Two great rounds put Floyd close to breakthrough
By Art Spander, Special to PGATOUR.com
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Maybe this will be the breakthrough for Robert Floyd. Maybe this AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am is the tournament that frees him from the stumbles of the past, allows him to become the golfer he expected to be, and because of his famous father, we expected him to be.
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He's a gentleman, Robert Floyd, a husband and dad, seemingly without a bitter bone in his body and surely since he's only a shot out of the lead halfway through this 2008 AT&T, with gobs of talent.
But going into the same profession as your father is never easy. And in Robert's situation, since his father, Raymond, won three major championships, it must be particularly difficult.
Even if Robert, at age 32, contends it never has been.
We've seen what on occasion has happened to the offspring of the rich and famous, how they are unable to accept what they were given and so in response give very little.
That wasn't the case with Robert or his younger brother, Raymond Jr., who after the briefest of periods as a pro, became an amateur once again.
"The hardest part for me,'' said Robert, "was that I had a lot of success early.'' He meant as a junior. He meant as a member of the University of Florida golf team. He meant even when he played as an amateur in the 1994 AT&T, partnering Dudley Hart to the pro-am championship.
His name, along with Hart's, is on the mammoth bronze plaque behind the first tee at Pebble Beach that announces everyone and anyone who has won the team or individual pro title of the AT&T or its predecessor, the Bing Crosby Pro-Am.
"I look at it every time I walk there,'' said Floyd. "We have pictures of it, and it's neat. It's an extra boost of confidence.''
Confidence is what Robert Floyd lacked for the longest time -- confidence and success on the Nationwide Tour or the Gateway Tour, the successor to the Nicklaus Tour.
We've heard it before, using the chicken and egg analogy. You don't play well without confidence. But you need to play well to get confidence.
Raymond Floyd was in the gallery Friday, with his wife Maria, Robert's mother, when Robert shot 70 at Poppy Hills. At least most of the time. When he came over to headquarters at Pebble, to cash a check, Raymond told a friend, "He's 1 over today.'' Then within seconds Raymond's cell phone range. It was Maria.
"He just eagled 10,'' Raymond practically shouted.
It's tough being the son of a great athlete or sportsman. It's tough being the father of that son.
"This is harder on me than playing,'' Raymond Floyd, now 65 and a part-time Champions Tour competitor advised. "But it's also really exciting.''
Robert Floyd always wanted to be a golfer. Still wants to be a golfer, although he's been involved in real estate part time in Palm Beach Gardens.
"I got married five years ago,'' Floyd explained, "and quickly realized that mini-tour golf is not really a way to support a family.''
He sells multi-million dollar estates early in the week, then tries to sell himself that a golf career still is a possibility. Obviously after 36 holes at the AT&T, after Thursday's 68 at Pebble Beach when he had eight birdies, it definitely is.
Raymond Floyd has been associated with AT&T, or one of the so-called Baby Bells, SBC, for a quarter-century. The corporation sponsored Robert when he turned pro 11 years ago.
An exemption into the AT&T then, was hardly a surprise. If maybe Robert's play has been.
"Last year I got in and played with my brother,'' said Robert. "That was special. More of a come out and spend a great week. This year I viewed it a little differently.
"I have an exemption next week, too, into L.A., the Northern Trust (Open). It's very rare if you don't have a TOUR card to be able to play two weeks in a row, and to be honest with you, my goal here was to play four rounds, top 25, then maybe see what I can do next week. Fortunately I'm a in a position where I can reassess that. I'm here because I think I can play, you know.''
Eight birdies at Pebble. Then three birdies and an eagle at Poppy. He can play. We know.
"I don't think I ever gave up,'' said Robert. "I mean real estate. I didn't get a 9-to-5 job. I know (Tim) Petrovic was delivering pizzas and Rich Beem selling TVs. I chose real estate, and my parents -- it was my mom's idea -- and it ended up a great blessing.
"I make my own hours. You're still an independent contractor. I don't think I really ever gave it up.''
Asked if he and Raymond Jr., on occasion were presented The Stare, for which Raymond Sr., became famous when locked in on the course, Robert laughed.
"Off the course, quite a bit,'' he said. There were a couple of stories on the course when we were trying to beat him. I think two times in particular. But I think it was more for my brother and I rough housing and breaking vases or windows with balls in the house.''
No more breaking objects for Robert Floyd. This is the moment to break away.
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