One For
The Boys
Tom Lewis is 20 years old, quiet,
frighteningly calm and British. He needed
just three starts to commandeer his first
pro tournament, Europe’s Portugal Masters
Sunday. His future has arrived on a bullet train.
Ben Crane is 35 years years old,
outgoing, historically slow and American.
He needed overtime last week before
surviving a playoff with Webb Simpson and
winning the McGladrey Classic in Georgia.
Almost makes you nostalgic for the
infamous “Golf Boys” video (see inset).
Anyway, to say Lewis and Crane are a
study in contrasts is to grossly understate.
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, South
Korea’s Na Yeon Choi may be the only player
right now who can stand up to the dominant
Yani Tseng. Choi held off Tseng in Malaysia
and has emerged as perhaps the best
swinger of the golf club on the LPGA.
Choi’s was the 100th LPGA victory for
a player of Korean descent. “Icing on the
cake,” she said when apprised of that stat.
Not to torture the cooking metaphor ... but
Lewis, for his part, was the cookie who
didn’t crumble. Crane would be more into
marination.
Finally, from the Tiger Woods beat: It has
been reported that Florida neighbor and
International Presidents Cup captain Greg
Norman has said he wouldn’t have taken
Woods as a pick if he had been Fred Couples.
No surprise Woods and Norman aren’t
speaking these days. As for Couples (who
could care less what Norman thinks), he
was busy waltzing to a seven-shot win on
the Champions Tour.
