Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Golfing great. 1991 and 1999 US Open winner. Also won PGA Championship in 1989.
DOB: January 30, 1957 In: Springfield, MO
Childhood Heroes: Jack Nicklaus – a person I tried to model myself after. My dad (Bill).
Early Golf Memory: Winning Father-Son Three Hole golf tournament at Hickory Hills Country Club (age 4).
First Job: Cleaning up for one hour at night at a book/record store. JC Penney salesman in sports department.
Favorite Movies: Raiders Of The Lost Ark movies. Lethal Weapon movies. Patton – what a great movie that was.
Favorite Athletes To Watch: Michael Jordan. Charles Barkley – we’re friends. Carl Lewis. Bjorn Borg. Wayne Gretzky – pretty awesome. Joe Montana. Orel Hershiser.
Greatest Sports Moment: Everybody thinks the US Open. The 1979 Missouri State Amateur Championship. My dad won the Missouri State Senior Championship that same year. That was special for me.
Favorite Golfers To Watch: Jack Nicklaus. Seve Ballesteros – I used to love to watch Seve when he was playing well.
Favorite Sport To Watch Outside Golf: Basketball.
Favorite Sport To Play Outside Golf: Basketball.
Closest Friends In Golf: Paul Azinger. Dan Pohl. Mark O’Meara. Roger Maltbie. Wayne O’Grady. Ian Baker-Finch.
Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, music, hunting, fishing, dancing.
First Car: 1964 green Volkswagen Bug. Hand-me-down from my sister in my sophomore year in college. Great car, always started.
Nicknames: Propane, Stewpuss, Payner.
Favorite Meal: Steak – cooked myself on the barbecue, marinated in a special sauce.
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: Nutri Grain Almond Raisin. Just Right. Try to eat healthy.
Musical Tastes: Old rock and roll. Big Band – great to dance to. Good country. Huey Lewis. Grateful Dead. Stephen Stills. Vince Gill.
Favorite Golf Courses: Monterey Peninsula (CA). Cypress Point (CA). St. Andrews (Scotland). Pebble Beach (CA).
Funniest Golfer Encountered: Paul Azinger.
Favorite TV Show: Seinfeld – pretty funny show.
Interesting Fact: Never been in a fight in my life. Always found it easier to walk away. Let ’em call you names.
People I Most Admire: My father Bill. My mother Bee. A lot of people for different reasons.
Family: Wife, Tracey; son, Aaron; daughter, Chelsea.
Education: Southern Methodist University (Business).
Future Ambition: Make a difference in someone else’s life.
(Artwork by LeRoy Neiman.)
(NOTE: This Biofile was conducted at the 1993 US Open in Springfield, NJ at Baltusrol.)
