He’s No Longer the Payne He Used to Be

It’s not often you can define a career at the not-so-tender age of 42, but that’s precisely what Payne Stewart accomplished in the growing dark Sunday at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C.

With its elevated greens, shaved grass around the putting surfaces and pin placements from hell, Pinehurst No. 2 was supposed to be the story of the 99th U.S. Open, but Stewart changed that too.

Actually, Stewart changed himself, even if he wouldn’t admit it. He kept insisting he had found it perfectly acceptable to be himself, that it was good enough.

Well, no, it really wasn’t. You see, Stewart is far from the way he used to be--arrogant, hot-headed, stubborn, a chip on his shoulder.

Since he came back from elbow surgery a couple of years ago, Stewart has been a changed man: cooperative, even-tempered, chatty and with an ego the size of a golf ball.

He nearly won the U.S Open last year, but he said he didn’t have the game to pull it off. He clearly did this time, to go along with his first Open title in 1991.

All you need to know about how Stewart did it Sunday--24 putts.

On the course, the key to Stewart’s victory had to be his 25-foot putt to save par on No. 16 when he was one shot down to Phil Mickelson, who missed his own par putt from eight feet.

Then on the par-three 17th, Stewart hit a six-iron to three feet and made birdie while Mickelson settled for par when he missed another eight-footer.

The gently breaking, uphill, 15-footer that Stewart made to save par at No. 18 after he had missed the fairway and was forced to lay up is regarded as one of the clutch putts of all time.

The USGA said it was the first time the U.S. Open was won with the last putt of any significant length.

So Stewart has that going for him too.

TIGER UPDATE

There’s an interesting dispute going on between Tiger Woods and Nike Golf about two new television ads featuring Woods. In one, Woods bounces a golf ball off his club face, then whacks it. In the other, Woods shows up at a driving range and inspires hackers to hit the ball the way he does.

Not everyone is enjoying the ads. Foremost is John Oney, vice president and counsel for IMG, who has asked Nike Golf to change the “billboards” at the end of the TV ads, apparently because the logos, in the opinion of Woods’ corporation, ETW, make the spots seem more like golf ball ads for Nike rather than spots for Woods--the billboards end with a Nike Golf logo, not Woods’ own Nike logo.

Is this a big deal? Sure, if it’s not fixed. Woods has an apparel and footwear deal with Nike Golf, but he plays Titleist clubs and uses a Titleist golf ball.

Industry insiders say complaints by Titleist prompted ETW to ask Nike to revise the commercials. Nike Golf officials, who met with IMG executives this week in New York, would not comment.

These same insiders say a conflict was inevitable once Nike expanded its market from apparel and shoes and began selling hard goods, such as golf balls.

In the meantime, Oney informed Nike Golf President Bob Wood that ETW believes continued broadcast of the commercials breaches Woods’ contract with Nike--not that Tiger should want to get out of that deal anyway, since it’s worth a cool $43 million.

“We’re trying to work it out to make everyone happy--Tiger Woods and his two primary licensees,” said Mark Steinberg of IMG, Woods’ agent.

MORE TIGER

Woods has committed to play in Taiwan in the Johnnie Walker Classic, Nov. 11-14. The event, part of both the European PGA Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia, conflicts with the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, so count Woods unavailable for that.

AND MORE TIGER

Woods has overtaken David Duval for No. 1 in scoring average--68.79 to Duval’s 68.83. It’s the first time Duval hasn’t led in 21 weeks.

If it’s any consolation to Duval (and it probably is), the $96,260 he won at the U.S. Open raised his earnings to $2,917,610 and broke Hale Irwin’s money record of $2,861,945, which he set last year on the Senior PGA Tour.

NORMAN UPDATE

As expected, Jack Nicklaus has formally removed his name from the field at next month’s British Open, but Greg Norman is going to be there--right after he finishes a three-week vacation, which he began after missing the cut at the U.S. Open.

DAILY DALY

News item: John Daly apologizes for his comments at Pinehurst when he posted a fourth-round 83, then ripped the USGA for trying to “embarrass” players and proclaimed that the U.S. Open is no longer a major.

Reaction: The timing of his apology is hardly a coincidence, since Callaway Golf bigwigs gave their wayward client an earful after his outburst at Pinehurst for managing to detract from an otherwise outstanding closing round.

MAKE IT PAIN STEWART

So how glad do you think European Ryder Cup captain Mark James was when Stewart won the Open?

Not very.

It isn’t that he has anything against Stewart, but the last thing James needed was for someone as experienced and savvy as Stewart to get his act together.

Stewart has played in four Ryder Cups, but not since 1993, and his record is 8-7-1.

Stewart’s victory guaranteed him a spot on the team that will take on Europe Sept. 24-26 at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass. He is in third place in the points standings behind Duval and Woods.

As far back as February, Stewart said the Ryder Cup team needed him to change the team’s attitude and to help end Europe’s recent domination.

He brought it up again after his victory at Pinehurst.

“The Ryder Cup, I’ve contended all year that it’s motivated me,” Stewart said. “That’s one trophy that isn’t sitting on this table right now. It’s on the wrong side of the ocean.

“Hopefully, I can do something about it. I maintain if I wasn’t on the team, the only way I can make a difference is get on the team. I can’t rely on [team captain Ben] Crenshaw to pick me. So that’s been the driving force for me.”

WHERE, OH WHERE?

News item: The LPGA tournament at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale the last three years is moving in 2000, but to where?

Reaction: Right now, there seem to be four possibilities.

The LPGA apparently is considering Westridge Golf Club in La Habra, Yorba Linda Country Club, Wood Ranch Country Club in Simi Valley and Saticoy Country Club in Somis.

The tournament will be held Feb. 11-13 . . . somewhere.

THAT SETTLES THAT

Mickelson would have been forced to make a very delicate decision if there had been an 18-hole playoff Monday--since his wife, Amy, gave birth to their first child Monday evening in Phoenix.

Actually, the decision already had been made, he insisted.

Mickelson, who said all last week he would pull out of the U.S. Open to see his daughter born, said the same thing Tuesday.

“I would not have been playing [in a playoff],” Mickelson told the Associated Press. “I would definitely have come home. No question.”

. . . OR KUCH COACH

The wheels might have come off at Pinehurst, where Matt Kuchar missed the cut at the U.S. Open, but at least he had some replacements handy.

Kuchar, who turned 21 Monday, is driving a new $41,000 Mercedes-Benz ML 320 sports utility vehicle, a birthday present from his parents.

His license plate: THE KUCH.

NOW YOU KNOW

For what it’s worth, Stewart won the U.S. Open using a Titleist 875 D driver (with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shaft), an Orlimar TriMetal three-wood, Mizuno MS4 irons (with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts), a Cleveland 588 sand wedge, a Ping Zing 2 lob wedge, a See More putter, Titleist Tour Prestige golf balls and wearing Footjoy shoes and glove.

CALL IT GUN CONTROL

Callaway Golf founder Ely Callaway, in an interview with BusinessWeek on-line, was asked if he would carry an Orlimar club in his bag.

Said Callaway: “Not unless I’m willing to get shot by my employees.”

ONE FOR THE MONEY

Joel Kribel of Stanford, who turned pro Monday, has accepted sponsors’ exemptions to play this week’s Buick Open and the Western Open.

It didn’t take him long to line up endorsements, either. Maxfli signed Kribel to a multiyear deal to play their Australian blade irons and Revolution ball and to carry the company’s bag and head wear.

HERE, TRY THIS

If he’s looking for an afterlife from the PGA Tour, then Peter Jacobsen probably has found it.

His event management company, Peter Jacobsen Productions, is running a new PGA Tour event, the Reno-Tahoe Open. The $2.75-million tournament will be played Aug. 26-29 at Montreaux Golf & Country Club, a course designed by Nicklaus.

The tournament replaces the CVS Charity Classic, another Jacobsen property, which is no longer on the PGA Tour. Jacobsen has moved the tournament from Sutton, Mass., to Barrington, R.I., and it becomes an unofficial event.

Jacobsen’s company also operates the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout and nine other tournaments.

Jacobsen, 45, has six victories on the PGA Tour but hasn’t won in four years.

BIRDIES, BOGEYS, PARS

The ninth Rancho Los Amigos Foundation tournament will be played July 19 at Friendly Hills Country Club in Whittier. The event benefits the new Institute for Fitness and Wellness at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey. Details: (310) 641-6477.

The UCLA Golf Camp will be held July 18-23 at the Doubletree Resort at Desert Princess Country Club in Palm Springs. The camp is open to boys and girls ages 8-18. Details: (310) 206-3550.

Collin Raye will host the 17th Academy of Country Music Bill Boyd Celebrity golf classic Oct. 11 at De Bell Golf Course in Burbank. The event benefits the T.J. Martell Foundation for cancer, AIDS and leukemia research for children, the Los Angeles Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children, the Bill Boyd Memorial Fund and the National Music Foundation. Details: (323) 462-2351.

La Purisima Golf Club in Lompoc will hold a Southern California PGA junior event July 7. Details: (805) 735-8395.