THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 15, 1996 TAG: 9607150120
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: 85 lines
It's as common a problem as cobwebs in corners.
``Who doesn't want to be more popular than they are?'' Tom Purtzer asked rhetorically Sunday after barely finishing within binocular distance of winner Scott Hoch - four strokes - at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill. ``I've felt that way at times. Maybe Scott has a problem, too. I mean, if you went on ability, Scott would be one of those who was well-respected.''
Fairly or otherwise, the world doesn't go on ability when deciding who to embrace and who to tolerate. And, for whatever reason, the world has decided that Scott Hoch is one to be tolerated.
His record dictates otherwise. He's won seven times in the States, six times internationally, where ``the fields have been much stronger than they here.''
He says he's the only player among golf's 30 all-time leading money-winners never to play in a Ryder Cup. He's wrong. He's the only player among golf's 35 all-time money-winners never to make a Ryder Cup squad. He's been an alternate a couple of times, but never so much as a captain's choice. So, it's not just the media, though to Hoch, they play a crucial role.
``Tom Purtzer finished second in the Michelob Championship at Kingmsill with a spectacular 5-under-par 66 Sunday. Scott Hoch won, but he should have. After all, he had a four-shot lead at the start of play. Then again, he has gagged away a few in the past.''
That's how the newspapers in Hoch's world read. Cynical. Unforgiving. Unforgetting.
Television isn't any kinder. After setting a tournament record with his 19-under-par total of 265, Hoch was reminded that commentators on ESPN had remarked Sunday that he felt underappreciated. Hoch agreed.
``The TV announcers have a lot of power in what they say. They can make you into a good player - elevate you - or they can bring you down,'' he said. ``There are a few guys out there I haven't done anything to who have never said a good thing about me. Maybe I haven't bought 'em any wine or champagne or anything like that. Maybe it's my fault, I don't know. Maybe I missed that class in school. I never was any good at brown-nosing.''
He doesn't understand why some players get the kid-glove treatment while he is, as he put it, ``crucified.''
That concept was born at the 1989 Masters, when Hoch missed a 2 1/2-foot putt that would have ended his sudden-death playoff with Nick Faldo. The Brit won it one hole later. The whole ugly scenario was resurrected earlier this season after Greg Norman's Sunday debacle at Augusta National.
``People kept asking me if I could identify with how Greg felt,'' Hoch said. ``And I said yes. Then they asked me to compare my Masters with Greg's. I said I couldn't.
``I missed a 2 1/2-foot putt for the championship; the rest of the day I played great. He had problems all day. Yet they crucify me and go gingerly on him. I don't mind that. I think that's the way to be. Why hammer a guy when he's had problems? But I've had my share of hammering.''
Other than put $225,000 in his bank vault, winning here isn't going to do much for his resume. As well as he played, the fact remains that he was the only member of this year's top-50 money-winners in the field.
Hoch's winnings Sunday pushed him past Mark Calcavecchia into 14th place on the career money list. Norman, Tom Kite, Fred Couples, Corey Pavin, Payne Stewart, Tom Watson, Nick Price, Mark O'Meara, Paul Azinger, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Davis Love III and Craig Stadler are ahead of him. All but O'Meara and Love have won a ``major.''
That Masters playoff is as close as Hoch has come, which shouldn't be. He's too fine a player not to crack that elite circle.
He knows it, and yet it didn't stop him from trashing the British Open - especially the game's cradle, St. Andrew's - practically every day last week.
``Different courses for different horses,'' Hoch said. ``They said it takes eight or 10 times to appreciate the last place I went to play the British Open (St. Andrews). Well, I've played there something like 14 times - and we're still a long way from appreciating it.''
That won't endear you to the British press, someone suggested.
``Doesn't bother me; I just consider the source,'' he said before launching into a long story about having been grossly misquoted a few years ago in a brief phone discussion of Faldo.
If Hoch should ever break through, win a major, cinch a Ryder Cup, the media will probably mention that Masters in the first, rather than graduate him from the best-player-never-to-win-a-major ranks. And if he doesn't win a big one, he'll never be allowed to forget it.
That's the way life works in the world of ``just tolerable.'' ILLUSTRATION: MIKE HEFFNER
THE VIRGINIAN PILOT
Scott Hoch was the toast of Kingsmill Sunday, but he doubts his
commanding Michelob Championship win will do much to improve his
standing in PGA Tour circles. by CNB