WHAT'S Love got to do with it? Davis Love III, that is. Leonard and Love were grand, too
Ernie Els won the $400,000 top prize in record fashion and Tiger Woods captivated the largest gallery ever to watch golf on Kauai in the MasterCard PGA Grand Slam on Monday and Tuesday.
But the PGA Grand Slam, which involves the winners of golf's majors, is really about the four champions who qualified. Earning eligibility into the tournament is difficult - not even the previous year's winner qualifies.
So just talking about Els and Woods, who finished first and second, wouldn't do justice to the other two - Love and Justin Leonard. They will represent the U.S. in the World Cup this weekend.
First, let's talk about the guy who finished last.
Leonard, the British Open champion, might not have enjoyed his two days at the Poipu Bay Resort golf course. But the young Texan kept his sense of humor. He would fit right in as a television golf analyst. He knows the game and he's quick with the repartee.
Of the four, Leonard came up with the best sound bytes. Of course, if the game's not going well, being lippy helps.
He bogeyed the first hole in the 36-hole showdown. It was all downhill after that for Leonard, whose first-day 77 knocked him out of contention from the get-go. He finished 16 shots behind Els and 11 behind third-place Love.
So what could he say? "When Ernie made par on the first hole (Monday), that was as big a lead as he needed on me."
WHEN Els, who won his second U.S. Open in four years in 1997, began commending Woods and Love on their "hot streaks," Leonard turned to him with a pained look and asked, "What about me?"
Els gave him a polite back-handed compliment: "You had a hot streak. You made about seven pars in a row. Not bad."
When Leonard birdied the 32nd hole, the par-5 14th, he yelled over to the other three, "You guys better start playing, I'm getting into my rhythm now."
Kidded about a "top-10" finish, Leonard replied, "Fourth place. I can put that on my resumé."
Leonard's funniest misadventure came after he got into trouble on the par-4, 501-yard 16th hole the first day. The lava wall along the left side of the fairway, which sits high atop a sea cliff, is regarded as an archeological treasure. A local rule prohibits players from touching it with a club or while in their stance.
"You got to be kidding," Leonard said.
Told it was a one-stroke penalty or a thousand-year curse, Leonard punched out sideways without touching the wall en route to a double bogey.
The next day he didn't take any chances. After each shot Leonard said, "Mahalo, thank you, mahalo."
He parred the hole.
LOVE was my sentimental pick, especially after his victory in the final Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International 11 days ago. His entire family was there, including 4-year-old son Davis Love IV, nicknamed "Quatro."
Ask the younger Love who his favorite golfer is and he'll reply, Tiger or Justin Leonard.
"Depends who talks to him last," said his dad, who's enjoying a lucrative November.
Along with the $216,000 he won at Kapalua, Love pocketed $276,000 for finishing third in the Tour Championship to start the month and picked up $200,000 for placing third in the Grand Slam.
And November's not over. He's at the World Cup this weekend. And at the end of the month he will play in the Million-Dollar Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, for the first time.
Then it's plenty of rest, according to Love. But good news for local golf fans.
"I'll see you in the Hawaiian Open," he promised.