Born into an oil-rich family in Shreveport, Louisiana, Hal Sutton never had to concern himself with the vulgar pursuit of cash. So it was the Texas Open title, rather than top prize of $306,000, which dominated his thinking at La Cantera, San Antonio, last Sunday.
As it happened, victory had a significant effect on his tour status, as he has now passed $1 million in a season's earnings for the first time in his career. And his total winnings since joining the tour in 1982 have passed the $6 million mark.
Yet these are relatively modest achievements for a player who promised so much. During the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in 1981, where he and Jay Sigel were beaten by Philip Walton and Ronan Rafferty in the opening foursomes, Sutton was considered to have limitless potential.
Like Ben Crenshaw several years earlier, Sutton had been labelled the Bear Apparent. And such hopes appeared to be well-founded when, in only his second season on tour, he won the then Tournament Players' Championship and the USPGA Championship.
Particularly significant was that, in capturing the USPGA, he led all the way and defeated no less a figure than Jack Nicklaus by a stroke. It swept him to the top of the American money list and, apparently, to a glittering future.
But the dream was never realised. Granted, he won a total of four tournaments in 1985 and 1986, but there have been only two further successes since - including last Sunday's triumph. Domestic problems and an ill-judged swing change had taken their toll, and he needed a four-under-par final round of 68 to end a three-year title drought.
The tournament climax was notable for the collapse of Justin Leonard, last year's British Open champion and winner of the Players' Championship earlier this year. In a dramatic, final nine holes, in which the lead changed hands on seven occasions, Leonard squandered a winning position by carding bogeys at both the 17th and 18th.
So, having led by a stroke after a birdie at the 16th, Leonard was forced to settle for a share of second place with Jay Haas. In fact, Leonard missed a three-and-a-half-foot putt for par on the 18th and a play-off with Sutton.
Sutton, who was standing on the fairway at the time, said afterwards: "I was aware Justin missed his putt, but I knew I had to hit the right shot. If I hit it in the rough or something, then Justin and Jay are back in the tournament."
Reflecting on his ninth tournament win, Sutton concluded: "I knew it wasn't going to be easy. A lot of people are hungry for wins. I held my patience."
