People, Places & Things: Bob Gilder

An over-par round rarely wins a tournament these days, especially one as prestigious as the Senior PGA Tour Championship. But in windy conditions, Bob Gilder's 73 Sunday was good for the $440,000 winner's check.

It was a fitting end to a good season for the native Oregonian, who began his stint on the over-50 circuit by dominating the Senior PGA Tour qualifier field by eight shots, then scoring a victory at the Verizon Classic in only his third start in 2001.

With the win Sunday, coupled with his $1,684,986 in prize money and 13 top-10 finishes -- including a tie for second at the SBC Championship last week and a third at the Senior PGA Championship -- Gilder looks like a good pick for Rookie of the Year.

"After I won (Verizon) I started thinking I might get to be Rookie-of-the-Year and then (Bruce) Lietzke came along and played about eight tournaments and won two of them and he was -- he made $900,000 in nine events. I am thinking... to really have a good chance at winning, I'd have to win this week," Gilder said Sunday after his Tour Championship win.

"I think Rookie-of-the-Year is a great honor. I was trying not think about it," he said. "I was in denial, a lot of stuff, trying not think about any of those things and really concentrate on the job at-hand. So I don't know what is going to happen there. The players are going to vote on that, whatever they decide is up to them, I'd be honored if I got it and I'd be real happy."

Before his rejuvenation as a senior golfer, Gilder's last U.S. win was at the 1983 Phoenix Open -- his sixth win, including the 1976 Phoenix Open in only his second PGA Tour start. Also in '83, he played on the Jack Nicklaus-captained Ryder Cup team, which won by one point.

"That was probably the best experience of my career," Gilder told his hometown newspaper, the Corvallis Gazette-Times. "You're basically at the top of your career if you are doing that. You're representing yourself, your profession and the country."

He found some success in Japan as well, winning on that tour three times, most recently in 1990. But his game started to go sour in the mid-90s, until he dropped to 156th on the money list in 1996.

He returned to Qualifying School, an experience he hadn't dealt with since 1975.

He failed to get his card back, and instead played primarily on the now-Buy.com Tour, picking up what PGA Tour events he could. With official earnings of only a shade over $13,000, he headed back to Q-School, where he tied for ninth.

But he continued to struggle, making the cut only 12 times. Back to Q-School, where he still couldn't find his game. Repeat.

"I would say that my putting is the part that has let me down the last few years," Gilder said in 1999. "Over time you start to figure it out, but it changes from day to day."

Putting has been the very thing pushing Gilder into the limelight in 2001 -- his 1.742 putting average ranks him fifth on the Senior Tour. A 12-foot clutch putt on No. 16 Sunday meant the difference between the outright win and having to battle in a playoff.

But overall, the father of three credits accuracy with his irons as making the difference this year.

"My iron game has gotten better, the fact that Verizon was a very difficult tournament also obviously makes me feel good, all the best players were there," Gilder said. "You work hard and hopefully you are getting better and hopefully things turn out where you can win a few."

Nike's New Clubs Aimed at Top Players

You wear a swoosh on your shirt. The shoes you lace up boost a swoosh. There's even a swoosh on your hat.

Now Nike is betting that you'll want a swoosh on your golf clubs, as well.

It's no secret that Nike has been working on producing equipment for some time. We saw David Duval stick clubs adorned with that swoosh in his bag this year and claim his first major victory. But Nike Golf officials were tight-lipped about the details. Last week, they revealed specifics about a driver, forged irons and wedges that will debut at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando next month.

Nike Forged Titanium Driver. Two different drivers, a 275cc model and a 350cc model in lofts ranging from 8 to 11 degrees, are made from a proprietary blend of titanium and, according to the company, conform "by the smallest of margins" to USGA rules. The driver heads are forged, not cast, for better feel.

Nike Forged Irons. Heads made of soft 1030 carbon steel are forged under extreme pressure in a process Nike says increases feel and eliminates hot or soft spots on the face. The muscleback design incorporates a blend of U- and V-grooves on the face.

Nike Forged Wedges. Four wedges, also made of the 1030 carbon steel, will be available in 53, 56, 58 and 60 degrees. With a thin top line and little offset, the forged wedges will have a classic look and feel.

Notice anything? Right, all these clubs are aimed smack-dab at better players. Forged. Thin top line. Minimal offset. These clearly aren't game improvement clubs for your weekend duffer.

Club designer Tom Stites has come up with clubs that strike a chord with the pros and other top players, those golfers whom the rest of us look to for guidance. By entering the club market with products that appeal to guys like Duval and, Nike hopes, Tiger Woods, the company will be branding itself as a serious contender. After all, it worked for Nike with their golf balls -- once Woods started playing the Tour Accuracy, sales went from almost nothing to 5 percent of the very competitive ball market, within just a few months.

Nike has indicated it will be producing equipment for the average joe sometime in 2002. After all, it's the less-skilled but avid weekend players who will be positioned to hand Nike a chunk of the $2 billion club market over the next 12 months.