Strange approach

Bryce Alderton

Curtis Strange didn’t set any goals for his debut season on the PGA

Champions Tour.

The two-time U.S. Open champion, who will make his first

appearance in the Toshiba Senior Classic on Friday at Newport Beach

Country Club, prefers to follow a straight-forward philosophy.

“I’ve always been concerned with the best I could do each day,”

Strange said after hitting balls for 1 1/2 hours. “If you wake up

every day with an optimistic point of view, the end result will take

care of itself.”

Strange, who turned 50 Jan. 30, making him eligible for the tour,

is trying to stay patient and readjust to life as a professional

golfer week after week.

Strange left his post as lead golf analyst at ABC Sports in May

2003 after eight years to pursue full-time golf again and competed in

four PGA Tour events last season.

His best finish in three Champions Tour starts in 2005 is a tie

for 31st in February’s Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

With every swing and putt, Strange, a 17-time winner on the PGA

Tour -- his last coming at the 1989 U.S. Open, where he became the

first player since Ben Hogan to repeat as tournament champion -- and

three-time All-American at Wake Forest, is steadily re-gaining “the

feel.”

With every tournament, is reacquainting himself with competition.

“I become impatient when I probably shouldn’t,” Strange said. “It

will take time to get back into competition and be sharp ... I have

some catching up to do.

“My short game is coming around.”

Strange, who resides in Morehead City, N.C., ranks 28th on the

Champions Tour in putts per round with 29.75 and 37th in sand saves

this season, getting up and down four in nine tries (44%) out of the

bunker.

Strange’s methodical approach plays into his first impressions of

the Champions Tour.

“I haven’t played out here enough to give a thorough answer, but

the atmosphere is relaxed,” Strange said when asked about the

differences between the PGA and Champions tours. “But I don’t mean

that in a negative way. Guys play their [behinds] off. On the regular

tour, there is more stuff going on. It’s much more quieter [at a

Champions Tour event] I guess.”

He treats his golf career much the same way -- taking incremental

steps.

“You have to pace yourself, not beating balls every day, though we

certainly do that, too,” he said. “You don’t want to wear yourself

out and be tired by Friday. You want to peak by Friday.

“We all hit good shots and bad shots. It’s the little things that

lead to playing well and scoring well. Hopefully, they will come

around.”

Strange’s first round is scheduled to start at 12:12 p.m. in the

fourth-to-last grouping with Tom Wargo and Mike McCullough.