European captain continues to fuel Ryder Cup fires

By BOB HARIG

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 8, 2000

The celebration went overboard, and the parties involved apologized. So why can't Mark James let it go?

The captain of last year's European Ryder Cup team has written a book that has folks on both sides of the Atlantic steaming. And it isn't likely to help make relations any better for the 2001 matches.

In his book, Into the Bear Pit: The Hard Hitting Inside Story of the Brookline Ryder Cup, James questions Tom Lehman's faith because he ran onto the 17th green to celebrate Justin Leonard's 45-foot birdie putt before competitor Jose Maria Olazabal had a chance to tie.

He chastises American player Hal Sutton, who he said tried to incite the pro-American crowd in between shots, and makes fun of U.S. captain Ben Crenshaw for kissing the ground after Leonard holed his put.

James admits that he tossed in the trash a type-written good-luck note without telling the golfers that Nick Faldo had written to wish them luck. Faldo is only the most accomplished player in European Ryder Cup history. James was annoyed because he thought Faldo had criticized Colin Montgomerie. (Faldo said Montgomerie was comfortable taking big appearance fees to play in Europe, a statement that has merit.)

Lehman and Crenshaw apologized for the premature celebration immediately after the U.S. team staged the most dramatic comeback in the event's history in September.

"I think it's really low class," said Lehman of James, who has been named assistant captain to Sam Torrance for the 2001 Ryder Cup. "I hope he feels good about it. I guess every good story needs a villain and I'm glad he's found one in me. And I think he ought to be proud that he's dragging the Ryder Cup through the muck."

TURNING PRO?: Former Valrico resident and Bloomingdale High golfer Beth Bauer is considering leaving Duke after two years to turn professional. Although she is signed up for classes, Bauer said this week at the Southern Amateur: "After two years of college, I think there is a need to commit to golf full time. If you start something at 20, that's got to be better than waiting until you're 22."

Bauer has won four individual titles at Duke and helped the Blue Devils to consecutive ACC titles and the 1999 national championship.

GOING LONG: Reigning U.S. Senior Open champion Dave Eichelberger achieved a golf milestone last weekend when he became just the third player to make 1,000 starts on the PGA and Senior PGA tours combined. Miller Barber leads with 1,219 tournaments on both tours, followed by Gay Brewer with 1,023.

WHAT A PLAYER: Gary Player was within reach of his goal to become the first person to win professional sanctioned tournaments in six different decades. Player, 64, who won nine major championships, was tied for the lead heading into the final round of the BellSouth Senior Classic before 72 dropped him to 16th.

Ironically, England's Neil Coles won in his sixth different decade earlier Sunday by capturing a European Senior Tour event called the Jersey Open.

"I heard last year that Gary Player thought he was the only golfer who could achieve that feat," said Coles, 65, a winner of 45 tournaments around the world. "So it's nice to pip him to it."

Earlier this year, however, Player issued a clarification about his pursuit: "I don't mean just some event in the hills, but real tournaments."

AROUND GOLF: Former U.S. Amateur and NCAA champion Grace Park was not living up to her hype until she won the Kathy Ireland Greens.com Classic over the weekend. She had missed four cuts in six previous tournaments, but moved to 20th on the LPGA money list to earn a spot in the U.S. Women's Open next month. ... Aree and Naree Song Wongluekiet, 14-year-old twins who attend the Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, are playing in this weekend's Wegman's Rochester International on sponsor's exemptions, their first LPGA event since the Nabisco Championship, where Aree played in the final group on Sunday and tied for 10th. ... In celebration of the 100th U.S. Open, USGA officials have invited all former champions to a Tuesday night dinner. Byron Nelson, 88, the 1939 champion, is the oldest living champion.

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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