NAME: Bob Eastwood. AGE: 51.
JOINED SENIOR PGA TOUR: 1996.
BACKGROUND: Eastwood captured his first championship as a member of the Senior PGA Tour last weekend, prevailing in the rain-shortened Bell Atlantic Classic in Malvern, Pa. Eastwood fired rounds of 66-69, edging John Bland and Bob E. Smith by one shot.
RAIN MAN: Eastwood won the tournament by making birdies at his final two holes on Saturday, including rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole. He was declared champion early Sunday afternoon when it was decided more than half the tournament field would not be able to finish the third round, which would have enabled a Monday finish.
DROUGHT ENDED: Eastwood had not ventured into the winner's circle since 1985, when, as a member of the PGA Tour, he captured the Byron Nelson Classic in Texas. It was one of three titles he won while playing the younger circuit. In 1984, Eastwood won the USF&G; Classic and the Danny Thomas-Memphis Classic.
ONE FOR DAD: Eastwood immediately dedicated his victory last weekend to his father, Fred, who was hospitalized in California after a series of strokes. Fred Eastwood was a former driving range and golf course owner who introduced his son to the game when Bob was 4 years old. "I hope he realizes that I won a tournament and knows that I dedicated it to him," Eastwood said.
He's healthy. He's ready. He's back.
Using those words, Callaway Golf launched a series of advertisements this week with its newest representative, John Daly. He officially returned to the PGA Tour on Thursday, teeing off at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio after a two-month stay at the Betty Ford Center in California, where he underwent alcohol counseling. Daly shot 76-71 to make the cut by a shot.
It's not the first time Long John has returned to golf after careening off life's road, informing us that he's all better. Daly emerged from counseling at Sierra Tucson in 1993, telling us his life was going to be different, and in control. He did not follow up on his aftercare, though, admittedly skipping directly from Step 1 to 12 in Alcoholics Anonymous' 12-step program.
"I just said that I quit," Daly said last Tuesday, "which is the stupidest thing I could have ever said."
Daly, 31, is fortunate to have another chance. Since his drunken spree at The Players Championship in late March, his third wife, Paulette, has filed for divorce, and he was dumped from an estimated $10 million equipment deal by Wilson.
Along comes Callaway founder Ely Callaway to the rescue. Callaway has signed Daly to an equipment contract that extends into a new century. The contract is back-loaded, which means Daly must stay on the straight and narrow and attend aftercare if he is to receive his riches later down the road.
He thinks he's ready to grow up.
He's asking for one more chance.
At the tail end of Daly's Callaway ads, it reads, "Keep It Straight, John."
Daly thought of those words himself.
PGA Tour: Thursday-Sunday, Kemper Open, TPC at Avenel, Potomac, Md. TV: CBS; defending champion, Steve Stricker.
LPGA Tour: Thursday-Sunday, Oldsmobile Classic, Walnut Hills Country Club, East Lansing, Mich.; TV: ESPN; defending champion, Michelle McGann.
house Golf Club, Nashville, Tenn.; TV: NBC; defending champion, Isao Aoki.
Miscellaneous: Monday, U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying (36 holes), Bay Hill Club, Orlando; Wednesday, Florida State Amateur Qualifying, Timacuan Golf and Country Club, Lake Mary.