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By Helen Ross
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents

Even over the phone, the passion in Hal Sutton's voice is palpable.

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Not exactly the "be-the-right-club-today" kind of outburst that will forever link Sutton to his 2000 victory at THE PLAYERS Championship, but it's equally compelling.

That day at the TPC Sawgrass, Sutton had hope. He saw his approach shot on the 18th hole zero in on the pin, eventually settling a mere 8 feet away, and it sealed a hard-fought victory against the game's No. 1 player, Tiger Woods.

These days, though, Sutton gives hope.

The Hal Sutton Foundation has helped raise more than $7 million to build the Sutton Children's Medical Center at CHRISTUS Schumpert in his native Shreveport, La. The hospital foundation contributed another $25 million. No public funds were used.

The 60,000-square foot, 80-bed facility took four years -- from conception to construction -- to create, and the five-story Sutton Children's Medical Center opened its doors a year ago this month.

"I spoke in front of an elevator," Sutton recalled. "All these people had given a lot of money, and the reason I spoke there is I wanted to make a point. When a parent gets off the elevator there, they are worried to death.

"The word that needs to be printed here is hope. That's what these parents are looking for, and that's what (the donors) have given them."

The 49-year-old Sutton knows what it feels like when that hope is taken away. Reagan Little, the vivacious daughter of his agent, Gilbert Little, was 7 when she died in 2001 after contracting viral meningitis.

Sutton, the father of four, three daughters and one son, immediately began to think about what he could do to help other parents in similar situations.

"The idea was born from a tragedy, but a lot of great things are," he said. "That's often what spurs people to try to do something to make a difference. Reagan passing away spurred me to say I have to do something about this. We need better health care for all our children."

Initial feasibility studies turned out to be conservative in assessing the need for a facility like the Sutton Children's Medical Center in Shreveport. The hospital has been full ever since it opened, and Sutton says they're already looking to expand.

"The most gratifying part of it is that I'll be in a grocery store," Sutton says, "and I can't tell you how many times a mother has come up to me, crying, and said, 'I never thought I'd see the need, but I have experienced it, and I thank you."

The Sutton Children's Medical Center is as kid-friendly and playful as a hospital can be. Colorful paintings done by a local artist hang on the walls. Treatment rooms that are used for the various procedures are full of fiber optics, which allow a child to change the colors by simply squeezing a ball.

"When you go in and see everything, you know it wasn't all bought with money -- it's gifts of love," Sutton said.

Once billed as the next Jack Nicklaus in his youth, Sutton has only played in one golf tournament in the last 20 months, and he's quick to tell you he really doesn't miss the game that once defined his life.

Sutton won seven times in his first five years on TOUR, including the 1983 PGA Championship. During the next decade, though, his game deteriorated so much that he was embarrassed to hit balls on the range with his peers.

Sutton would go on to resurrect his career in the mid-1990s, winning seven more times, including that second PLAYERS Championship. He was named captain of the 2004 United States Ryder Cup Team after playing on four of them himself.

Today, though, Sutton has finally found his life's work.

"You spend the first half of your life doing things that they write about in a book," Sutton said. "The kids can read it and say, Daddy did this, Daddy did that. But that's not important at the end of the day. What's important is that you do something to help others, and I take a lot of pride in this.

"When I was at the TPC (Sawgrass) last week for the opening of the new clubhouse, it brought back some good memories. I learned a lot in 35 years of playing golf -- not only about golf but about life. I want to be able to give that to someone else."

Sutton is doing just that. His wife Ashley leads the Women's Council for the Medical Center, and the two are frequent visitors to the facility. He talks tenderly of children like Jamar, a 15-month-old boy with intestinal problems who has "lived" there all his life.

"You spend so much time in your own personal life chasing your own dreams and living selfishly," Sutton said. "You never realize tragic things happen until they happen to yourself or someone close to you. That is a wake-up call.

"All of these kids in the hospital touch your life. They are scared to death to be there. My kids can't even stand to get shots. ... You go there on one of the floors and you see the children hooked up to all the different machines. The child is sick, the parents are worried to death. They just want hope."

There's that word again. Hope.