Doyle Has Turned Into a Real Swinger on the Senior Tour

When Allen Doyle arrives at Newport Beach Country Club for the Toshiba Senior Classic March 2-4, he’s guaranteed to have at least three items in tow: a cockeyed swing, defending champion status and a great appreciation for how far he has come.

The unorthodox swing comes from learning golf in a low-ceiling basement. The status as defending champion comes as the result of making five birdies on his final eight holes at last year’s tournament. The appreciation is a longer story.

Doyle, 52, is a driving range operator who lives in LaGrange, Ga. An accomplished amateur, he decided to forgo the life of a touring professional in order to remain with his family. Running a driving range didn’t make him rich, but it paid the bills and enabled him to watch his two daughters grow up.

He turned pro when his daughters entered college, but eight professional victories and nearly $4 million in career earnings haven’t changed his small-town mentality. He still marvels at the treatment he receives when he plays in a Senior PGA Tour event.

“For a guy like me, you know, it kind of hits home maybe a little more than with the guys who have done this for a lifetime,” Doyle said.

“You come to a place where you get picked up at the airport and you get a courtesy car when you get here and you almost can’t do anything for yourself, and it’s, you know, a neat thing. I think maybe I appreciate it just a little more because of the road I took to get here.”

When Doyle first hit the pro circuit, most observers didn’t like his chances because of his shortened backswing and corkscrew follow-through. It was the same story he’d heard since honing the swing after hockey season ended in New England, where he grew up.

“When I first started to play on a state level, they kind of chuckled at you,” Doyle said. “Then when you beat them, they learned quickly that you could play. Then when you moved to the national level, they did the same thing. They did it [on the pro circuit], too. I’m sure they said . . . it’s one thing to do well as an amateur, but that swing won’t hold up here. I guess it has.”

In 1994, his first year as a pro, Doyle won three times on the Buy.com Tour, formerly the Nike Tour. He was the oldest rookie in PGA Tour history in 1996 and played the next two seasons on that tour, earning a little more than $200,000. In 1998, he was medalist at the Senior PGA Tour qualifying school.

He finished third on the 1999 Senior Tour money list with $1,911,640 and four victories. Last year, he was seventh on the money list with $1,505,471, though he said he played better than he did the year before.

Not bad for a guy who had people trying to change his swing everywhere he went. It wasn’t hard for Doyle to figure out whose advice to take. He just remembered the wisdom imparted by the head pro at a golf course where Doyle worked as a teenager.

“He said, ‘Don’t ever take advice from someone that can’t beat you,’ ” Doyle said. “That, to me, kind of made sense.”

What Doyle still finds a little confusing is how quickly the success came. His pro career began with a sponsor’s exemption into a Nike Tour event. He finished high enough there to get into the next event, which he won.

After that, he was exempt on the Nike Tour, finished second on the money list and made it to the PGA Tour the next year.

“To look back four years later and have four million dollars in career earnings, yeah, I might be a little surprised,” Doyle said. “But I was always dumb enough to think if I practiced enough and I got the right breaks, I could compete.”

And he’s smart enough to appreciate all of it now that he has made it. Doyle still owns and operates the driving range, still practices there--and that’s not all.

“I’m the only one there in the morning so if the phone is going to be answered, it’s going to be me,” he said.

STRONG COURSE, FINE FIELD

Doyle said the strength of the course at Newport Beach Country Club has much to do with the consistently strong fields at the Senior Classic.

This year will be no exception. Early commitments already have been received from 54 players, including Tom Watson, Larry Nelson, Gary McCord, Tom Kite, Bruce Fleisher, Dave Stockton, Lanny Wadkins and Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Lee Trevino, Gil Morgan and Doug Tewell are expected to commit. Organizers say they expect Hale Irwin, but his schedule is uncertain because his daughter is expecting a child.

“It doesn’t surprise me because they probably all heard it was a good course,” Doyle said. “Good players want good golf courses. It’s frustrating to go someplace and shoot 14 under and finish tied for seventh.”

NEW ON THE WEB

Huntington Beach-based CityofGolf.com announced the formal launch of its web site Wednesday.

The site provides golf news, instruction, rules quizzes, a golf course guide and handicap tracking in an interactive format. There are also chat rooms and an extensive section on Tiger Woods, including videos. Sign up for free membership and an e-mail account is included.

CHANGES AT TIJERAS

The search continues for a new general manager at Tijeras Creek, but interim GM Doc Belitz has reduced weekend green fees from $125 to $115.

The play-all-day rate of $125 on weekdays has been discontinued and the twilight rates have been reduced to $60 every day, down from $90 on weekends. Twilight rates begin five hours before sunset.

The range ball machine at the driving range has also been shut down. Players will now get range balls from the pro shop.

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Tee Times

FEBRUARY

* 3: Ayala High Grad Night tournament, Los Serranos GC, Chino Hills. Cost is $100. Supports Ayala High school graduation night, providing a safe, drug-free post-graduation party for the senior class. Information: (909) 591-4656.

* 5: Tim Salmon Golf Classic, Dove Canyon CC. Cost is $250. Benefits Family Solutions, which provides residential and foster cares homes for abused and at-risk children. Information: (714) 835-1333.

* 12: Huntington Beach Open, SeaCliff CC.

* 22-25: Nissan Open, Riviera CC.

* 26: Tustin Pro-Am, Tustin Ranch GC. Cost is $225. Benefits Assistance League of Tustin, which provides supplies for local schools as well as SAT and PSAT preparation seminars. Information: (714) 544-6203.