Thursday, September 23, 1999
KROGER NOTEBOOK
Swann's day at links a little off course
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — Lynn Swann's ball went past the green on his final hole. When he tried chipping it on, it hit a thin green pole that held up the rope around the course.
Former NFL star Lynn Swann hits the rough on teh ninth hole during Wednesday's Pro-Am tournament.
(Gary Landers photo)
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“Been that kind of day,” the former star receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers said.
Swann competed in the Firstar Pro-Am, playing with pro Rocky Thompson's group Wednesday. The uncle of Swan's wife uncle works for Kroger, and he said he started playing in pro-ams here about seven years ago. He missed the event last year because of a scheduling conflict.
He will play at 8 a.m. today, then leave for Chapel Hill, N.C., where he will work Saturday's Florida State-North Carolina college football game for ABC.
Swann said he played “terrible” Wednesday.
“I want to do well because I want to do well, I like to help my team,” he said. “I don't practice enough, I don't play enough to come out here expecting to tear it up. I expect to hit some good shots from time to time and play some good holes. I know I hit some bad shots and played some bad holes.
“I ended the day having used one sleeve of golf balls. That's good.”
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Al Geiberger, the 1991 Kroger champ, and his family were honored as the golf family of the year by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association of New York.
In July, Al's son Brent won his first PGA Tour event — the Canon Greater Hartford Open. Another son, John, is the men's golf coach at Pepperdine and led his team to an NCAA championship in '97, his first year as coach. John caddied for Al when he won the title here.
Bryan Geiberger, 22, is a golfer at Oregon State. Al Jr., 11, and Kathleen, 8, also play golf.
“It's exciting,” Al said. “You don't know what they're going to do when they grow up. I wasn't really pushing them (to golf). I just started dangling the bait.
“John's a very good player. Jack Nicklaus asked him last year why he isn't playing on the (PGA) tour. John's comment was, “Because I could never beat my brother.' ”
VERSATILE GROUP: Several golfers competing this week have backgrounds in other sports.
Hale Irwin played football at Colorado. Frank Conner played tennis at Trinity University in San Antonio. David Lundstrom played on Bradley's basketball team. Jim Albus played baseball at Bucknell. DeWitt Weaver played football at Southern Methodist and Jim Colbert at Kansas State.
Allen Doyle competed in hockey at Norwich University in Vermont.
“I got a call from my coach in the fall of 1971 that the American Hockey League team in Hershey (Pa.) wanted me to come down and try to play for them,” Doyle said. “I had just gotten my orders from the service and was going in a month and a half. I also got invited to try out for '72 Olympic team, but had just gone in the service.”
MIA: The only Kroger past champion missing is Isao Aoki, who won the event in 1996. Aoki withdrew because of a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for the past month.
CELEBRATION: Kroger officials had a birthday cake waiting in the locker room for John Bland, who turned 54 on Wednesday.
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