Hole in This One’s Golf Is Void Created by Passing of Murray

It’s never going to be the same when I go to a golf tournament because something will be missing, and I’ll know just what it is. Jim Murray’s not there.

There’s so much to be thankful for, though. One of the best things about covering golf was being able to sit next to Murray for weeks at a time at some of the world’s greatest golfing real estate.

From St. Andrews to Riviera, from Winged Foot to Shinnecock Hills, from the Olympic Club to the Country Club, believe me, it was a thrill to share a desk, a telephone and a conversation with Murray.

Maybe the best golf course to be at with Murray was Riviera, where he seemed to have a story for every blade of grass. Even for a tree. That would be the tree near the 12th green, which he said Humphrey Bogart used to lean against during the Los Angeles Open, sipping from a flask.

Murray knew Bogart, of course, including the time Murray was a newspaper reporter and was dispatched to a downtown bar to cover a domestic dispute that arose when Mrs. Bogart bounced an ash tray off Mr. Bogart’s head.

But that’s another Murray story. Hopefully, we’ll remember them all.

POWER TRIP

There were a couple of player meetings last week during the tournament at Castle Rock, Colo., that aren’t going to make the PGA Tour very happy.

The meetings, attended by 24 players, were about something called the Tour Players Assn., a loosely knit group led by Mark Brooks, Danny Edwards and Larry Rinker that wants the PGA Tour to open its books to them and allow them more input in the decisions of the Tour.

The group isn’t a union, since PGA Tour players are independent contractors and can’t form a union. But as an association, it could have bargaining power, if it achieves some clout.

What’s it all about? The usual: power and money. With players competing for $96.4 million in purses on the PGA Tour this year and $129.8 million in 1999, the numbers are staggering. Three tournaments in 1999 will have $5-million purses.

“Right now it’s a business, and when you can’t see what’s happening with it, that’s when you’re blindly led,” Brooks said. “I reserve faith like that for religion.”

It’s hard to argue that the players aren’t getting rich. About 20 players are expected to pass $1 million in prize money this year. In 1988, there was one.

The players seem to want better player representation in policy decisions, travel allowances and minimums for players who miss the cut. Stay tuned.

ROLLING A SEVEN

For what it’s worth, only seven players made the cut in all four majors: Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods, John Huston, Brad Faxon, Ernie Els, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson.

O’Meara, the Masters and British Open champion, had the best stroke average, 70.50, and Woods was second, 70.94.

TIGER UPDATE

Peter Jacobsen is many things: funny, quotable, opinionated, talented, to name a few. You can add irritating, which is what Hughes Norton, Woods’ agent at IMG, felt after some remarks Jacobsen made this week at Jacobsen’s charity event, the Fred Meyer Challenge.

Jacobsen said Woods needed to play more charity events and he needs to smile more.

“Peter, I guess, he’s forgotten or doesn’t realize that Tiger does six charity days a year for the Tiger Woods Foundation,” said Norton, who used to represent Jacobsen. “And on the Tuesday [before] the [event in Colorado] he was in Aspen, helping raise $500,000 in Glenn Frey’s kids’ tournament.

“Plus, if we say yes to Peter’s tournament, what do we say to Tom Lehman’s in Minneapolis and Fred Couples’ in Seattle and Brad Faxon’s in New England? It’s a fine line.”

As for the smiling-on-the-course issue, Norton said Woods can only be himself.

“I guess Pete wants Tiger to be Peter Jacobsen or Fuzzy Zoeller or Lee Trevino. Tiger cannot be someone he is not.”

LATER THAN YOU THINK

News item: Mark James was named Europe’s Ryder Cup captain on Wednesday.

Reaction: Why the rush? Ben Crenshaw was named as the U.S. captain, what, more than a year ago?

James, 44, played on seven Ryder Cup teams, but never on the winning one until Europe upset the U.S. in 1995 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

At this stage in his career, James seems more interested in his garden of beans and peas back home in Ilkley, England, than most golf. This may be a welcome change in choice of crop from former European Ryder Cup captain Seve Ballesteros, who specialized in cultivating baloney.

The 1999 Ryder Cup will be played at the Country Club at Brookline, Mass.

ON THE MOVE

The LPGA showed some life this week when it announced a new $1-million tournament in Columbus, Ohio, for 1999, amid speculation it’s soon going to add two more tournaments--one of them to be played in Austin, Texas--and thus increase the number of official money events from 42 to 45.

SHE’LL BE DE-PRESSED

It’s official. Hall of Fame golfer Nancy Lopez has become a member of the media. She has joined Golf for Women as playing editor. Can’t wait until she gets her first ‘No comment.’

WALK ON

You won’t be needing a cart to play the 54-hole complex at Brandon, Ore., called Brandon Dunes. Scheduled to open next May, the oceanside resort has a “walking only” rule.

Players can hire a caddie, pull a trolley or rough it and carry their own bags. Carts are available for handicapped golfers.

TAKING STOCK

Part of Nick Faldo’s endorsement contract with Adams Golf gave him 900,000 shares of company stock as well as 5% of international sales. As far as the stock deal, let’s just say that Faldo is sort of on a losing streak.

The stock hit its high of 18 7/8 on July 10, but Thursday’s market tailspin dropped it to a new low of 6 1/4--which means Faldo has lost $11.3 million in stock value in six weeks.

SLICE BEATS HOOK

According to a recent Golf in America online survey by the National Golf Foundation and USA Today, 53% of golfers are Republicans, 18% Democrats and 24% independent, 5% others.

IT WAS A GOOD PLAN

At 62, Gary Player just keeps on going. Last week, he won his 19th Senior PGA Tour event, which brought up the story about the colorful and wisecracking Jimmy Demaret, who once told Player he wouldn’t last because his legs would get weak and his nervous system would short out.

Player said he got a kick out of Demaret’s critique. He told Larry Dennis of Senior Golfer what Demaret, toward the end of his career, said to him.

“He said ‘I’m getting really very tired now, laddie.’ I asked him what he was going to do, and he said, ‘I’ve got a boat with a crew of 16 women, and that’s for me.’ ”

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

The Lambda Omicron chapter of Omega Psi Phi will hold its 12th golf tournament today at Brookside golf course. The event benefits the fraternity to help provide scholarships. Details: (213) 293-0770.

The 11th Kelsey Grammer Toys for Tots tournament will be played Oct. 12 at Yorba Linda Country Club. The event benefits the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Details: (818) 990-5600.

Construction soon will start on a $3.5-million, 12,000-square-foot clubhouse at Woodley Lakes golf course in Van Nuys, replacing the double-wide mobile home that has been a temporary clubhouse for 20 years.