Young Stadler trying to make his own name
By Brad Rock
Deseret Morning News
SANDY — There are several ways to handle life when you
grow up with a famous last name.
You can run from it, blame it for all your problems. You can
live off it, e.g., Paris Hilton. (If her name was Paris Baumgartner,
would she be on celebrity TV?)
Or you can do as Kevin Stadler does and pay no particular attention.
"There's nothing I can do about it. I don't think it's any different (than
any other name). It's all I've ever grown up with. It doesn't affect anything
I do," says Stadler.
As far as he's concerned, being the son of famous golfer Craig "The
Walrus" Stadler is the same as being the son of anyone
else.
"I've only had one dad," he says.
Stadler is in town this week for the Utah Championship
at Willow Creek Country Club. It is the most recent stop for
what some believe is the world's second-best golf tour — the
Nationwide.
It is a collection of ever-so-close professionals who are often
as talented as players on the PGA Tour but lack experience
or consistency.
It's just that Stadler has a little extra challenge.
He has the 5-foot-10, 255-pound Walrus before him.
That's a big legacy to follow.
No problem, says Kevin, who bears almost exactly the same height
and weight — and distribution — as his father.
Asked if he sympathizes with kids who grow up with famous names
such as, say, Jack Nicklaus' sons, he says, "I wouldn't
be sympathetic. I mean, it's not that big a deal. It's nothing
bad, by any means. I've probably had a few more doors opened
just because of the name attachment, if you want to take advantage
of that. It's not something I really do, but it can't hurt."
Stadler's father is one of golf's longtime fixtures, easily
identified by his bulky build and bushy mustache. The elder
Stadler is now earning a living on the Champions Tour (he's
13th on the money list with $776,192). As a PGA regular he
had 13 Tour victories, including the 1982 Masters. That year
he was golf's leading money winner. He has been called "one
of golf's most colorful personalities and gallery favorites."
Who doesn't like a bulky, bushy guy who looks a lot like they
do?
Kevin, too, is big and has facial hair, though not nearly as
much as his father. The physical traits, as well as career
choices, have lent themselves to a lot of comparisons. A Cleveland
columnist mentioned the Walrus and surmised that must make
Kevin the Eggman.
The younger Stadler is coming off an August win at the Xerox
Classic in Rochester. He took a week off before arriving in
Utah for the EnergySolutions Championship. Going into this
week's event he was 18th on the Nationwide earnings list with
$166,937.
"I'm a little on the rusty side," he says. "I really didn't
do much last week, so I have to get back in the flow of things."
Done and done. He finished Thursday's first round near the
top with a 5-under 67. Rusty or not, he probably won't be looking
for help from Dad. His father was busy on the Tour when Kevin
was growing up, and thus "he really didn't do much" to
develop Kevin's game.
"He was pretty good just to kind of walk me along and give me any help
that I wanted. Being a typical kid, that wasn't much."
He adds, "As far as hands-on, he didn't do much. He and
I will both tell you we really don't know that much about the
golf game. We certainly know our own games, but as far as being
able to help others or pick things out, I don't think either
of us is very good at that."
The former USC golfer says he never puts pressure on himself
to be his father. "I just enjoy playing the game, and
there's no pressure to be equal or better or to match my dad."
That doesn't mean being a Stadler can't be annoying. As recently
as the Xerox Classic, he was introduced as "Craig" on
the first tee of the final round.
"That gets a little old," he says. "I couldn't even begin to
tell you all the people that call me Craig. I mean, people I know. It's a pain
in the (expletive). I get really tired of people calling me Craig."
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E-mail: rock@desnews.com
