CRAIG STADLER

 

When Stadler was a kid growing up in Sa Diego, he was part of the group that took lessons from two-time PGA champion Paul Runyan. Years later, after Stadler had won a U.S Amateur and twelve PGA events, including the 1982 Masters, a writer asked Runyan about his early impression of Stadler. Runyan said he thought Stadler was one of the shyest yungsters he’d ever seen. Several years later, an interviewer asked Stadler about Runyan’s assessment.

“Actually, I thought he would have said that he thought I had a bladder disease,” Stadler said, laughing. “Paul is a sweetheart and a very good teacher, but sometimes I’d get confused when I tried to follow what he was telling me. Pretty soon every time he came down the line on practice tee and was about to get to me, I’d tell him I had to go to the bathroom. I didn’t want to hurt  his feelings, but I didn’t want to get any more confused, either.”