Whoever breaks the news to Gary Player needs to do it gently... Katie Futcher, who is in a share of the lead on eight under par in the HSBC Women's Champions at Tanah Merah, eats around eight strips of bacon during the course of a round in spite of the fact that she graduated in Nutrition from Penn State University.
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Where Player set the trend for golfers to eat bananas on the course, Futcher, whose co-leaders are Jenny Shin and Angela Stanford, finds bacon a whole lot better. "Nothing," she says, "works like bacon fat. It's the only thing which can sustain me for a whole round."
Player maintains that bacon is one of two foodstuffs which people should avoid at all costs. The other is ice-cream which, would you believe, is another Futcher favourite.
The septuagenarian Player once loved both but, as one who wants to live to be 100, he not too long ago took a vow never to touch either again.
Futcher, whose second round was a 67 in which she was as many as four under at the turn, was amused to hear as much. "I hope Gary Player does live to be 100 but I couldn't be that hard on myself," she said.
Player would no doubt draw at least some consolation from the fact that Futcher enjoys a natural fitness. A top-class swimmer in her childhood, she fell out of love with that sport - she suspects that her father pushed her too hard - and switched to golf at 14.
Her father knew to leave her to herself in golf and, even though she had a lot of catching up to do, she has thrived in the different environment.
Last year, she had her best season on the LPGA Tour, notching two top-tens on her way to finishing in 30th place on the money-list.
She has a healthly respect for Stanford, who is the only member of the leading trio to have won before.
"Angela," she said, "is probably the toughest competitor out here on tour. You're not going to find anyone who's going to grind it out harder than Angela. She's a phenomenal competitor and she's there to kick everyone's butt." Shin, for her part, is in her second year on the LPGA Tour and bursting with belief.
She may have finished no higher than 55th in her rookie year but has people in her team who are telling her that there is nothing the top players have that she doesn't. "I am just beginning to believe what they are telling me, so I feel like if I can keep this up, I can get a win or two this year." |
