Paul Goydos waves to the crowd as he walks up the 18th fairway during the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament in
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Sunday, May 11, 2008. Sergio Garcia, of Spain, defeated Goydos on the first playoff hole. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
His dry, self-deprecating wit had media and fans howling with laughter all week. And when his bid to upset Sergio Garcia fell into the water around the 17th green, the crowd roared. It was a memorable show. Since then, Goydos has had to deal with some personal issues. Already with sole custody of his two teenage girls, the family was stunned with the sudden death of his ex-wife earlier this year. Q&A with Paul Goydos, Question: How did things change for you after last year’s The Players
Goydos: Not much at home, everybody already recognized me. But on the road, it increased my recognizability by 10. People all over kept saying “Hey! Great playing at Players!” In New Orleans (at the Zurich Classic two weeks ago), I had 10-15 people come up to me and congratulate me. I didn’t get that even when I won Bay Hill or Sony. (His two career PGA Tour victories.)