DEARBORN - When John Schroeder arrived at the Tournament Players Club of Michigan for the Senior Players Championship last week, the atmosphere felt comfortable. And for Schroeder, that was a change - a shift from the pressures of real life.
Cynics would question what could be troubling a man who plays golf on the Senior PGA Tour for a living.
Skeptics might wonder what problems could possibly plague a 51-year-old multi-millionaire who calls Del Mar, Calif., home.
But without meeting Schroeder, without understanding the life of the man, the skeptics and cynics would remain clueless to his reality.
For the majority of his life, success has laid at Schroeder's feet and money has made his troubles fade - until recently.
All his life, John Schroeder has played golf and has played it well. His game earned a place in Michigan athletic lore when he achieved All-America status as a collegian, and with his eventual induction to the University of Michigan Hall of Fame.
If asked, his immediate passion is for Michigan athletics. His exuberance for his alma mater is shown repeatedly - even on his bag. A well-aged Michigan football bag tag dangles from the side of his Cobra golf clubs, and one of his sticks is insulated by a Michigan head cover.
The bag and its contents not only symbolize the major aspects of Schroeder's life but show where he was, where he is now and where he is going.
As a confused University student in the late 1960s, Schroeder spent his undergraduate years unsure of his life's calling.
Nearly 30 years later, he stands among the best players on the Senior Tour - evidenced by his 25th-place finish on last season's money list (out of 220 players).
His financial success with Cobra Golf drew him back to the University in January to announce a donation of $2.4 million to begin a career-counseling program - showing loyalty to his alma mater.
"I do feel very strongly as an ex-scholarship athlete that you have an obligation to pay the University back," he said at the time.
But the visit last week was about golf, and that was what Schroeder wanted to focus on - however difficult it may have been.
He has parlayed an investment in the fledgling Cobra Golf company into mass wealth, and now uses his status as one of the company's founders to provide for his family.
But money doesn't necessarily buy happiness. And that cruel reality hit the Schroeders last summer.
Schroeder's eldest daughter, Patty, was paralyzed in August following an accident on a lake in Pontiac. The tragedy occurred just months after her Michigan graduation, and joy quickly turned to sadness.
The family, which had always enjoyed the finest comforts of sporting fame, now had to deal with a larger issue than golf.
The accident "restructured my whole life," Schroeder said.
Now, 11 months after the accident, Schroeder was back in Michigan, but this time the golf course dominated his thoughts. His daughter remains in the San Diego area in his wife's care.
Playing in Michigan put Schroeder in a comfort zone, unlike the feeling of a normal tour week.
Schroeder's cousin, Del de Windt, who followed Schroeder throughout his four rounds at the TPC, said having Schroeder in town was exciting for him.
"It's special to watch him play in person," de Windt said. "I talk to him every week while he's on tour."
De Windt wasn't the only relative in town cheering for Schroeder.
His youngest daughter, Jenny, settled in Ann Arbor last week for her freshman orientation. For Schroeder, the visit to Michigan further reinforces his connection to the state and his affinity for the University.
Michigan "is where I met my wife, made some great friends and where all three of my children go," he said. "It's very important to me, and it shaped who I am."
So when he took to the links last week, Schroeder had a clear focus: to win the final Senior Tour major of the year. The Michigan Daily trailed Schroeder through the tournament as he rolled through four days of highs and lows on the undulating terrain.
Thursday
If two is company and three is a crowd, it was never as apparent as in the opening round. Calvin Peete, who began the day playing in a threesome with Schroeder and Rives McBee, withdrew after five holes, complaining of a bad shoulder.
Schroeder, three under to that point, retained his rhythm and turned in one of the lowest nine-hole totals of the tournamnet, recording a 32 on the front side.
He finished the round three under par and a mere two shots off the lead. The outing was a dramatic improvement over his 79 in the opening round last year, and he was quick to point out the nine-shot improvement.
But soon after putting out on the 18th green, he showed he knew why he was the focus of the local media.
"Go Blue, huh?" he asked rhetorically.
After carding a 69, contention became a possibility, and the former Michigan All-America was everyone's favorite alum. The hometown hero was making good.
"It's great to be kind of in my second home," he said. "That's real positive."
ROUND: -3, tied at 69
Friday
Early and often. The recurring themes of Schroeder's second round set the tone for a day of ideal conditions.
Surrounded by family, friends and fellow Wolverines, he teed off in the second group of the day. This offered up a divot-free course for the 51-year old - and he capitalized.
"Today the conditions were as ideal as you'd ever want to have," he said. "And we were the second group off, so the course was there for the taking."
And take it he did, compiling another 69 - with a little help from his friends.
The affable nature of the golfing veteran brought out numerous Michigan supporters, who reminded Schroeder that he was their player.
Nearly every solid shot was accompanied by a shout of "Go Blue" from the onlooking gallery, and 'M' hats could be spotted throughout the accompanying throng.
Schroeder reveled in the support, tipping his cap every time he struck a shot within inches of the flag or whenever he outdrove playing partner McBee.
"In any team sport, the home court is an advantage," Schroeder said, referring to his following.
He remained optimistic about his chances as he stood just two shots behind the leaders at the halfway point.
"I'm hoping that the next two days I can get a little more freed up and feel like there's a little more flow," he said.
Little did he know, 24 hours later he would be searching for the remnants of his swing and flow would be the least of his concerns.
ROUND: -3, tied at 138 (-6 overall)
Saturday
Confidence is essential in a sport like golf. Even the slightest factor can shake a player's nerves.
And playing with Raymond Floyd presents a number of those problems. He travels with huge galleries, carries an impressive resumè and can turn on his all-world game in an instant.
And for Schroeder, who was paired with the legend, along with Isao Aoki on Saturday, this intimidation was an unjust reward for back-to-back 69s.
What began as a normal round for Schroeder (-1 through the first four holes) unraveled in an instant.
The slightest break - like when he dropped his second shot into the drink on No. 6 - sent Schroeder spiraling downward and his score the opposite way.
And, sure enough, he never recovered.
After the six on six, he closed par, bogey, par and made the turn with only decent prospects.
Decent became dismal when he hit the cart path on No. 10 and nestled his ball into the greenside swamp on 12.
Schroeder's swing, which had been in top form for the first two rounds at the Michigan TPC, fell apart, and his shots were scattered everywhere.
"I reverted back to what I've been doing all year long," he said. "I just made the same mistakes over and over."
Just as Schroeder's low numbers disappeared (he stood at -2 overall through 12), so did his following of Wolverines.
Friday's Hail to the Victor chants became Saturday's Hail Marys as Schroeder fell from contention.
"It was a pretty negative day," he said.
At least it couldn't get any worse, he may have thought, as he inked his name on the scorecard reading 78.
ROUND: +6, tied at 216 (even par overall)
Sunday
When asked if there was anything positive to carry over from Saturday's disappointing round, Schroeder was hesitant to respond.
"I'll have to think about it," he said. "But I don't think so."
As horrid as Saturday's 18 holes were, when Schroeder awoke on Sunday, he must have heard chirping.
All day long, he rolled in birdies.
Long drives led to solid second shots, and secure putts were beckoned into the cup.
Schroeder could do no wrong.
Seven birdies in 18 holes cemented Sunday's round as his best of the tournament, and he knew it.
"I'm very pleased that I finished strong," he said.
Consistency ruled the day for Schroeder - positive consistency this time.
He went out in 34 and came in carding the same total, outplaying partners Dale Douglass and Jim Albus.
While all three players started the day at even par, it was Schroeder who finished the day four under.
Douglass concluded at the same par score as when he started, and Albus as Schroeder's opposite at four over.
The day was a success by Schroeder's own estimation, but he regretted his missed opportunities.
"If I played even par yesterday, I might have had a chance to win," he said.
"It really only came down to a couple of swings."
Larry Gilbert, who led after the first and third rounds, held off late charges from Aoki and Dave Stockton to claim the title at -14.
It was too little, too late for Schroeder, but he enjoyed himself nonetheless. Three rounds under par placed him close to the lead.
"It really was a great week," he said.
ROUND: -4, tied at 284 (-4 overall)
At the end of Sunday - regardless of the final standings - Schroeder continued on to Coon Rapids, Minn., for the next stop on the Senior Tour.
But while all the other players will be attending just another stop in the schedule this weekend, Schroeder must readjust.
In Michigan he stood out in the crowd, a hometown hero making good.
Starting Friday, though, he'll go back to being another face in the over-50 crowd.
The struggles with his swing may return, and his concern for his family will always be an issue.
But for four days last week, Schroeder was home.
And as he'll attest - there's no place like home.
07-16-97
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