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By John RegerPA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
AVONDALE, Louisiana (Ticker) - Woody Austin always wanted to berecognized on the PGA Tour, but certainly not the way he hadbeen.
Two incidents had defined his career, but with the way the44-year-old journeyman has been playing the last two years, hemay be remembered for something more than blooper reel material.
Austin certainly moved in the other direction Sunday at theZurich Classic of New Orleans and part of it was with two shotsmaybe more infamous than the other ones he is better known for.
Needing a birdie on the final hole, Austin hit a fairway woodfrom the left rough and worm-burned it 65 feet. Needing to getup-and-down for birdie and force a playoff, he pushed the ballin the water with the same fairway wood.
"Oh, I puked my guts out, no doubt about it," Austin said. "Ididn''t have control of my golf swing and I put two hands on thesteering wheel and was trying to steer it around and it caughtme in the end."
But the temper-challenged Austin didn''t throw a club, or beat itagainst his head, he just smiled and continued down thefairway.
"Considering I had a chance and wasn''t playing well, from thatstandpoint, yeah, I''m happy," Austin said. "But from the otherstandpoint, I didn''t play well enough to win, so it would havebeen a definite steal."
After a successful 2007, Austin''s emotions at Zurich were justanother sign that his past stereotype of being a hothead isbeing eradicated.
Austin was best known for a disagreement with his putter at the1997 Verizon Heritage. When a putt came up woefully short,Austin took his putter and beat himself repeatedly in the headwith it until it bent.
The second was last year at the President''s Cup. Austin washitting a shot with the lower half of his body in a lake when helost his balance and did a face plant in the water.
Both incidents have been posted on You Tube and they show thematuration process he has undergone. There is the seething angerwith his putter and the self-effacing humor of his swan dive.
Austin was so at ease with the lake episode the next day hebrought out a swimming mask and smiled when he the chants ofAquaman started on the golf course.
"Woody is such a good guy, and obviously he''s very hard onhimself, so he had a hard time outliving theputter-over-the-head incident," Jim Furyk said. "I think thateven though he laughs and says, ''Man, I''ll never outlive thisone,'' it sure is better because before everyone had a strangelook on their face when he was wrapping the putter around hishead. Now everyone is laughing, but we''re more laughing with himthan laughing at him."
Austin is just glad they are talking about him jovially. Someonewho was known for a fiery temper, Austin doesn''t excuse hisbehavior, but knows that it is a byproduct of his highexpectations.
The fact that Austin is even on the PGA Tour is remarkable. Hispromising looking career was derailed by torn cartilage in hisleft knee during the 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School.
After the injury, Austin floated around Japan, played the minitours and earned income in a series of non-golfing jobs. Heworked as a teller at a bank and stocking shelves at a drugstore, all while chasing his dream.
In 1994 Austin was the medalist at Q-School and finally got onthe PGA Tour. He bounced from the PGA Tour to the NationwideTour until keeping his card in 1999 and not losing it since.
Once he was on tour, the battle was moving away from being ajourneyman to becoming an established player. After his secondtour victory at the Buick Championship, he figured he was there,though the beginning of the event was a little auspicious.
Austin was leading the Buick Championship in 2004, and he had ahard time convincing anyone, including his family that he wasatop the leader board.
"I was leading the golf tournament at the Buick a couple yearsago and people didn''t know I was in the tournament because theyshowed (Tiger Woods) morning replay, Austin said. "My familysaid, ''What happened?'' I said, ''I''m winning.'' They said, ''No,you''re not even on TV.'' They didn''t believe me. I said, ''I''mwinning by two.'' ''No, you''re not.'' They showed his whole morninground instead of the regular telecast in the afternoon beingshown. They showed his morning round, and I shot 63 that day,but nobody saw it."
After winning the St. Jude Championship last year and nearlyfinishing second to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, Austinknows people recognize him.
Now he just has to fight to stay there.
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