Stylish Stewart Out to Show He Still Has Some Substance

PEBBLE BEACH —  So if the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is the modern-day equivalent of Bing Crosby’s old Clambake, then you would have to say Payne Stewart looks like a throwback to golf’s golden days, with his little blue cap, his blue sweater and his green and black plus-fours with the long blue socks.

Come to think of it, with that costume, you take Stewart off the course and he’d be the guy parking cars at the Lodge. Anyway, Stewart might dress like some sort of antique, but he certainly isn’t playing like one.

Stewart pulled up his socks Friday and walked all over Poppy Hills, where he turned in an eight-under 64 and managed to assume the second-round lead of this Clambake-turned-AT&T-turned-fashion; fest.

He doesn’t have an equipment contract or a bag deal, but what Stewart does have is a pretty fair attitude about what he should be doing on the course at the age of 42. And it isn’t holding up little wooden paddles asking the gallery to be quiet.

“Money is not the object for me,” said Stewart, the 1991 U.S. Open champion who has made nearly $10 million in his 18-year career.

“I want some more trophies. That’s what’s driving me. I’m not out here because I need a paycheck; I want to win golf tournaments again.”

Well, if that’s the case, at least he’s off to a good start. Stewart’s 36-hole total of 11-under 133 leads Vijay Singh and Frank Lickliter by three shots going into what is expected to be a wet weekend.

Singh, best known for winning the PGA Championship last year, shot a 67 at Poppy Hills. Lickliter, best known for pulling a knife on a bar patron who insulted his girlfriend a few years ago, shot a 68 at Poppy Hills.

Fred Couples eagled the 18th hole at Pebble Beach when he chipped in from 40 feet to finish with a 65 to tie David Duval, Craig Stadler and Charles Warren at 137. Tiger Woods shot a 69 at Poppy Hills, and he’s eight shots back at 141.

Duval’s 65 at Poppy Hills was his ninth round under 70 in 15 rounds this year.

Meanwhile, the leader made the most of a round played in sunshine with almost no wind. Stewart missed only two fairways and two greens, putted for eagle three times (with a new putter he stuck in the bag this week) and played the par fives in five under.

Other than that, it was sort of routine for Stewart, who wants to return to his winning ways before he forgets how it feels. The last time he won was in 1995 in Houston, and that one came when Scott Hoch completely fell apart on the back nine.

So what has been Stewart’s problem?

“Oh, balls keep falling out of trees and I keep getting sand divots and things like that,” Stewart said.

He was talking about his bad luck in the last round of the 1998 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club. That’s where eventual winner Lee Janzen drove his ball into a tree and it fell out at the last minute . . . and where Stewart hit a perfect drive and the ball rolled into a sand divot to rob him of any chance to reach the green.

Stewart finished with a 74 while Janzen finished with a 68 and won by one shot.

“You know, you need some breaks to win golf tournaments,” Stewart said. “And as long as I can put myself in a position to win, then I’ll get my share of the breaks and I will win.”

Stadler had what he called a pretty easy day at Pebble Beach with a five-under 67. If he keeps up the pace, Stadler could move up in the official world rankings and get invited to the $5-million Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship in three weeks at La Costa.

The top 64 players in the rankings get in. Guess how much Stadler is thinking about it.

“Not much,” he said. “I was right on the bubble, and now I’m 140th or something.”

Not exactly. Last week, he was at No. 64 and now he’s at No. 70--not that Stadler is worried about making the field.

“If I don’t,” he said, “I’ll go home and rest and not lose a minute of sleep.”

Stewart’s 31 on the front tied the nine-hole course record, which is nearly as impressive as the fact that he’s using a $130 golf bag. Because Stewart has no bag deal, he bought it himself back home in Orlando at a discount shop next to the Kmart.

“I shop there too,” he said.

This weekend’s shopping spree to decide this $2.8-million tournament may be interrupted by rain, which is supposed to appear today and Sunday. Stewart says he will create his own destiny, like everybody else. He’s just going to look a little different doing it.

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Pebble Beach Leaders

Leaders through Friday’s play (Complete scores, Page 10)

Payne Stewart: 69-64--133 -11

Frank Lickliter: 68-68--136 -8

Vijay Singh: 69-67--136 -8

Fred Couples: 72-65--137 -7

Craig Stadler: 70-67--137 -7

David Duval: 72-65--137 -7

Charles Warren III: 71-66--137 -7

Three tied at 138-6