*

The course, still saturated from the rain on Thursday, had the pros shaking their heads over tee shots that stuck with a thud. But there was relief in sight.

Clear morning skies brought sunshine and, even better, a brisk breeze, the perfect antidote for wet grass.

Bob Marshall, the course superintendent, couldn’t help smiling as he spoke about the evaporation that takes place when air rushes across his fairways and greens.

“Today’s a great day,” Marshall said. “If the wind keeps up all night, I’ll really be happy.”

*

More than a few fans were complaining about prices at the snack bar, where bottled water is $2 and a roast beef sandwich cost $5.

Apparently they hadn’t stopped by the booth next door, where club memberships could be had for a $225,000 initiation fee and townhomes start at $760,000.