A Masterful goal for Andrade

A victim of Augusta's invitation rules, Andrade seeks to return in 2002

By Bob Verdi
With Tim Rosaforte
Golf World

Billy Andrade wants to make one thing perfectly clear. He knows he missed the Masters more than the Masters missed him.

"I love the Masters, I revere it," said Andrade. "Yeah, I wish the old Masters rules were in effect, allowing winners of PGA Tour events to qualify. That means I would have been in this year, instead of out. But I also understand that the Masters is an invitational and the new rules aren't the old rules. It's their tournament and they can do what they want, which is fine."

Andrade's career was languishing late last season until he won the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas. He continues to work on swing changes and revamped his game under the tutelage of Billy Harmon. "I'm a work in progress," he said at the WorldCom Classic last week at Harbour Town GL in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

"I used to be a cutter," said Andrade, who now is drawing the ball, too, and felt comfortable enough to finish T-10 at Harbour Town.

Quoted recently about his stance on Masters' qualifications, Andrade said some of his remarks were taken out of context. "I won the Canadian Open in 1998. It was great and the people treated me great," Andrade said. "But it doesn't compare to what it would be like in Canada if Mike Weir won, because he's Canadian. That's what I meant about how the Masters means more to Americans than to foreign players. I didn't mean foreigners don't care about the Masters, or that they should not be given special exemptions. I didn't qualify for the Masters. I didn't deserve to play. That's the bottom line. Which doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to maybe going back." Andrade, ranked 85th in the world, used Masters week for a spring break. He, wife Jody and his two children went to Mexico for fun and sun and two birthdays--Cameron James turned 7 and Grace turned 4 April 5 and April 7, respectively.

While he longs for the old qualifying standards at the Masters, he knows he must finish in the top 40 on the PGA Tour money list or be in the top 50 on the World Ranking to return to Augusta. "Remember the year Davis [Love III] won at New Orleans to qualify at the wire [1995] and then finished second [at Augusta]? I thought that was great. But the rules are different now. And I just want to earn my way back there."

Spotlight: Tom Watson

Tom Watson made the trip to Hilton Head, S.C., but he didn't make the cut. Still it was notable he chose to play the WorldCom Classic at Harbour Town GL last week instead of the Countrywide Tradition, the first major on his now customary Senior PGA Tour.

"I'm here because I want to be," said Watson, who won the event in 1979 and 1982 when it was known as the Sea Pines Heritage Classic. "This is a very special place for me. It's a relaxed family atmosphere. I have my family here this week, and that makes it enjoyable."

Watson shot par 71 for the first round and was even through 11 holes of the second round--on pace to make the cut in what he expects will be his only nonmajor venture back to the PGA Tour this season. However, he ran into trouble at Nos. 12, 13 and 14, playing the holes in four over, including a double on 14, to finish with 75.

Oddly, Watson played well at the Tradition last year when he lost to Tom Kite in a six-hole playoff that also featured Larry Nelson. While a few seniors wondered why Watson wasn't in Arizona, he had "no problem at all" selecting Hilton Head for Easter weekend. "I love this golf course," he said.

A familiar face carries Faldo's bag

Fanny Sunesson, who caddied for Nick Faldo for four of his six major titles during the 1990s, was back on Faldo's bag last week during the WorldCom Classic at Harbour Town GL in Hilton Head, S.C., and will work again for him in Houston this week. The temporary arrangement came about because Sunesson's current boss, Notah Begay III, is recovering from a back injury. Faldo, who has used several caddies since Sunesson left him to work for Sergio Garcia in 1999, was looking for someone to carry his bag in Harbour Town. Neither, however, will be thinking about golf July 28, when both will be married--Faldo to Valerie Bercher, who is Swiss, in London; and Sunesson to Eric Rogers, an American club technician for Taylor Made, in Stockholm, Sweden.

"An amazing coincidence," said Faldo, who has been married twice before and joked about "rigging up an Internet connection" so he and Fanny can check up on each other's weddings. "She was great; we spent 10 good years together going around the world, and I'm happy she's found the right man." Sunesson said she has no plan to reunite with Faldo for good, but does want to continue as a caddie after she weds Rogers. "He'll be out here, I might as well be. It works out quite nicely," she said. Faldo finished 72 or better all four rounds, but failed to break 70 in the WorldCom Classic. He finished T-51 at 283.

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