GOLF

Winged Foot: Curtis Strange tells finalists about focus he used to win U.S. Open twice

Adam Fisher
Naples

For two-time U.S. Open champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Curtis Strange, the recipe for success isn’t complicated.

Curtis Strange goes over his speech during a banquet at Artis-Naples in Naples, Fla., on Thursday, May 24, 2018. The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Foundation will give $5,000 to each of its finalists. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship — $2,500 a year for four years; the other finalists receive one-time stipends.

It’s all about hard work – being dedicated to the work, loving the work and staying focused on the work. That’s what Strange told the crowd Thursday as the keynote speaker at the 29th annual Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award banquet at Artis–Naples.

Strange, a 17-time winner on the PGA Tour, used the work ethic he preached 30 years ago next month to win the 1988 U.S. Open. A year later, he used his singular focus to win it again.

Curtis Strange gives a speech during a banquet at Artis-Naples in Naples, Fla., on Thursday, May 24, 2018. The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Foundation will give $5,000 to each of its finalists. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship Ñ $2,500 a year for four years; the other finalists receive one-time stipends.

 

Strange said he was so full of nerves and anxiety heading into the 1990 U.S. Open, looking to become the first person to win three in a row, that it almost was a relief when he lost.

“I was wound tight,” said Strange, a part-time Naples resident. “I had a long talk with Arnold (Palmer) years ago and he told me, ‘I never did well when I wasn’t anxious.’ Nobody plays well when you’re not on point. Something has to be on the line.”

More:2018 Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete finalists announced

The pressure wasn’t there in 1989 because no one imagined Strange would win again. Only one person had ever won back to back U.S. Opens, and it was Ben Hogan back in 1950-51.

Strange said once he found out the odds against repeating, it stuck in his head and he didn’t play well. He entered the final round three strokes off the lead. However, that helped take the pressure off again and Strange was able to charge back and win his second major.

Curtis Strange poses with Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Award finalists during a banquet at Artis-Naples in Naples, Fla., on Thursday, May 24, 2018. The Winged Foot Scholar-Athlete Foundation will give $5,000 to each of its finalists. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship — $2,500 a year for four years; the other finalists receive one-time stipends.

Now 29 years later, Strange still is the last person to win two in a row.

“I’m amazed some others have not done it,” Strange said before Thursday’s banquet. “Arnold should have won three or four. Who would have thought Tiger Woods wouldn’t have won two in a row after annihilating the field at Pebble Beach (in 2000)?”

It was 18 years ago when Woods won the first of his three U.S. Opens, and he won it by 12 strokes. Now Woods is a hot topic of conversation once again after his return to prominence this season. Woods had two top-five finishes in March, finished strong at the Masters and finished 11th at The Players Championship two weeks ago.

More:Strange named keynote speaker for Winged Foot banquet

His play has people asking if Tiger, at 42 years old, can win the next major tournament – the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills from June 14-17. Strange, a TV analyst who watched Woods at the Masters this year, said of course it’s possible. It just won’t be easy.

“I’ve been happy with the way he’s played,” Strange said. “I’m not surprised because it’s Tiger. But I’m a little surprised.”

To win at Shinnecock, Strange said, Woods will have to drive better. His driving accuracy this season is 52.4 percent, the lowest of his career. Typically players get more accurate as they get older, Strange said, because they can’t hit it as far and it’s harder to get out of trouble, so they can’t afford to miss as many fairways.

Even if Woods improves his driving, winning at Shinnecock won’t be easy. The U.S. Open never is, Strange said, which is why he’s 62 years old and he’s still the only person to repeat as champ in the past 67 years.

“It’s a different golf course every year, there are 12 months in between play,” Strange said about the difficulties of repeating. “You have to be playing well for that stretch of that particular week.

“For me, I was in the right place at the right time. I was playing well. I was lucky in that regard. I took advantage of what I got.”