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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros Paperback - 2007

by Tom Coyne

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This riotously funny story follows one weekend golfer who lived his dream and devoted a full year to nothing but the quixotic quest to enter the notoriously grueling PGA Tour Qualifying School with his girlfriend tagging along as caddy.

Summary

?Think country-club clinic meets Navy Seals training. I will pay any price, bear any burden, leave my home to follow the seasons, build my own swing studio in the basement, construct a practice green in my backyard. . . . Everything the big boys have access to, I want double.? Like most amateur golfers, Tom Coyne had often wondered whether the pros won because they were more talented or because they were more obsessed. Overweight and burdened by a 14 handicap, he decided to find out for himself what it takes to play like a pro.

Charting his journey?which included hiring top golf gurus such as Dr. Jim Suttie?Paper Tiger takes readers from the Michelob tournament (a win for Tom) to the Australian Tour, where forty-mile-per-hour winds and a driving rain scare off his Japanese partners. With each chapter, he tracks his weight alongside his handicap, pursuing his dream with a reckless abandon that comes to involve hardcore diets, pricey technology, even psychologists. With echoes of Dead Solid Perfect and Who?s Your Caddy? Tom brings his uniquely edgy, deeply human perspective to a game that can simultaneously bring out the best and the worst in everyone who tries to master it.

Reader reviews for Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

From the publisher

A fascinating memoir of an amateur golfer's yearlong quest to elevate his game

"A breezy, poignant read . . . Hilarious."--Philadelphia Inquirer

"Think country-club clinic meets Navy SEALs training. I will pay any price, bear any burden, leave my home to follow the seasons, build my own swing studio in the basement, construct a practice green in my backyard. . . . Everything the big boys have access to, I want double."

Like most amateur golfers, Tom Coyne had often wondered whether the pros won because they were more talented or because they were more obsessed. Overweight and burdened by a 14 handicap, he decided to find out for himself what it takes to play like a pro.

In Paper Tiger, he charts every step of his journey, which included sessions with top golf gurus such as Dr. Jim Suttie, the Michelob tournament (a win for Tom), and the Australian Tour--where forty-mile-per-hour winds and a driving rain scare off his Japanese partners. With each chapter, he tracks his weight alongside his handicap, pursuing his dream with a reckless abandon that comes to involve hardcore diets, pricey technology, even psychologists.

With echoes of Dead Solid Perfect and Who's Your Caddy? Tom brings his uniquely edgy, deeply human perspective to a game that can simultaneously bring out the best and the worst in everyone who tries to master it.

First line

Our foursome sits around a table of magically replenishing bottles of Miller High Life, adding up the damage from a game of two-dollar skins.

Details

  • Title Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
  • Author Tom Coyne
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Edition
  • Pages 336
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Avery Publishing Group
  • Publication date 2007-05-03
  • ISBN 9781592402991 / 1592402992
  • Weight 0.6 lbs (0.27 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.98 x 6.58 x 0.73 in (20.27 x 16.71 x 1.85 cm)
  • Age range 18 to UP years
  • Grade levels 13 - UP
  • Category Biography / Autobiography
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

From his commitment to the curious cause to his single-minded focus, Coyne weaves an insightful and entertaining tale. . . .[H]is self-deprecating writing style and impeccable comedic timing make Paper Tiger a tale worth reading. (Golfweek)

About the author

Tom Coyne is the author of the novel A Gentleman's Game and cowriter of the screenplay for the novel's film version, which starred Dylan Baker and Gary Sinise. He is a contributor to Golf Magazine and teaches creative writing at St. Joseph's University.

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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Tom Coyne

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Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
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Avery, May 2007. Trade Paperback. Very Good - Cash. Light reader wear and rubbing to the edges, corners, covers, and pages. The book is in great condition! The cover has some creasing. Stock photos may not look exactly like the book.
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
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Avery, 2007-05-03. paperback. Very Good. 5x0x7. Very Good condition.Crisp pages. Clean cover and pages. Book shows minimal shelf wear. No highlighting/marking. Not Satisfied? Contact us to get a refund.
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

  • Used
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  • Paperback
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Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
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Description:
Avery Publishing Group, 2007. Paperback. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Paper Tiger : An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger : An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

  • Used
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
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Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Paper Tiger : An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger : An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

  • Used
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
Quantity available
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Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Item price
A$10.67
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Paper Tiger : An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger : An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

  • Used
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Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
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Item price
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Description:
Penguin Publishing Group. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros

by Coyne, Tom

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  • Paperback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9781592402991 / 1592402992
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Paper Tiger: An Obsessed Golfer's Quest to Play with the Pros
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by Coyne, Tom

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