Thursday, April 23, 1998 | 9:33 a.m.
Reckless driving exacts a toll, whether it's on the nation's highways or its back roads.
Or cart paths.
re: David Graham.
"Here I am at The Tradition and they want me in the press room, so a volunteer picks me up in a cart to take me over there," he said, tracing his post-round activities April 2 at the PGA Senior Tour event in Scottsdale, Ariz. "Well, the guy decided to see how fast he could go in a golf cart and off we go, jumping over (TV) cables that were laying across the path.
"He was going much too fast and I got hurt. I went into back spasms and couldn't walk for four days."
The unnerving incident led to Graham withdrawing not only from The Tradition but after one round of last weekend's PGA Seniors' Championship in Florida. Pain and an opening 78 convinced him to call it quits.
"I think I'm back in shape," he said Wednesday after completing a practice round at the TPC at Summerlin in preparation for the Las Vegas Senior Classic that opens today at Summerlin and at the TPC at The Canyons. "It's a treat just to be able to walk again without being in pain."
When Graham is fit, he's a force. In spite of missing two tournaments he's No. 8 on the Senior Tour money list with $277,050. He's also No. 5 in scoring (70.52), No. 3 in driving distance (273.9 yards), No. 6 in Greens In Regulation and No. 3 in All-Around statistics.
"Until my unfortunate injury, I was having a good year," he said. "I won the first tournament (the Royal Caribbean Classic) of the year, which was nice, and I hadn't been playing too badly overall."
The Royal Caribbean win was Graham's fourth Senior Tour victory in less than two years, and only tour superstars Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan have won more often in that span. At 51 years old, the affable Australian has had something of a rebirth since becoming eligible for the Senior circuit in May of 1996.
A year ago he finished fifth on the tour in money won with $1,173,579. He pocketed $19,875 of that for finishing in a tie for 11th in last year's Las Vegas Senior Classic.
"Based on how I've spent the last three weeks, it might take me a little while to come around," Graham said of his chances to win this weekend. "I'd say I have an outside chance. The trouble is, when you've been injured you lose strength and become apprehensive."
An eight-time winner during his career on the PGA Tour, Graham said he felt OK after his practice round and that Southern Nevada's warm weather comes as welcome relief.
"It's been cold and windy where we've been," he said. "I think everyone playing here will be pleased to have some nice weather.
"I know I'm pleased just to be playing again."
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