Gerry Dulac: Lemieux's Other Sport a Lifetime Passion

Lemieux's other sport turns into lifetime, family passion

Sunday, June 19, 2005
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It has been his passion since he arrived here in 1984, a French Canadian teenager who played his sport with wonderful skill, impeccable style and professional grace. And Mario Lemieux learned quickly, too, picking up the nuances of the game like a seasoned veteran.

Almost overnight, he was something special, and he brought something special to Pittsburgh, too. His love, his devotion, his desire for the sport was infectious, and those around him sensed Lemieux's dedication to be, as his French surname indicates, the best.

Oh, yeah. He wasn't a bad hockey player, either.

"I never played the game until the year before I came to Pittsburgh," Lemieux said. "But, when I came to Pittsburgh, a bunch of the guys were members at Rolling Hills and I just got hooked on it."

And so began the other career of Mario Lemieux, hockey superstar.

Nearly 20 years later, Lemieux still has a passion for golf, something he has passed to his wife, Nathalie, and even his kids, especially his oldest son, Austin.

But his devotion to the game runs deeper than that, and it is apparent every year when the Mellon Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational golf tournament is staged at The Club at Nevillewood, one of eight clubs at which Lemieux is a member.

The event has become an attraction for sports fans who want to see Michael Jordan, Dan Marino, John Elway and Charles Barkley -- staples of the event -- play golf. More important, though, the tournament has raised approximately $6.5 million for the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which supports, among other causes, cancer research.

To Lemieux, a cancer survivor, that is most significant.

"We started with a one-day tournament and we decided to make it bigger," Lemieux said. "It's been a nice surprise that it has gotten this big. It's a tribute to the sponsors and all the fans who made it this big."

Some complications

The 2005 edition of the Mellon Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational commences Friday, and the drill hasn't changed: 54 holes of competition for the likes of Lemieux and his celebrity pals -- Jordan, Barkley, Elway, Marino, actor Jack Wagner, former tennis star Ivan Lendl and 2004 champion, Pierre Larouche.

But also three days of watching people such as actor Joe Pesci, morning-show TV host Matt Lauer and Carson Daly, a new addition this year. The winner gets $40,000, making it one of the best and most lucrative celebrity events in the country.

Lemieux has been staging the event for eight years, and the money raised has surpassed his expectation. He expects another good turnout this week, especially with the addition of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

"When you have great sponsors, you're able to put on a great event," Lemieux said. "And Nevillewood is a great golf course. The fact that Michael Jordan, Dan Marino, John Elway come every year, that's why it's so successful."

Staging the tournament as a public event, though, has become costly and time-consuming, which is why this will be the final year the tournament will be open to the fans.

Starting in 2006, Lemieux will move the tournament to Laurel Valley and make it more of a corporate outing with two days of pro-ams. Some of the same big names will still attend, though Lemieux figures he will shrink the field of celebrities to 40 players.

Corporate sponsorship will remain unchanged, which is how Lemieux hopes to reach the foundation's annual goal of $1 million raised. The loss of ticket revenue will be offset by the gain in not having to stage the tournament and prepare the course for the public.

"It's been a great run and a lot of work for everybody, but every year gets more and more difficult," Lemieux said. "We're kind of maxed out."

Family affair

Today is Father's Day, and Lemieux, the father of four, plans to be with his family. They have started to play golf together, all but the youngest, Alexa, who is 4.

For Lemieux, it is a chance to combine two of his passions -- family and golf. The other -- hockey -- is a little more difficult as a family activity. And, potentially hazardous.

"We all go out from time to time and play a couple holes at night," Lemieux said. "It's a good activity for the family and it's a way for me to get away from everything."

Golf always has been a big deal for Lemieux since he arrived in Pittsburgh and saved the Penguins more than 20 years ago. He played the game religiously as a rookie, quickly developing into a low-handicap player who routinely shot in the 70s.

Now, though, he claims he's "back in the 80s," even though the Penguins, along with the rest of the National Hockey League, did not play in 2004-2005.

"I think it's the challenge every day to shoot the lowest score," Lemieux said. "It's a test of your patience, it's a mind game. That's what I enjoy -- to go out and compete."

Busy, busy, busy

Despite the lockout, Lemieux has remained busy. Not only is he is in the process of selling majority interest in the team to William "Boots" Del Biaggio, a friend and West Coast investor. But he is working out and trying to get in shape, preparing for a training camp that never came last season.

"It's been a tough year for everybody, not having a chance to play hockey," Lemieux said. "It's tough on myself and tough for the fans in Pittsburgh. That's something we have to get done. It seems we are getting closer and closer to an agreement."

Lemieux, who will be 40 in October, is not worried about the inactivity. After all, when he surprised nearly everyone with his decision to return to hockey in December, 2000, he had missed nearly 31/2 seasons.

Lemieux retired the first time after the 1996 season, citing his health and a disdain for the way the game was being played. He returned 44 months later for a number of reasons, including wanting his son, Austin, to see him play.

"It was tough [sitting out], but I've done it before," Lemieux said. "I retired before. I'm used to it, but it's not easy. As you get older, you need to put in a lot more time. It's doable, but you have to work out every day, making sure you get your body and mind fit to play at a high level. You have to dedicate yourself to be in the best shape possible to play a very tough game."

Actually, the missed year might have prolonged Lemieux's career by at least another season. Right now, he has no timetable for retiring a second time, saying he will merely go year-to-year.

"I'd really like to play a couple more years if I stay healthy, but that's always been an issue," Lemieux said. "I've been pretty good the last couple years. As long as I'm healthy, I'd like to play a couple more years."

Hockey, that is.

Golf will go on much longer.