The Legend of Bagger Vance Page #4

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It's a pleasure to be here, ma'am.|Thank you.

Hardy, take his belongings to his|room, then I got chores for you.

Yes'm.

Expect this is the most exciting|sports event ever, ain't it, Mr. Rice?

- Why is that, son?|- Why?

Because of Jones and Hagen.|They's out for blood.

Oh, I didn't come for Jones or Hagen.|I came for Rannulph Junuh.

You come all the way down|from New York City to see Junuh?

I saw Junuh play once,|then he disappeared.

I'd love to see him play,|especially against Jones and Hagen.

Go get them, Junuh! Go get them!

God bless you, Junuh!|Show them what Savannah's made of!

- Go get them, Junuh!|- Give them hell!

Give them hell.

Junuh, make us proud!

Damn.

I take that you was interested|in being Mr. Junuh's fore caddy.

- No.|- No?

- No.|- No?

Well, maybe I was. But I guess I just|ain't got the nerve to ask you yet.

I ain't got time till you does,|so here's what I propose...

...I'll assume that the moment you|gets the nerve to ask...

...will be the same moment I decide|I tell you, "Yeah."

How'd that suit you?

- That suits me just fine, sir.|- Folks call me Bagger.

Yes, sir, Bagger, sir.

Soon as you're through|cleaning Mr. Junuh's shoes...

...we'll measure out on the course.

Junuh knew that if he were to have|any chance in the tournament...

... he had no choice but to come|to terms with his demons.

The only question in his mind was...

... which demon gave him|the most aggravation:

Bagger Vance|or Miss Adele Invergordon?

Mr. Jones?

Could you hold, please?

- Thank you very much, Mr. Jones.|- Thank you.

Oh, Mr. Hagen.

How are you this evening?

Good time, now.

Very nice.|Thank you very much, Mr. Hagen.

Make sure you keep this area clear.

Dance and a picture, sir?

Thank you very much.

That's it. Very nice.|Look right over here.

Right here. Big smile.|Don't stop, stay together.

Just pretend there's music.

Keep going, keep going!|Look right over here. Okay.

Give me a smile.

Thank you very much.

- May I have this dance?|- Of course.

Longer.

Little shorter.

How's that?

Good. One stride equals a yard.

Go on over to the tee|and start counting.

Top golfers try to get|a leg up on the competition...

... by having the men they trust|sneak on the course...

... and do their own measurements.

So Bagger and I walked the course|that night, measuring away.

Bagger never wrote down a number.|He filed it all in his head.

Hit one a little harder.

Go and do that again.

Right here is where this game is won.|Right here on the green.

First you got to see it.

Sun gonna be there in the morning.

Over there in the afternoon.

Funny thing is, the blades of grass|gonna follow the sun.

The grain is gonna shift.

That same putt...

...gonna go one way in the morning,|the other in the afternoon.

One way in the morning, the other|in the afternoon. You see that?

A golf course put folk through|quite a punishment.

It lives and breathes just like us.

You think Junuh can win?

Yeah, if he can find|his authentic swing.

"Authentic"?

Go and hit one more for me.

Yep, inside each and every one of us|is one true, authentic swing.

Something we was born with,|that's ours...

...and ours alone. Something can't|be taught to you or learned.

Something that got to be remembered.

Over time, the world can rob us|of that swing...

...and get buried inside us under...

...all our woulda's and coulda's,|and shoulda's.

Some folk even forget what|their swing was like.

Some folk even forget what|their swing was like.

- You keep swinging.|- But I don't have any balls.

Don't worry about the ball|or where it's gonna go...

Just swing the club.

Close your eyes.

- Close my...|- You can't make that ball go in.

You have to let it.

Feel the club.|Feel the weight of the club.

A deep perfect line.|Dropping in, soft as butter.

Listen to the sounds of the night.|Keep swinging that club.

Feel the breeze coming off the sea.

Inside every one of us is|one true, authentic swing.

Keep swinging that club...

...until you're part|of the whole thing.

Something we was born with.

- That's good. Listen to the night.|- I don't feel a thing.

Just keep swinging that club until|you're part of the whole thing.

That's a good thing.

Can you see it?

- All right, time to go.|- Why?

They say that God is happiest|when His children are at play.

Well, it certainly seemed God|was in fine spirits...

... when the day of the match dawned.

People came from far and wide.

There wasn't a room to be found|in a boarding house...

... or the Krewe Island Hotel.

The match was designed|as the ultimate championship.

Thirty-six holes on Saturday...

... followed by another grueling|36 holes on Sunday.

- Where's Hagen?|- Oh, he'll be here.

Hello, Mr. Junuh. Bob, how are you?

They do put on a splendid|show, don't they?

Later, they'll even|hit some golf balls.

Ladies and gentlemen.

By virtue of the draw...

...Mr. Jones will hit first...

...Mr. Hagen second...

...and then Mr. Junuh.

Then suddenly, I felt as if I could|hear the earth breathing beneath me.

Junuh hit a good opening drive,|and I was sure he was on his way.

Hard to imagine three more different|approaches to the game of golf.

Bobby Jones' swing was a study|of grace in motion.

He had a way of making|the difficult shots look easy...

... and the easy shots|look even easier.

Hagen, on the other hand...

... hit more bad shots in a single|game than most golfers do in a season.

But Hagen had long ago|learned one thing:

Three lousy shots and|one brilliant shot can still make par.

And Junuh? Well, even now...

... I can't think of it|without wincing.

- Beach.|- Go ball, go!

Yep. Beach.

He missed it.

We sure got lovely weather|for it, though.

Let me get that from you, sir.

Any ideas?

About what?

Could you give me a club?

That's a good one.

What the hell is wrong with his grip?

By the end of five holes,|Junuh was five strokes behind...

... with 67 holes to go.

Things would've been much worse if it|weren't for Junuh's shot on the sixth.

It was a birdie.|One stroke under par for the hole...

... moving him to four|behind Jones and Hagen...

... and his only hope|for the entire round.

I think I've found my game.

Good news. Now we got to figure|out what that game is.

By the 18th tee, at the close|of the morning round...

... Jones and Hagen|were neck and neck.

And as for Junuh...

This is becoming embarrassing.

Oh, no, sir. It's been embarrassing|for quite some time now.

Can I make a suggestion to you?

What now?

Why don't you hook it out of bounds?

Carve it out over them pretty trees|into the ocean.

Really, do what you've been doing.

Then, you'll be so far|out the match...

...me and you can relax|and enjoy ourselves.

Yeah.

What you waiting for? Go on.

Hook it to hell.|Put yourself out your misery.

You want to quit?

You can creep off somewhere,|I'll tell folk you took sick.

Truth be told,|ain't nobody gonna object.

Fact, they probably be happy as bugs|in a bake shop see you pack up.

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