Nice Guy Finishes Third

Some interesting comments from the boys at Golf.com on Monday, in the weekly "PGA Tour Confidential," regarding Whiffling Straits favorite Steve Stricker and the closing holes of the Sony Open in Hawaii, won by Ryan Palmer:

[Alan] Shipnuck: Stricker can still be shaky down the stretch. At No. 3 in the world, he should [be] owning guys like Ryan Palmer.

[Jim] Gorant: Interesting post-round interview, where he said he was overthinking on the greens, getting caught up reading the grain, etc. You'd think he's beyond that by now.

[Rick] Lipsey: Strange that Stricker still talks like he's no. 142 in the world, humble and unassuming, like he was in the interview today on TV.

Seems they feel he needs to start playing and acting more like a truly elite player, rather than somebody who's just happy to be there. Being "humble and unassuming" is great; it's one of the reasons I like him so much. But I can't help but wonder sometimes if that character trait prevents him from turning up the intensity when he needs it on the course. Does he lack the "killer instinct" necessary to rise any higher than he already has? (Photo: usopen.com)

     At the other extreme is Tiger Woods, whom Cameron Morfit described earlier in the same piece as "a bit bloodless." No question, Tiger has stepped on more than a few necks on his way to becoming arguably the best player in history (please note I said arguably). And we now know that his devotion to his family is not quite what we thought it was. But I'd like to think it's possible to be great and still have ample amounts of warm blood flowing through your veins.

     There are plenty of examples in history of great gentlemen achieving best-in-the-game status. Palmer and Nicklaus come readily to mind, but both men were incredibly intense on the course. Nicklaus had unmatched focus (and could be a bit prickly as a young man), while Palmer displayed fire and
passion of historic proportions. Remember, his famous final round at Cherry Hills in 1960 was fueled by a disparaging remark directed his way at lunch between rounds. (Photo: Augusta.com)
     Byron Nelson was perhaps golf's greatest "gentle soul," and was certainly the best in the game in the early 1940s. But he had no particular interest in carving out a place among the all-time greats, retiring at 34 after saving up enough money to buy the ranch he'd always wanted. Who knows what kind of career he would have had if golf had been the most important thing in his life?

     Then there was Hogan, perhaps Tiger's only true rival in the "bloodless" category. His drive, focus, and work ethic earned him a lasting place in golf history, but not much happiness in the short- or long-term.
     Of course, it's hard to say Stricker "choked" on Sunday – he shot 65 (-5), even though he feels he "left a few out there." He birdied the par-3 17th, but failed to make 4 on the easy par-5 18th, hitting his drive into the right rough and his second into a greenside bunker. He blasted well past the hole, then missed putt from the fringe that would have given him a chance at making a playoff. He finished solo third, two behind Palmer, who did birdie 18.

     The question is, are being a "nice guy" and having a killer instinct mutually exclusive? I don't think so. But great players usually have an "aura" about them. A sense that they know that you know they're better than you – a certain cockiness that gives them a mental edge. Being as humble as Stricker is works against that. I think that's what Shipnuck, Gorant, and Lipsey are getting at. Can he somehow develop the type of confidence that starts to affect other players? Perhaps. But not if means becoming something he's not, or sacrificing certain things that are more important to him than the game of golf.