- FedExCup Points: 50,000
- Purse: $7.0 million
- Winning Share: $1,260,000
- Yards: 6,839
PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents
HARRISON, N.Y. -- Woody Austin has always known he could hit the shots. He just hasn't always been as mentally tough as he was two weeks ago at the PGA Championship when he stared down the No. 1 player in the game.
Austin, a self-professed "journeyman guy," shot 67 to Tiger Woods' 69 on that hot, humid Sunday at Southern Hills. He didn't win, but Austin's runner-up finish was a huge confidence boost for a man who often finds in himself short supply.
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And why not? The man who earlier this year called himself "probably the most nervous person that's ever played this game" was clearly at ease when the pressure mounted in Tulsa.
As focused as he was on his golf that Sunday, Austin also was relaxed enough to play to the crowd with an exaggerated tug on his earlobe, coaxing them to make more noise. He captivated the media with his candor and cajoled himself to new heights with every word.
Most importantly, though, the 43-year-old pushed forward when others fell back and Austin had a legitimate chance at a life-changing victory, as a result. He's eager to see how he can build on the experience.
"I hope it takes me as far as it can," Austin said. "You know, if it takes me as far as it can go mentally, then that will be great. Let's face it, physically, you've still got to be able to perform, you've still got to be able to hit the golf shots, and that's never been the big issue with me.
"But as I get older, like I said, Father Time doesn't just stop for you as you get older; it makes it harder. So from that standpoint, I know that I've only got so much time as far as physical, but if I can be that mentally tough like I was that week, then that can only mean good things for me because that's always been the biggest problem.
"I think physically, I can hit any golf shot anybody can; but mentally, I'm as far down as it gets. So you have that big gap, and that's where I'm trying to close that gap, and obviously at the PGA I closed it and if I can continue to close it, maybe you'll see the fact that I am as good as I think I can be."
Austin has a chance to show just how good this week at The Barclays, the first event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. Austin, who already has one victory in 2007, starts the four-event sprint to a potential $10 million bonus, ranked 14th in the standings.
"There's definitely a difference of electricity or talk," Austin said Tuesday as rain pelted the grounds at Westchester Country Club. "It's all about it's the first event and all of the players that are playing understand that it's supposed to be the best field this tournament has ever had."
The potential mental and physical toll of playing four straight weeks -- and actually five of six, counting The Presidents Cup, which was a by-product of Austin's strong performance at the PGA Championship -- doesn't worry him.
"I think the fact that we're looking forward to it, the excitement of it, the anticipation, if you can't get yourself hyped up, if you can't get yourself ready, then you shouldn't be playing," Austin said. "I mean, it should be pretty simple to get yourself fired up to win something for the first time it's ever been around. It's the first time we've ever had this.
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"So it could be, you know, be perfect for someone like me, I'm just a journeyman guy, I've been around for a long time, but I've never done anything spectacular or whatever. But if I was to go on and win, nobody can take that away. I'm the first one. So if you can't get fired up for that or excited for that, then maybe look for something else to do."
Austin calls earning the berth on Jack Nicklaus' Presidents Cup team the "best thing that came out" of the PGA. "I can't wait to get into that format and be on the team, because that's what I did growing up," he said. "I played so many team sports growing up (and) I missed that aspect. This will be a lot of fun."
So was the PGA Championship. Austin, who worked as a bartender and bank teller, among other things, during breaks in his pro career, is learning to cope with the pressures of contention better and Southern Hills was proof.
Austin has played extremely well in his last eight starts. In addition to the runaway win at the Stanford St. Jude Championship where he felt like he was on "cruise control," Austin tied for second at the Buick Open and then was the solo runner-up at the PGA.
He wants to feel that kind pressure again -- and soon.
"I was grinding harder, I was trying harder," Austin said. "I was never on top. So I was always trying to get somewhere so that even though it was a great day, it was exciting and whatever, I was never in any kind of cruise mode like things were going smoothly, but the excitement of it all makes you want to get back there."
