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Bradenton golfer overcomes lymphoma, death of his friends to play his fourth Ryder Cup.
By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 25, 2002
SUTTON COLDFIELD, England -- The pain was enough to make him wince whenever he lifted his arm, and the concerned words of his doctor were somewhere in the back of his mind.
But Paul Azinger was all about pride and perseverance and beating back a European rival toward whom he had built a great deal of animosity.
The Ryder Cup matches already were decided, the United States team had clinched victory, but Azinger, the man put in the final position because it figured to come down to him, didn't want to lose.
Not to Nick Faldo. Not to the world's best, Britain's hero, a five-time major championship winner who had stolen a British Open title from him six years earlier. Not now, even with the pain.
So Azinger blocked out the deafening roars that engulfed The Belfry when Faldo made a hole-in-one on the 14th. He didn't care when the news came that a victory was not necessary. He kept fighting, all the way to the end, holing a 7-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to halve the match, the most satisfying tie you could imagine.
Two months later came the cancer diagnosis. The pain in his shoulder was lymphoma. Treatment was six months of radiation and chemotherapy.
Nine years have passed, and Azinger is back at The Belfry, back at the Ryder Cup.
Much has changed. Azinger, 42, still has the fire, the intensity, the will to win. But it will be different. Much different.
"The Ryder Cup always meant the world to me," Azinger said Tuesday after a practice round. "I felt a tremendous amount of pressure. I think this go-around, we understand what's important. There's some perspective."
Last year Azinger, a 12-time PGA Tour winner who lives in Bradenton, was 22nd on the points list when Curtis Strange chose him as a captain's pick. Then, the events of Sept. 11 postponed the matches, which has given the event a different feel.
But for Azinger, there have been more changes. The player who had won tournaments in seven consecutive seasons, including the 1993 PGA Championship, was robbed of his strength and confidence and saw his game suffer in the wake of treatments.
In 1995, he worked as a television analyst at the Ryder Cup, hoping he might one day play in it again. But by 1999, when the matches reached a fever pitch while his game still languished, Azinger wondered.
"I just didn't really see any end to the struggles as far as my golf was concerned," Azinger said. "I never saw myself playing on a Ryder Cup team any time soon. And I missed it. If you've never been on that team, then you don't know what you're missing."
A month after the 1999 Ryder Cup, three of Azinger's closest friends, golfer Payne Stewart and agents Robert Fraley and Van Ardan, died in an airplane accident. It wasn't until the following January that Azinger won his first tournament post-cancer, his lone victory in the last nine years.
Another victory, of sorts, came in August 2001, when Strange picked Azinger.
"He was picked for his game, but Paul has the entire package," Strange said. "He can play all formats. He's good behind closed doors. And if I ask Paul to sit out, he'll be happy to do that, and that's important."
Azinger may be doing some cheerleading. He admitted Tuesday that he has not been the player he was when the matches were postponed. In 2001, Azinger made 19 of 20 cuts and tied for fifth at the U.S. Open.
This year, Azinger has been plagued by back trouble and has done little since reaching the semifinals of the Match Play Championship in February. His world ranking has dropped from 16th to 50th.
"Last year, I was playing a lot better than I am now," he said. "I was really glad he picked me. If you've never had something, you don't know what you've missed. I knew what I was missing, every time I missed the Ryder Cup, and I didn't like it. I knew what it was like in the team room and being behind closed doors. And I missed not being a part of it. I was thrilled at the opportunity. Even though I haven't played as well, I'm excited to be here.
"It is the purest form of competition. No money at stake. We are out there strictly for pride. It's fantastic. I knew what I was missing all these years, and I'm glad to be back."
Azinger has played two Ryder Cups at The Belfry, in 1989 and 1993. He also played on the U.S. team that won the Cup in 1991 at Kiawah Island, S.C. His overall record is 5-6-2, but Azinger is undefeated in singles, beating Seve Ballesteros in 1989 and Jose Maria Olazabal in 1991 before the tie against Faldo nine years ago. It was Ballesteros, who often engaged in gamesmanship battles with Azinger, who described the American team as "11 nice guys and Paul Azinger."
To Azinger, that was a compliment.
"A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since I last played in the Ryder Cup -- most of it mixed with tears," he said. "My own health problems changed my outlook and made me realize that there are more important things in life than golf.
"You still need that competitive edge and a determination to win to make the Ryder Cup meaningful. But I'm sure we'll get the balance right this time."