Major Titles Can Turn Into Big Headaches

Winning is one thing, winning a lot is quite another, especially now when the “other money” - the outside deals - are so much more lucrative than the prize money itself. And so much more distracting than tournament golf.

What happens in competition, over the course of four rounds, involves skill, concentration and performance under pressure.

It’s when the final putt drops, after that giant check is presented on the 18th green, that a whole new struggle begins.

Autographs. Endorsement opportunities. Clinics. Banquets. Interviews. Commercials. An endless stream of things to do because of victory.

The money rolls in. Life changes. A new home. A new city. For some, a new country.

Suddenly, golf becomes secondary. Practice time gets squeezed by business time. Instead of falling asleep replaying a round at Doral, you toss and turn in bed thinking about the meeting with X and the chat with Y, wondering which deal to sign.

All the practice balls hit, all the rounds played, all the times going to the back nine on Sunday with a chance to win only to come up empty suddenly creates so much success that it’s difficult to find time for golf anymore.

The quality of your game suffers.

Arnold Palmer could handle it. In fact, Palmer invented it. His brash, charismatic style came along just as television discovered the game, creating a perfect marriage.

Jack Nicklaus was a genius at juggling the game, the media, the fans and business. So were Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Nancy Lopez.

In fact, they all loved it, craved the attention. Maybe that’s why they all have a bushel of major championships.

What happens when a more reluctant leader comes along?

Nick Faldo still holds everything at arm’s length and Greg Norman is a little wary of everyone. But both, in their own way, handle their stardom well.

What about the next stars? How will they handle success?

Ernie Els. Phil Mickelson. Tiger Woods. Annika Sorenstam. Karrie Webb.

There is absolutely no doubt about their talent. The question becomes: How will they handle what happens after they have won?

“It’s how they deal with the pressure of being pulled at,” Lopez said about the emerging stars. “Some people aren’t comfortable winning.

“I wanted to win. I didn’t care what it took.”

Lopez thrived in the limelight.

“There are some people out here who can’t deal with the aftermath of winning,” she said. “One player who has won came up to me and said, ‘I feel like I have a sign on me that says: ‘I’m approachable,”’ Lopez said, a little amazed by the player’s reluctance to accept stardom.

“I loved it,” Lopez said, flashing that drop-dead smile. “I loved the attention.”

That’s a huge part of stardom - being able to accept the responsibilities and demands of winning.

Building the staggering numbers of a Nicklaus or Palmer or Lopez involved being able to handle the attention that comes with success.

Nick Price won 18 tournaments worldwide from 1991 through ‘94, including two PGA Championships and the British Open. Then the demands of winning got to him. He hasn’t won on tour in almost two years.

“I just wanted someone else to take the heat for a while,” Price said. “I got tired of giving 3,000 autographs a day, of answering the same questions over and over again. I just got tired.”

Price, who took several weeks off last year, understood exactly the problem.

“It’s burnout,” Price said. “I just need some time off, pure and simple. I’ve got to try to stop the problem I’m having, which is not enjoying myself on the golf course.”

Els, who has won once on the PGA Tour since taking the 1994 U.S. Open, said virtually the same thing - complaining of the distractions of a new house and new business deals.

The latest to feel the pressure of winning is Steve Elkington, who took the PGA Championship last August.

“When I left Riviera last year I realized that my life had changed forever,” Elkington said. “If I had realized how much hoopla it had created, I might not have been able to do it.”

So that becomes the dilemma: Not just who can win, but who can handle winning. The next Palmer, Nicklaus or Lopez will be not just the player with their skills on the course, but also with their skills off it.

“Nothing really bothers me except that stinking hole,” Lopez said.

That’s why she was a champion.

The question is: Who’s next?