Print this page  |  Close Window

By Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent

Forgive me for saying so, but if ever a name fit a person to, well, a 'T', it belongs to Tee McCabe.

With $95,886 in the bank in 2007, Tee McCabe needs to finish strongly to earn a PGA TOUR card for 2008. (WireImage)

I mean, do you honestly have to ponder long and hard about what a guy called Tee does for a living?

Anyone who didn't say golf will be asked to rake bunkers after the next rain delay on the Nationwide Tour, where, incidentally, Tee McCabe plies his trade on a weekly basis.

His father's first name is Terrill. And he always is referred to as 'Big T.' When Terrill, Jr. arrived on Feb. 4, 1977, he automatically became 'Little T.'

Problem was, when 'Little T' started school he requested to be called 'T.' When a teacher asked him how to spell it, he instinctively slapped a pair of little Es on the end of the T. Hence Terrill Ross McCabe, Jr. became Tee, forever and a day.

McCabe is a Nationwide Tour rookie this season after he was the 21st qualifier for the circuit at the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. last December. The pro golf calling practically was a birthright.

'Big T' put a sawed off club in his son's hands when Tee was three. But these weren't just any sawed off clubs. 'Big T' always has been involved in the industry as a club designer who had the magic touch when it came to shaping trends in club manufacturing.

Remember the old TaylorMade Burner? 'Big T' drew up the specs.

'Big T' came up also with the concept for Founders Club. This he did in the family's basement. Those sticks became No. 1 on the PGA TOUR four months after they started coming off the assembly line. Sold the company for a tidy profit too.

TPA putters? Yep, 'Big T' designed them.

How about those Titleist 975 drivers and forged irons? 'Big T's' handiwork again.

Heard of Bob Vokey, the master designer of the wedges of choice among many professionals? 'Big T' hired him when he was at Titleist.

Get the picture? Want to discuss the merits of a particular bounce angle, vertical flow weighting or the inset hosel? 'Big T' is the man to see.

"Arguably, my dad is the best club designer ever,'' Tee said with no small measure of pride. "A lot of people in the industry have told me that.''

Tee is looking to carve out a niche for himself by swinging golf clubs, not designing them. He played three years on the Hooters Tour after turning professional right out of Miami University in Ohio. He showed he had plenty of game in 2005 by going 44-under-par in 144 holes in back-to-back events.

"The scary thing is, I didn't win either one,'' he said, laughing.

McCabe's best finish of 2007 came at Fort Smith, when he finished fourth after a final-round 64. (WireImage)

McCabe, 30, finally got the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament break he needed in 2006. Although he performed poorly in the first three rounds of second stage, he closed with an exceptional final 18 and advanced to the finals by hitting the number.

"That sort of grounded me,'' McCabe said.

An opening-round 77 and a fourth-round 75 put McCabe in a precarious position, but he delivered again at crunch time with a final-round 66 to earn full-time status on the Nationwide Tour. Those two clutch performances told him he "could play with just about anybody.''

McCabe hasn't exactly taken the Nationwide Tour by storm on his maiden voyage. He started well enough, considering each week was a new adventure with a new course and new accommodations as well as a much louder buzz.

"It took me a while to get used to the commotion,'' he said. "People are following us, there's lots of (club) reps on the range. I had to learn to get inside my own little bubble.''

The highlight of his season thus far was back-to-back ties for ninth at the mid-point. He appeared to be well placed to make a strong push for PGA TOUR playing privileges in 2008. But it looks like he has hit the wall as he has missed nine of his last 12 cuts, making a little less than $13,000 in that frustrating stretch.

McCabe basically has stood still in earnings with $95,886 and as an example of how quickly things can change he tumbled five spots to 55th on the money list. He knows he must produce down the stretch to remain in the Top 60 and qualify for the Nationwide Tour Championship, where anything is possible with the season's biggest purse.

"All I need is a couple of good tournaments or one great week,'' he said prior to the start of this week's Mark Christopher Charity Classic presented by The County of San Bernadino, the first of four full-field events remaining.

Should McCabe ever fall upon really hard times, though, he does have a fall back option. Hand McCabe a deck of cards, and watch his prestidigitation. Talk about a sleight-of-hand trickster.

"Basically, I know a lot of stupid card tricks,'' McCabe said.

But after watching McCabe work his magic, he obviously is being modest. He started fiddling around when he was at Miami when a guy named Joe Clark taught his a trick called "Little Joe,'' one that takes approximately five minutes to complete. And it's a corker.

McCabe has added to his repertoire, borrowing from here and there, including some posted on YouTube and from other forms of software. He even draws a parallel between his card tricks and golf.

"In golf you have to have the proper alignment and the proper grip,'' McCabe said. "The same thing goes for these tricks. A good shot is like art, so is a good trick. Both bring a lot of pleasure.''