Oct 15, 2006 - Watney all the wiser as a sophomore

When Nick Watney left Fresno State as a first-team All-American in 2003, it was expected he would make an immediate impact on the PGA Tour.

After all, Watney had dominated college golf as a senior and had all the tools — length, touch, nerves and competitiveness within a placid demeanor — necessary to make the Tigers and Phils of the golf world sit up and take notice.

As he winds down on his second full year on the PGA Tour, a million dollars richer and 91 pro tournaments wiser, Watney has done nothing to dissuade those who see greatness in his future.

A week after tying for eighth at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Mississippi, Watney led last week's Chrysler Classic in Greensboro, N.C., after two rounds, struggled to a 74 on Saturday then rolled a 68 on Sunday to tie for sixth and earn more than $150,000.

That put him over the $1 million mark and up to No. 79 in the world rankings. After missing the cut by one stroke at the Frys.com Open in Las Vegas on Saturday, Watney returned home to Fresno, where he's paired with LPGA pro Natalie Gulbis in the Save Mart Shootout on Monday.

The Bee caught up with the 25-year-old last week by telephone from Las Vegas.

Bee: Two top 10s in a row (Mississippi and Greensboro). You must be playing well.

Watney: Definitely. I've been working pretty hard with [coach] Butch Harmon and I'm hitting the ball really, really well. And last week [at Greensboro] I hit a few putts.

Bee: After last Saturday's 74, you must have been pleased with the 68 on Sunday.

Watney: I played OK on Saturday but putted poorly — missed a couple of short ones. That was a little disappointing. I ended up losing the tournament by five shots. But, yes, I was pleased to come back with a good score on Sunday.

Bee: You just passed the $1 million mark and you're approaching the top 70. This is the kind of season everyone expected from you when you left college to turn pro. Are you happy with your 2006 season?

Watney: I'm pleased because I feel like I've improved. I'd like to win a tournament but think I'm making progress. I keep heading in that direction.

Bee: What aspects of your game are you most happy with?

Watney: I think my ball striking, I'm very pleased with that. I haven't been as consistent as I'd like, but at the same time, when I'm hitting well, I'm as good as I ever have been.

Bee: What aspects are you least pleased with?

Watney: My putting has been on and off. I haven't been putting great several weeks at a time. I'd like to improve putting and consistency.

Bee: Everybody would like to be more consistent. But it's not that easy, is it?

Watney: It's a tough thing to do, but I think it's possible. Some guys are able to, the top players. I definitely have a tough way to go, but I'd like to be more consistent.

Bee: You've had five top 10 finishes this year. You led after two rounds in Greensboro. How close are you to that first tour victory?

Watney: That's the goal everyone plays for on this tour, to win golf tournaments. That's why we play. I think I'm close, but a lot goes into winning. It's not just hitting good shots. You have to be really good mentally. I'm closer this year than last year.

Bee: Have you found your comfort zone out there on tour?

Watney: I'm getting there, getting closer every week. I've got a lot to learn, golfwise and non-golfwise. Learning the golf courses, where to stay, where to eat, doing laundry, when to fly in, when to rest. I'm learning every week and I'll always be learning. I'm getting more and more used to seeing the superstars. I haven't played with Tiger yet but I've played with everybody else. It's a dream come true to play with those guys and against them. So, yeah, I'm getting more comfortable. I just hope I get a few wins soon.

Bee: You took some time off recently, then finished in the top 10 two weeks in a row. How important is time off?

Watney: Definitely, it's a big deal. I took two weeks off. It was nice to get home. With one week off, you get home, unpack, then Wednesday comes around and you're packing again. With two weeks off, you can relax the first week, then the second week get back to playing golf.

Tiger is a perfect example, he doesn't play all that much. It's hard to be fresh and on top every week when you do it 30times a year. He plays very little, comparatively, and when he does, he's fresh and ready to play every time. It's a big deal being rested and ready to go.

Especially when we live on the West Coast and events are on the East Coast, one week is not that much time off. With two weeks off, I came home, didn't even touch my clubs the first week. Just played some football with my cousins and some friends. The second week I saw Butch, had a great lesson and went home to work on it.

I have an advantage now. Some guys are playing every event, I'm fresh and want to play. Sometimes you play so much you barely even want to play. It's tough to play with that kind of attitude, that's never fun. When you worry about money, that this guy might pass you, it makes a golf shot more than a golf shot. Every event is cool, you want to play, but you can get into a rut doing that.

Time off is huge, getting away. Less is more.

Bee: Do you have a group of guys you like to hang out with on tour?

Watney: It changes every week, depending on who is playing. I hang around with Bill Haas, D.J. Trahan, John Engler, Will MacKenzie, Justin Rose, Camilo Villegas sometimes. We're all kind of in the same boat, out [on tour] by ourselves. Everybody's a good guy, no issues.

Bee: You're paired with Natalie Gulbis at the Shootout. How great is that?

Watney: That's cool. I've known her for a while, played with her in high school. She played on the boys team at Granite Bay [High] and we played against them. And she works with Butch, so I see her in Vegas sometimes.

Bee: Are you through for the season, or are there a couple more tournaments on your schedule?

Watney: I'm playing it by ear. I think I'll play the last two [Funai Classic and Chrysler Championship], get as high as I can on the money list. Top 70 gets you into the invitationals — Bay Hill, Memorial, stuff like that. That would be a big bonus.

Bee: How much fun is the Shootout?

Watney: It's fun because for me to come home to Fresno and see five to six thousand people show up on a Monday shows what a great sports town Fresno is. I'm proud to say I live in Fresno.

Bee: Do you have any advice for the Bulldogs football team?

Watney: There's nothing I can say to help them. They have talent, there are just ups and downs all the time in sports. They'll be fine. The reporter can be reached at krobison@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6279.