From the back tees at Lawrence Country Club, the first hole measures 359 yards. The first time Kansas basketball coach Bill Self played a round of golf with Gary Woodland the PGA touring pro stuck his drive onto the green, 15 feet short of the pin.
Woodland made the eagle putt and somehow Self never caught him and passed him.
Woodland cheers passionately for his alma mater’s basketball team and Self returns the favor.
Self said he watched Woodland capture his third and most prestigious PGA tour victory Sunday night in the Waste Management Open in a playoff and then heard from him later in the night.
“I can’t believe that they played the Waste Management Open prior to the Super Bowl. They should have played that after the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl was a warmup for that,” Self said. “But no, that was exciting for anybody who supports Kansas and obviously supports Gary. For Gary and his wife, Gabby, who have been through as much as they have in the last calendar year, I’m sure it was an [overwhelming feeling of emotion][1] that took place when he was making a 1-footer on the 19th hole to win it, so we’re all proud of him and happy.”
Self is such a Woodland fan that he accurately cited where the former Washburn University guard blessed with a soft 3-point shooting touch stands in the Official World Golf Rankings and Fed Ex Cup standings.
“I saw where he went to 25th in the world on that one win,” Self said. “He’s fifth in the Fed Ex points now, so he’s playing with house money here for a little bit. so hopefully he’ll keep it going.”
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/keegan-lunch-break/2018/feb/5/gary-woodland-has-life-golf-game-pointin/
