Enter the Tigress
Golf’s next Great One comin’ to town
HAS the female counterpart to Tiger Woods been discovered? New Jersey native Bill Echikson, in his book “Searching for Tiger,” unveils several prime candidates — namely 18-year-old Vicky Hurst (right), who is projected as “The Tigress.” Big Apple golf fans will get a chance to see her up close next weekend at the LPGA’s Sybase Classic at Upper Montclair Country Club.
The author followed Hurst — along with the golf-playing children of tennis stars Ivan Lendl and Petr Korda — in 2007, and paints a compelling portrait of the phenom in her last year of junior golf:
“Among her junior rivals, Ms. Hurst inspired a combination of awe and fear. She not only hit the ball longer than anyone competing, she also made her fluid, jaw-crunching drives seem like effortless arias. While no one ever doubted Ms. Hurst’s enormous talent, many found her inscrutable. Whether she hit a perfect shot or a rare poor one, her placid face showed little emotion. Around other teenage girls, Vicky often giggled. When she smiled, she revealed glorious pearly white teeth and a charming demeanor. Around adults, however, the muscles of the same face tightened, the insouciant swagger of an aspiring golf-course tigress vanished, and she answered in a shy monotone.
“Ms. Hurst’s family is reminiscent of Tiger Woods’s. Earl Woods was a Green Beret and lieutenant colonel. Ms. Hurst’s father, Joe, was an Air Force colonel who retired from service after 26 years. Mr. Woods’s mother, Kultida, is Thai. Ms. Hurst’s mother, Koko, is Korean. Earl Woods met Kultida when he was stationed in Southeast Asia. Joe Hurst met Koko when he was stationed in Korea.
“Both Ms. Hurst and Mr. Woods know what it’s like to lose their biggest fan. Earl Woods died of cancer in June 2006 when his son was an established superstar and an expectant father. In April 2006, Ms. Hurst’s father died after a stroke [when she was 15].”
Echikson, a former writer for the Wall Street Journal and Business Week who now works for Google in Belgium, explores the concern that Vicky will be a victim of the burnout that plagued Michelle Wie. Vicky’s dream began at age 7 when her parents took her to the Samsung women’s tournament at the World Golf Village in northeastern Florida just north of St. Augustine. “For the first time, I saw golf professionals playing in real life surrounded by adoring fans, cameramen and media all over the place and I knew then that I wanted to be like those players,” she says in the book.
Thinking pink
The Mets’ Francisco Rodriguez and Pirates’ Nate McLouth will be wearing pink Reebok cleats today to help raise awareness and money for breast cancer research.
After the game, many of the MLB players who will be wearing the Reebok pink cleats will autograph their game-worn footwear and put them up for auction on http://www.reebok.com with all proceeds to benefit Avon Foundation for Women. Expected to wear the shoes are David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon and Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox, James Shields, Justin Morneau, Prince Fielder and others. In addition to several players using pink bats for Mother’s Day today, Under Armour has sent out pink shoelaces and pink wristbands to all of its athletes. Jose Reyes said he will wear both. . . . K-Rod, Reyes, and other Mets stars including David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado will attend the third-annual Mets Foundation fundraiser on May 28 at Richards clothing store in Greenwich, Conn. All proceeds from the event, auction, and donations will be distributed by the Mets Foundation to a variety of worthy causes including the players’ own foundations. Call (718) 803-4074 or e-mail teammates@nymets.com for tickets.
Feel like four million
The Long Island Ducks are on the lookout for their four millionth fan. That person will be joined on the field at Citibank Park in Central Islip by team mascot QuackerJack and members of the Ducks coaching staff. The fan will receive a commemorative “4 Millionth Fan” official Ducks jersey, a Gary Carter autographed bat and a three-day vacation at the Ginn Golf Resort in Florida with two round trip tickets to anywhere JetBlue flies. Following the ceremony, the fan will toss out a ceremonial first pitch and have his or her entrance into the ballpark that day prominently displayed at liducks.com.
Recession dogs Derby
Though more than 150,000 crammed into Churchill Downs last Saturday for the Kentucky Derby, sources told The Post’s Marc Berman that the recession did hit the world’s most famous horse race. Tickets for suites in the infield, overlooking the turf track, began at $2,000 apiece several months ago. One week before the Run for the Roses, the same suite ticket could be had for $200. . . . Five teams, each composed of four members of the Red Bulls, plus an ESPNZone chef for a coach, will “cook off” at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the restaurant in Times Square. Each team has 30 minutes to prepare a dish, one either already on the menu or otherwise, for judging. Winners will have their names placed on a locker-room plaque. Losers will get either fire extinguishers or the book “Cooking for Dummies.”
All ears on Enberg
CBS Sports broadcast icon Dick Enberg was holding court with Fordham broadcast luminaries at the Puck Building before receiving the Vin Scully Lifetime Achievent Award from WFUV Radio. New York sports play-by-players Mike Breen (Knicks), Bob Papa (Giants), Chris Carrino (Nets) and CBS newsman Charles Osgood — all WFUV alums — were enthralled with Enberg’s chatter about his play “McGuire,” the one-man show about his legendary broadcast pal and former Marquette hoops coach Al McGuire.
After runs in North Hollywood and Milwaukee earlier this year, the show will make stops in San Diego and Maine this summer, and Enberg is hoping for big things after four years in production. Later, with broadcast partner John McEnroe among the 500 in the audience, CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus presented Enberg with his hardware following a video tribute from Scully, who after
60 years was delivering Dodgers play by play that night.
Bob Costas then introduced his buddy Paul Simon to receive WFUV’s Sound & Vision Award. Simon delivered an acoustic performance of five classics including “The Boxer,” “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,” and “Mrs. Robinson.” The crowd roared when Simon got to the lyrics, “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?”