Into everyone's life a little Ken Green must fall: the tour's bad boy is back, and he's still not pulling any punches

Golf Digest, June, 2003 by Peter McCleery

They say you've got to juggle family and golf.

That's a load of baloney. You can't have a better life. I'm telling you, you can't.

So you think tour players have it too easy?

Absolutely. If you can't be happy in that scenario, you've got some serious issues with life.

What are some of the changes on tour since you were last out there regularly?

They try to spoil you even more, which is hard to imagine. They'll do just about anything for you. They'll fly back home and watch your animals if you want them to. And people wonder why some of the guys get the attitudes they do. When you're catered to from the get-go your whole life, it's easy to turn into a spoiled, egotistical moron. That's what happens.

Did the ordeal you've been through with divorce and depression, losing your life as you knew it, have any positive side effects?

I wouldn't have learned all the things I've learned. You might not believe this when you hear it, but I've actually become very religious. It's not like I've become a regular churchgoer or bible-toter; I still do my swearing and my gambling. But I've become a firm believer in God. What you have to do while you're here is just handle every adversity that you have, because that's the only way you get better. And when things are going great, help other people.

So many people look at adversity as a way of maturing. I haven't matured. I still do the same stupid things I used to do, whether it's whacking golf balls in places I shouldn't or whatever it may be. I just have a different philosophy on how I'm going to handle certain things.

Getting back on the tour is maybe the final little step for me. But it's going to be a fight. Obviously I'm old--44 years old.

You mean old in terms of your golf?

Yeah. The young players today just bomb the ball. I'm not a bomber of the golf ball. But I'm not as concerned about my driving distance as I thought I was going to be. I was worried I was just going to be slammed by their power. But there are plenty of courses where I've still got more than a good enough chance. I refuse to concede that there are that many guys out there who can beat me. Except for one guy, there are no stud muffins.

What did you do in terms of preparation for rejoining the main tour? Have you been on a fitness regimen?

I think the biggest workout I ever had was sex, and that would be about it. You know, I've dabbled in fitness a little more lately. But I don't have the desire or the motivation to make myself do it on a daily basis. I've tried, and it's just not there.

You're going to be wearing your trademark green shoes again, too.

The few people who remember me have been asking, "Where are the shoes? Are you bringing them back?" Like I've got 34 pairs of them in my closet--Mr. Marcos.

Do you feel for some of the other players who have really lost it--the Chip Becks and Ian Baker-Finches? Would you like to get together and talk about your struggles?

I would love to know if it was the demons that got them, or if they just lost their golf game. I refuse to believe that some of these guys just lost their games. The question is, how and why did the demons get in their brain? Baker-Finch is a classic case. Great guy. They don't get a whole lot nicer than Ian, and all of a sudden it happens. And it happens a lot.