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Rutledge hopes for major turnaround

Jim Rutledge would love to pick up where he left off at the last Champions Tour major championship. The Victoria golfer will tee it up at the Constellation Senior Players Championship today at 4:40 a.m.
Jim Rutledge would love to pick up where he left off at the last Champions Tour major championship.

The Victoria golfer will tee it up at the Constellation Senior Players Championship today at 4:40 a.m. Pacific time along with American Tom Byrum and Mark Mouland of Wales, looking for a solid result.

Rutledge posted the low round of the tournament 鈥 a 7-under 64 鈥 on the final day at the Senior PGA Championship last month in St. Louis that left him tied for sixth at the year鈥檚 first major championship. It was his best ever showing on the Champions Tour.

鈥淚t was good. The last three weeks have been a little slow, but I would love to repeat that [Senior PGA] result and then come home for a couple of weeks,鈥 said Rutledge, who did not qualify for the July 11-14 U.S. Senior Open in Omaha, the next major.

After finishing with two top-10s as well as 24th,- 26th- and two 27th-place finishes, Rutledge has slipped a little the last three weeks with tied for 44th-, 54th and 47th-place outings.

鈥淏oth ends of the game haven鈥檛 been good lately. I haven鈥檛 been driving the ball that well and I haven鈥檛 been putting good. If I can strengthen either one of those right now, or both, it would be excellent,鈥 he said of tackling Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檝e been working hard on it the last couple of days, trying to find some answers,鈥 he added. 鈥淚 had been driving the ball well. I maybe just lost a bit of timing or rhythm, and putting is just a funky thing. Some days are good and some days not so good.

鈥淒riving and putting, those are the keys here, especially in a major championship, you can鈥檛 play golf out of the rough,鈥 he said.

Chapel Golf Club has been good to Rutledge, though, having finished tied for 14th last year with rounds of 74-69-67-66, where he progressively got better.

So far this season, Rutledge has earned $206,548, not too far off his entire $270,434 total from last season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the middle of the season. The last three weeks we鈥檝e been on good golf courses and we couldn鈥檛 put anything together over that stretch,鈥 he said.

He鈥檒l try to come back strong this week, but after a practice round on Tuesday, the course took on three inches of rain overnight and competitors 鈥 including the Champions Tour newest member Colin Montgomerie 鈥 teed it up at noon in the pro-am for just nine holes on Wednesday.

鈥淐onsidering the amount of rain we had, the greens are excellent, a little elevated, and the fairways are pretty good for the most part,鈥 said Rutledge, who shot a 62 at the Toshiba Classic, his best round ever on the Champions Tour. 鈥淭his is a fabulous golf course.鈥

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