I finally caught up with Jason Allred as he prepares to play in his first pro golf event this season, the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta, Ga. It’s a Nationwide Tour event. Allred has had a chance to reflect on the past couple years because he hasn’t been in competition to speak of since Q School in late November. One thing he’s decided is that he’s been too technical, too results oriented and hasn’t been the free-swinging, devil-may-care player of earlier years.
When he said that, I was reminded of his trip to Pebble Beach for the 2005 AT&T National Pro-Am. During a practice round with Paul Stankowski at Poppy Hills, they got to the par-5 12th hole, a sharp dogleg right. Almost a right angle. It was a practice round, so someone — either Stankowski or his caddie — said this is where you have fun, take driver and try to fly the corner. Big risk, big reward, as a perfect shot shortens the hole considerably. But, that person cautioned, don’ t try it in the tourney. They had their fun in the practice round, and sure enough, there was some trouble to be had. Come tourney time, Allred couldn’t bring himself to lay up to the corner. He pounded driver again, blowing it through the fairway. I think in practice he cleared the far stand of trees and wound up in the adjacent fairway, but in the tourney he was in the trees. Or vice versa.
The point is, he had his fun, and that’s a bit of the nature he wants to get back to as he embarks on a season of Monday qualifying, sponsor exemptions and the hope of playing his way back into regular tour play.
We’ll have more on the conversation with Allred and his insights in Thursday’s paper.
