Amy Alcott Figures Win or Lose, She’s Having a Good Time

POWAY —  Whatever happens on the golf course, life is a lark for Amy Alcott.

A week ago, Alcott got such a kick out of winning the Nabisco Dinah Shore tournament in Rancho Mirage that she jumped into the water alongside the 18th green. Her caddy, Bill Kurre, went with her.

Saturday, after shooting a 67 that moved her into a tie for seventh place in the San Diego Inamori Classic at StoneRidge Country Club, Alcott talked about what she might do for an encore if she charges to victory today.

“I don’t think you can see me dive in again,” she said. “It wouldn’t have the same effect. I might do one of my dances, or maybe I’ll burn my bra.”

Obviously, it would take an unlikely combination of circumstances for Alcott to be forced into making such a decision. She is six strokes behind the new leader, Ayako Okamoto, who fired a tournament-record 63 Saturday, and five shots behind second-place Colleen Walker.

Still, Alcott said, “I like the position I’m in. I’ve got a chance. I’m playing some of the best golf I’ve ever played in my life. I can’t hit the ball any better than I’ve been hitting it.”

If Alcott doesn’t win today, or even if she fails to come close, it won’t be a big deal. She is having too much fun to worry about such trifles, and not just because she is the year’s leading money-winner and the third woman to earn $2 million on the LPGA Tour.

There is another job waiting for Alcott when she returns home to Santa Monica. It’s a bit on the menial side, but you can be sure she isn’t putting you on when she says she enjoys it as much as playing golf. Believe it or not, she works part-time behind the counter at the Butterfly Bakery in Westwood.

“I sling hash,” she said. “I was on the ‘AM L.A.’ show recently, promoting the Amy Alcott Hole-in-One Special. The ingredients are alfalfa sprouts, fried eggs, Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard, croissant and tomato.

“It’s fun for me. I wear cutoffs and act just anybody else. I’m not Amy Alcott, famous girl star. I yell out, ‘Hey, we got a ham, turkey and Swiss with Russian dressing.’ Or, ‘Gimme a ham and cheese on rye, and hold the mayo.’

“Sports celebrities come in, and we have a ball. I do it once or twice a week.”

But no more diving exhibitions? After all, Jerry Pate did a rerun on the men’s tour.

“That’s all everybody’s been saying to me this week,” Alcott said. “They tell me they hope I win here so I can jump in the lake on the 18th hole again. They say, ‘Hey, we’ve got water here, too.’

“Actually, what happened last week was my caddy’s idea. After I holed out, he looked at me, and he looked at the water, and he said, ‘You’re going in.’ I looked at him, and he looked at me again, and the next thing I knew, we were in 5 feet of water.

“Everybody has been telling me I got 3 for artistic style and 4.8 for my landing. My doctor happened to be in the gallery, and he said, ‘Oh, my God. You could have cracked your head open.’ If I had, I probably would have shot a 64.”

Alcott even had some fun with StoneRidge’s bumpy greens, which have brought criticism from countless players during the week.

“You can’t play Augusta National every week,” she said. “I made a joke to my caddy about it, but everybody has to putt on the same greens. You’ve got to laugh it off.”

Of her four-under-par round Saturday, she said, “I had five birdies and one bogey. I three-putted from 20 feet on 5, right after sinking a 30-footer for a par on 4.

“What really hurt me was a string of near-misses from 13 through 16. On 13 and 14, my birdie putts lipped out from 18 and 10 feet, respectively. I had putts on 15 and 16 that were almost gimmes, 10 and 5 feet, and missed both of them.

“I’ve missed a lot of makable putts this week, probably 10 of them. When you figure those in, I guess I’m fortunate to be as close as I am. But, as I said, the greens aren’t easy here.”

Not content with doubling as a golfer and short-order counter person, Alcott serves as playing editor for Golf Digest. Now she even plans to write a book.

“It’s in the works,” she said. “I’m going to do it with Charles Schulz (of ‘Peanuts’ fame), and it will be for junior golfers. They’re the lifeblood of the game, and I’ll always remember what junior golf did for me.”

Alcott’s tour-leading money total of $118,652 this year has boosted her career earnings to $2,050,831. She trails only Pat Bradley, who has won $2,431,850, and JoAnne Carner, who has won $2,141,879. Besides winning the Dinah Shore, Alcott has finished 4th, 5th, 9th and 11th.

Bradley, mired in a year-long slump, is 16 shots off the pace after three rounds here. Carner passed up this tournament.

“A lot of people think that’s (career earnings) important, but I don’t agree,” Alcott said. “I’ve never put pressure on myself for that. I want to win the Vare Trophy for the best average. If you do that, you’re bound to get some money.

“No, money isn’t my big personal priority. It’s more important for me to enjoy what I’m doing.”