Ben Crane has a pretty good idea about what you think of him, and he’s totally cool with that.
“The only thing people probably know about me from the outside looking in — other than my friends — is that I’m a Christian, boring, slow golfer,’’ Crane said yesterday, shortly before his rain-delayed 7:10 p.m. opening-round tee time at The Barclays at Liberty National.
Crane, as it turns out, is much more than all of that.
He’s hysterically funny. He might be more creative off the golf course than he is on it. He’s a self-deprecating genius. Above all, he does not take himself seriously.
Crane is a 37-year-old PGA Tour journeyman with four career wins who moonlights as the star of some of the funniest golf made for video since “Caddyshack.”
Crane released his latest in a series of brilliant videos on Wednesday called “Bubble Boy,’’ which is based on the fact he entered The Barclays as the 125th and final player in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He produced it in two days — while playing practice rounds at Liberty National.
Crane came up with the lyrics Tuesday morning and listened to them on headphones during his practice round to help memorize them and, early that evening, once the players were off the course, he had a PGA Tour productions friend shoot the video. He sent it out to another friend to have it edited and it was on YouTube by Wednesday with more than 24,000 views as of yesterday.
“I woke up Tuesday morning and said to myself, ‘You know, let’s do something about being on the bubble,’ ’’ Crane said. “It came together really quickly. I was thinking, I’m trying to get ready for this week and I need to move up [in the FedEx standings], so I didn’t have a lot of time.’’
These are some of the “Bubble Boy’’ lyrics in the 1-minute, 34-second gem:
* “I have a creative idea … I just got into this tournament … 125th on the FedEx Cup and I want to do a little rap.’’
* “Bubble Boy, uh huh, uh huh. I’m the Bubble Boy, uh huh, uh huh.’’
* “Being down here at 125, wipe my tears the dream’s still alive. Jersey Shore, baby here we come, remember ’09 and Heath Slocum (who won The Barclays that year, the last time it was played at Liberty).’’
* “I’m on the edge by the skin of my teeth, skin of my teeth. I got my wedge and a pocket full of tees, a pocket full of tees.’’
* “This may not be my best banner year, but look out at baby, crazy Crane’s still here. I’m the Bubble Boy, uh huh, uh huh, the Bubble Boy, yah!’’
The magic of the videos Crane has produced is steeped in the oddball marriage of his perceived persona — Ben the boring, slow golfer — and his wacky on-camera personality — Ben the comedic video master.
“In some ways it’s perfect storm,’’ Crane said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, this is what you think about me? Awesome. I’ll show you who I really am.’ ’’
So he has, which makes him one of the truly underrated acts on the PGA Tour.
His first video was a spoof workout video. From a dinner conversation with Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan came two “Golf Boys’’ videos, which star the four as a boy band.
Crane, known as one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour (a tendency that once incited his 2005 Booz Allen Classic final-round playing partner Rory Sabbatini to finish out the 17th hole and walk to the 18th before Crane even reached the 17th green), released a video poking fun at himself called “Slow Life.’’ Crane, who is bald, also released a video called “Hair Attachment.’’
In all, Crane’s videos have accounted for nearly 13 million views on YouTube.
The ultimate bubble boy, Crane knows how fortunate he was to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs as the No. 125 seed after having missed the cut last week at the Wyndham Championship. This was the first year that no player moved into the top 125 in the final event before the playoffs.
To take his act to Boston for next week’s Deutsche Bank, Crane likely will need to finish at least in the top 40 this week. If he does, perhaps it’ll inspire yet another video. It will be tough to top this one, though.