Name: Mark Helffrich

Club: The Suburban Club

Age: 42

Born: Clovis, N.M.

Years a professional: 19

Years at present club: 10

Career highlights: He has enjoyed playing competitive golf all over the world. The son of a steel corporation executive, he lived overseas from age 2 until returning to this country to attend college (U. of North Carolina), where his golf foes included Wake Forest's Curtis Strange, Scott Hoch and Gary Hallberg. As a teen-age amateur, he played most of the open tournaments in Europe, and as a professional, he played a number of events on the South American, South African and Asian tours. He has been active in the Middle Atlantic PGA as a board member, and as a tournament player, winning several events. He was an assistant pro at Burning Tree and Chevy Chase.

Tip: A lot of golfers, particularly when in trouble, will try to hit shots too difficult for their level of ability. Play within yourself and select high percentage clubs and shots. If you can't hit a low draw on the practice range, you certainly won't be able to hit it out of the rough, around a tree and over water on the course. Control your ego and manage your way to lower scores.

Pub Date: 9/03/98