Stocktons Hope to Be Golf’s First Family

It was just past noon Saturday, and Cathy Stockton stood by the first green at Riviera Country Club, antennae up.

Tammy Stockton had been watching television and hot-footed it to the course to give her mother-in-law the news from the East:

Dave Jr. was tied for the lead in the CVS Classic, a PGA Tour event in Sutton, Mass.

“I was so excited,” Cathy Stockton said. “And so was she.”

Tammy is Ronnie’s wife, and Ronnie is Dave Jr.’s little brother and the Nike Tour-playing member of the Stockton Golf Co., which this weekend has operations in Massachusetts, South Dakota and Pacific Palisades.

To complete the roll call, Dave Jr.’s wife, Diane, is at home, too pregnant to travel.

After sorting all that out, understand that Cathy’s excitement had nothing to do with the old man putting out for par en route to a two-over-par 73 in the third round of the U.S. Senior Open, or even his being tied with Hale Irwin and Isao Aoki, three shots behind Raymond Floyd.

Uh, been there, done that. Dave Sr. has won the senior Open (in 1996) and he has played Riviera probably 300 times, going back to his days at USC.

She wanted to talk about the kid, and the old man wanted to listen. It helps him get his mind off his problems, such as how to stick a five-iron onto a slick green from barbed-wire rough.

“Cathy walked up after nine to get the results,” Stockton said. “And I saw her on the No. 12 green and walked over and [Senior PGA Tour official] Phil Stambaugh had given her a printout, so we saw that he is tied with Willie Wood, with somebody one shot behind him, so he is in good shape.”

Actually, in really good shape, because the kid had three birdies and an eagle. Pop had two birdies Saturday.

They play birdies, sort of like comparing daily report cards, and when they talked Saturday night, Dave Sr. would have Dave Jr.’s round, hole by hole, courtesy of the Internet.

“I don’t think the kikuyu is as bad at Pleasant Valley,” Stockton cracked.

He should know, having won there in 1971.

Historical note: His main competition in that tournament came from Raymond Floyd.

Actually, the kikuyu wasn’t all that bad at Riviera if you stayed away from it. Stockton by and large did, which--together with his putting--is why he’s on Floyd’s heels.

“I basically missed one fairway [Friday in shooting 70] and missed two fairways today,” he said. “And both were in the intermediate cut.”

But enough about him.

Cathy was still waxing enthusiastic about the weekend’s possibilities.

Not about hubby. The kid.

“It would mean so much to him,” she said. “A win would mean that he could play on the tour and earn a good living.”

And put him only 24 tournament victories behind Pop.