By MICHAEL PETERS Sports Editor on Jul 31, 2012, at 8:29 PM Updated on 7/31 at 8:29 PM
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It's not every day you get the chance to spend several hours with Bob Stoops.
In fact, as a member of the media, it's rare to get more than a few minutes of one-on-one time with the reigning king of Oklahoma football.
But I was fortunate enough to spend more than four hours with Stoops as a member of his fivesome during the Sooners' donor/media appreciation golf tournament Monday at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club.
Given the state of my golf game and the quality of the play in our group, I was way out of my element.
Still, it was a special treat to watch Stoops work up close.
I'll be honest, I didn't learn that much about Stoops the football coach. But I can tell you what I learned about Stoops the golfer:
He's competitive: Just as he appears on the football field, Stoops is a perfectionist on the golf course. He may not play that much, but he expects every shot he hits to be a good one. If it's not, he can't hide his disappointment.
He's a wonderful putter: If you're inside of 15 feet on a green, Stoops is your man. No wonder he nearly broke 80 during one of his rounds at the AT&T National Pro-Am last February.
He's honest: I've played with plenty of folks who didn't mind hitting an extra shot -- or 10 -- to post a better scramble score. That didn't happen Monday.
Stoops talked football briefly during lunch, and the tone was different than in 2011. During this same event last year, Stoops reiterated his stance that it was "about time" for another national championship.
This year, he was more subdued, saying he had a good team returning and couldn't wait to start fall practice. That's probably a good thing, considering last year's early title talk seemed to hang over the team like a black cloud at times.
Unfortunately, there were way too few clouds Monday as temperatures soared into the triple digits.
After the round was over, though, Stoops said the heat didn't bother him. On a golf course, just like on a football sideline, Stoops is a pretty touch customer.
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