Wichita win does wonders for persistent Elder  PGATOUR.com Correspondent There is something extraordinary about a victory in professional golf.  Brad Elder was a member of the Walker Cup team in 1997. (WireImage)
Like the advent of spring, it can spawn a sense of renewal as well as a healthy dose of relief from the demon that is self doubt. It can serve to reaffirm that the sweat equity a player put into his game is finally paying handsome dividends. Just ask Brad Elder to testify about what that sweet 'W' did for him Sunday in the Nationwide Tour's Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open. "It was great to play well in tough conditions,'' said Elder, 32, who broke away from a snarl of a traffic jam at the top of the leaderboard in style in Sunday's windswept final round, closing with a torrid run of eagle, birdie, par, birdie, birdie for a four-stroke victory. "People simply do not realize how many good players there are. This can be a tough game.'' Elder can testify to that as well. You remember Elder, don't you? Once upon a time his resume' suggested nothing but can't miss. He had been successful at every turn in his amateur career. So it was only logical to forecast a bright future for a collegiate star making his way into the world of professional golf. The lanky Oklahoman excelled in the junior ranks and consistently was mentioned among the most talented players in the American Junior Golf Association. He moved on to the University of Texas with a golf scholarship. There he followed in a long line of college shining lights and future professionals like Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite and Justin Leonard by earning the Jack Nicklaus Award and the Fred Haskins Award as college golf's player of the year in 1998. He played well enough to earn a prominent spot on the victorious Walker Cup team in 1997 and always was considered a threat when competing in United States Golf Association events, amateur golfers' biggest stages. So Elder naturally followed his dream. He turned professional right out of college and the success immediately followed him onto the Nationwide Tour, where he began the 1999 season without any status. But he soon parlayed sponsors exemptions and top 25 finishes into membership and paved his way onto the PGA TOUR with a pair of victories in Wichita Open and the Inland Empire Open. Elder held onto his playing privileges with a pair of late top-10s as a rookie, earning more than $700,000 to finish a respectable 68th on the money list. It appeared he was on his way. The sophomore slump bewitched him in 2001. He finished a couple of missed cuts and two frustrating places outside the top 125, but he manned up in the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and was all set for 2002. And then . . . An injured Elder basically plummeted off golf's radar screen and started what is a hard-luck story that apparently is turning around. Bursitis in his shoulder prompted the downfall in March of 2002. He knows now the operation he thought might fix it only prolonged the pain, creating more problems. He received a minor medical exemption in 2003, but made only five cuts in 20 events. He played a limited schedule on the Nationwide Tour in 2004 and did not enter a single event in 2005 after slipping and breaking his ankle. Elder's body wasn't the only thing hurt. His psyche was too because it seemed like his golf game was in tatters. Although his shoulder still ached Elder began working on his swing with Dr. Jim Suttie, who is headquartered at Twin Eagles Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Together they gradually pieced Humpty Dumpty back together again. Elder could feel his game coming around earlier this year. There were close calls Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship at Wente Vineyards, the Henrico County Open and the Fort Smith Classic presented by Stephens Inc., each a top-10. Then a return to Wichita, where Elder scored his first professional victory turned the key to the throne room. "I like the town and the golf course just suited my eye,'' said Elder, who grew up in Tulsa, Okla. "I also played some great junior golf there.'' And now an emboldened Elder feels like he has been born again. "Well, you never master this game,'' Elder said. "You feel like you have it one day and it's gone the next. But it really was nice to see I know how to do it.'' The victory was worth $90,000, but Elder's biggest reward was a jump of 33 spots on the Nationwide Tour money list, from 45th all the way to 12th, 13 precious spots inside "The 25.'' The idea is to stay there through the end of the season and earn the Nationwide Tour's real reward: PGA TOUR playing privileges in 2008. Elder feels like he is up to the task. "It has been quite a journey,'' he said. "But now I feel like I'm playing better than I ever have. I'm ready to get back (onto the PGA TOUR). And when I do I feel like I will do quite well.'' |
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