Slocum, others re-charge before final Playoffs push
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Contributor
There are no practice rounds this week. No one has to remember the names of their pro-am partners. And instead of meet-and-greets in a ballroom, there are only grilled meat-and-eats on the back deck. Entering a tournament-free week offers the best golfers in the world a chance to decompress for a few days before jumping back into the fire next week for THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.
Heath Slocum is one of the guys who is happy to have a week off. The affable Atlanta resident barely qualified for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, then won the first event, The Barclays. He'll begin next week in the fifth slot, which means a victory at East Lake will translate into the FedExCup championship, a $10 million bonus and a very Merry Christmas for the Slocum family.
But this week he's all about the R&R.
"I'm pretty whipped," Slocum said Tuesday. "So this week I'll probably have a good mixture, about 70 percent relaxing and about 30 percent work."
When he woke up Tuesday morning and saw the local weather forecast called for off-and-on showers, Slocum immediately switched from golf mode to angler mode. He planned to get his rod and reel and drive to the nearby Hawks Ridge Golf Club, load his equipment on a golf cart and head over to the lake to wet a hook.
"If the fish aren't biting, I'll probably get a little work in and then try my luck again," he said. The forecast called for rain most of the week in Atlanta, meaning Slocum may spend more time baiting a hook instead of fixing one.
He'll also spend some time with wife Victoria and delightful daughter Stella, who turns 2 in December. "It's just a lot of fun to play with her and for us to do things together."
Slocum deserves a little down time after coming through with his third career victory to open the Playoffs. Not that the other two wins weren't important, but this one elevated him into a different strata. He's exempt into the all the major championships, THE PLAYERS, and the World Golf Championships events.
"The position I'm in is unbelievable," he said. "Not only do I get a chance to play in THE TOUR Championship, but I've got a chance to make some noise."
Slocum still called his game a work in progress. He missed the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship but bounced back and played well for three rounds last week at the BMW Championship before a final-round 76 dropped him in the middle of the pack.
"That's why I'm looking forward to this week," he said. "I'm looking for a chance to recharge my batteries."
Slocum's Atlanta neighbor, Stewart Cink, also enjoys the great outdoors, although his family prefers hiking and skiing. But he's going to keep it indoors this week when he is the guest speaker at the weekly Atlanta Press Club's Newsmakers Luncheon. The reigning British Open champion will participate in a "candid conversation" about his career as a professional golfer.
What about the other players in the field? How will they spend their week away from the TOUR? Here are a few ideas:
Zach Johnson: He'll watch a replay of the third round from the 2007 TOUR Championship when he shot a 60. That 29 on the back nine was truly unforgettable and had everyone on the grounds thinking 59.
Marc Leishman: He'll spend the week convincing the travel department that he's in the field and he is really entitled to a courtesy car. Really.
Jason Dufner: "Hey, I'm with Marc Leishman. Really."
John Senden: He'll watch the movie "Pride of the Yankees," where Lou Gehrig once uttered, "I consider myself (echo: self, self) the luckiest man (echo: man, man) on the face of the earth."
Y.E. Yang: The PGA champion took some extra time to work on his NFL Fantasy team. Who will he play at quarterback now that Donovan McNabb has a broken rib?
Tiger Woods: Dusting off a space on the mantle for a second FedExCup trophy.
Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.
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