Columnist Adam Candee: The man who chased Tiger will be back

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004 | 10:18 a.m.

Adam Candee covers golf for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at candee@lasvegassun.com.

Few golf fans will ever forget Bob May's walk into golf lore by way of his classic battle with Tiger Woods into a playoff in the 2000 PGA Championship. He lost to Woods that day, but captivated the golf world by challenging Woods at a time when no one dared to tug on Tiger's tail.

Four years later, May is far removed from the three consecutive rounds of 66 that nearly slayed Tiger at his peak. May is actually nowhere near this weekend's PGA at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis. He's home in Summerlin, in fact, and happy just to be walking again.

May had back surgery to repair a narrowing of his spinal nerve canal almost four months ago and spent his first 10 post-operative weeks stuck in bed.

"I watched a lot of TV," May said Tuesday, noting that he removed his back brace only within the past week.

The injury, which popped up suddenly in early 2003, affected May when he rotated through his swing. He never knew when the intense pain would grab him and send his shots all over, which is especially troubling for a player ranked in the top 50 on the tour in greens in regulation every year since 2000.

He played his last round of competitive golf at the Byron Nelson in May 2003.

"It's something I do every day," May said. "Not to be able to do it, that's really tough."

May will not swing a club until at least November and is targeting April 2005 as his earliest possible return date to the tour. He is undergoing massage therapy and hopes to start strengthening exercises soon. May also had a putting green installed at his house so he can start practicing as soon as he gets medical clearance.

"I'm not going to rush. Oviously, the last thing you want to do is re-injure it," he said.

May earned $134,308 in seven events in 2003 and will return with a non-exempt major medical extension. He will have 15 tournaments to play his way back into good standing by earning $353,187 -- the amount that, combined with his 2003 winnings, would match the total of the 125th-ranked player (Esteban Toledo) in 2003.

That battle, however, might feel minor compared to the tussle that May and his insurance are locked in. While his medical insurance covered his surgery, his disability has not paid out for any of his time missed, claiming his back injury was a pre-existing condition.

May has earned more than $2.75 million in his PGA career, so when he looks at the relatively small sum he is fighting for through disability, the long battle surprises and annoys him. Why, May contends, would he be conjuring an injury to scam a relative pittance?

"It's just one thing after another," May said.

Irish flavor

Dwaine Knight's trip of a lifetime predictably included quite a bit of golf.

Knight, the UNLV men's golf coach, traveled last week to Ireland for the Palmer Cup matches in which Rebels star Ryan Moore represented the United States in the Ryder Cup-style competition between American and European college golfers.

Knight and his wife, Debbie, made the trip to Ireland both to take in the sights and to support Moore in the matches at Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland. Europe won the Palmer Cup, 14 to 9, and Moore split four matches, winning one singles match and his alternate-shot foursome, while dropping his best-ball foursome and a singles match.

Knight said Moore, who went home to Washington to rest up for next week's U.S. Amateur in New York, played well, but marveled at some of the difficult shots at the natural Ballybunion course. Knight heard some people referring to "trying to land a shot on the hood of a Volkswagen."

"(He feels) it would probably take him a little while to really feel comfortable (playing in European conditions)," Knight said of Moore.

Knight left greatly impressed by the advancement of the European players over the past few years. Their shot-making ability is honed by tough winds and courses far less manicured than those in the United States.

Moore will be joined by fellow Rebels Ryan Keeney and Andres Gonzales, as well as UNLV recruit Jarred Texter, in the U.S. Amateur at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Local amateurs

The U.S. Women's Amateur is going on this week at the Kahkwa Club in Erie, Pa., and a couple of players with local ties made it through two days of medal play to the 64-player match play tournament which started today.

In-Bee Park, a Korean player who lists Henderson as home, finished tied for ninth at 3-over for high local honors. Durango High product Whitney Welch tied for 39th -- along with Michelle Wie -- at 9-over.

Two more players have a chance to get in this morning -- UNLV sophomore Seema Sadekar and Durango grad Erin Andrews finished in an 11-way tie for the 64th and final spot in match play at 12-over. They were to participate in a playoff this morning before to the start of the matches.

UNLV junior Elena Kurokawa missed the cut, finishing a shot behind Sadekar and Andrews.