Costner delivers another laid-back performance that barely registers, and Russo is sexy and smart if ditsy (why she would wear a tight, short skirt to her first golf lesson is a mystery). And Johnson is very good in his supporting role, obviously having great fun as the charming villain of the piece.

Linda Hart also gets an awful lot of mileage out of her stripper-with-a-head-for-finance role, and best of all is Cheech Marin as Tin Cup's right-hand man, adviser and caddy. Marin, who is fast becoming one of our best comic character players, gets plenty of laughs from his verbal asides and mugging reactions — and he also manages to give his role some real dimension.

Unfortunately, much of the movie's plot hinges on our belief that Costner is hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with Russo — and they just don't have any chemistry together. That lack of romantic spark really hinders the film's progress. Much of the movie seems drawn out and labored, but Cost-ner and Russo's scenes together are especially sluggish.

By the by, a couple of minor cast members have Utah connections. Pro golfer Johnny Miller makes a brief cameo appearance as himself, and Jim Nantz, who was a sportscaster with KSL television for several years and is now with CBS Sports, also plays himself during the lengthy U.S. Open sequence toward the end of the film.

"Tin Cup" is rated R for considerable profanity and vulgar language, as well as a sex scene and some nudity in a strip bar.