Hot start has Hearn thinking of return trip to PGA TOUR
By Dave Lagarde, PGATOUR.com Correspondent
BRIDGEPORT, W. Va. -- If only David Hearn's timing had been a little more precise.
Had the last two tournaments on the Nationwide Tour schedule -- the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic sponsored by Samsung and Nationwide Tour Players Cup -- been flip-flopped Hearn's electric start in the latter event would have reverberated throughout The Great White North.
Problem is, Hearn can't go back in time, nor can he call his hole-outs. But imagine the commotion, the excitement and the roars Hearn, a native of Brampton, Ontario, who was first off the 390-yard, par-4 10th tee Thursday, would have produced had he started eagle-birdie in Canada. This while playing alongside his pro-am partner, Canadian national treasure Wayne Gretzky, who grew up five blocks from Hearn's family.
Now that would have been a story and a thrill of a lifetime for Hearn. Instead he produced chills two weeks later when he made a 105-yard sand wedge that sucked back approximately 40 feet into the cup for an eagle 2. It was greeted by the sound of silence.
"Well, the walking scorer clapped,'' Hearn said, smiling.
That wasn't the only reason Hearn, 29, was beaming. He opened with a 5-under-par 67 at Pete Dye Golf Club, a number that left him well placed, three shots behind leader Rick Price in the richest event in Nationwide Tour history.
Hearn wasn't complaining about the lack of fanfare, either. Any hole-out is a good hole-out. And when it comes on your second swing of the morning in an event with a $1 million purse, well ...
"It was a perfect way to start the day,'' he said.
Hearn almost replicated the feat on the next hole, but an 8-iron approach from 147 yards stopped less than a foot from the jar.
"That was two great iron shots,'' he said.
Hearn hit a lot more lasers. You have to when you hit 17 out of 18 greens in regulation like he did. The only thing that kept him out of the lead was a four-putt hiccup for double bogey on the 341-yard, par-4 third hole.
"I hit four good putts,'' Hearn said. "One bounced and two lipped out.''
Two bounce-back birdies on the fourth and sixth holes allowed Hearn to take it to the house in good position. And that's a great position to be in, especially this week when the $180,000 first prize will just about send the champion to the PGA TOUR in 2009.
"This is a great opportunity for the guys down on the money list,'' said Hearn, who is 88th with $31,318 after just one top-10 and eight missed cuts in 14 starts. "You can make your whole year here.''
Hearn's season has been plagued by a lack of consistency, a fact that bugs a player used to hitting fairways and greens. He blames it on tinkering too much with his equipment as he searched for the perfect shafts for his irons. He believes he found them about six weeks ago and thinks his game is rounding into form.
"Once I get it going from tee to green, I feel like I can compete just about any week,'' he said.
Hearn did just that in 2004 when he won on the Canadian Tour and took advantage of a sponsor's exemption into the Nationwide Tour's Alberta Open, scoring another victory. He holed a monster putt on the 108th and last hole of the 2005 PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament and suddenly found himself playing with golf's best. His face was plastered on the cover of nearly every Canadian golf magazine and his rapid rise led Canadians to wonder if he was the next Mike Weir.
The projection did not pan out. Hearn got lost in the first re-shuffle and spent the rest of the season chasing the money. He never caught up, finishing 196th on the money list with a best finish of a tie for 13th.
"You are feeling your way around, learning a new course every week and playing against the best in the world,'' he said. "I just wasn't ready to compete consistently at that level.''
A return to the 2006 qualifying tournament ended in failure. So here he is, playing his third straight season on the Nationwide Tour with an eye on getting back to the PGA TOUR. And once he gets the opportunity he feels like he'll be ready to go.
"It's all part of the learning process,'' he said. "I know I'll be better the next time. I know the experience will pay off for me.''
First, though, Hearn has to get there. This week could prove to be a pivotal one, but he knows there are a lot of holes remaining before any thought of winning will cross his mind. His whole focus is on getting into position to challenge late Sunday afternoon. Then come what may.
"Hopefully I've two more good rounds in me,'' he said. "That ought to leave me in a great position. You can't ask for more.''
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