Sowards full of confidence heading to CPC defense

It's hard to imagine Bob Sowards feeling more confident as he prepares to defend his PGA CPC title. "When I stand on the first tee, I know I can win," said Sowards, who after the historic year he enjoyed in 2004 has every right to feel unbeatable whenever he sticks a tee in the ground.

By Roger Graves, PGA Magazine Senior Writer

Golf is a game of streaks, a game of birdie and bogey barrages; streaks of good luck and bad; streaks of brilliant and bad ball-striking; streaks of hot and cold putting, and streaks of making and missing cuts.

But the run Ohioan Bob Sowards has ridden during the past 18 months can only be described as a streak of genius as he prepares to defend his PGA Club Professional Championship (CPC) on June 23–26 at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Resort's Ocean Course. Or perhaps as "the Midas Streak," since everything the two-time PGA Club Professional Player of the Year has touched recently has turned to birdies -- and victories.

Sowards' streak began in earnest last June when he one-putted seven times en route to a closing 70 and a one-stroke victory over Mike Small in The 37th PGA CPC at Longaberger Golf Club in Nashport, Ohio, located just a driver and 3-iron from Sowards' home at the time in Columbus. That CPC triumph not only engraved Sowards' name on the coveted Walter Hagen Cup alongside such legends as Sam Snead, Bob Rosburg and Larry Gilbert, but also gave the 36-year-old PGA Professional a $60,000 down payment on a new home and the first leg of the Triple Crown for PGA Club Professionals.

Most important, it proved Sowards could close the deal amid the pounding pressure of a major championship.

"You never really know if you can win a big tournament like that coming down the stretch until you do it," says Sowards, who enjoyed a five-shot lead at the turn in the final round of The 2004 CPC before Small recorded four consecutive birdies to slice the advantage to a single stroke and inject some drama back into the Championship. Sowards and Small both chipped within inches to par the final hole and left Sowards with a one-stroke victory.

"You never know if you're afraid to win or afraid to lose until you are thrust into that situation," says Sowards. "To play as well as I did down the stretch when Mike was making his run on the back nine was gratifying. To win The CPC was a great confidence-builder. It definitely changed how I approach tournaments now.

"Now, when I stand on the first tee, I know I can win. I know I'm the best player in the field. Winning The CPC (last year) validated the PGA Club Professional Player of the Year (Award) I won the year before. Now, I have the confidence to expect to win any time I step on the golf course."

Triple Crown Winner

Winning The 2004 PGA Club Professional Championship also triggered a remarkable streak for Sowards. He closed with rounds of 65-71 to win the 52nd annual PGA Stroke Play Championship on the North Course at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Sowards completed the Triple Crown for PGA Club Professionals by winning five of the first seven holes to record a 4-and-3 victory over Roy Vucinich of Moon Township, Pa., in the finals of the 42nd PGA Match Play Championship on the Dye Course at PGA National Golf Club.

The magical, monumental streak by Sowards made him the first player since Terry Hatch of Pottsville, Pa., in 2001 to win the PGA Stroke Play and PGA Match Play Championships in the same year and elevated Sowards to a prominent place in PGA history. He is the first to hold The CPC, PGA Stroke Play and PGA Match Play titles simultaneously since The PGA of America was organized in 1916.

"I'm very proud of being able to win the (PGA) Stroke Play and Match Play Championships after winning The CPC," says Sowards, who attempts to become the first Champion to successfully defend his CPC title since Larry Gilbert won back-toback Championships in 1981–82, when The 38th PGA Club Professional Championship unfolds at The Ocean Course. It is presented by Titleist, FootJoy, Cobra, Buick, Club Car, Amstel Light and Buckler. The Greg Norman Collection is the Official Golf Apparel of The CPC.

"That was one of my goals -- to win The CPC, Stroke Play and Match Play events all in a row," says Sowards, who will be challenged to match his 12-under-par 72-hole total of 276 that he authored in 2004 at Longaberger on the "Dye-abolical" Ocean Course designed by Pete Dye at Kiawah Island.

"It's like my dad always told me: Set your goals as high as possible, and I've done that. Winning those three events has given me added respect and confidence. I feel like I can go out and hit quality golf shots under all tournament conditions now. My ball striking was so bad at The CPC at Valhalla (in 2002, when he tied for 23rd) that I made a lot of swing changes. My goal was to improve every year, and I feel like I've done that.

"Winning The CPC last year was the culmination of a lot of hard work. It proved I had been working on the right things and that I could hold up under pressure."

Victory Opened Doors

Sowards' 2004 CPC victory provided many additional opportunities for the new PGA director of golf at the Golf Center of Dublin (Ohio).

First, it provided Sowards with $60,000 for a down payment on a new home. Just as important, it gave the five-time Southern Ohio PGA Section Player of the Year exemptions into six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period, a lifetime invitation to compete in The PGA Club Professional Championship, a berth on the U.S. Team for the 2005 PGA Cup Matches against Great Britain, and an engraved invitation to compete in the 2004 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Another strong finish in The 2005 CPC at The Ocean Course will punch Sowards' ticket to the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., in August.

"It (winning The 2004 CPC) opened more doors than I ever imagined," says Sowards, who has qualified for four PGA Championships on the strength of his top-25 CPC finishes. "I have a new job (at the Golf Center of Dublin), so I can't be out of town playing too often. But the people I work for understand that I have a golden opportunity to play in several events, and they're giving me the chance to do it."

Sowards' goal is to be the Tom Lehman of 2005. "Tom struggled for a long time and didn't make it out there (on the PGA Tour) for many years," says Sowards. "But when he got his chance, he took it. He ultimately earned his Tour card in the mid-1980s and has been an extremely consistent player ever since. I'd like to do the same thing -- finish in the top 10 or higher in the Tour events I get to play, and then finish in the top 125 (on the Tour money list) to earn my card. I'd rather not ever go back to Q-School. My main goal in life has always been to play well every time I tee it up, and to play the Tour full time. That's still my goal."

Memorial Invitation

As a young PGA Professional, one of Sowards' dreams was to some day tee it up in Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Sowards' native Ohio. The 2004 CPC Champion worked as a PGA assistant professional at Muirfield Village in 1996 and 1997, watching the final round of the 1997 Memorial in the locker room with the players. Knowing that The Memorial is a prestigious invitational tournament, Sowards wrote a letter to Nicklaus in late February outlining his recent accomplishments and requesting an invitation to last month's Memorial.

Sowards had never played golf with Nicklaus at Muirfield Village, but played a practice round with the Golden Bear at the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y., which Sowards qualified for by his 25th-place finish in The 1996 CPC at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif. But would Nicklaus remember the young former PGA assistant professional at his club, who was now the PGA Club Professional Champion?

"Realistically, I thought I had two chances of getting into The Memorial -- slim and none," admits Sowards. "But I figured I had zero chance if I didn't send the letter. I included in the letter what I had accomplished the past two years and reminded Mr. Nicklaus that I had worked at Muirfield Village for a couple of years. I knew I had a little chance of getting in, because it wasn't a regular full-field Tour event and because they like to have a little local flavor whenever possible."

When Sowards received a letter from the Captains Club at Muirfield Village on St. Patrick's Day of this year inviting him to compete in the 2005 Memorial Tournament, you could have knocked the Ohio resident over with a feather.

"I was pleasantly surprised; really, I was shocked but very happy," admits Sowards, who moved with his family into a new home in Dublin, Ohio, just minutes from Muirfield Village after winning The 2004 CPC. "The letter from the Captains Club noted my local ties and what I have accomplished in the PGA club professional category. I guess it all worked in my favor."

Since his junior days in golf, Sowards has aspired to qualify for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team. In fact, he remembers watching the dramatic 1991 Ryder Cup at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort, where the Americans fought from behind on the final day to defeat the Europeans 14 1/2–13 1/2 in the famous "War By The Shore."

"Ever since I started playing when I was nine years old, my main goal was to make the Ryder Cup Team," reflects Sowards. "I remember how tough those finishing holes were at The Ocean Course when the Ryder Cup was played there in 1991. As I recall, the whole course was extremely challenging, especially when the winds came up.

"I haven't ever played The Ocean Course, but I'm planning on getting in there on Sunday (of CPC week) to play as many practice rounds as possible. I hear they have softened up the course a little bit since the 1991 Ryder Cup, but I also hear it's still extremely challenging. A couple of members at Wedgewood Country Club (where Sowards worked before moving to the Dublin Golf Center this year) played at Kiawah Island, and they gave me a scorecard and yardage booklet. They're trying to help me prepare for The CPC."

Improving on Flexibilty

How serious is Sowards about repeating as PGA Club Professional Champion and securing exemptions to six additional PGA Tour events, as well as those he earned by winning the 2004 title? Despite his Midas Streak, Sowards spent several days in late April at the Titleist Performance Institute in California, where experts identified a battery of stretching exercises and slight swing modifications to help the defending CPC Champion improve his flexibility and maximize his playing opportunities in 2005.

"As I've grown older, I have developed some flexibility issues that aren't allowing me to make the shots I want to make and need to make in certain situations," says Sowards. "The Titleist Center is very interesting. The machines and video show you everything from ball speed to launch angle, and the tests show how strong and flexible your body is when trying to make certain types of golf swings.

"During the Match-Play Championship in Florida, I noticed my body wasn't always getting where I needed it to be as far as flexibility goes. Now, I have some exercises to stretch the hips and improve my flexibility. The exercise regime is designed to help me get in the position through impact that I need to be in."

Sowards is obviously in serious training to defend his multiple 2004 titles, which speaks to his dedication and determination to surpass what he accomplished during his Midas Streak.

"My goal is to be the best I can possibly be and to be the best PGA club professional ever," admits Sowards. "There's nothing that says a club professional can't play well and finish among the top 125 on the PGA Tour. I won't be satisfied until I'm there. Maybe when I'm 80, I'll be satisfied if I can look back and see that I have won three more Player of the Year awards in a row, but I set my goals very high. Right now, I'm focusing on The CPC again. To me, that tournament is just as important as the U.S. Open. It's run like a major championship and it's being played on another great golf course this year."

He has already won the Triple Crown for PGA Club Professionals and two consecutive PGA Club Professional Player of the Year awards. A second successive PGA Club Professional Championship for Bob Sowards would add a second pot of gold to his Midas Streak and could elevate the affable Ohioan to full-time status on the PGA Tour.

"That's a goal," says Sowards. "Last year was great, but my goals are even higher this year." Can the streak continue? The Ocean Course awaits Sowards' Midas Touch.

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