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Goydos' honesty vs. Garcia's ability Tuesday, May 13, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - Paul Goydos' flirtation with glory at The Players Championship will be regaled for a short time, but the U.S. Open is only weeks away and we'll move on. Hopefully, his infectious honesty will linger a little longer. Sunday's playoff worked out nicely - the best golfer won the tournament and the loser played so well that he was welcomed on stage again. Sergio Garcia won the crystal with his best Sunday putting round in about a decade; Goydos answered the questions so well that The Golf Channel's Frank Nobilo suggested all PGA Tour players should watch and learn. I agree. The 43-year-old Goydos, a two-time winner during 16 years on the PGA Tour, talked about nerves, chunky chips, and choked putts with more depth than most. He admitted he was nervous Saturday night, sleeping on the 54-hole lead. "Absolutely," he said. Many of the pros would dodge a question about nerves by espousing some "stay-in-the-moment," psychology from Dr. Bob Rotella or whoever is their sports psychologist. Goydos needed an up-and-in par on No. 18 to win the tournament, but his chip shot stopped 14 feet shy. "I hit the pitch a little bit fat ...," he said. "The ball was sitting down just a little bit, and it wasn't the best lie I've ever had in my life. Having said that, it wasn't the worst lie I've ever had in my life either." He explained that he "caught it a little bit heavy" and said he "hit it poor enough" that he thought it might release. Not many pros will admit to "chunky" or "fat" or "heavy," particularly on the final hole of a tournament with a $1.7 million prize and a five-year exemption. He also said he considered a different type shot, but could imagine NBC analyst Johnny Miller scolding him for such a decision. It was nice to hear somebody admit he was cognizant of Miller and his criticism. Then, there was that par putt on the 72nd hole that stayed to the right - maybe a tiny push, Goydos said. "When I'm nervous, my miss is a pull, and I hit a couple of those this week," he said. When is the last time a PGA pro admitted such a thing? Too often, they react to a bad stroke by tamping down an imaginary bump on the green or questioning an unseen break. Goydos lost when his tee shot on the first extra hole - the famed 17th - drowned just short of the island green. He said he tried to hit the same wedge shot he had pulled off a short time earlier. He could have blamed the result on a wind gust. Instead, he said, "I hit a really good shot there on hole 71, and I hit not quite as good a shot on hole 73." It's not as if Goydos gave away the tournament. He carded a 74 on a day when only Chad Campbell and Dean Wilson broke 70. His score was better than that recorded by 39 players, including many of the biggest names in the game. And, Garcia, who made only four putts of more than 10 feet in the first three rounds, canned six of those in a final-round 71. At times, Garcia also did well in the media room. Asked to be specific about moments of self doubt in recent years, Garcia declined, adding, "I don't want to remember those." The victory at The Players may be the break-out for Garcia, who can hit about as many different shots as Tiger Woods and probably drives the ball consistently better than the No. 1 player in the world. For sure, Garcia will be in the spotlight at Torrey Pines next month. Goydos might not ever return to the prominence he enjoyed last weekend and that would be a shame. He is refreshing. ---- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
