Wittenberg finally comfortable again on course

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Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Hot-shot kid with a glittering junior golf and United States Golf Association portfolio makes an immediate impact in collegiate circles. And the call of professional golf and the possibility of unlimited fortune are a parlay too arresting to resist.

Badz/PGA TOUR

Casey Wittenberg

Inside The Numbers

Casey Wittenberg so far in the 2008 Nationwide Tour

Date Event Finish 1/27/08 Panama Movistar Championship T13 2/03/08 Mexico Open Presented by Corona T19 2/17/08 HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship T37 2/24/08 Moonah Classic T57

Bingo! He embarks on the play-for-pay circuit and ... he can't find a spark, much less set the golf world on fire.

Think David Gossett and Bubba Dickerson. Think Hank Kuehne and Ricky Barnes. Each member of that foursome shares the distinction of winning USGA men's amateur titles since the millennium. Yet each has had trouble making his way at the next level.

Here's a logical conclusion. Professional golf isn't easy as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, another pair of former collegiate stars and USGA champions make it look week in and week out.

This is a lesson Casey Wittenberg, a member of the 2008 Nationwide Tour, learned -- the hard way of course.

By signing on with the International Management Group in the summer of 2004, Wittenberg was afforded with a full compliment of seven sponsors exemptions into PGA TOUR events. He sprinkled in a tie for 20th and a tie for 24th, but also missed five cuts.

"I tried to do everything right and stay out of the way on top of playing good golf,'' he said.

Wittenberg got nine starts in The Big Show in 2005, including at the Masters and the United States Open. But his results -- four cuts made with a best of a tie for 33rd in the Masters -- were mediocre at best. What's more, he failed in the second stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying School two years in a row, leaving him without status.

"I won't lie,'' Wittenberg said. "I've been through some difficult times in the last 3-plus years. It was more of an adjustment than I thought it would be from maturation and emotional standpoints.''

Thing is, the temptation is understandable when you compile the kind of portfolio Wittenberg did. Although just 18, he was the top-rated amateur for almost a year before he kicked off his collegiate career in the fall of 2003, joining Woods as the only other player to achieve that lofty ranking prior to entering college. He finished runner-up at the U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club, where he lost on the 37th hole to Nick Flanagan. He was selected as a member of the 2003 Walker Cup team and earned the distinction of being the youngest participant on either side. Prior to the Walker Cup, Wittenberg won the prestigious Porter Cup, the Southern Amateur and the Terra Cotta Amateur.

Wittenberg added to his resume' by finishing in an impressive tie for 13th at the 2004 Masters, the best finish by an amateur in 41 years. He was the only golfer in the field to improve his score each day, shooting rounds of 76-72-71-67. His final round included a 31 on the back nine, the lowest Sunday back-nine total by an amateur in tournament history. He backed up his Masters debut with an impressive showing at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. And oh by the way, he also earned All-American honors during his freshman year at Oklahoma State University before taking the professional plunge.

Wittenberg, 23, chalked up his early failures as valuable learning experiences. He even found a silver lining.

"There were a lot of outside expectations and a lot from me, too,'' he said. "I didn't live up to them, but it has been a good experience in my life. My game seemed to progress every year.''

Wittenberg's turnaround started in earnest in 2007 when he played a full schedule on The Hooters Tour. He won twice, racked up several other top-10s in 18 events and led the tour's money list. Naturally confidence followed as he reached a comfort zone.

Funny how that unbeatable combination pays lovely dividends. Wittenberg thought he began getting better breaks and bounces. His attitude and his game improved to the point where he jumped the second-stage hurdle and earned his conditional status. The good play has carried over into the new year.

Wittenberg has not missed a cut in four starts and he started the season with his best Nationwide finish, a tie for 13th at the Movistar Panama Classic. He has earned $24,270 and finds himself in 24th position on the all-important money list where "The 25'' top money winners at the end of the season advance to the PGA TOUR in 2009. Not bad for a guy who made four cuts and just $7,351 in 11 events over three previous seasons.

Now he has the ability to pick and choose when and where he plays, a perk he calls a "tremendous benefit.''

"There's no doubt this is the first time in four years I feel comfortable in my own skin,'' Wittenberg said. "I'm excited about having the opportunity to set a schedule, to pick and choose where I want to play. That takes some of the stress off.

"And I'm appreciative of the opportunity the Nationwide Tour provides. If I play good golf, I'll move up to the place I've always dreamed of playing.''