A MULLIGAN FOR BOBBY JOBE

A wonderfully entertaining tale about second chances in life, a game almost as hard as golf.

And few bitten by the bug would find that an untoward construction, certainly not Cullen’s heroes: long-hitting golf pro Bobby Jobe and long-put-upon Henry Mote, his caddy. Though their styles differ sharply, both are flawed creatures, and both—at the outset of the story—are about to face a grim string of double-bogeys: supertalented Bobby because he's simply not serious enough, self-effacing Henry because he's never dared to value himself sufficiently. On the 15th hole of the last round of the PGA Championship, Bobby—distracted by a busty blond—loses a two-stroke lead and the services of his disenchanted caddy. Henry returns to Allegheny Gap, Virginia, home of the nine-hole course built by his father. He tries to keep busy, tries not to watch golf on TV since it makes him miss the Tour too much. In the meantime, disaster catches up with Bobby. He's struck by lightning and permanently blinded, after obstinately ignoring warnings to duck out of a thunderstorm. Eight months pass. Enter Angela Murphy, a young woman hired as a rehab specialist who’s convinced true rehabilitation can happen only if Bobby plays golf again. She wants Henry to be his eyes. At first, the notion is abhorrent to both men, but Angela, as sweet-natured as she is iron-willed, persists. They try, they fall short; Henry will place a ball awkwardly, Bobby will over- or under-swing; they'll want to quit, but little by little the task works its magic—and in the process is fully recognized as the metaphor it is.

For the converted, certainly, though this warm, funny, poignant tale full of people to like and aspirations to admire could well earn former Newsweek correspondent Cullen (Why Golf?: The Mystery of the Game Revealed, 2000, etc.) his first large audience.