(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images).
Jim Furyk, a veteran golfer with 13 wins in 392 starts over 15 seasons on the PGA TOUR shot a 6-under 65 to take the first round lead of the Transitions Championship.
The 2003 United States Open champion known for his consistent performance did not win last season for the first time in four years and only the second time dating back to 1998.
As a non-winner last year he was not eligible for the season opening Mercedes Benz Championship at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii where he owns a second home. Usually he starts his year off there followed by the SONY Open in Hawaii.
Last year and the start of this year was different for the soon-to-be 39-year old competitor.
“The design was I played too much golf last year and too many events, and just mentally was not in the right frame of mind of where I wanted to be," Furyk said. "(I) wasn't excited about coming to the golf course, so it was time to put them away for a while and now I'm back in a much better frame of mind.”
Extending the holiday season by skipping the SONY and not teeing it up until the mid-February AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has given Jim a chance to rest and come out strong this year.
At the Match Play in the WGC Accenture he won two matches before being beat by Ross Fisher finishing tied for ninth with seven other golfers. Last week at Doral he finished strong with a Sunday 67 in third place alone behind Mickelson and Watney.
Known as a shot-maker on tour and with the Innisbrook Copperhead Course set up very difficult this week Furyk has a good chance to end the streak and return to Kapalua next year. “I'm obviously very happy with playing such a good round and get off to a good start, something I can try it build on.”
The key to his round was putting. He needed only 25 putts and recorded seven birdies on the round. Starting on back nine he almost bogeyed his last two holes of the day. On No. 8 he missed a 15-foot par-saving putt after fluffing a chip shot.
Then on No. 9 he made a 10-footer to save par after bunkering his approach shot.
“Obviously you don't want to go out bogeying the last two. Would have been a disappointing feel after playing so well for the first 16 holes, so I felt good about knocking that putt in and a good start for the week.”
Jim Furyk has an unorthodox golf swing to say the least. Maybe the greatest compliment to him and recognition of his outstanding career performance is that no one really talks about it that much anymore.
“It was early in my career. I kind of shed that after the first couple of years when people realized that I was going to be around for a while. I think they have gotten tired of talking about it, anyway.”
After all the ball doesn’t know what or whom hit it when it is sitting there on the tee or resting on the turf. At the end of the tournament it is not how but how many.
"I think we all have our strengths and our weaknesses, and most players kind of identify those pretty quickly. You look around and see what other guys can do that you can't and things that you feel like you do better than most people.”
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