Inman Talks Winning Game at Wilshire

So what’s the deal with this Joe Inman character? What’s the best way to describe what he’s all about?

Is it . . .

No thought left unspoken?

Can’t be beaten at Wilshire Country Club?

Social commentator of our day?

Take your pick. All we need to know is that for the second year in a row, the Pacific Bell Senior Classic was one big Joe Ride.

Inman came from five shots behind in the last round Sunday and won for the second time in two years at Wilshire, this time with a closing 65 that was worth $180,000 and a two-shot victory over Dave Stockton and Bruce Summerhays.

If a victory is worth a thousand words, then Inman seemed intent on using his entire quota.

This is probably not too unusual when you understand he used to work as an on-course commentator for the PGA Tour radio network. It probably contributed to his current condition as the human equivalent of talk radio on scan.

The 51-year-old from Georgia played a five-hole stretch on the back side in four-under, failed to wilt when he knocked a ball into the water on No. 17 and managed to smuggle his second Senior PGA Tour victory into the clubhouse at 14-under 199.

Afterward, Inman had a few things to say about winning.

First, he described himself as “Queen for the Day” and then compared himself to Andy Warhol getting his 15 minutes of fame. He recounted his round in detail, paying special attention to his second shot at No. 15, where somebody yelled during his backswing, which led to his sending his golf ball into the watery barranca.

Inman was long on words and high on drama.

“My brain exploded,” he said. “Oh, my God. My world was crashing down upon me.”

Well, not really. He wound up with a bogey (“I said, ‘Joe, be a man, son.’ ”) but he still walked onto the 18th tee with a two-shot lead over Stockton. That’s all Inman needed to end it, which was the signal for the tears to start flowing.

Afterward, Inman was still an emotional wreck. But that didn’t hurt his verbal skills.

“I have so much peace inside,” Inman said. “I just feel that Friday was so emotional. I can still see Paul Azinger talking about Payne [Stewart] at the memorial service. You realize it’s not how many trophies you have in your trophy cabinet. I don’t want to be the richest guy in the cemetery.

“I talked to my daughter on the telephone today. It is her birthday. She said she wanted me to win on her birthday, but it was OK if I didn’t.”

Inman started to cry again.

Stockton wasn’t too happy about what happened to his lead, which didn’t last very long. He three-putted No. 6 from eight feet for bogey and then made double bogey at No. 9 when his second shot skipped past the green and wound up three-putting.

“Those two three-putts just killed me,” Stockton said.

John Bland’s 64 moved him into a fourth-place tie with John Mahaffey at 11 under. Lee Trevino, Bruce Fleisher and Bob Murphy were four shots back of Inman at 10-under 203.

But the day belonged to Inman, who said he is not actually considering moving here even though he does well playing golf inside the city limits.

“I’m starting to feel like Randy Newman again,” Inman said later. “I love L.A.”

Inman said he can’t afford a house here.

“I couldn’t even afford a driveway,” he said.

It is Summerhays’ opinion that Inman has become a different player in the last year.

“Joe was just sort of mediocre until he won this golf tournament last year,” Summerhays said. “Then you feel like you’re a better player when you win. You aren’t, but your mind tells you that you are. So you become one.”

Stockton said he’s not at all surprised by Inman’s success at Wilshire--not after the way he has played.

“Joe has nothing but good vibes on this golf course,” he said. “In the old days, he’d start screaming at the ball as soon as he hit it. He knew he needed some help.”

Inman doesn’t need that help anymore. But if he doesn’t stop talking pretty soon, he’s going to need some help to fix a sore throat.