"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Chris Dortch

May 29, 2001

It’s been a long time since Zeb Patten has teed it up with the big boys.

The year was 1992, and Patten, then just a puppy at 27, earned his way into the PGA Tour’s Chattanooga-Hamilton County Classic at Council Fire. Patten’s stay was a short one—he failed to make the cut.

Patten, who owns the Chattanooga Golf Center and is regarded as one of the area’s finest swing coaches, hasn’t played in a tour event since, but it hasn’t been for lack of trying. He’s had several near misses over the years in the Tennessee PGA chapter’s qualifying for the Fed Ex St. Jude Classic in Memphis. Two years ago, he lost in a playoff.

Patten’s fortune changed this year. After elbow surgery and a re-emphasis on the short game, Patten is playing his best golf in years.

He showed as much on a recent trip to the west end of the state. At Chickasaw Country Club, Patten went into the final hole of the first round of U.S. Open qualifying needing a birdie to tie for a coveted spot. Instead of a birdie, he made a double bogey when he dumped a 100-yard pitch into the water fronting the 18^th green.

Undaunted, Patten hung around his old stomping grounds—he was an assistant for two years at Memphis Country Club—for two more days to try his luck at qualifying for the St. Jude. The venue was the TPC at Southwind, a course Patten has played several times.

This time, he wasn’t denied. A 1-under par 70 was enough to earn Patten a spot in next month’s tournament, along with Brad Olsen of Quail Ridge in Memphis and James Paschall of Nashville.

For good measure, Patten finished fourth among pros and 11^th overall in last week’s Tennessee Open. He started the back nine on the final day with a chance to win.

The state open helped Patten focus on golf and take his mind off his prior accomplishment. He has long believed he had the game to compete with golf’s greatest players. He’ll get a chance to prove that belief next month.

"Right now, I’m just trying to prepare myself for the distractions I’m going to face," Patten said. "There’s going to be TV cameras. There’s going to be ropes. There’s going to be thousands of people."

There is also going to be a quality field at Memphis, scheduled June 7-10, a week before the U.S. Open. Many players from the Sony Rankings will be at Southwind trying to play their way into major championship form. Phil Mickelson has already committed, as have former major winners Jose Maria Olazabal and Nick Faldo.

The chance to mingle with such fast company might make Patten a little uneasy at first.

"When I saw my name on the scoreboard at Chattanooga, I wasn’t ready for it," Patten said. "And I’m sure I’ll be nervous [at Memphis]. But I’ve played in a lot of Buy.com tour events and I’m a little more used to playing in a tournament [for higher stakes]."

Patten doesn’t even want to think about making the cut, which Tennessee PGA chapter pros rarely do.

"I’m not thinking about the cut at all," Patten said. "If I can get out there and execute shots, it’ll take care of itself. If you start thinking about the cut only, you don’t allow yourself to play better than that. I’ve got enough game to shoot 68 or 69 every day. If I just try to make the cut and linger one or two under, I’ll start getting scared [on Friday]."

Patten’s play this year might be attributed to a bum elbow he had repaired late last year. When a Chattanooga specialist suggested surgery to remove bone spurs and clean up some other problems, Patten willingly agreed. The surgery took place three days after Christmas.

While recuperating, Patten could work only on his short game. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He went to his home course, Signal Mountain, and practiced constantly on short pitches and chips.

"I’ve historically been a good putter," Patten said. "But when I missed greens, I was putting too much pressure on my putter [with poor pitches and chips].’’

Patten’s short game improved with his hard work and a new focus.

"I just worked really hard on my hands staying quiet through the shot," Patten said. "Even with a chip, I make sure my hands aren’t active but feel like they’re being pulled through the shot."

Patten’s improved short game will serve him well at Memphis. So will the help of old friend Mike Bennett, who works with Patten at the Golf Center and has played in the St. Jude. He’ll caddy for Patten.

"I’m ecstatic," Patten said of the chance to play a tour event. "It’s a goal every year, to qualify for the St. Jude. And now I have. I want to make the most of the opportunity."

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