Since then, he's gotten to know what a hospital bed looks like. Let's see, he had a skiing accident and tore up his knee in 1993, and since then he's had numerous other knee problems, along with various shoulder and back maladies. Last year it was the back again, then yet another maddening mishap when he tore a pectoral muscle. He was in such a fragile state that not until the next-to-last tournament did he break into the rarified air of a top 10.
Of course, he has to be delicately reminded every so often that a reduction in weight just might work wonders for his skeletal system. He usually fluctuates between the 230 and 250 mark, and such excess poundage does not normally promote a strong, supple back.
Photo: © Jeff Gross/Getty Images |
| Calcavecchia is carry a bit more excess baggage than he did 20 years ago, but aren't we all? |
|
But Calc is much too free a spirit to adhere to an exercise regime. And, by golly, he's right on when he notes that a wily old mind can often trump a fit young physique.
"You know, golf's a game where us old guys can still get it done every now and then, and if everything lines up right, we can still do it," he observes in one of those rare moments when he is into the art of philosophy.
"So, you know, my case, it's just as far as my game goes, I don't feel like I'm 46. My body, my back and whatnot feel it. I'm not quite as good as I used to be, but it's still there. I'm still the same guy and I've got a ton of game. It's just a little harder to bring it out as often as I want to."
It usually happens at least once a year where the older gents rise up and smack the kids on the behind. Freddie Couples and Craig Stadler both did it to the youngsters in 2003. Roly-poly Craig Parry whapped the field at Doral in 2004. Corey Pavin slapped around everyone at Milwaukee last year. And Calcavecchia himself did it at Canadian Open in 2005.
Calc, though, has taken the streaky thing to an extreme. When he occasionally gets hot, he just sizzles. In Phoenix in 2001, he went on a tear and finished at 256, or 28-under-par, a PGA Tour record for fewest strokes. Oh - he won that time by eight shots. He's the only guy to reach 30-under at the Bob Hope and fail to win - and he did it twice. He won Sunday despite opening with a 75, roaring back with a 67 on Friday then a 62 on Saturday. In 1992 he went nuts at Augusta and set a Masters' scoring record of 29 on the back nine.
Photo: © Jeff Vinnick/Gett |
| Calcavecchia was hot back in 2005 when he won the Bell Canadian Open. |
|
"I don't play that much to be consistent," he explained his penchant for those sudden surges, followed by prolonged bouts of normalcy. "I never have and I never will. I don't like practice. I don't like to work out.
"There are a lot of things that I don't like to do that I should be doing. I was blessed with a God-given talent to play golf. I understand how to play golf and I know when it's funny, when I'm hitting decent and putting decent, my brain kicks into gear and I'm pretty good. I guess that's the definition of 'streaky."
The streaks are quite pronounced, actually. In 2001 he finished 17th on the tour money list, but by 2004 he was all the way down to 112th after struggling mightily with the putter. Oops, he jumped up to 25 in 2005 when he won the Canadian Open at age 45. But then, last year he had to rely on a couple of top-20 finishes in the final two tournaments of the season to finish No. 120 and avoid Q-School.
And now this - a win. And even this year he has ridden the roller coaster, missing cuts at Hawaii, Phoenix and Honda, sandwiched around a tie for eighth at the Hope, a tie for fourth at San Diego and last week's win.
Sounds like a guy who flames out many times, but is never afraid to post a ridiculously low number.
Photo: © Marc Serota/Getty Images |
| Calcavecchia is never afraid of winning. |
|
"Not afraid; I panic sometimes," he said with a huge laugh. "Sometimes I just get lucky. The older you get, the harder it gets.
"Last year, I don't think I shot better than 5-under par until Disney World any one round. So I didn't go low once last year, except I shot 9-under on Saturday at the Magnolia (at Disney.) But I know it's in there. I still have a lot of good shots in my bag and I can get on a roll and keep it going."
Calc obviously is just about as common as Joe next door. He's just another guy who loves to bowl, loves to pound down a brewski or two, loves to relax and enjoy himself a little. The only difference is, he's a Joe who just happens to have won over $20 million playing this crazy game.
" Yeah - I mean, I don't push myself hard enough, to tell you the truth," he admitted, "because if I did, I wouldn't weigh as much as I weigh and I'd be in better shape and I'd be able to practice more, and I'd probably be better than I am.
"But I love to play out here, I still do. I get fired up to go to tournaments, and sometimes the travel obviously is tough, but I've been doing it so long, it's no big deal."
He runs hot, he runs cold, he wins, he loses, and occasionally he ends up flat on his back for his efforts. But one thing is always the same - Mark Calcavecchia is just Mark Calcavecchia.
Back to top
