People Remembers Furyk for His Win of US Open Trophy, Not for His Swing Form

Just before hitting the road to the final round of the US open after a 30-minute putting practice, Jim Furyk hugged an old man for some time. Petting on Jim`s back, the old man looked like wishing for something. Who was the old gentleman? The answer came out in a couple of hours later.

With three holes left, Jim already made it clear that the title was his. He was ahead of Steven Leaney with a four-shot lead. Then, the old man showed up again during Jim`s interview with NBC. His name is Mike Furyk.

Guess who! He`s the father and only coach of Jim. Mike himself was a pro golfer in the past.

With all the attention paid to the goofy way he goes about hitting the ball, it was easy to overlook what became obvious late yesterday -- that Furyk has always had the ideal kind of game to win a U.S. Open, which took place Olympia Fields, Illinois, USA. Also, it is his first win of a major.

But most of all, this is a Father`s Day story, and a valuable gift to his father.

People used to remember Furyk for his ugly swing. His swing looks like he`s wielding an ax instead of a golf club. But it was what his father taught Jim.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com