|
Father-and-Son
Golf
by
Michael Morrow
Not all eyes
will be on Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open Golf Tournament in Farmingdale,
N.Y.
At least two--and
probably a lot more--will be on a long shot, who is such an outsider
that his name isn't even on the event's list of Who's Who. But because
he is Andy Miller, he will be the focus of one of the tournament's
more visible, or at least audible individuals, television commentator
Johnny Miller.
The Millers,
of course, are known not only for their achievements on the golf
course but also as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, where both have taken active roles in a variety of callings.
While Andy
Miller is not likely to dominate much of the television time, early
round coverage could follow him and give his dad an opportunity
to assess his development.
``It doesn't
matter if it's my wife or my kids,'' said Johnny Miller, who won
the U.S. Open in 1973 and is an analyst for NBC. ``If he's behind
a tree and tries to hit a driver off a deep lie, I'm going to tell
him how dumb it was.''
It's called
tough love. Andy Miller, making his first U.S. Open start, has struggled
since turning pro a couple of years ago. The 24-year-old former
BYU player has made only four PGA Tour starts, never finishing higher
than 73rd.
Even so, his
father spoke highly of his son's game.
”He's
got a lot more distance than I had,'' Johnny Miller said. “As
far as chipping, he's a lot better chipper than I was. Our putting
is pretty similar. I think his long irons are maybe even better
than mine.''
Not surprisingly,
Andy Miller said his father has been the biggest influence on his
game.
``Probably
the biggest help to me is what he's told me mentally on the golf
course,'' the son said. ``But, obviously, he shaped my swing too.
I've branched out a little bit from some of his teaching, but everything
I know is what he's taught me.''
Johnny Miller
isn't worried about being critical of his son with millions of viewers
tuning in.
``The way I
announce, I don't have to fake,'' he said. ``It's not like I'm Bill
Clinton or some politician trying to be politically correct. I just
tell what I see. He knows that. He knows when I work with him that
sometimes I'm almost too blatantly honest with him.
It's just the
way I am.''
Andy Miller
is one of four boys (there are two girls, and now eight grandchildren)
in the family, and both Johnny and his wife Linda made sure they
paid attention to each of their children. Church played a big role
as well.
Johnny Miller
graduated from BYU in 1969 with a degree in Physical Education.
The family lives in Pacific Grove, Calif.
His biggest
moment was his victory in the 1973 U.S. Open in Oakmont when he
shot a final round 63, lowest score ever by a winner. He played
on two Ryder Cup teams, three U.S. World Cup teams, and was the
first player elected to the PGA TOUR Hall of Fame, part of the World
Golf Hall of Fame.
The Millers
have provided an uplifting profile in what is often a disheartening
portrayal of family involvement in a young person’s athletic
endeavors. They are an antithesis of the horror stories related
by football player Todd Marinovich, whose father Marv developed
all sorts of sophisticated training methods for the boy, or tennis
player Mary Pierce, whose father kept an around-the-clock vigil
on his daughter Mary.
There are stories
of figure skaters, dancers and gymnasts whose hopes and dreams became
a nightmarish reality; of youth baseball, football, hockey and soccer
players who watched as parents fought with coaches, umpires and
one another, and even of cheerleaders stretched by the pushing and
pulling of their parents.
As a product
of competitive sports (my professional journalism career began when
I was 18), I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I've heard
parents call to complain that their son (or daughter) deserved more
of a write-up, that maybe a picture would have been nice, that singling
out someone else in an article probably hurt their son’s (or
daughter's) chance for a scholarship.
Soon, I came
to realize these people were the exception rather than the rule,
but that a couple of bad apples...well, you know.
Stories of
Johnny and Andy Miller point out the good in sports, particularly
youth sports. However, these stories seem to be the exception. At
least, that is the perception.
Click
here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates.
© 2002Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
|
