While the four other professionals were on the driving range preparing for the Mountain View Pro-Celebrity Skins Game on Tuesday at the Black Creek Golf Club, Guy Boros was lounging around with his family.
Standing near the media center with a bag of balls in his hand, Boros chatted quietly with his wife, Kim. In the meantime, daughter Jamie (3 l/2 months) and son T.J. (22 months) seemed to be quite at ease with the atmosphere that was building for this week's Chattanooga Classic.
Boros, son of former professional golfer Julius Boros, will be one of the favorites when the PGA Nationwide Tour competition begins Thursday morning with a crossover start. The tournament runs through Sunday.
The laid-back Boros seemed to be more concerned about carrying around his son than to get in a few swings in anticipation of the Skins Game. And why not? His son (T.J.) is part of a golf legacy, named after Kim's father, Thomas McCulloch, and Guy's father, Julius Boros.
After missing the cut by one stroke in three straight tournaments, Boros has been on a roll. He has won two of the last five Nationwide Tour events, including last week's Dayton Open.
"After missing those cuts, I switched to a new driver (TaylorMade 150) and lengthened my putter by three inches,'' Boros said. "Now, I've got it going. And the win last week really boosted my confidence.''
Boros, who also won the Lake Erie Charity Classic, played in 182 PGA tournaments from 1990-91 and 1994-2002. He won the 1996 Greater Vancouver Open.
"I'm pretty laid-back and I think that helps me out here on tour,'' said Boros, who is rated No. 7 among the Nationwide Tour money leaders with $175,867. "Golf is a tough game where you lose more than you win. I just try to do my best every time I get out there.''
Said Boros' wife, Kim, "He really is laid-back. When I pick him up, I can't tell if he has won or lost.''
Boros, from Pompano Beach, Fla. will tee off Thursday afternoon at 1 on the No. 10 tee with Michael Long and Mike Donald.
TAYLOR RESTED AND READY: After taking a week off the Nationwide Tour, Vaughn Taylor is ready to move up on the money list this week at Black Creek.
Taylor, from Augusta, Ga., is No. 3 on the Nationwide earning list with $200,933. The top two money winners, Joe Ogilvie and Zach Johnson, are skipping the Chattanooga Classic.
Taylor will be going for the "Tennessee Slam'' this week. He won the Knoxville Open earlier this season.
"I'm rested and ready,'' Taylor said. "I think this course fits my game well. You just have to watch out for the fairway bunkers off the tee.
"The key here is to stay out of the bunkers and to putt well. The greens are in perfect shape. They are a little soft now, but if they get firmer they will be tough.''
Taylor finished second at Raleigh, N.C. and is in a good position to finish among the top 15 money leaders and earn a PGA Tour card for next year.
"I'm really doing everything well right now,'' he said. "I'm hitting it well and putting well. My game right now is very consistent.''
Taylor will tee off at 1:10 Thursday on the No. 10 tee with Ted Purdy and Bart Bryant.
GILL WILL CADDY FOR WOLCOTT: Country music star Vince Gill will caddy all four days of the tournament for Bob Wolcott.
Gill took plenty of time to sign autographs and pose for pictures on Tuesday after the Skins Game.
"I know enough about being a caddy to stay out of the way,'' he said. "If people from Chattanooga come out here to the tournament, I think they will be in for quite a shock. There's a pretty small difference between these guys and the ones on the PGA Tour.''
Wolcott will tee off at 1:10 on Thursday on the No. 1 tee.
PALMER AMONG FAVORITES: Ryan Palmer is listed No. 8 on the Nationwide Tour money list with earnings of $167, 829.
From San Antonio, Palmer won the Clearwater Classic earlier this year. He played in two combined tournaments in 1998 and 2000, but didn't make a cut.
"The yardage off the tees will be the key in this tournament,'' Palmer said. "The course is a little different and there are different dimensions on the greens. Still, it's a great course. I should be able to score well if I keep it in front of me.''
Palmer will tee off at 1:20 p.m. on Thursday on the No. 10 tee with Roland Thatcher and Bart Bryant.
DON'T MISS VICTOR SCHWAMKRUG: The longest hitter on the Nationwide Tour is Victor Schwamkrug from Jacksonville, Fla. Last year, Schwamkrug averaged 328.5 yards per drive. He is up to 332 this season.
"There are probably better courses to fit my game than Black Creek,'' Schwamkrug said. "I haven't seen a course quite like this before. There are a lot of traps in the middle of the fairways and the greens are tricky.
"It's a little Mickey-Mouse, but it's a fair course. There are a lot of birdies out there. If you play well, you can score well. I think I can use my driver on all the par 5s, but that isn't a huge advantage here because most everyone can reach them in two. Still, if I play well, I should be able to score well.''
The 6-foot Texan used his distance to make it to the 2001 Re/Max Long Driving championships. He will tee off Thursday at 2 p.m. on the No. 10 tee with David Canipe and Ty Armstrong.
MARTIN AND TOLLES START AT 8:10: One of the top threesomes on Thursday will include Casey Martin and Tommy Tolles. They will tee off at 8:10 a.m. on No. 1 with Kevin Pendley.
Martin suffers from a birth defect in his right leg known as Klippel-Trenaunay-Webber Syndrome. He won a decision from the Supreme Court that gave him the right to ride in events due to his disability.
Tolles has played in 207 tournaments on the PGA Tour. He finished second four times.
TWO CHATTANOOGANS IN FIELD: Zeb Patten and Mike Bennett are the only two Chattanoogans in the field.
Patten will tee off Thursday afternoon at 2:10 on the No. 10 tee while Bennett will start at 9;30 a.m. on No. 10.
CLASSIC TICKETS: Tickets for the tournament are available at all Bi-LO Stores. Tickets will be available at all public parking areas during the event. Costs are $10 for daily tickets and $25 for weekly tickets. Children under 12 are free with an adult (one child per adult). Public parking lots will open at 6 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
The rounds will begin Thursday through Sunday at 7:40 a.m.
THURSDAY TEE TIMES:
No. 1 Tee
7:40 -- Steve Haskins, Tommy Biershenk, Tjaart van der Walt
7:50 -- Lucas Glover, Franklin Langham, Edward Fryatt
8--Jeff Klauk, Jerry Smith, P.H. Hogan III
8:10--Casey Martin, Kevin Pendley, Tommy Tolles
8:20--Charles Warren, Rich Barcelo, Dave Rummells
8:30--Mark Hensby, Zoran Zorkic, Mike Springer
8:40--Steve Scott, Ron Ewing, Richard Johnson
8:50--John Restino, David Griffiths, Scott Parel
9--Andy Morse, Chris Zambri, John Paul Curley
9:10--Alan Zimmerman, Ryan Howison, Ryan Hietala
9:20--Daniel Chopra, Mayson Petty, Han Lee
9:30--Chris Downes, Troy Matteson, Bill Hickey
12:30--Scott Dunlap, Hunter Haas, Scott Peterson
12:40--Kevin Johnson, George McNeill, Doug Garwood
12:50--Emlyn Aubrey, Rob McKelvey, Les Porter
1--Andrew McLardy, Brad Fabel, Mike Brisky
1:10--Russ Cochran, Bob Wolcott, Jim McGovern
1:20--Tom Carter, David Branshaw, Larry Rinker
1:30--Joe Acosta, Jr., Ryuji Impada, Iain Steel
1:40--Sung Man lee, Rob McMillan, Stiles Mitchell
1:50--Boo Weekley, Pete Morgan, Kevin Durkin
2--Bob Heintz, Jason Bohn, Michael Christie
2:10--Marvin King, Jeff McLuen, Jay Morgan
2:20--Bubba Dickerson, James Driscoll, Rodney Butcher
No. 10 Tee
7:40--Kyle Thompson, Bob Friend, Oscar Serna
7:50--Keoke Cotner, Jeff Freeman, Matt Peterson
8--Eric Meeks, Jeff Hart, Bradley Hughes
8:10--Omar Uresti, Chris Tidland, Fran Quinn
8:20--Pat McGowan, Brett Wetterich, Paul Claxton
8;30--John Adams, Tyler Williamson, Mike Sullivan
8;40--Eric Gobar, Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker
8:50--Josh Broadaway, Matt Weibring, Bily Judah
9--Shane Tait, Ken Tanigawa, Vic Wilk
9:10--Eric Frishette, Brian Kontak, P.J. Cowan
9:20--Johnson Wagner, Rocky Walcher, Camilo Benetti
9:30--Kevin Snell, Jake Reeves, Mike Bennett
12:30--Doug Dunakey, John Elliott, Jimmy Green
12:40--Ben Bates, Todd Rose, Doug LaBelle II
12:50--Scott Sterling, Mark Walker, Ken Duke
1--Guy Boros, Michael Long, Mike Donald
1:10--Ted Purdy, Vaughn Taylor, Bart Bryant
1:20--Ryan Palmer, Roland Thatcher, Jim Benepe
1:30--Robert Conrad, Rob Bradley, Bubba Watson
1;40--Craig Bowden, Bryce Molder, Eric Johnson
1:50--Rick Price, Jason Hill, Ahmad Bateman
2--David Canipe, Ty Armstrong, Victor Schwamkrug
2:10--Craig Kanada, Chad Wilfong, Zeb Patten
2:20--Jeremy Langley, Charlie Rymer, Greg Boyette
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)