By Mike Kahn
CBS SportsLine Executive Editor
April 13, 1998

REDMOND, Wash. - The question almost seemed to offend Paul Azinger.

Four

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years after surgery to remove lymphoma from his right shoulder, to say he has grown weary of discussing the difficult trek back to lofty status on the PGA Tour would be an understatement.

"I'm about 86.4 percent ... no, I'm just kidding," Azinger said. "This is the best I've played since I've come back."

In other words, it isn't easy to offend Azinger about anything these days.

HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THURSDAY AT Sahalee Country Club in the 80th PGA Championship Tournament. He's also referring to this season, with more than $358,000 in earnings -- his best total since the 1993, when he was diagnosed with the cancer. He had won three tournaments -- including the PGA at Inverness -- and a personal best $1.458 million in prize money when he was found out just what that sore shoulder was all about.

Shooting 68 on Thursday afternoon was no easy task. The greens and fairways had become exceedingly firm under the bright sun, and all the par-3s were backed up when his threesome arrived.

Evidently, it's a lot easier to overcome little distractions when your life has been in peril, with a wife and two children in shock. So entering the second round just two shots behind leader Tiger Woods is easy to enjoy because he has battled such a long way back.

"The difference is you know what it feels like to make it to the top," Azinger said. "You relish that opportunity to be there. It hurts your feelings when you walk past the press corps and they don't give two flips for you."

Not that Azinger has ever been ignored. Now 38, he has improved every year since he got through that nightmarish 1994 season, entering just four events and making the cut in two. He earned almost $183,000 in 1995, more than $232,000 in 1996 and better than $262,000 last season.

More important, he knows people have been pulling for him since his return from surgery. He just now is getting the trajectory he used to have back in his shots. He has moved the ball around in his stance, changed his approach to the ball, and ...

"I

Paul Azinger reacts after missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole Thursday. (AP)

gradually felt improvement every year, but my swing was all messed up," Azinger said. "Then I saw it on video at the end of last year and saw how bad it was. That made it easier to know what to do this year."

SOLIDIFYING HIS SWING AND SEEING IT move like it used to gradually allowed confidence to grow. But for all the work he had done to his game and adjusting his swing, it mattered little in the results.

There was only one problem.

He couldn't sink a putt.

"That's one thing that never changes," Azinger said. "If you don't make putts, you don't win."

He tried everything, short of the long putter. Gradually, the stroke came back. He felt his touch returning at New Orleans and was in contention at the Masters, finishing fifth for his best standing of the year. He passed 40-plus players during the final round of the U.S. Open to qualify for next year with a 14th-place finish.

He might never win three tournaments in one season again. Then again, he might very well take a run at this PGA Title. Whereas he might think the press corps doesn't "give two flips" about him, that's hardly true. Despite the local favoring of Fred Couples, the always raving fans of Tiger Woods and the die-hards hoping against hope that John Daly is capable of competing -- when 'Zinger strolled into the interview area, fans and media alike were delighted.

"When you win a golf tournament, that's perfection," Azinger said. "You're the best player in the world for that week, for that day. If you're a middle-of-the-pack player, it's kind of dull. To have no chance for the opportunity to be there. That's far more important than the spotlight. Once you've experienced that perfection, you want to get that back."

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