Missed weekend at Augusta blessing in disguise for Furyk
By Stan Awtrey, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Jim Furyk is one of the most honest and forthright players on the PGA TOUR. So when he claims to have left any bad vibes from the Masters in the Augusta National Parking lot, you can surely believe it. For those who may have doubts, just look at his scorecard from the first two rounds of the Verizon Heritage.
Furyk is 7 under after two rounds, posting a 68 on Friday to go along with the impressive first-round 67. The performance may be good enough to lift Furyk into contention to win his second tournament of the year.
Any leftover aches from missing the cut at the Masters, following rounds of 80 and 76, have long since disappeared.
"Missing a cut is definitely not the end of the world," Furyk said. "Obviously, its the Masters, it's the first major. I really want to play well there, but it's not like it's life or death. I didn't feel nearly as bad there as if I had would have almost won the golf tournament and lost it on the last hole, I'll put it that way."
Furyk talked about the necessity of putting misfortune behind you and moving on.
"Even from shot to shot, you hit a bad shot one day and dump it in the water, you've got to go back the next day and hit the same shot again. You've got to forget about it and make a good swing. That's part of it."
Furyk said he typically goes through a series of stages after a poor performance. He went through the process last weekend after missing his first cut of the year. He typically gets angry, then transforms into a "woe-is-me" phase, but said, "You really shouldn't feel bad for yourself, because no one really cares."
Then Furyk asks himself a question which may help explain why he's one of the top-ranked players in the world. "The next part is rally in my mind: What do I need to do to get better?"
In the case of last week's disappointment at Augusta, it was a matter of returning to Augusta National with caddie Mike "Fluff" Cowan on Saturday after the leaders had teed off in order to do some work. Furyk said his swing sometimes gets a little long at Augusta, as he tries to hit the ball too hard and too high. By the time he left the range at Augusta on Saturday afternoon, he had the problem on the run.
"I got an idea of what I wanted to work on," Furyk said. "We're still implementing everything and trying to figure it all out."
The early exit at Augusta may have been a blessing, as it permitted Furyk to spend some time relaxing. He was able to attend a party on Friday night for one of his sponsors and mixed for several hours, much longer than he originally thought he'd be able to stay. He and wife Tabitha then drove to Myrtle Beach on Sunday and spent a day and a half together. He even played in an after-the-Masters event and went to a concert on Monday.
"I got my practice in but also blew off some steam," he said. "And when I got (to Hilton Head) I was in a great frame of mind and ready to go to work."
Furyk has generally played well at the Verizon Heritage. He was second in 2005 and 2006 and placed fourth in 2008. But he missed the cut in 2007 and 2009, when he was also trying to get over a Masters disappointment and said, "My attitude probably had a lot to do with it."
The Harbour Town Golf Links course almost seems built specifically for Furyk, a smart player who is more than capable of working his way around the Pete Dye layout.
"I really just enjoy the course," Furyk said. "Every shot you've got there's an obstacle, there's a tree, there's a limb hanging out. You're just kind of creating. The 18th tee is the only time you can stand out there and do whatever you want with the golf ball. And it's almost a little unnerving at times, because you look out and all of a sudden there's a field to hit to and you've been hitting down an alleyway for 17 holes.
"If you get your mind in the right frame, you can come out here and if you the creativity and all that, I think it helps you play the golf course better."
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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