By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Kevin Chappell won't face the same kind of pressure some of the other rookies will on Sunday at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. After all, he already has his PGA TOUR card locked for the 2012 season.
What Chappell doesn't have, though, is a win -- and Sunday
offers him a golden opportunity to pick up that breakthrough
victory, fittingly at Walt Disney World Resort, the place where
dreams come true.
Chappell, who shot 66 on Saturday. will start the final round tied for the lead with Justin Leonard at 14 under. They'll play in the final group with Bio Kim, the youngest player on the PGA TOUR, who trails by one and, in contrast to Chappell, is fighting to keep his card.
"I can go out there much more relaxed," Chappell said. "I have nothing to lose."
Chapppell, who tied for third at the U.S. Open and was runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, said he learned a lot from his amateur partners in the first two rounds -- Carlos Pena and Jerome Bettis. The Chicago Cubs first baseman, in particular, had advice that resonated with Chappell.
"I've been trying to grill them this week," Chappell explained.
"... Trying to kind of pick their brains on how they can stay fresh
throughout their season, especially Carlos. He had to play 162
games. We play 26 to 30 events a year, and I was kind of asking him
what do you do to feel fresh every day, because that's something
I've struggled with all year is trying to go play a tournament and
feel like I just came from home when maybe you've been on the road
for seven weeks.
"And Carlos said, "When I don't try, that's when I have my
good games." Went to the U. S. Open, didn't have any expectations;
hadn't played good until San Antonio, just try to let it go. Oh,
okay. Maybe there's a correlation there. And so far so good."