Shipnuck, Alan 1973-

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SHIPNUCK, Alan 1973-

PERSONAL: Born 1973; married: wife's name, Frances. Hobbies and other interests: Golf, basketball, skiing, backpacking, reading, cinema.

ADDRESSES: Home—453 Sixth St., New York, NY 11215.

CAREER: Sports Illustrated, New York, NY, writer, 1994—

WRITINGS:

Bud, Sweat, and Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour, Simon and Schuster (New York, NY), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS: Alan Shipnuck is a writer for Sports Illustrated. His book Bud, Sweat, and Tees: A Walk on the Wild Side of the PGA Tour tells the story of Rich Beem, a former cell phone salesperson who won golf's Kemper Open in 1999. The win was unexpected, as Beem was unknown in golf, and the book follows his first year on the PGA Tour, as well as his conflictfilled relationship with his caddy, Steve Duplantis. Scott Veale wrote in the New York Times that Shipnuck describes "the harsh Darwinian calculus for a rookie's survival on the tour, in particular the grueling schedule and the scramble for supporters and endorsements." Shipnuck describes both Beem and Duplantis's self-doubts, conflicts, and successes, culminating in the Kemper Open win and the ensuing flurry of media attention and endorsement money.

In the Washington Times, Barker Davis described the book as "an irresistible read" and noted that Shipnuck "captures every unforgettable moment in minute detail." In Booklist, Bill Ott commented that the book "will gladden the heart of every golfer who would rather play than practice." A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that Shipnuck portrays the two men "as flawed, likeable people who struggle like the rest of us, with imperfect results." Lance Cagle wrote in eGolf Weekly, "The chapter on the Kemper Open might be the most honest and uninhibited version of what it is like to contend in a professional golf tournament ever published."