"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Chris Dortch

August 17, 2004

Richard Keene’s victory at the Brainerd Invitational last Sunday had to be encouraging to all of who aren’t as young as we used to be.

At 46, Keene knows his days of being a contender in every amateur tournament he plays in are long since past. But here he was at Brainerd, shooting 12 under par for two days and beating back a field that included several of the city’s best high school and college players. Far removed from limberback status, Keene, with his distinctive swing, nevertheless won over a field of kids who think 7,200-yard golf courses are short. Not that Brainerd plays 7,200 yards. Keene didn’t have to play long ball to win. He just drove his ball in play, slapped it on the green and made enough putts to win easily.

Golf is truly the game of a lifetime.

Which brings us around to Jay Haas and his recent selection to the U.S. Ryder Cup team. At 50, Haas delayed his debut on the Champions Tour so he could take a shot at the Ryder Cup. He was in great shape heading into the PGA Championship—a solid 10^th place in the Ryder Cup standings—until a final-round 77 and tie for 37th dropped him to 12^th.

That might have been the end of the story, but U.S. captain Hal Sutton used sound judgment in picking Haas as one of his two wild-card players. Stewart Cink was the other.

"Hal had some small talk and said, 'I'd sure love to have you on the team.' I was kind of waiting for 'But you screwed up today,'" Haas told the media after he was selected. "I'm pretty emotional about it. It's something I pointed to for the last couple of years. To have realized that is pretty exciting."

Haas becomes the second-oldest Ryder Cup player ever. Haas’ age didn’t bother Sutton a bit. The captain was looking for good iron players and good putters. Haas qualifies. He’s currently 38^th on the PGA Tour in greens in regulation and 31^st in putting. That the yips have never overtaken Haas’ game becomes more and more evident each time he tees it up with the youngsters.

Sutton had obviously followed Haas’ handiwork this season. He’s won $2 million on both tours—including two senior majors—and finished seventh at Harbor Town, eighth at Memorial, ninth at the U.S. Open and fifth at the International. Haas also finished second in the Senior PGA and third in the U.S. Senior Open.

Clearly, Haas has been playing some solid golf in significant tournaments played on difficult courses.

Haas will lend that much more veteran stability to a U.S. team that isn’t lacking in experience.

"We'll be excited to have your fatherly image on our team," Sutton told Haas.

Cink will be playing in his second straight Ryder Cup. Cink made a late run for consideration, playing well at the Buick Open and the International and ending up tied for 17th at the PGA. That moved him to 14^th in the Ryder Cup standings, more than close enough for Sutton to give him every consideration. The fact Cink is ranked No. 1 in putting didn’t hurt his chances.

The matches are scheduled Sept. 17-19 at Oakland Hills outside Detroit. Though the Ryder Cup is on U.S. soil, the home team might not be favored to win. The European side has won six of the last nine Ryder Cups. It was vital that Sutton made good choices with his wild-card selections. It says here Haas was a good pick.

"We're four weeks away from determining whether I made the right decision or the wrong decision," Sutton said.

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