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By Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator

TIMONIUM, Md. -- Jeff Sluman has been a busy, busy man in the past month.

He turned 50, joined the Champions Tour, earned two top-20 finishes in his first two tournaments, served as Jack Nicklaus' Captain's assistant for The Presidents Cup, then proceeded to be on the winning side in the competition between the U.S. Team and the International Team.

Jeff Sluman was Jack Nicklaus' assistant captain at last week's Presidents Cup. (WireImage)

There's only one thing that he didn't do: witness firsthand Woody Austin's accidental dive into the water.

"Aquaman. How are you ever going to forget that? The only regret that I have is that I didn't get to see it live. I was watching a couple of other matches and looked up the monitor on No. 16 and saw the infamous dive. Everyone was laughing, as we still are and always will when we see a highlight of that," Sluman said.

In all seriousness, Sluman learned about teamwork and competitiveness from his time with Nicklaus and their 12-man squad, a group that blended seamlessly despite differences in age and Presidents Cup experience.

Whether Sluman -- a three-time assistant under Captain Nicklaus -- will ever take Jack's place as the leader of a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team remains to be seen, but the humble new Champions Tour member doesn't think he's the best guy for the job. He won the 1988 PGA Championship but never played on a U.S. team, whereas a guy like Jay Haas never won a major but served on several Cup teams. If either were to be named a captain, Sluman thinks it would take some "outside the box" thinking.

"Selfishly, for the team I hope that Jack continues to be the captain or considers it. I don't think anyone is thinking past that right now. Certainly you have wonderful players who are ahead of me. For The Presidents Cup, you think of Tom Watson right now, Hale (Irwin) and guys like that. If my name comes up I'd be honored to be considered right now but not even thinking about that."

That's because he has other things to think about, like forging his place in a crowded rookie class and on a Tour with a plethora of past major winners and big names.

"We play 72 holes so you'd better start quick and you better make a lot of birdies because nobody is backing up out there. Every week somebody seems to shoot 15- or 18-under so the quality of play is phenomenal.

"...It's not like you come over here and take a big sigh of relief because you think it's going to be easy. It's not. It never has been and it never will be."

Terrapin Time

The "Little Unit", as Tom Watson called Fred Funk, strode into the interview room before his pro-am round on Wednesday at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship.

Fred Funk joked that all the holes this week are three-shot holes for him. (WireImage)

Watson was in the process of discussing the length of the golf course -- at 7,037 yards it is one of the longest on the Champions Tour -- and decided to throw a good-natured barb Funk's way.

"Power hitters like Funk won't have any difficulties on this golf course," Watson said, teasing the two-time Champions Tour winner who isn't known for hitting the ball long distances.

"All of these holes are three-shot holes for me," Funk replied with a laugh.

He's popular with his Champions Tour colleagues and his fans, especially this week as he returns to the area after growing up in nearby College Park, Md. A former student and then golf coach at the University of Maryland, Funk returns for a professional golf tournament in the area for the second time in 2007. The first was the AT&T National, when Funk got a chance to evaluate the Baltimore Country Club course -- one that he barely remembers playing for a tournament back in 1986 -- during an early week practice round.

"A lot of people think that I've played this golf course a lot but I haven't. I played one practice round here during Tiger's event. My caddie and I came up and played but it's a very unfamiliar golf course to me. I'd forgotten how good a golf course it is. It really is a special place."

It's also special to be close to family and friends, including one of his pro-am partners Gary Williams. Williams is the basketball coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins and plays an "intense" game of golf.

"[I'm interested in] seeing how many clubs he won't throw or will throw," Funk joked. "No, he's a lot of fun... I always have a good time when I play with him and we will be in an atmosphere to have a good time today."

Family Ties

Fred Funk isn't the only fellow with local ties this week. Champions Tour veteran Jim Thorpe attended college at nearby Morgan State University and still has two daughters and seven grandchildren who live in the area.

For Jim Thorpe, Maryland is a home away from home. (WireImage)

"It's good to get back, to come and play for not necessarily some of the hometown folks but people that I know," the Roxboro, N.C. native said. "We'll see if they can give me a little sparkle for this game of mine. I've been struggling a bit lately, which I guess that's the nature of the game, but it's good to be back."

While in town Thorpe conducted a clinic with several children from the Boys and Girls Club at the nearby Langston Legacy Golf Course, a nationally recognized landmark and course with a rich history in the African-American community.

"To tell these kids that, before Tiger Woods and before me, there were guys that paved the road...I wanted those kids to understand the barrier that was broken years ago and it's up to you to maintain that and to keep the torch burning. Keep your kids and your relatives and brothers and sisters involved in game of golf," Thorpe said, adding that after his own career ends he hopes to work on getting more talented black children to believe in themselves and their ability enough to make it on the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour.

His own kids and grandchildren probably won't be out at the course much -- "if all of my family came out it would be too many of us on the golf course," Thorpe said -- but he expects a busy week in Baltimore nonetheless.

"I spent time with them on Monday and Tuesday and we might get together for dinner but unfortunately [Playoffs season] has started in baseball. What I do is work hard on the golf course, work on my putting until kind of late in the day and then go get a shower, get room service and then watch baseball.

"But I'll get a chance to holler at them before I leave."