Sindelar completes 'comeback' week with third consecutive 70

When Joey Sindelar's tee shot on the 18th hole Sunday sailed toward the right trees, a collective gasp was uttered throughout the gallery of the local's friends, family and fellow Southern Tier New Yorkers.

But what happened next was no surprise if you believe in hometown karma. The ball stayed clear of any trees and hopped directly left upon hitting the ground, finding the fairway and setting up an approach from inside 150 yards. Sindelar stuck it to inside six feet and rolled in the birdie to post three consecutive 70s and finish the week at six-under, by far his best effort since reconstructing his swing and returning to the tour after back surgery last November.

Sindelar has a proven track record at En-Joie, as a two-time B.C. Open winner who played the course in high school. But considering the way he had played in his last three events (best finish: solo 69th), it seemed as if a few decent rounds would be cause for celebration.

And indeed they were, although with a caveat. Sindelar was all smiles after signing his scorecard as he met with the media, saying that first of all, he was just happy to finish three rounds without feeling an abundance of pain. Secondly, he felt as if he had taken his recovery to the next step - instead of solely focusing on completing play, he was able to also think about his golf swing during the competition. Early in the back nine on Sunday, he thought that maybe he could add a little distance with the driver if he made a small adjustment to his stance. He did, and he found the fairway - with plenty of distance - on four of his last five driving holes.\

Now it's on to Seattle for Sindelar, as he plans to play every full-field event the rest of the year if he can, in hopes of cracking the top 30 and qualifying for the season-ending Charles Schwab Championship. He even joked about getting hot and winning three events as the season winds down, inspired by his perfectly competitive effort this week.

Those three wins may be hard to come by. But it's sure nice to see Joey Sindelar where he belongs - nowhere near the bottom of the leader board.

Notes:

-Playing with Sindelar was Jeff Brehaut, the newly minted 50-year-old who is trying to rack up some high finishes the rest of the way in order to move up in the reshuffle order after Montreal in three weeks, so he doesn't get locked out of the final events, which would force a return to Q School later this fall. Brehaut's effort this week isn't moving him up the money list much - he shot a final-round 71 to finish at 5-under, which will place him in the mid-30s on the leader board - but he did experience a nice turn of fortune as he finished his round.

After driving his ball into the water left of the 18th fairway, Brehaut took a lateral drop and prepared to hit his third shot on the par 4 with a 'little 9-iron,' as his caddie put it after the round. The little 9-iron worked to perfection, as Brehaut's shot took dead aim at the flag and took one hop a foot past the hole before spinning back in for a birdie 3, probably the only occurrence that could elicit a cheer to rival Sindelar's at the home hole.

As Brehaut took in the crowd's appreciation, Sindelar clapped and pointed to his playing partner, drawing even more cheers from the crowd. After Sindelar rolled in his birdie, another cheer was in order, and Brehaut put his arm around Sindelar as the two walked off the green.

Sindelar didn't know that Brehaut wasn't fully exempt on tour at the moment, but he said he has no doubts that Brehaut has plenty of game to compete on the tour. He also said that Brehaut is one of the best guys in the game, and someone that the rest of the tour is surely rooting for.

-Playing the drivable par-4 16th hole, Brehaut drove his tee shot into the front left greenside bunker while Sindelar went right of the green, onto a sprinkler head. As the justifiably pro-Sindelar crowd was viewing the Horseheads native's predicament, Brehaut hit a splendid splash shot to inside 4 feet. As Sindelar called to Brehaut to come over to help with the drop, he said, "Nice shot. That was pretty snazzy. Didn't hear anyone clapping, though."

"That's because we're watching you, Joey," a woman in the crowd called out.

Brehaut didn't mind, though, as he headed back to prepare his birdie try. "Hometown crowd," he said with a smile.

-After completing a mediocre 1-under 71 on Friday, Fred Funk was not in a good mood. He knew he would need a near-miracle to come back and contend in the tournament, and he was, as he put it, in the trees all day off the tee.

But he altered the weights on his adjustable driver after the first round, and he played much better on the weekend, shooting consecutive 67s to finish close to the top ten. A solid weekend for Fred - you can't complain with 10-under - but it also goes to show how the Champions Tour can be a sprint on some of the less challenging courses. You can't fake it on this tour, not for a single round.

Kenny Perry's week showed that as well, as the two-time senior major champion this year opened with a 65 to take the lead, but backpedaled with a Saturday 71. Perry closed with a birdie on 18 on Sunday for a 68 to finish safely inside the top 10 and maintain his lead in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points race, but with a few more birdies on Saturday, he could have been right in the middle of the Sunday conversation.

Funk also confirmed that his son Taylor, who was home-schooled growing up, will attend the University of Texas starting in January. Taylor will join a star-studded team that will include Gavin Hall, Beau Hossler and Scottie Scheffler (the reigning U.S. Junior champion). Fred said that his son would never consider his alma mater Maryland because it was too far north, and that the decision was all Taylor's.

With Taylor going to school, it means Fred is in the hunt for a new caddie. His wife Sharon only works a couple of times a year, as she did this week, and Fred said he will hire a new guy full-time for the 2014 season. His old full-time caddie, Mark Long, now devotes all his time to working on yardage books that tour players and caddies use, Fred said.

Fred said that Taylor and Sharon both read putts for him when they are on the bag, although he did say that Sharon is harder on him, while Taylor 'just does his own thing.' He said that Sharon serves as a 'sports psychologist' on the bag, as well.

Notes from Day 2 at En-Joie

-Russ Cochran is in good position at 10-under after back-to-back 67s, in a tie for 4th, although he has a way to go to catch Bart Bryant, who is currently 16-under. I asked Cochran his thoughts about the changes to PGA Tour Q school, as he is a veteran of many qualifying tournaments back in his regular tour days. Although he said he doesn't really keep tabs on the specifics anymore, he did say he would like to see the entry fee for the Web.com Tour reduced, to be able to 'give some of the guys a chance to get their career started.' Interesting thoughts from the Paducah, Kentucky native.

-I caught up with Bart's brother Brad after his round. Brad was in good position after the first day with a solid 66, but couldn't get much going en route to a Saturday 72. Brad had no trouble admitting that Bart was the better player in the family at this point, as Brad is getting up there in years (age 58 now) and has not done better than T-32 this year in an individual event.

Brad had all the praise in the world for his brother, talking about how the tour needs more guys like Bart - who understand the importance of developing relationships with communities and interacting with fans. He expressed hope that Bart's wrist can hold up so he can make more of an impact out here on the Champions Tour - he said Bart's talent has been under the radar so far, and the injuries have played a huge role in that. Brad didn't want to commit to staying for the entirety of the final round on Sunday, to potentially see his brother win, but left the door very much open for doing so.

"I've got to talk to my wife," Brad said. "But I don't see why I wouldn't."

Brad was on site for Bart's first PGA Tour victory - the 2004 Valero Texas Open - when he was in the field as well. So it wouldn't be the first, but it would be the first in quite a while.

-Joey Sindelar backed up his opening 2-under 70 with another 70, and enters Sunday in a tie for 31st at 4-under. On the road back to full health after back surgery, Sindelar admitted he was feeling like a golfer again by being disappointed with his Saturday round - where he got to 4-under on the day at one point but fell back with late bogeys. The Horseheads native has lost an estimated 50 pounds since the surgery last November - bringing him down into the 180-190 pound range - saying the need for surgery made him realize he needed to get into better shape.

Sindelar tried to make a quick comeback by playing two Florida events in February, but realized he wasn't near ready yet and took some more time off for rehab until June. This is his fourth event back this time around, after changing his swing to accommodate his new health situation, and so far he is faring the best by far - he went 79, MC, T-69 in his first three events back. Even if he plays poorly in the final round, he should easily finish inside the top 60.

"It's fun to see that it's definitely been a step forward each of the weeks I've been able to play," Sindelar said. "Certainly there can't be as big a leap as I had the first few weeks, because I started from way, way back. This is what we've been hoping for, and I'm very happy."

Sindelar played with former college teammate and road roommate John Cook on Friday, and Cook said he could tell his friend's game was getting back in shape because 'he was smiling again.' A smiling Sindelar is good for the Champions Tour, and even if he falters on Sunday, the home crowd is sure to keep him in good spirits as he makes the walk up 18.

-Jeff Brehaut played a bogey-free second round, but couldn't quite keep the pedal to the metal enough to make a serious move. Starting the day six back of overnight leader Kenny Perry, Brehaut shot 3-under 69 to fall 12 back of Bart Bryant.

The win won't be on Brehaut's mind in the final round, but he will be fully invested to make as much money as he can. After waiting until his 50th birthday in June to start playing, Brehaut has a limited amount of tournaments to make the required money to crack the top 30 on the money list and keep his card for next season. So far he has two top 25s in three events, with his best effort a T-19 two weeks ago in Minnesota, but that is obviously nowhere near enough - he is currently 89th on the money list.

Making matters worse for the Pacific University grad is that the tour conducts its only reshuffle of the year after the Montreal Championship - three events from now - and he may be shuffled right out of the year-ending tournaments if he doesn't play better (not that he has been playing badly at all). He figures he needs a few top-ten finishes - at least - but feels he has the talent to win if he can put it all together.

He didn't need to look far for inspiration on Saturday, either. Brehaut was paired with Michael Allen, a guy who had a similar career trajectory in his regular-tour days - a fair bit of success without winning. Allen won his first Champions Tour event when he turned 50, the 2009 Senior PGA Championship at Canterbury outside Cleveland, and he has played well ever since, currently No. 6 on the money list.

If Allen can do it, Brehaut seemingly can do it, but life on tour can be all about timing - and unfortunately for Brehaut, his year has been short on time.

-After being visibly upset with his opening-round 71 on Friday, Fred Funk picked up the pace with a 5-under 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for 17th. Funk knew he was behind the 8-ball after his unspectacular start, however, feeling that he needed to put low rounds together if he was going to have a chance - and if nobody ran away with it.

But Bart Bryant has seemingly ran away with it, and a ten-shot comeback isn't in the cards where surely some of the second-round leaders will again go low on Sunday. With wife Sharon on the bag - only of one two times all year she works as caddie, she said - he will simply be working on his game and hoping to thrill the fans with some quality shots. He is working, too - seen walking from the practice area to the locker room more than two hours after he completed his second round, patting Duffy Waldorf on the back on the way.

Despite not being in contention, Funk had some fun with the crowd on Saturday. Paired with the popular Jim Thorpe, Funk watched his tee shot roll up a ride on the par-3 fourth. Recognizing the presence of the ridge, he called for the ball to roll back down near the hole. After a few seconds, it did, to within ten feet.

"It must be a male ball," Funk said, looking back in his wife's direction. "Because it will listen to you."

Seconds later, Thorpe watched his ball do the exact same thing, rolling down the ridge and to within five feet. And Thorpe's thoughts were in sync with his playing companion.

"Male ball," Thorpe said. "It listened."

Sharon simply smiled and shook her head.

Bryant takes command at En-Joie

Oh, what could have been for Bart Bryant. The newly minted Champions Tour player has battled a plethora of injuries throughout his career - so many that he claims he could pass an anatomy test despite minimal formal education on the matter - but managed to win three times on the PGA Tour along the way. The guy clearly has game, and it's a shame that he never got a chance to put it on full display to the world.

"He's world-class," his brother Brad, who plays the Champions Tour as well, said.

Bart turned 50 last November and as was allowed to play the 50-and-over circuit this year without needing to work his way through Q school, based on his position on the all-time PGA Tour money list. He hadn't contended too much prior to this week, but came to Binghamton with positive vibes after a T-4 in Minnesota two weeks ago.

Now, he's in his position for his first Champions Tour win. Bart fired a bogey-free 10-under 62 on Saturday at En-Joie GC, boosted by six birdies in his first seven holes, to surge to the top of the leader board and take a four-stroke lead over Corey Pavin (who fired a not-so-shabby Saturday 64 himself) into Sunday.

Bart's round was highlighted by his self-described shot of the tournament on the 203-yard par-3 14th, a tricky hole that features a pond on the left side of the green. With the pin tucked on the back left portion of the putting surface, he fired a 4-iron that landed softly and trickled within six feet of the hole. The birdie gave him even more of a cushion than he already had, and he was off to the races.

"I played real solid today," Bart said. "Hit a lot of solid golf shots...I really haven't had an opportunity to make a bogey, I don't think. I just kept myself in position and kept myself out of trouble."

With one round to play, Bart said he feels like the winning score will be 19- or 20-under, even if it's not him - even though nobody besides him is better than 12-under. It may be a stretch, but not too much so. En-Joie is there for the taking for these guys, with fairly little wind and fairways that run out, making the score play shorter than its already-modest distance. Driver-wedge is the common recipe on many of the par 4s, and the par-5 third and 12th holes have been reachable for the majority of the field - especially the 12th today, where the tee was even moved up. It's not impossible for Pavin to shoot another 64 or 65, so maybe the prediction will indeed hold water.

With Tim McGraw's tour bus long down the road and the country boots nowhere to be found on the grounds Saturday, the event still drew a sizable crowd, due in part to its tradition of free admission on Saturday afternoons. Areas near the green were crowded as early as 11 a.m., with play having started before 9 a.m. off No. 1 tee, and the event had the legitimate feel of a mid-sized regular tour event. Sunday's admission is $25, so the crowds not be the same, but they should be close - the area sure does embrace this tournament.

Bart has a four-shot lead, and it's easy to say it's his event to lose, but he still needs to play a solid round of golf. One or two-under isn't necessarily bad, but that may not get it done if some of the chasers do what's been done again and again this week - pile birdies on top of birdies.

But of course, a four-shot lead is a four-shot lead. Bart is in position A to grab his first Champions Tour title.

Perry leads after solid 65 at En-Joie

You would think Kenny Perry would just go back to the PGA Tour already, and leave his 50-and-over compatriots alone.

Perry has flat-out blitzed the Champions Tour this summer, winning back-to-back majors with unheard-of low weekends and utilizing his young-man's power to his full advantage. The Kentuckian always has admitted he's a streaky player, but this summer there has been no streak to it. It has just been, well, incredible. The train kept rolling on Friday at En-Joie GC near Binghamton, NY, where Perry shot 7-under 65 to take the solo lead over a host of players bunched at 6, 5 and 4-under par.

"I just played nicely," Perry said. "I hit a lot of fairways; my wedge game was beautiful...When things are going your way, things go your way, so it was just a nice day."

Indeed it was. Cruising along, as he put it, at 3-under par through 11 holes, Perry hit his tee shot sideways on the reachable par-5 12th and had to chop out. All he did from there was hole a 6-iron from just under 190 yards to jump up near the top of the leader board at 5-under, and from there it was just the status quo.

Many of the low scores came in the morning, when the greens ran true and hadn't dried out yet. Perry played in the very last group of the day (everyone played of No. 1 tee, unlike most Champions Tour events that utilize a split-tee system) yet handled the conditions perfectly while big names like Fred Funk (71), Bernhard Langer (73) and defending champion Willie Wood (77) stumbled in the late-day trickiness. Of course, however, Perry will deal with more of the same tomorrow. As the leader, he tees off in the final group, with Bart Bryant and Joel Edwards at 1:31 p.m. The weather looks perfect.

When Kenny Perry is on fire, he is tough to beat on the PGA Tour - let alone on the Champions Tour, on a course that provides an abundance of wedges into greens for the longer hitters. He's out in front, and it would be unwise to bet against him. Heck, 65 could be his worst score this week.

Notes:

-Hometown favorite Joey Sindelar, a Horseheads High graduate, shot 2-under 70 as he works his way back from early-year back surgery. Talking to assembled media after his round, Sindelar seemed incredibly happy as he discussed his comeback from the surgery, in which he said he needs to bridge the gap between his competitive mind and the reality that he can't yet swing like he used to. The jovial guy capped off his round by rolling in a 6-footer for birdie on 18, which elicited a huge roar from the massive crowd that arrived early for the Tim McGraw concert just off the 18th green. Writing this from the media center, you can hear the crowd's anticipation building for McGraw. Multiple reporters have described the event as the 'concert of the summer' in the area.

-Jeff Brehaut shot 1-under 71 in his fourth Champions Tour start of the year, as the recently-turned 50-year-old attempts to battle long odds and make enough money in a shortened season to crack the top 30 on the money list and avoid a return trip to Q School. Brehaut finished joint 23rd and 19th in his last two events after a disappointing opening effort in Chicago in late June, and he will enter Saturday tied for 33rd. He's currently 89th on the money list and will need a string of top-10s and maybe even top-5s as the season winds down, and his ball-striking looked solid but not exceptional today. So we'll see.

-Fred Funk was not too happy with his 71. As he briefly spoke to me after his round, he mentioned that he needed to get to the range to work on a couple things, as it was already past 5:30 pm and the range closed at 6:00. Especially considering the amount of success he has had an En-Joie (four top-2 finishes, including a win, between the PGA and Champions Tours), his place six shots back with two rounds to play is not ideal. He told me he is 'behind the 8-ball' heading into tomorrow and that he needs to go 'really low' on Saturday and Sunday. His round could have been better (he missed a few makeable birdie putts and had at least one three-putt), but could have been worse: he salvaged a bogey after finding the water on the par-3 14th, and spun a wedge to inside six inches for a kick-in birdie on the short par-4 16th.

At the rate Perry's going, nobody else may have a chance, but even without Perry the winning score will likely be in the 14- to 16-under range. That means a couple 65s for Funk on the weekend, something he hasn't came close to since last year's Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

-The scoring average for the first round was 71.512. Hole 15, a par 4, played as the toughest (4.387) while the par-5 third played as the easiest (4.688).

Live from Endicott

Here we are. I woke up this morning at 5 a.m., through no credit of my own. (Nick Dauch, who I stayed with the last two nights, woke up to my alarm and proceeded to wake me up). I drove straight through to Endicott to make it in time for the opening tee shot, thinking I would need to stop and sleep at a rest area, but fighting on. Last summer's experiences of driving through the night definitely were beneficial.

So I arrived at media parking, got a very convenient shuttle ride to the course and exchanged my one-day paper pass for credentials. I greeted the tournament staff as well as the Tour's Phil Stambaugh, who remembered me after a bit of reminding. No lavish media buffet like you would see on the PGA Tour, but you won't find me complaining with some great Dunkin Donuts.

I strolled out on the course to see the opening tee shot by Sonny Skinner, who pulled it into the left rough but saved his par on No. 1. Not a huge crowd this early in the morning, but it's sure to pick up this afternoon, especially as the Tim McGraw concert on the 18th green draws closer. It will be interesting to see how the crowd demographics shift as evening comes.

We were also rather lucky to get play underway, as an area of fog passed through around 8 a.m. and it was hard to see for awhile. But just as soon as it came, it went - the sun came up, and the first group was off at 8:45 as scheduled.

As I write this, I am incredibly tired, but it should be a good day.

Dick's Sporting Goods Open to mark 1000th Champions Tour event

I'm headed to Binghamton, NY to cover the Dick's Sporting Goods Open this weekend for Golf World, and I couldn't be more thrilled. For one thing, it marks my opportunity to interview Fred Funk (my hero growing up, and a huge influence on the career path that I have tried to embark on) . For another, it marks the first time I get to actually cover an event for a real magazine, where I file stories for national print and digital publication. After my summer on the road following the Web.com Tour last summer, filing stories for my loyal readers on this blog (who I am very grateful for!), this gives me the chance to take my experience to a whole new level.

Now, to be sure, it's not as if I've been asked to write any big feature or exclusive on event. I will write a simple, short game story of the event and a news item on a player or interesting occurrence for Ryan Herrington's Tour Talk section of the magazine, along with one or two short items on the event (likely related to the winner) for Tim Murphy's Golf World Monday. It may not be much, but it's definitely something, and I am just genuinely excited to report on a Champions Tour event - especially the one at En-Joie GC outside Binghamton, which I attended many times over the years with my dad, grandparents, brothers and friends. It's a great course to spectate at, any easy course to walk, and the community always seems to enjoy having the pros in town.

Another cool milestone I'll be a part of: the event marks the 1,000th official event on the Champions Tour. The 50-and-older tour started in the early 1980s and has trucked along for over 30 years, giving older fans the chance to see the heroes of their youth in a competitive setting for a few extra years, along with of course giving the top players a chance to grow their bank accounts with a few good (or great) years of play. I look forward to seeing whether the Tour or the community has anything in store to celebrate the noteworthy milestone.

Although I'll be writing for Golf World, I certainly plan on upholding my tradition of covering the event via this blog, as I do whenever I am lucky enough to have media credentials for an event. Tee times have still not been released yet, but play should get underway sometime Friday morning. Coverage will be tape-delayed on Golf Channel, so television-related accommodations will not play a role on the weekend - when tee times are sometimes moved up so play can finish inside Golf Channel's 1-3 pm (or so) window. Therefore, expect a proper late-afternoon finish on Saturday and Sunday, as, of course, it should be.

Also pretty sure that Phil Stambaugh will be running things media-wise from the Tour's side, so it will be cool to catch up with him again, after meeting him last year at the Web.com event in Wichita. Not sure I'm staying yet, but I always enjoy the Del Motel (I have stayed there in the past) and will likely end up there come Friday evening.

All in all, it will be a great way to wrap up my official time at Golf World. En-Joie, here I come.

And, in the end...

"This is the last time."

Lyrics from a great Keane song that I can't seem to get out of my head. My roommate Galen played that song for me on the last night before I left Syracuse in May, shortly after graduation, and the same feelings apply now. Part nostalgia, part sadness, part wonder about the crazy ways that life can work.

Today is my last day at Golf World magazine, as I complete a ten-week internship that has taken me behind the scenes of how a worldwide, well-respected weekly golf publication operates. For the last week and a half or so, in fact, I have literally lived at the office - I moved out of my dorm at Sacred Heart University on August 2, filled my car and proceeded to sleep on editor-in-chief Jaime Diaz' couch for eight nights. I hadn't been sure what I was going to do - realistic thoughts of sleeping in my car were running through my head - but my boss Tim Murphy told me I could stay in Jaime's office, and I quickly accepted the kind offer.

Anyway, so here I am, wrapping up. I will be heading to Hackettstown, NJ tonight to stay with longtime college roommate Nick Dauch for a couple nights before traveling up to Binghamton to cover the Dick's Sporting Goods Open for my final Golf World assignment - my final assignment before I go, as Tom Petty would say, into the great wide open.

I started at golf World not knowing what to expect, but knowing it was bound to be an awesome and surreal experience. Needless to say, it lived up to the hype, and then some. I have been reading the magazine since I was probably 12 years old, as my family had a subscription for years, and when we didn't, I could read at it Bob-o-Link, my home course where I worked for three summers. I contacted the magazine in fall 2011, when I was abroad in London, about the possibility of interning there the following summer. Long shot, to be sure - it's a national publication, after all - but I figured I would give it a shot. I was honored just to have the opportunity to interview, and when I was told they were bringing back the previous summer's intern, I was mildly disappointed - but not hurt or surprised.

So I pushed on. The next fall, in my senior year, I threw myself a slight curveball in terms of life planning by following up with Tim at Golf World, to see if I would possibly be able to intern the next summer - after my senior year. Surely a questionable move (who interns after they graduate college?) and one that could set me up for second-guessing later on, but this is what I figured: I had at least made contact with the company, and they knew I had interest. I have spent my whole college life gearing my activities and endeavors toward the chance to work here, at my dream job. I'm probably as close as I'll ever be. So why not?

I was offered the internship, and I accepted. Luckily for me, my family and friends were supportive of the decision, even when I was offered a job at a small paper in Syracuse - where I would absolutely love to live - and declined. The journalism market is tough, and I was taking the very real risk that I was missing my best opportunity to get into journalism young and fresh. But after weighing my options - and probably annoying some of my friends with endless discussions - I decided to stick with Tim at Golf World.

So I came, and I got to dive right into the editorial process - reading and re-reading copy for our print and digital publications and helping make sure the copy was clean, clear and compelling for our paying subscribers. Along the way, I dabbled in fact-checking, archiving material and research. And most importantly for me, I got to write - for both the physical print edition and the digital 'Golf World Monday.' Opening the magazine and seeing my name in print - now three weeks running, with a fourth to come after my Champions Tour coverage in Binghamton - gives me a sensation of immense pride, happiness and hope. It makes the risk totally worth it.

In addition to the enjoyment of playing a part in the production of a golf magazine, the experience was made even better by the staff, who quickly welcomed me into their tight circle and made me feel like one of their own. This is the best of the best in the business I hope to break into someday - Jaime Diaz, Bill Fields, Mike Johnson and so on - and sometimes I had to pinch myself to believe I was actually working with them. Tim Murphy took me to play golf at his club, New Haven Country Club, as did Tim Carr (Rock Ridge in Newtown) where we played twice and I improved by 12 shots the second time (97-85). Free lavish dinners on Monday major closes were a welcome reward, and the 'lunch train' with senior staff on many non-busy work days (where we all ate together) was always a pleasure.

So that's that, and I'm writing this as Lisa (the staff assistant/all-purpose researcher/fact-checker/party-planner/office mom) is preparing for a little going-away celebration for me, as I reflect on my quick but perfect stay at Golf World.

Where next? I interviewed last week for a position at a small paper in central new York, and I knew I was one of four candidates, but I still haven't heard back yet which means I'm likely an alternate for the position - in the classic space between the known and the unknown. I am in consideration for a short week-long internship via the Tiger Woods Foundation at a FedExCup Playoff event in Boston later this month, which would be an interesting opportunity (it's in the finance division), but it would again be delaying the inevitable - the fact that I'm about to be unemployed. Ugh!

So I'm trying. That's all I can do for now. Applying to a lot of places, hearing back from a few, getting interviews at even less - but trying. That's the nature of the beast these days: a lot of people want to be sports writers, and there aren't many openings. I'll try for a little bit longer, but I can't try forever.

But even if it doesn't work out, I can always say I worked at Golf World, and I can always proudly display the clips I was lucky enough to get in the magazine.

And at the very least, I'll always have Wilton.