Hendrix takes another shot

Matt Hendrix knew from tee to green he was good enough to play on the PGA Tour. And he proved it in his first tournament as a professional.

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On the greens, though, he looked like the new guy. Hendrix plodded around the TPC at Avenel in Potomac, Md., in 62 putts; too many for two rounds in the Booz Allen Classic in late June.

"A putt here and a putt there was all it was," he said. "I realized I could hit it as good as them. It just comes down to putting."

While golf's elite will try to tame Royal Troon in the British Open, the 23-year-old Clemson graduate will try to make the most of his sponsor's exemption today when he tees off in the PGA Tour's B.C. Open in Endicott, N.Y.

With strong amateur credentials, Hendrix is making his way on the Tour. His father, James, sent out rsums to every PGA Tour event after mid-June - except ones that rarely gives exemptions to recently-graduated college golfers.

Those rsums include stats, results, accomplishments and press clippings. Tournament organizers are reading items including: 2004 Ben Hogan finalist, 2003 Walker Cup member and 72.16 career stroke average at Clemson.

"We expected there would be a reasonable amount of success (getting into tournaments) considering his successful amateur career," James Hendrix said. "We knew in the spring, he'd be one of the top six golfers coming out of college trying to get that new-guy exemption."

Matt Hendrix received his first sponsor's exemption into the Booz Allen Classic. When tournament play began June 24, Hendrix said he wasn't intimidated. Walker Cup crowds were larger. Just another tournament, except for the greens.

He wasn't in college anymore, though. These greens showed their fangs, undulating surfaces with their sucker pin placements. Hendrix shot 72-71, 1-over-par, and missed the cut by two shots. He took 30 putts Thursday, 32 on Friday.

"I was very pleased with the event, except him missing the cut," James Hendrix said. "He didn't putt well, especially the second day. If he would've had an average day, he would've made the cut by two or three shots."

Now, Matt Hendrix gets another chance to make it to Sunday and collect his first paycheck. Should he finish in the top 10 this week, he will qualify for next week's event, the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. On Monday, he will attempt to qualify into the Nationwide Tour's Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open in Wichita, Kan.

After completing the B.C. Open, Hendrix will have the opportunity to receive up to five more sponsor's exemptions. As a non-member, he will need to earn equal to the 150th player on the 2003 money list - $348,976 - to gain status for the rest of the year.

Eclipsing that total and finishing between 126 and 150th on the money list also will exempt him into the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School Tournament.

"You're pretty much just putting your focus on Q-school," he said.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.