Jim Rutledge believes he can win on the Champions Tour and he鈥檒l set out this week hoping to prove it as the seniors golf tour gets back into the swing of it on the East Coast at the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, today.
The 53-year-old Victoria native left town 10 days ago with wife and caddy Jill in preparation.
鈥淚鈥檓 expecting a lot,鈥� Rutledge said of his upcoming fourth season on the Champions Tour. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been able to put too much into it because the weather [at home] has been nasty. We鈥檙e both just looking forward to get going.
鈥淭ime flies by so fast. It was nice to have the break, you look forward to it, but now the break is over and let鈥檚 get back at it,鈥� added the popular veteran, who has not competed since earning his full card after going back to qualifying school back in mid-November.
鈥淚 definitely believe I can win. Good thing I鈥檝e given myself another chance 鈥� a long stretch of events to be able to do it,鈥� he said of earning full playing privileges for 2013. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say I haven鈥檛 settled in, because I have. I know all the courses. I know everything there is to know about the tour.
鈥淭here are no surprises. I just have to go out and play now,鈥� he added.
What will it take to win and hopefully finish in the top 30 money leaders so he can escape the challenges of Q-school?
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take good putting,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y ball striking has been OK. Putting has been the issue, not unlike a lot of guys. But inside 100 yards, it comes down to good wedge play and good putting.鈥�
Rutledge is coming off a season in which he earned $270,434 in 20 events to finish 49th on the 2012 money list. His play on weekends (the tour usually plays three-round events, starting on Fridays) has been among the top. It鈥檚 early starts that have hampered him.
Ten-plus days of preparation in the Florida area, where the Tour will compete the next two weeks before heading to the West Coast, will only benefit him.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been playing a lot,鈥� Rutledge said before leaving. 鈥淚鈥檝e been trying to swing every day and certainly trying to putt, if we can. The [winter] conditions just weren鈥檛 the same. It鈥檒l be nice to peel some gear off instead of putting four layers on, trying to play golf.
鈥淏ut the reason I鈥檓 out there is to get the exercise in and get as much done as I can,鈥� said Rutledge, who has been training in the off-season at Uplands Golf Club.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of work. Not unlike any other tour,鈥� he stressed. 鈥淭he biggest hurdle was tour school. It鈥檚 not like we have to grind out cuts, we have to grind out some good finishes. I鈥檓 not in the same scenario as a lot of guys are in, though. I could go away in a heartbeat.
鈥淚 have to either win [an event] or finish in the top 30 [at season鈥檚 end] to keep my playing status. That鈥檚 what keeps me going.鈥�
