STROKE OF THE DAY |
"The players themselves can be classified into two groups- the attractions and the entry fees." |
-Jimmy Demaret |
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He has won the Masters, the U.S. Open, and two PGA Championships. In 1966, Ray drove to Horizon Hills in El Paso, Texas. A big-money guy from Dallas’s Tenison Park Golf Course named Fat Mickey had set up a match between Ray and the club car boy. They played each other for two days. That handyman was Lee Trevino. They both remember that when they teed off, they were followed by a bunch of pickup trucks bouncing down the fairway, full of gamblers drinking beer and watching the match. They both have come a long way and still enjoy remembering those old Texas days. Glenn: People talk about the look on your face when you were on your way to winning a tournament. They called it “The Ray Floyd Stare.” What was that all about? Ray: What you saw was total focus. A state when physically you know you are right, and then mentally you get right. These things put you at your very best level. It is the top of the game. It’s like a zone. It is the ultimate. Glenn: Did you have an idol? Ray: Yes. Arnold Palmer, he is everything that golf is all about — integrity, camaraderie and fun. Glenn: What drives you to be the best? Ray: My desire, my will to compete. That keeps me trying all the time. I’m always trying to improve. Glenn: What swing thought have you always had to work on? Ray: I have got to feel that my swing is under control. So my focus is on the rhythm of the swing. Glenn Monday is a Los Angeles-based teaching professional and author of “Know Your Swing.” He can be reached at (310) 322-8924. |
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