If [Fuzzy Zoeller]'s anger, which included a total denunciation of the direction of major-tournament golf in America since 1973, was a bit novel, then [Sandy Lyle]'s emergence here was hardly a surprise. He entered as the No. 1 money-winner on the PGA Tour with $403,021 in a third of a season. Last week, Lyle beat Ken Green with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff in the K mart Greater Greensboro Open. He won the Phoenix Open earlier in the year and, in his career, holds the prestigious '85 British Open and '87 TPC titles.

"Without a doubt, I think Sandy Lyle is playing better than anybody in the world right now," said [Mark Calcavecchia], who won more than $500,000 on tour last year. "He's strong as an ox and one of the best putters in the game . . . Ken Green's one of my best friends, but I knew Lyle would make that putt before he ever hit it."

If Fuzzy's Fury was the day's shock, it wasn't hard to know what to expect from Lyle and Calcavecchia. Lyle who began learning the game from his golf-pro father at the age of 3, stuck primarily to the watering system, showing how purely the sport can be played. With better putting, he might have challenged the course record of 63. His birdies at Nos. 2, 5, 7, 9, 13 and 15 came on putts of one, 12, five, four, one and 12 feet. He missed five other putts of 12 feet or less.