FURYK SWINGS AT STARDOM.Byline: Tim Brown Timothy Donell Brown (born July 22, 1966) is a retired wide receiver, who played in the National Football League. He spent sixteen years with the Oakland Raiders, during which he established himself as one of the League's most prolific wide receivers. Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk (born May 12, 1970) is an American professional golfer, known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing. In September 2006 he reached a career high of second in the Official World Golf Rankings. doesn't swing a golf club as much as he rides it. When he's finished, clowns roll barrels at it. When he swings, the clubhead darts straight up, jerks backward and then loops to the ball. Two older gentlemen sat beside each other halfway between where the ball had landed some 260 feet away and where Furyk had lashed at it. One shook his head slightly and said to his friend, ``That boy does have a hitch in his backswing back·swing n. The initial part of a stroke, in which one moves a racket or club, for instance, to the position from which forward motion begins. .'' His friend nodded. ``Mmm-hmm,'' he said. A few feet away, Mike Furyk, keeper of his son's golf swing, chuckled. ``That's a nice way to put it,'' he said. ``A hitch in his backswing. That's more like a backswing in his hitch.'' The Furyks didn't pull this swing out of an old Ben Hogan Noun 1. Ben Hogan - United States golfer who won many major golf tournaments (1912-1997) Hogan, William Benjamin Hogan book or from a David Leadbetter People called David or Dave Leadbetter include:
With it, Furyk has earned more than $1.5 million in three years on the PGA Tour The PGA Tour is an organization that operates the USA's main professional golf tours. It is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA. Its name is officially rendered in all caps as “PGA TOUR". , including nearly $750,000 last season. He has won twice on Tour, and before Tiger Woods Stricker was born in Edgerton, Wisconsin. A 1990 graduate of the University of Illinois, Stricker turned professional in 1990 and has won four times on the PGA Tour. , David Duval David Robert Duval (born November 9, 1971) is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour. Background and career Amateur career Duval was born in Jacksonville, Florida. and Woody Austin Albert Woody Austin II (born January 27, 1964) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. Austin was born in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration. He turned professional in 1986. , among others, as the most promising young players out here. Father and son rarely talk golf-swing mechanics, and never to anyone else. A former Pennsylvania club pro, Mike handed a golf club to 12-year-old Jim and then stood back. Many still do, incidentally. The result was a swing natural to Jim and unencumbered by swing stereotypes. He does not turn his hips away from the ball, and therefore the club has nowhere to go but up and away. There are no swing planes to speak of, only the feel of the ball on the club's face and Jim's remarkable ability to strike the ball solidly. He is two strokes behind leader Tom Lehman Thomas Edward Lehman (born March 7, 1959) is an American professional golfer. Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. , and is paired with Lehman for today's third round of the Mercedes Championships at La Costa Resort. Pretty swings aren't Furyk's goal. Pretty results are. ``I have no mechanical thoughts in my head when I go to play,'' said Jim, 26. ``If I do, I know I'm in trouble.'' Jim's golf swing is almost a secret between Jim and his father, a shared love for something in which almost no one else sees the beauty. ``It's nice,'' Jim said. ``I've got an extra set of eyes that have seen me since I was 12. I've never had any reason to switch to anyone else. I've got a little bit of an unorthodox swing. He's grown up with it and I've grown up with it.'' For a new instructor, Jim said, ``It would be like opening a book and reading it starting at page 150, rather than starting on the first page.'' Wandering the back nine at La Costa, Mike remembered when Jim first saw himself play golf on television. Since he had always avoided mechanic-specific lessons, Jim had never had a reason to videotape his swing. ``Wow,'' Jim told his father, ``my swing is different than everyone else's.'' No matter. In fact, they seem to enjoy Jim's departure from swing convention. Mike, who is 49, recalled that Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino once showed up on the Tour with swings that reminded no one of perfection. ``To be honest with you, we think his swing is great, that it's a real plus,'' he said. ``Everybody recognizes him by it. There isn't another one like it. This is not the first different swing. I do think it's the first swing of its type. ``We've been together so long and done it so long, it's good for Jim to understand everything about his swing. The less he needs me, the better. I don't think he's ever going to have a problem, because he's not a mechanical player.'' Furyk is among the Tour's best putters, though not one of its longer hitters. He eagled La Costa's 570-yard 17th hole Friday, with an 8-iron from 138 yards away. It rolled into the hole, and the gallery cheered the swing that put it there. From down the fairway, an older gentleman undoubtedly shook his head and marveled at the backswing hidden somewhere within that young man's hitch. MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD lead·er·board n. A board that displays the leaders in a competition. leaderboard Noun a board displaying the current scores of the leading competitors, esp in a golf tournament Tom Lehman66-67-133 -11 Jim Furyk 67-68-135 -9 Davis Love III Davis Milton Love III (born April 13, 1964) is an American professional golfer. Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. 70-67-137 -7 Tiger Woods 70-67-137 -7 Guy Boros 69-68-137 -7 Sothers Corey Pavin 70-68-138 -6 Tom Watson 70-68-138 -6 Fred Couples 69-69-138 -6 Phil Mickelson 71-68-139 -5 Justin Leonard 69-71-140 -4 Craig Stadler 71-70-141 -3 Ernie Els 72-70-142 -2 Paul Stankowski 70-72-142 -2 Nick Faldo 72-71-143 -1 Mark O'Meara 71-72-143 -1 More coverage on Page 4 CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Chart Photo: (1--color) TOM LEHMAN (2) Jim Furyk's golf swing might not be pretty, but it's earned him more than $1.5 million in three years on the PGA Tour and a berth in the Mercedes Championships. Associated Press Chart: MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD (see text) |
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