Champions Tour Insider: Haas recalls greatest triumph

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Jay Haas celebrates his victory on the 18th green at Oak Hill, site of one of his best and worst career moments.

Jay Haas wondered if it was OK to bore his audience with a story.

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Yes, it is. Anytime. And know this: A golf story from a veteran like Haas is never likely to be boring. This one certainly isn't.

It's about exorcising demons, the way Haas did last year at Oak Hill CC in the Senior PGA Championship, and the tale begins at the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill. History tells us that the United States suffered one of its most disappointing defeats on that occasion against Europe.

"I was the 11th match out that day, and Phil Mickelson was behind me," Haas said. "Phil was like 14 years old I think back then. But he had dusted off somebody early, and it turns out I was the only match on the course and I was 3-down with three to play, and if I tied my match, we would tie the Ryder Cup."

Haas holed out a bunker shot to win the 16th hole and won the 17th with a par. Now he was within reach of his European opponent, Philip Walton. Haas needed to win the final hole to square the match and allow the United States to retain the Ryder Cup.

"Now I'm on 18 tee, and it's a very difficult hole," Haas said. "I almost choked my guts out basically, but as you can see (on the film), I was using one of those wooden drivers. Today we have these big heads, you can't hardly miss one. I hit a terrible drive."

Haas popped up the final drive and lost the match, 1-down. It's not something he cares to relive.

Haas returned to Oak Hill for last year's Senior PGA Championship, a title he previously won in 2006. Seeking a second Senior PGA in three years, he stood on that fateful 18th tee again last year.

This time, there were no mistakes. Haas had a job to do and he got it done with a solid par.

"I definitely think that last year's victory was for me the greatest accomplishment in my golfing career," Haas said Tuesday at Canterbury Country Club, site of this year's Senior PGA May 18-24.

"Exorcising those demons I guess you might say ... I did not think I would get another chance to compete there. And to go out on the notion that I gagged it in the Ryder Cup was not the way I wanted to think about that. Although when Shaun Micheel won (the 2003 PGA Championship), I had a good championship there (T5) and played well enough to qualify for The Presidents Cup.

"I played well at that golf course, but to finish it off, to cap it off with a win was beyond my wildest dreams I guess."

That makes Haas an expert on bouncing back against the odds and paved the way to ask for Haas' thoughts on Kenny Perry's disappointment at Augusta National Golf Club. Perry let the Masters slip away with a bogey-bogey finish.

"I think I'm like everybody else maybe in this room, and feel terrible for him," Haas said. "Watching that tournament as it unfolded, it was certainly his event. He played so well for so many holes. Never seemed rushed, never seemed out of control.

"For him going back there next year that's all they will talk about, and it will be difficult for him. He can go two ways with it -- He can just say: I'm tired of talking about it and don't want to talk about it anymore, or embrace it, try not to think too much about the bad stuff but maybe learn from it."

The lesson Haas learned is a good one for golfers of any skill set.

"What I learned was I tried to be too fine when I hit that drive in '95," he said. "I tried to be too perfect ... wish I had just gotten up there and swung the club as hard as I could swing it, like I was in a driving contest, and couldn't hit a worse drive.

"That helped me in the future coming down the stretch. If Kenny comes out and finishes off the rest of the year, wins some tournaments, then I don't think it will be a big issue with him. But you just don't get that many chances to win major tournaments, and I'm sure it will come back to him and hopefully not haunt him."

Champions Tour Insider notes:

• Liberty Mutual, title sponsor of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf for 30 years, has renewed its commitment through 2014. The tournament format features three team-based competitions flighted by age.

• The official Champions Tour competition is in the Legends Division, a 54-hole two-man better ball which counts as an official win and official money for each member of the winning side. Tom Lehman and Bernhard Langer won last week's event on the second playoff hole over Jeff Sluman and Craig Stadler.

• Lehman became the 13th player in Champions Tour history to win in his debut. The list includes Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.

• Langer continues to lead most of the key statistical categories, including the money list and Charles Schwab Cup points list. He became the first multiple winner of the season and added his seventh top 10 finish. Other categories Langer leads: scoring, greens in regulation, birdies (tied with Haas) and all-around.

• The Champions Tour takes two weeks off before returning to the Regions Charity Classic in Alabama, May 11-17.