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There’s no shortage of great golf movies, from “Follow the Sun” to “Caddyshack.” But there’s always room for more. Here are five golf films we’d love to see get made. “Long John’s Great Adventure”  Subject: John Daly. Reason: Few golfers have caught the public’s fancy like Daly, who came out of nowhere to win the 1991 PGA Championship and has hit rock bottom on several occasions since then. Rags to riches component: Daly was the last alternate in the 1991 PGA and has earned — and lost — millions since that time. Superhero quotient: Daly’s prodigious drives are the stuff of legend. Everyman quality: Daly’s personality, physique and persona put him in the camp of the average guy. Dramatic tension: Daly’s life has had more than its share of tragedies, including his battles with alcohol, gambling, weight and spouses. Yet he’s still endeared by millions who either enjoy a train wreck or love a tale of redemption. Working against its development: Would it have a happy ending? Short list for the lead: John Goodman, Kevin James, Jonah Hill.  “A Life of Payne”Subject: Payne Stewart. Reason: Stewart, who died at 42, transformed himself from a jerk into one of the great guys on the PGA Tour. Even non-golf fans knew him because of his colorful on-course attire. Rags to riches component: Stewart’s acerbic and aloof personality changed when he found religion. He settled down and became a great family man and one of golf’s best ambassadors. Superhero quotient: Stewart’s clothing choices on the course just were as visually arresting as any superhero’s costume. Everyman quality: Though Stewart found fame and fortune on the tour, he never seemed elitist in his later years. Dramatic tension: Stewart lost the 1998 U.S. Open by a stroke, and then won the following year. Four months later, he died in a freak airplane crash. Working against its development: The hero is not a household name. Short list for the lead: Kevin Costner. “Eyes on the Tiger”  Subject: The story of Earl Woods and his influence on his son, Tiger. Reason: The elder Woods might not have had his son’s game, but he had a larger-than-life persona and lots of character. Rags to riches component: The Woods weren’t poor, but they didn’t belong to a ritzy country club. Tiger has made a few bucks since those humbler times. Superhero quotient: Doesn’t everyone want to know more about Kal-El and Thomas Wayne (the fathers of Superman and Batman, respectively)? Everyman quality: Earl Woods was a Vietnam War veteran who loved to play golf, and his son’s game was honed on no-frills public courses in the Southland. Dramatic tension: Both father and son faced obstacles — from racism to economics — and overcame them. Working against its development: The son dwarfs the father, who would be the film’s protagonist. Short list for the leads: Danny Glover, James Earl Jones (Earl Woods); Denzel Washington, Will Smith (grown-up Tiger).  “The Match” Subject: Mark Frost’s masterful book about an unpublicized 1956 golf match with Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson against Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. Reason: The contest between two of the era’s greatest professionals (Hogan and Nelson) and two of the best amateurs (Venturi and Ward) helped transform golf from a game for a privileged few into an accepted game for the masses. Rags to riches component: An unheralded match eventually defines the generation. Superhero quotient: Nelson and Hogan are legends, and Venturi could have been one had his career not been derailed by injuries. Everyman quality: Ward was a millionaire playboy, but Venturi’s dad was a fish twine salesman. Nelson was the son of a cotton farmer and Hogan’s dad was a blacksmith. Dramatic tension: The dreams of two amateurs against two of the game’s greatest giants. Who will win? Working against its development: It was only a friendly match that’s generally held in high regard by the most astute golf purists. Short list for the leads: Hogan (Tom Cruise); Nelson (Luke Wilson); Venturi (Justin Timberlake); Ward (Jack Wagner).  “The Cup”Subject: The history of the Ryder Cup, in documentary form. Reason: The biennial matches between teams of Americans and Europeans have featured the game’s greatest players and lots of drama. Rags to riches component: It started out as a friendly exhibition but has grown into a fiercely contested rivalry that often transcends professional tours. Superhero quotient: Hagen, Hogan, Nelson, Palmer, Nicklaus, Jacklin, Ballesteros, Garcia, Woods, just to name a few. Everyman quality: It has often morphed into a spirited patriotic battle. Dramatic tension: The infamous “War on the Shore” in 1991 brought the event to a new level, and that 1999 match that featured Justin Leonard’s 45-foot birdie putt and the ensuing controversial celebration ensured it would stay at that level. Working against its development: The media hypes the heck out of it, but only true golfers seem to care. Short list for the lead: It’s a documentary, but Samuel L. Jackson could narrate. |
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