Q&A: LaBelle II on playing golf naked and a question for Hogan Editor's note: This is the eighth in a series of Q&As with the 22 Nationwide Tour graduates. In this edition, PGATOUR.com's Dave Lagarde spoke with Doug Labelle II, winner of the 2006 Price Cutter Charity Championship, who will be a rookie on the PGA TOUR in 2007 thanks to his 15th-place finish on the 2006 Nationwide Tour money list. PGATOUR.com: Tell me three things not related to golf that you consider must-dos before you're on the wrong side of the divot? LABELLE II: Giving back to the Mount Pleasant, Mich., junior golf program. That's where I got my start. Having some kids and raising them as well as I was raised. Traveling in Europe with my soon-to-be wife. PGATOUR.com: What is your wildest golf dream? LABELLE II: I know this is going to sound strange but I have this dream sometimes. I dream that I'm playing golf naked. I don't know what that means and I'm not sure if I want to know. PGATOUR.com: What aspect of the Nationwide Tour will you miss most next season? LABELLE II: The closeness of the players out here. There are no egos, just a bunch of guys playing passionate golf. PGATOUR.com: What was your welcome-to-professional-golf moment? LABELLE II: Shooting even par in my first mini-tour event and missing the cut. I always thought even was pretty good. ![]() WireImage
PGATOUR.com: You've been granted a 60-minute sit-down with any figure in the world of golf, living or dead. What's your first question -- and to whom would you address it? LABELLE II: Ben Hogan. And I would want to know his secret, what he took from the ground. PGATOUR.com: Describe the menu, from soup to nuts, of your next title celebration dinner. And name the wine pairings. LABELLE II: I'd start off with a Caesar salad. Then I'd have an eight-ounce filet cooked medium rare and an eight-ounce piece of grilled Chilean sea bass. I have a bottle of 2000 Cakebread cabernet sauvignon with the meal. I'd end with a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk. PGATOUR.com: Name five songs in your iPod. LABELLE II: I don't own an iPod, but it's on my fiancé's Christmas list. PGATOUR.com: Other than winning a tournament, what would make next year a success? LABELLE II: Playing the game to the best of my ability and seeing where I stack up against the best players in the world. PGATOUR.com: The first time you're paired with Tiger, what would you say to break the ice? LABELLE II: Hey, remember when we were paired together in the 1996 Western Amateur? Looks like your game has come a long way since then. PGATOUR.com: Who would you most like to hit balls next to, and why? LABELLE II: Mario Tiziani. He and I traveled together some this year and he is absolutely one of the funniest people I know. It would be an absolute blast. |