Friday, July 23, 1976
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Fifteen
Touching all
the bases
Bill Stieg
WINDSOR
THE PERISCOPE SALESMEW know what they're doing.
They set up their wares behind the greens here at the
Canadian Open, where the gallery is three or four deep. Those
on the outer fringes of the crowd stand on their tiptoes and crane
their necks to try to see the golfers, but usually get a good view
of the back of someone's head and only a glimpse of the green.
That's when the salesmen move in.
"Try a 'scope," they whisper, holding one out to the spectator.
The fan takes it tentatively, curiously, and holds it up
to his eyes. A typical reaction at this point Is a suppressed
"Wowl" when the players, caddies, balls--everythingl-swim
into view. IHe's sold.
Actually, the view through a periscope is quite small and
shakey. Yet hundreds here at the Essex Golf and Country Club
have spent $1.0 in bridge tolls to get in Canada, $1.50 to park,
$1.00 for a shuttle bus to the course, and $9.00 for admission, just
to spend much of their afternoon looking into a cardboard box.
Golf fans are an odd bunch.
Frankly, it is nearly impossible to see much of a golf tourna-
ment in person. This course is about four miles long, spread over
126 acres. There are 150 golfers split into groups of three,
scattered all over the place. It's impossible to see everything,
and it's a hot and tiring job to see a small fraction of the action.
But these fans are golfers themselves, the vast majority,
and they willingly submit to the discomforts of this unique
spectator sport. It's worth it to see these masters play.
There are two ways to see tournamen golf: watch a hole or
watch a player. The first system requires finding a nice shady
spot with a good view of a green, where you can sit back, relax
and watch the players parade by. This way you see only part of
the course, but all the players.
Following an individual player is more strenuous but more
exciting. You see all the holes, but not all the players.
You end up using a little of both systems, of course, usually
following a player until your legs-or the golfer's game-start
to falter, then flopping down on the grass to watch the players
go by.
Because you can't see everything, you must be prepared
for continual frustration. Your only links with the rest of the
tournament are the scoreboards and the roars of distant
galleries. When a cheer goes up four hundred yards away, you
can only shrug and speculate as to the cause.
Yesterday, I started watching Bruce Crampton on the back
nine. He made eagle-par-birdie to take the lead, and his following
was delighted. They spoke encouragingly to Crampton as he
walked to the next tee.
That's one of the attractions of tournament golf. In no other
professional sport can you get so close to the players-a word of
encouragement can actually make a difference.
But this nearness to the players has Its drawbacks, of
course. You cannot move or make noise when a player is
shooting. I almost went nuts yesterday when an insect flew
into my ear as Lanny Wadkins addressed a delicate chip shot.
I was afraid to swipe at it and disturb Wadkins, so I gritted
my teeth and let it buzz around in my ear until he hit the ball.
I then went into a spastic dance trying to kill the bug, causing
Wadkins to glance up. But I didn't disturb his shot, and that's what
counted.
Watching a golf tournament doesn't make a heck of a lot of
sense. Television is the only way to see all the action. It's like
the downhill in the Winter Olympics. We all saw Franz Klammer's
gold medal race from start to finish.
But there were people actually at the Olympics, right there
on the mountainside, who only saw a blur. But they were
there, and for those with a little sense of history, that is more
than enough.
In 1972, Gary Player won the PGA championship with a
stunning shot that sailed 150 yards over trees, water and sand and
landed six feet from the pin.
I was standing no more than ten feet from him when he
struck the ball. The picture is still vivid in my mind-Player
swiping mightily through the tall rough, watching the ball take
off over the trees, then Player, the subdued pro, running excitedly
to get a better look when he realized it was headed exactly where
he wanted.
It made thekwhole tournament worthwhile. I'm looking for-
ward to this weekend.
BILLBOARD .
Qualifying in the second e a
annual University of Michigan
golf course club champion-
ship has begun and will con-
tinue through August 14. A 2 bedroom ranhesand
fee of 15 covers qualifying *towhme ,ttlapptaes, eul
and all matches played. Al $29.00 to $31.950,5% dwn,
entry money will be returned auauable. Near -944 and JiS
in prizes. The tourney is 23. Cal d rt5, I6 p excep
open to all University 5155- Tam. 434.4475 or 763-6796,
dents, staff and alumni.
Five under par rookie leads
Canadian Open after first day
By BILL STIEG
Spectal To The Daily
WINDSOR, Ont. - Little-
known George Burns fashioned
a fine five-under-par 65 yester-
day to take the first round lead
in the Canadian Open, but the
footsteps of superstars are close
behind.
One stroke back is 46-year-old
Arnold Palmer, while the
threatening figure of Jack
Nicklaus stands at 67. Jerry
Heard, who faltered on the fin-
al hole after leading much
the day, is tied with Pal-
at 66.
In all, 29 players broke par
at the well-manicured Essex
Golf and Country Club, whose
flawless greens and smooth
fairways have received much
praise.
Burns shot his course record-
tying round early in the beau-
tiful sunny day, and watched
as later challengers fell victim
to the subtle pitfalls of the
highly respected Donald Ross
layout.
Heard, playing the back nine
first, turned the corner in 29,
six under par, and held the lead
until double - bogeying the
ninth, his last hole. His five-
iron approach on the 444-yard
par four landed against a tree,
and he was forced to play a
left-handed shot that sailed over
the green.
A chip and two putts drop-
ped him from the lead. He had
birdied six of the first nine
holes, incliding 14, 15, 17 and
1t, all par fours.
Burns was a little more
consistent, scoring a 32 on
the back nine and 33 on the
front. Ile did not bogey a
hole, and had eight one-putt
greens.
"My round was possible be-
cause for the first time, I had
a caddie I hod confidence in,"
said Burns. "Ie really helped
with clob selection and in read-
ing the greens. Of course, the
conditions of the course helped,
the sreens being so good.
"My irons weren't really in
birdie rinse, bt I made very
9od mitts. The greens are
nerf-t."
Palmr-, lving right h-hind
I-trd, finihed with a birde-
brel;. 't,-is4h.m,,-h to the de-
ligh'- of his "army" of tans.
Both thrdies came on 1-foot
notfs. Earler. on th back nine,
Palomer birlied three of the
first oir holos before bogey on
18. his only ne of the day.
rGro1-n bwith Nicklans at 67
are hbb Wadkins, Dick
Crawr'rd. Bd A lin and Mike
Hill. Brne Cramnton, Ben
Crenshaw and Kermit Zarley
are amonl those at 68. while
Gary Plaver, Jerry Pate and
Johnny Miller head the bunch
at 69.
Defending champion Tom
Weiskopf shot a 72. Lee Tre-
vino, the 1971 champ, withdrew
before starting because of his
injured back.
SCOTT ECCKER
JACK NICKLAUS puts ev-
erything he's got -- and
that's a lot -- into a drive
during yesterday's opening
round of the Canadian Open.
Nicklaus had an excellent
back nine to finish at 67,
two strokes behind leader
George Burns. Play con-
tinues today through Sun-
day at the Essex Golf and
Country Club, Windsor.
ARTS-GESTALT
RESI DENTIAL
9-DAY WORKSHOP
For all people regardless of
art experience. Gestalt and
'art (clay rou 'firins, en-
vironmentol sculpture, point,
etc.) ore vehicles to work
and play honestly from who
we are. Write
Henriet/Bernie
Morek
1508 Merrill St.
Kolamazoo, Mich. 49008
(616) 344-9808
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