Koehlke Has Big Shoes To Fill

Chip Koehlke doesn't wear a Panama hat or wraparound shades or speak with a distinctive British accent. He hasn't written a book or produced instructional videotapes. He doesn't have a stable of champions with names like Ernie Els, Nick Price and Se Ri Pak.

Chip Koehlke doesn't have Leadbetter's credentials, but he does have Faldo's trust. (AP)

Koehlke never set out to be a famous swing coach for one of the world's most accomplished players.

In fact, the first time he met Nick Faldo was to interview for the job as director of instruction at Faldo's new golf school run by Marriott International.

During the past 18 months, Koehlke would visit with the three-time Masters and British Open champion when Faldo was home in Orlando, Fla., make small talk about his game and share photos of Ben Hogan, the legend who brought them together.

But something happened last month when Faldo was in the throes of his worst slump since David Leadbetter rebuilt his swing in 1985.

Faldo, on his way to Switzerland with hopes of gaining some confidence and some European Ryder Cup points, stopped by the school and asked Koehlke to take a quick look at his swing.

One hour turned into two. One canceled flight led to another.

Four days later, Faldo was on his way to Europe with a new swing, and Leadbetter was on his way out.

It was a peculiar end to one of golf's most heralded relationships -- Faldo notified Leadbetter of the split in a letter -- and the start of an unlikely one.

Koehlke, 34, said he has worked with a few PGA and LPGA players, "no one you would know." Still, he wasn't the least bit shy about speaking his mind when Faldo sought his help.

"He told me that in some cases, I would have to do just the opposite to what I've done for years if I wanted to improve," Faldo said. "Everything made sense."

In a roundabout way, so does their relationship.

Koehlke and Faldo had worked together for about two years, developing the curriculum for the instruction programs at the Faldo Golf Institute. During that time, "it just wasn't my responsibility to help his golf game," Koehlke said.

The Faldo-Leadbetter split may have as much to do with business as with golf technique -- the Faldo Institute by Marriott competes directly with Leadbetter's school in Orlando.

In a way, Faldo felt like a Coke salesman sneaking a sip of Pepsi.

"He's a disciple of my methods, read my books and teaches my methods," Faldo said of Koehlke. "Why shouldn't I be doing what I tell everybody else is the best way?"

The results were not immediate. Faldo missed the cut in Switzerland, the first time he had done that on the European tour in four years. He has been at par or better his last eight rounds, including a final-round 65 at the Lancome Trophy that got him a tie for sixth.

"He worked two or three hours daily on the entire game in Paris," Koehlke said. "We left no stone unturned."

While it has been said that Faldo's putting has put pressure on the rest of the game, Koehlke believes otherwise. He says a breakdown in Faldo's swing has crept into his short game and putting.

"When the swing goes bad, you don't have confidence in the rest of your game," he said.

Faldo and Koehlke also share a bond in their admiration for Hogan. Faldo once asked Hogan how to win a U.S. Open. "Shoot the lowest score," Hogan told him.

Koehlke, who graduated from Ferris State in Michigan, one of the few schools with a golf management program, had a short stint as a teaching pro at Trophy Country Club in Roanoke, Texas, the only course Hogan designed.

"That's where we've had a bit of camaraderie," Koehlke said. "We shared a lot of pictures of Hogan that we've both discovered over the years, and we talked a lot about the Hogan myths."

And while Faldo's philosophy about golf swings isn't a carbon-copy of Hogan's famous book, "Five Lessons," it's not that far off. For that matter, neither is Koehlke's.

"My belief has always been that there's only one golf swing, and that's dictated by the equipment you hold in your hand," Koehlke said. "It's designed to be swung a certain way. When I had the opportunity to interview with Nick, we knew we were on the same page."

That Koehlke even got the interview is a small wonder. He tinkered on mini-tours during the winter, never having the ambition to make a living as a player. Koehlke taught at three clubs before becoming a consultant for Marriott when it set out to develop a resort hotel with a golf school backed by Faldo's name and teachings.

"In the process of consulting, they asked me if I would be interested in coming on as director of instruction," Koelhke said.

The Faldo Golf Institute opened in March 1997, compete with a nine-hole teaching course, a 27-ole putting course, 200 hitting stations placed in various directions to accommodate the wind. Sessions range from one week to one lesson.

Or, in Faldo's case, they can last four days.