Print this page  |  Close Window

By John Rollins, Special to PGATOUR.com

Editor's note: John Rollins played the first five tournaments of the 2007 season and picked up two runner-up finishes -- with the second on Sunday propelling him to the top of the FedExCup standings. The two-time TOUR winner is taking some well-deserved time off this week, but Rollins still managed to find time to write his first blog for PGATOUR.com.

It's nice to come home after such a long stretch. I started at the Mercedes-Benz Championship on Maui and ended last week at the FBR Open in Scottsdale. So I'm tired. My right shoulder is a little sore; that's probably just fatigue. I normally don't play more than three weeks in a row -- at the most. I played four in a row once last year, but I can't remember the last time I played five. It turned out well, though. I actually wasn't going to play the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. But it was so windy on Maui, and the wind blew pretty hard at the Sony Open, too. My wife Heather actually was the one who suggested I go on to Palm Springs and play. She pointed out that I hadn't really played in normal conditions yet, and the Hope would be a good place to see how my game really was. So I go, and I end up losing in a playoff. She's a wise woman. It worked out pretty well.

John Rollins is feeling good about his golf game this season. (Messerschmidt/WireImage)

I didn't have that many expectations when I went to the Hope. I knew my swing felt pretty good and I had confidence about what I was doing with my game. But I just wanted to go out and enjoy myself. The golf courses in the rotation there are always in great shape, and you know you're going to make birdies, which puts you in a good frame of mind. Then all of a sudden, I was knocking at the door and Charley (Hoffman) ended up beating me in a playoff. So all in all, it turned out to be a great way to kick the year off. Sometimes when you go into a tournament with low expectations you play your best. Golf can be a strange game.

I missed the cut the next week at the Buick Invitational, but I didn't play bad. I just putted badly. When I got to Phoenix, though, the greens were running smooth and things started to come together again. Plus, I love the Scottsdale area and I've played well at the FBR in the past. We have friends and family there, too. We always hang out and watch the Super Bowl, and it turns out to be a really fun time. I felt good all week. I was swinging well and I was in control of my emotions. I guess I started thinking I might be able to win when I almost chipped in on the 13th hole Sunday. That got me to 18 under and I knew the lead was around 20. When we were walking up the 15th fairway, though, in all honesty, I told my caddy, it looks like we're playing for second. Jeff Quinney was 21 under at the time, I think, and he really hadn't done anything wrong the whole day. Every time we looked back, he was in the center of the fairway. My caddy told me I probably was right, but he said, 'let's just keep plugging along and see what happens.' Then I birdied No. 15 and made a big putt at the 17th to get to one behind. After I teed off at No. 18, my caddy got word that Jeff had hit it in the water at the 17th hole. So I was thinking that maybe I would be tied and I needed to try to birdie the last hole. As it turned out, though, Aaron Baddeley made that putt on No. 17 and that was it. But I was pleased with the way I kept the pressure on and contended.

Heather TiVo-ed the final round and I watched it yesterday. Some of our friends told us it probably took the announcers 12 or 13 holes to start saying that I had a chance to win; that I might be a factor. That's kind of funny after I birdied the first three holes. But it was nice to hear Johnny Miller talk about my game and say things like I had the perfect build to be a golfer. It's been nice flying under the radar the last seven years, but it's nice to get some recognition, too. Hopefully, people think I'm a pretty good player. I've worked hard to get there. I sat down at the end of the season with my swing coach Todd Anderson and my sports psychologist Morris Pickens. The three of us analyzed all my stats to find out what we needed to do differently. I said, 'look, guys, something is holding me back. I feel like I hit the ball too well not to improve.' So Morris and I talked about how to prepare -- how to focus on things I need to work on rather than just go through motions. Before I think I was the kind of guy who showed up on Tuesday and thought here's my practice day, let's go play. Just kind of clock in and go. Now we decide what I really need to work on and pay more attention to how to play the course. Todd and I honed in on my short game -- my wedges and my putting. I wasn't hitting it as close to the hole as I should be with certain wedges. What we tried to do is dial that in so I could attack the par 5s better and give myself more scoring opportunities.

Morris and I also worked on being more positive and blocking the negative out. But it's kind of funny. He told me not to go out and expect all that work we put in during the offseason to pay off the first week. Don't expect to go to Maui and win, and then wonder why if you don't. He really helped me with all that. I knew I had put the time in, and I felt I had the game to be there. I just have to go out there and play and let things happen. Just hit the shots as best I can and take advantage of the opportunities when I get them. I think I've done that pretty well so far.

Someone asked me how it feels to be leading the FedExCup. It sure is nice, but it's too early to get too excited. I have several short-term goals -- like getting back in the Masters and making the field for the World Golf Championships-CA Championship. I can get in CA Championship if I keep playing well and stay in the top-10 in the FedExCup standings. The Masters, on the other hand, is a money list thing. I got spoiled being there two years in a row, and I don't like watching it on TV in my living room. So my short-term goals make me focus on money and how many FedExCup points I have. There will be time to worry about the season-long competition as the year progresses. This is my best start ever and I want to keep it going. You know, all the media keeps talking about which player might have a breakout year, but it seems like the ones they always mention are guys who are already in the top 10 in the world. How much more do you want them to do? I think it's time I had a breakout year, though, and I'm going to do my best to make it happen.