Smoother swing gives Allan a chance at securing card

text size

Cohen/Getty Images

Steve Allan hit 73 percent of the greens this week -- and broke par in three of the four rounds.

VERONA, N.Y. -- Some golfers are known to change putters and swings as often as socks.

Others can be stubborn as a several packs of mules.

List Steve Allan in the latter category.

Cohen/Getty Images

Allan: "I don't even know how many more starts I'm going to get this season, so to have a big finish gives me a real chance."

STEVE ALLAN

Scorecard
Transcript
Round replay
Player page
2008 Stats
2008 results

Despite a season apparently headed into oblivion, the likable Aussie continued to refuse to take heed of a suggestion that swing coach Dale Lynch made four years ago: Swing slower, Steve, swing slower.

"I swing the club pretty fast," Allan said. "Swinging slow never felt comfortable on the course."

If only Allan had listened to his fellow Aussie from Melbourne sooner.

A 3-under-par 69, capped by his fourth birdie at No. 18, gave Allan a tie for third at 7-under 279 in the Turning Stone Resort Championship at Atunyote Golf Club Sunday.

The T3 came on the heels of a tie for fourth in the Viking Classic, the first leg of the PGA TOUR's Fall Series, and earned Allan $244,714, moving him to 139th on the money list with $545,995. Prior to the Viking Classic, where he won $148,800, Allan had missed 11 of 16 cuts and earned only $152,481.

But now Allan is within striking distance of the top 125 for the first time since 2004 thanks to Lynch's stick-too-itivness finally sinking in during a practice round for the RBC Canadian Open in late July. Allan said most people wouldn't notice his slowed-down takeaway, but it gives him better rhythm and technique.

"(Lynch) had been at me for years not to hit it so hard, but it was one of those things that when I was on the course it just didn't feel comfortable," Allan said. "I feel comfortable hitting hard shots. I feel comfortable swinging it firm.

"But I just wasn't playing any good, just wasn't getting anywhere with what I was doing. I felt like I was hitting it good and practicing well, but when I got on the course, I just wasn't playing good. I was like, 'Well, I've got nothing to lose. I might as well pull the trigger.' If I had a bad rest of the year, it wasn't going to be any worse result-wise than what was happening, so I just decided to (swing slow) whether it felt uncomfortable or not."

Allan tied for 37th in the RBC Canadian Open and then played "terrible" in the Reno-Legends Tahoe Open, missing his 11th cut in 13 starts. Since he didn't qualify for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, Allan played in two Nationwide Tour events, finishing in a tie for 36th in the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic and 28th in the Utah Championship Presented by Zion Bank.

"I played the Nationwide [Tour] to try to get used to (the slow swing) a bit more, and it feels better," Allan said. "If feels like I'm hitting the ball a lot more consistent. And the last two weeks I've putted really well."

The importance of the last two weeks wasn't lost on Allan, who was one of seven Aussies to finish in the top 20 Sunday. The others were Robert Allenby (second), Matthew Goggin (T3), Nick O'Hern (T10), Steve Elkington (T15), Mark Hensby (T15) and Jason Day (T19). Goggin and 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Oglivy are also among Lynch's pupils.

"These last two weeks are huge," said Allan, who returned to the PGA TOUR full-time in 2007 after a year on the Nationwide Tour. "I don't even know how many more starts I'm going to get this season because I'm playing out of the conditional category, so I wouldn't have got in here without the top 10 (in the Viking Classic). So it's huge to give me a chance to keep my card."

With the second straight top-10 finish, Allan can try to continue his major turnaround in the Valero Texas Open, which begins Thursday at The Resort Course at La Cantera Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas.

"I obviously needed a big jump on the money list, and I think I'll probably need another one," said Allan, who turns 35 on Oct. 18. "But it's good to be playing well at the right time of year, and hopefully I can finish the year strong. I'm going play everything I get into, so if there's anyone out there who wants to give me an invite, please do."

Allan then chuckled. He hasn't been able to enjoy many such laughs lately, but now Lynch has him in a positive Aussie state of mind for the final push of 2008.