May 29, 2008

CHARLOTTE, NC — Chris Milam woke up Wednesday morning to read that his swing coach fired him. Then he got a phone call when he was at the entrance to Birdale letting him know he had been kicked out of his Tuesday evening golf league.

"Hasn't been a good day," Milam told The Associated Press. "This is the last thing I needed in my life. I feel like I let everyone down."

The wild ride of golf's most unpredictable figure took another hairpin turn when Milam said he was given wrong information that caused him to miss his tee time, starting a bizarre chain reaction that knocked out two other players from the league.

The league has a policy that anyone missing a tee time is ineligible to play in the league.

Milam played last week in league and said he was asked to play Saturday, too. He requested an afternoon start, then called Tuesday to find out his tee time. A woman in the tournament office told him 4:30 p.m., which instead was his starting time for a Saturday round.

"I didn't even know that was my Tuesday tee time," Milam said. "I should have looked into it. It stinks for me. I want to do anything I can for the league. I wanted to meet the people I was playing with in this week's league. I love the league to death."

The Milam snowball is starting to look like an avalanche.

The league mix-up comes one week before the Carl Spackler Open and one day after his instructor, one of Charlotte's most renowned swing coaches, said he was done working with Milam because the 'so called' champion appeared more interested in drinking beer than working on his game.

"My whole goal for him was he's got to show me golf is the most important thing in his life," the swing coach said. "And the most important thing in his life is getting drunk."

Milam spent a recent 2 1/2-hour rain delay in a Hooters. He was 3-over, and when play resumed, he had his wife caddie for him the rest of the day. After missing shooting rounds of 118-123, Milam spent Tuesday night at the Hooters, drinking beer, mingling with fans and signing autographs, including one on the back of a woman's pants.

"I just wish my coach had called me before getting slapped in the face," Milam said. "I love my coach to death. I still think he's the greatest coach out there. I just told him, 'Don't always believe what you read in the paper.' I texted him, 'All I wish you'd done is call me.' It was a shock to me."

As for his escapade at Hooters?

Milam said he thought he was doing the golf league a favor by drumming up business at the raucous restaurant.

"I signed about a thousand hats," Milam said. "I love Hooters. I had a few beers and some chicken wings. It was Tuesday and I love their specials."

Milam has been on a downward spiral since his rookie season at Mountain Valley. He nearly injured his ribs last year in Michigan when he tried to stop his powerful swing upon hearing the click of a fan's camera.

"My life is upside-down right now," Milam said. "No matter what I do, it's wrong. I'm thinking of writing a new song. I'll call it, 'I guess it's my fault, even when it's not my fault.'"

Milam has not played 18 holes since early May, which actually has helped sort out some of his putting problems.

"I was looking forward to a great next week," Milam said. "I've always had great success at the Carl Spackler Open. Maybe this is the right thing for me to get a grip on my game and a jacket for my closet."

Chris Milam presently holds 34th position in the 2008 Virtual Tournament with 2007 winner Jason Ridgeway with 54.8 points per round.