NEWS
Weary Pavin, back from Wales, hopes to regroup at year's final senior major
By Associated Press
Published on
It was a long flight back to the United States for Corey Pavin, giving the Ryder Cup captain plenty of time to wonder âWhat if?â after his teamâs narrow loss to Europe.
A slow start, nasty weather, wardrobe malfunctions and questionable pairings gave way to a rousing finish that nearly saw the U.S. team pull off an unprecedented comeback Monday.
But Pavin didnât stew about missed opportunities on the way home from Wales.
âIâm not one of those guys. I did the best I could with everything, all my decisions,â Pavin said Wednesday. âThe Ryder Cup is over. It was great, but itâs time to move on.â
He now has the difficult task of trying to regroup from one emotionally draining experience by stepping into anotherâa major championship.
Despite his Ryder Cup commitment, which included an extra day overseas, Pavin stayed in the field for the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, the final major of the Champions Tour season.
From his perspective, the tournament, held at the recently renovated TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm outside of Washington, offers him a chance to decompress from Ryder hysteria and get back to the place where he is most comfortable -- on the course.
âItâs probably good I have a tournament to play this weekend,â Pavin said. âIt keeps my mind occupied on something else rather than having nothing to do and thinking about last week so much. It was a hard week, it was a great week and it was an emotional week.â
Fred Couples, who has served as Presidents Cup captain and will return to the role in 2011, said that Pavin will have to make a mental and physical shift to get back into the swing of things.
âTo be honest, Iâm sure itâs ⦠I donât know what the word would be, not a letdown, because even if they won, heâd be coming here with a high -- but he probably hasnât played golf in a week,â Couples said.
Indeed, Pavin said that because of his preparations for the Ryder Cup, he hadnât swung a club for six weeks before Wednesdayâs Pro-Am round.
âThere was a lot that happened -- there were a lot of hours of the day that were filled with things to do,â he said. âIt was fun, it was a challenge and that part of my life is over now. Itâs time to move on and get back to playing golf.â
Pavin enters the Senior Players at No. 13 on the Charles Schwab Cup points list and No. 19 on the money list. But several players said now that Pavinâs duties as Ryder Cup captain are over, he will become more of a factor in the Champions Tourâs homestretch.
âNow he can shift his focus strictly to his own play and being as much of a bulldog as he is, a tough competitor, heâll be focused on the Champions Tour and playing well right here,â Fred Funk said. âHeâll be a force to be reckoned with, especially at a lot of the venues we play here.â
Avenel, which hosted PGA Tour events from 1987-2004 and again in 2006, might be a familiar location for many of the players in the field but the course, which was completely rebuilt at a cost of $25 million, remains a tournament unknown.
âIâm real curious to see what weâre going to shoot out there,â said Funk, a Maryland native. âItâs going to beat a lot of people up. Itâs a tough par-70. Iâll take even par right now.â
Charles Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer thought the field was going to be in for a long weekend, especially if the cool and wet weather continued.
âItâs really, really tough. Itâs a difficult test of golf,â Langer said. âThe ballâs not rolling whatsoever. Youâve got to drive the ball, youâve got to hit some good iron shots. Itâs going to take a complete player to win here. You canât have a weakness and expect to win.â