Levi hopes his game and weather stay warm enough for a win  PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The weather gods have been very fickle to Wayne Levi lately. In 2005, he held the lead heading in the final round at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf but shot 76 in unseasonably cool and windy conditions to eventually tie for third.  Wayne Levi has his eye on a third career Champions Tour victory. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
Just two months ago, the Champions Tour again saw abnormally wintry weather, this time in Florida at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am near Tampa. On that chilly Sunday in early February, players and fans donned hats, scarfs and winter gear as temperatures dropped into the low 40s. Early-morning frost on Saturday suspended play for over an hour, thus darkness forced them to finish the second round on Sunday morning. Levi shared the overnight lead with Andy Bean at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, but shot even par on Sunday to finish up in sixth place. "That's probably the coldest I've been in Florida, and I've been there a long time," said the 55-year-old Levi, who has a house in Naples, Fla., as well as New Hartford, N.Y. "And I'm from New York, so I know what cold is." Now it's April, so Levi likely won't have frost, hats and mittens to worry about for the final round of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf on Sunday. He will, however, have to face some pretty tough winds on the course near the Savannah harbor. "It was pretty nice in the morning," Levi said of Saturday's round. "For the front nine, I'd say probably seven holes, the wind wasn't bad at all. It was just a slight breeze. As we made the turn, it got a little stiffer. That made a lot of those holes, like Nos. 10-14 right in the teeth of the wind. "The rough is high, so if you miss those fairways it's difficult getting the ball somewhere on the green," he added. "The wind for the late players made it a little tougher." In spite of the shifting winds, Levi finished the second round with a score of 68, good enough for a place on the leaderboard just one stroke behind defending champion Jay Haas, who sits on top at 7 under. Also at 6 under for the tournament and tied for second are Mark James and Brad Bryant. Levi's scorecard got a little boost from an eagle on No. 11, where a nice drive on the par 5 hole left him 228 yards to the green. A well-struck 4-wood set up a third shot for a perfectly textbook eagle opportunity. "I was just short or just on the green, I couldn't tell from back there. It trickled back down to 8 feet, 5 inches," said Levi. "I hit a beautiful putt right in the hole, right in the middle. That's how they draw them up, those eagles." The two-time Champions Tour winner -- he earned victories at the 2003 3M Championship and the 2004 Constellation Energy Classic -- described the course in Savannah as a "good driver's course, a ball striker's" venue. He said he's not counting on getting any payback at the place where he nearly won two years ago, but he thinks he stands a chance at this course. "You never know. I don't ever make those predictions. I'm going to go out there and try to play solid golf tomorrow. I've played a lot of solid rounds here. A lot is going to rely on putting, obviously." He's tied for first in fairways hit so far this week and is also tied for fourth in striking the green in regulation. On the year, he ranks 12th in total driving, is 30th on the Money List and stands in 34th for Charles Schwab Cup points. Levi's best 2007 tournament was his solo sixth at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, but he does have six top 25s. "I've really played some good golf this year, but my scoring's been horrendous, really. I just gave away way too many strokes, way too many double bogeys. You just can't do that here. Guys shoot too low and don't make too many mistakes," said Levi. "I'd be considerably further up on the money list if I hadn't squandered strokes. I can't say that I haven't had a chance." Maybe it's time for a shift in luck. The 12-time PGA TOUR winner has overcome adversity and the elements before, winning the 1990 BellSouth Atlanta Golf Classic in near darkness for one of his four wins that season. Those victories earned him Player of the Year honors on the PGA TOUR in 1990, the first player to have the award bestowed upon him. Barring any dramatic climate changes, Levi's chances are as good as any heading into the final round. Let's just hope, he jokes, that it's not him who has been opening the Pandora's Box of bad weather. "Somehow, something must escape out of my golf bag when I get to playing good." Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network