PALM HARBOR - The weather report back home in Utah suggested snow might be on the way, so Dan Forsman pondered the thought that this might be the last week he touches his golf clubs for a while.
Forsman, 45, is 71st on the PGA Tour money list and cannot earn enough, even with a victory, to qualify for next week's Tour Championship. So this will be the final event of his 2003 season.
And if there is a place to end it, Forsman figures the Chrysler Championship is a good place.
Forsman was a long-time supporter of the JCPenney Classic, winning the tournament with Dottie Pepper in 1992. And he enjoys the Westin Innisbrook Resort, even though his wife and two sons, ages 18 and 13, are back home in Provo, Utah.
"It's a wonderful resort," Forsman said. "There's convenience staying right here. Camaraderie, seeing the guys and hanging out with them. My kids are back in school, but when they were younger, they'd be here, swimming, playing tennis.
"Unfortunately, they're not able to travel much anymore. It's ironic, isn't it? When you're young you stay in the cheapest hotels. You have some success and stay at the nice places and they can't be out here to enjoy it. I guess that's what the Champions Tour is all about, if we can get there. Travel in more of a luxurious fashion."
Forsman is not looking ahead to senior golf just yet. He has earned $979,409 this year and if he could move into the top-70, would earn spots in the invitational tournaments next year.
CANON4KIDS: As he has been doing most of this season, Briny Baird has the digital photo of a missing child on his golf bag this week. Alexandra Ortiz was last seen in Miami on Dec. 7, 2001, at age 7. Baird does this as part of the Canon4Kids program, which also features the phone number 1-800-THE-LOST.
"It's great for the families," Baird said. "It's unbelievable the media attention it has gotten. It's great for everybody. ... You think your world is crumbling, you look over and see (a person) on your golf bag. It's hard to imagine. It sheds new light on what you are doing for a living. It's a real eye-opener at times."
Baird, 31, is 35th on the PGA Tour money list. As part of the program, Canon donates to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children $100 for each birdie made by Baird, $250 for each eagle and $1,000 for every hole-in-one. Through last week's Funai Classic, Baird has made 384 birdies and 12 eagles for a total of $41,400.
AROUND INNISBROOK: It was a busy day at the Copperhead course, with numerous players on the putting green and at the practice range. By the end of the day, all but 14 of the players in the 132-man field had registered. ... Japan's Shigeki Maruyama, who won the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro two weeks ago, withdrew citing a neck injury. He was replaced by Todd Barranger. Chris Anderson is now the first alternate. ... Clearwater's John Huston opened last week's Funai Classic with 64, then struggled over the weekend due to a neck injury. He'll skip today's pro-am to get ready for the tournament.
