Golf

Heintz straightens out game for new bid on Tour

A little self-deprecating humor can go a long way for players struggling to make it on the PGA Tour. Bob Heintz learned this in three previous attempts to play in the big leagues. That is why he often jokes that he led the tour in putting and penalty shots.

By BOB HARIG
Published January 11, 2007

A little self-deprecating humor can go a long way for players struggling to make it on the PGA Tour. Bob Heintz learned this in three previous attempts to play in the big leagues. That is why he often jokes that he led the tour in putting and penalty shots.

"I'm driving the ball straighter than I ever have," said Heintz, who has put considerable effort into hitting shots he can find as he begins play today in the Sony Open. "That's No. 1. At Q-School (last month), I made only one double bogey in the entire six rounds. That tells you I was driving the ball in play. And if I missed it, I wasn't hitting it in somebody's back yard.

"I'm getting older and I'm not as easily rattled. Not as easily star-struck. ... I'm more familiar with my surroundings and there are advantages to having been there before."

Heintz, 36, of Dunedin, who went to Countryside High before winning three Ivy League titles at Yale, played on the PGA Tour in 2000, '02 and '05. Last year, he was 43rd on the Nationwide Tour money list with $127,432. Only the top 20 advance.

So he returned to the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, tying for eighth. He's on a priority list among other Q-Schoolers and Nationwide players, so he will not get into some tournaments.

He figures to play four events on the West Coast swing, including the Buick Invitational, Pebble Beach and in Mexico opposite the Match Play Championship.

"It would be nice to get off to a good start on the West Coast," he said. "That has not been my strength in the past. I seem to struggle with the cool, coastal weather. Even if I don't finish in the top 10, just to put myself in position to make some cuts. After that, it's a matter of confidence and consistency."

[Last modified January 10, 2007, 23:19:13]