Younger Stadler learns from experience as well as his father  PGATOUR.com Correspondent Kevin Stadler had a different game plan for his second tour of duty on the PGA TOUR in 2007.  The younger Stadler is used to being compared to his father. (Ernst/Getty Images) Determined to succeed in his rookie season of 2005, Stadler, in retrospect, discovered he attempted to force things. Consequently, he failed to maintain his playing privileges, making just 15 of 33 cuts and earning $367,775 to finish 168th on the money list. After a highly successful 2006 -- Stadler won twice on the Nationwide Tour to finish 12th on the money list and also won the European PGA Tour's Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia -- he knew better than repeat his mental mistake the second time around. "I wanted to enjoy myself, have some fun and just let things come to me,'' Stadler said of his approach to 2007. The threesome of enjoyment, fun and patience often go hand in hand with how a professional golfer is striking the ball and how many putts find the bottom of the cup at that particular moment in time. But if truth be told, Stadler vintage '07 is more relaxed, more confident and certainly more accomplished. His success spanning the globe in 2006 helped him cope with a slow start when the hole seemed to shrivel to the size of a doll's thimble at the outset of this season. Stadler had made $200,000 and change through April, with the lion's share of his loot coming from a tie for 13th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun and his spot in the no-cut World Golf Championships-CA Championship thanks to his Johnnie Walker triumph when he eagled the par-5 finishing hole in the last three rounds leading to his two-shot victory over Nick O'Hern. There was no panic in the following two months when he went wanting at the pay window. That wouldn't have happened in 2005. "I would have felt kinda lost,'' he said. "But I was playing fairly well and hitting it consistently. The problem is, I've had a balky putter all year. I think maybe I need a smaller ball or a bigger cup.'' Now fast forward to the beginning of August. The cup Stadler stared at in dismay earlier turned into a wash tub in successive starts. Balls began pulling off a disappearing act. He finished in a tie for second in the Reno-Tahoe Classic and in a tie for seventh at the Wyndham Championship. He won more than $400,000, raising his season's take to $730,156, and, although he failed to make the cut in a pair of FedExCup playoff events, he stands at 115th on the money list with five events remaining in the Fall Finish. "I had a lot of average tournaments this year, so it felt pretty good to finally put things together,'' he said of his satisfying August top-10 stretch. "I had a couple of great weeks putting.''  Kevin and Craig Stadler share looks as well as an affinity for golf. (Sullivan/Getty Images) Obviously, Stadler is following a similar path of another family member, and, frankly, there is no need for DNA testing here to discover who that might be. There has never been any doubt that Kevin is the son of 1982 Masters champion Craig, a.k.a. The Walrus. If there ever was a spitting image, Kevin is it of Craig, right down to the way the huskily built twosome's trousers, sort of, um, fit. The relationship certainly has not stunted Kevin's growth as a professional golfer thus far. Matter of fact, it has been more of a blessing than a curse. "I know he's a hell of a player,'' son said of father. "So that has helped me. It's nice to have him to fall back on. And I'm sure his name has opened a few doors for me. I could never say it has been a hindrance. I may not be a golfer if not for him.'' One thing that does rankle the younger Stadler is constantly being called Craig. In fact, that is what the starter at the Nationwide Tour's Xerox Classic called him before the final round in 2006. The thing is, Stadler was in the final twosome that day. Unaffected, he went on to win the event. "It's nowhere near getting out of the way, but it does wear me out from time to time,'' he said, laughing. "My downfall is that I look like my dad. That only makes people compare us more. "If I looked like someone else, I wouldn't get it as much. But it's a compliment, even if I do get a little tired of it. I don't mind the questions so much. They've been coming at me since I was 8 years old, so they are second nature.'' So is golf. Stadler picked up his affinity for the game by following his father. He was hooked. "I pretty much knew that this is what I wanted to do real early," he said. "Just tagging along with the old man, it was something that was fun to do. But when I was playing junior events, people probably expected a lot just because of what my name was. "Maybe it's a little more pressure, but it's more of a public thing than a personal deal. I know what to expect of myself, and I can't worry about what other people think of me.'' |
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