Burke Cromer -- Golf's version of The Natural

Before 1996 Burke Cromer had never played golf. But after a shoulder injury ended his once-promising professional baseball career, he took up golf. Wise move. Today he finds himself competing in the biggest tournament for PGA Professionals.

By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer

SUNRIVER, Ore. -- Everyone has a story. Some are more intriguing than others. Take for instance 37-year-old Burke Cromer, who might just be golf's version of The Natural.

Cromer is a PGA Professional from Northwoods Golf Club in Columbia, S.C. He's at the Sunriver Resort this week competing in the 40th PGA Professional National Championship, his second start in the prestigious event.

What makes Cromer's story so special?

Up until 1996, he had never played golf. That's the same year Tiger Woods turned professional. That's right. Up until 11 years ago, Cromer, who is playing in the biggest event for PGA Professionals this week, had never played golf until 1996. He went from a then 26-year-old who never played golf to -- fast forward 10 years -- playing in the premiere event for PGA Professionals (he tied for 56th at Turning Stone in 2006).

But, as with any good story, there's a good reason. Prior to becoming a PGA Professional, Cromer was a professional baseball player -- a pitcher in the Atlanta Braves organization.  

"I played baseball for four years at the University of South Carolina, then I played in the Atlanta Braves organization for about a year and a half until I tore my rotator cuff," said Cromer in his thick southern drawl. "When I got out of that, there was a friend of my dad's who ran a golf course in Myrtle Beach. I went there to pass the time while I tried to figure out what I was going to do and that's how I got into golf."

There had to be a passion for golf at a young age then, right?

"Nope. No passion for golf. I had never played before I got to Myrtle Beach," Cromer said. "My dad played a little bit when I was a kid and I went with him, but other than that, I never hardly played."

That must make Cromer the same as hit-machine Roy Hobbs, who was played by Robert Redford in the Academy Award-nominated baseball movie The Natural.

"I guess," he laughed. "They just told me to grab it like a baseball bat and swing, so I could do that."

While at the University of South Carolina, Cromer played shortstop and third base. He signed with the Braves in 1992 as a pitcher and was there until about 1994 before the injury. He spent a year working at Myrtle Beach in 1995 before he decided to take a crack at playing in 1996. The rest, as they say, is history.

In golf, Cromer has played in a handful of Nationwide Tour events, but has yet to make the cut. He finished second in the 2007 South Carolina Open and is the three-time winner of the Columbia City Championship, claiming the title in 2003, '05 and '06.

"In some ways playing baseball at a high level has helped me get to this point. But, it's a lot different playing baseball than it is playing golf," Cromer said. "In baseball you have your own position and there's 10,000 people watching, but in baseball you make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes every game. If you go 3-for-10 at the plate, you're .300 and you're a good hitter. Out on the golf course if you hit 3-of-10 fairways, you're going to be in bad shape."

Cromer believes the biggest difference between golf and baseball is that golf involves a lot more thinking, while baseball involves a lot more reaction. 

"The first couple of times that I got into contention in golf tournaments, I found myself hitting shots not like I normally do because I didn't have my emotions under control," he said. "It just takes time to figure out how to get them under control. It's different. This is more of a mind game than baseball. Baseball is a reaction. When I played third base at South Carolina, the batter hits it, you go get it and throw it to first. Here you've got to hit a shot, walk, think about it for three or four minutes and you've got all that time to think about, 'What if I do this? It's going to go over there if I do that.'"

The one aspect Cromer has enjoyed most about his second career is being in a competitive setting again.

"It's nice to have that competitive edge back," he said. "I found out a long time ago playing in the first couple of tournaments where I was in contention with people watching, the adrenaline gets going. In baseball you can just keep going and feed off of that. You've got to learn how to control it in golf."

Just like the other 311 players at the PGA Professional National Championship this week, Cromer is hoping for a win. But if that doesn't pan out, a top-20 for a berth in the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla., sure would be nice.

"That would be a huge stage to play on, but if I start thinking about that it'd be real hard to get the nerves under control," he admitted. "If it happens, it happens. I'm here trying to have a good time. At least that's what everybody tells me to do. But I always tell them I can't have a good time unless I'm playing good."