carlos franco: who needs practice?

Carlos Franco won the U.S. Bank tournament on Sunday.  The Paraguayan golfer is known as the "anti-Vijay," not because he doesn't like Vijay, but because he never hits balls on the range -- ever.  He just shows up to the golf course and fires away.  Unbelievable.

On a related note,  I played 9 holes for the first time in 3 weeks,  a layoff due in part to a recurring shoulder injury, which I hope not to aggravate.  The Carlos Franco method worked for the first 2 holes.  I parred the first, and then, after duck hooking my drive on the 2nd, hit one of the most amazing 3-irons from 210 yards out and in a squirrely lie in the rough.  The ball ended up 15 feet from the hole.  I left the birdie putt short, but was even after 2.  My game went south, though, from all the rust.  The steady drizzle didn't help, either.  But, unlike Carlos Franco, I'm the kind of golfer who loves the range.  So not hitting for 3 weeks definitely hurt.