New Game, New Thinking: Scott Sterling profile

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It took two weeks to track down Scott Sterling for his up-close-and-personal interview with PGATOUR.COM, and, to be honest, I was getting a little tired of talking to his voicemail. Who did this guy think he was, Rocco Mediate? Just kidding, Rocco. But no rookie should take two weeks to call back an ace reporter from PGATOUR.COM, right? As I quickly discovered, Scott had a great excuse, which you'll now find out in his interview with PGATOUR.COM as part of the New Game, New Thinking series.

PGATOUR.COM: OK, come clean, Scott, why the snub?

STERLING: No snub at all. I live in Baton Rouge, so I was playing tag with Hurricane Gustav for the last week.

PGATOUR.COM: Well, that certainly puts me in my place. Can I offer any assistance?

STERLING: No, we're fine. My wife is from New Orleans, so we get a little nervous any time one of these big boys gets close. Gustav could have been a lot worse. It did knock out our electricity for some time, and my cell phone has been screwed up for the last couple of weeks. We just got back from Texas (where his parents live) and we're glad to be home and to still have our home.

PGATOUR.COM: - Well, I'm thrilled everyone is OK. And I'm thrilled to finally have tracked you down. At 36 years old, your path to the PGA TOUR certainly wasn't picture perfect.

STERLING: I've been at it since 1995 when I left LSU. I played in the Hooters Tour for several years before finally making it to the Nationwide (Tour). It was still a struggle, but, last year, I had a breakthrough and qualified by finishing in the top end of the money list. Winning a tournament really got my juices flowing. Winning on the Nationwide Tour is no easy feat. The guys out there are excellent golfers, and the setups are challenging. So winning really made me feel good about taking my game to the next level.

PGATOUR.COM: From the results I've been looking at on PGATOUR.COM, it looks like you're first year has been a mixed bag. Is that fair?

STERLING: From tee to green, I've been hanging with most everyone out here. But I've putted horribly. I haven't putted this bad in my entire career. I would be having the same results on the Nationwide or Hooters tours if I putted like this.

PGATOUR.COM: If I had a nickel for every time I heard a TOUR rookie talk about that particular club, I'd have a heck of a lot of nickels. Heck, I could join Colonial Country Club with all those nickels.

STERLING: Yeah, that's the difference in winning and losing on the TOUR. You've got to putt it to win the big dollars. I've worked hard on improving that part of my game, and, of late, I've seen some changes. It sort of coincided with me trying a putting aide device. I'm usually not big on contraptions like that, but I thought what could I lose by giving it a try? Maybe it was a coincidence, but over the last few events, I've putted better. Still not great, but definitely better.

PGATOUR.COM: You're a husband and father of two young sons (William turns 4 in October and Jonathan is 14 months old). How do you juggle the travel, the practice and the pressure of the TOUR with being a family man?

STERLING: I never go more than two weeks on the road without the family. Having them out there is really special. I just miss those guys too much to stay on the road alone for very long. Family is extremely important. My favorite tournaments this year were in New Orleans and Houston. Stephanie's family came out to the New Orleans stop, and my family came to the Houston event. That was awesome.

PGATOUR.COM: Except for all the will-call tickets you probably had to leave, right?

STERLING: It wasn't that bad, but there were some distractions. But that's OK.

PGATOUR.COM: When you're not working on your lag putting, what makes Scott Sterling tick?

STERLING: Salt water fishing is right up there. I love fishing because it gives me a chance to relax and enjoy the outdoors. I prefer salt water fishing because of its unpredictability. When you fish in fresh water for bass, you're gonna catch bass. When you fish in salt water, it's a mystery. You might pull a red fish one time, a trout the next and a flounder the next.

PGATOUR.COM: As a former LSU Tiger, you've surely enjoyed a Saturday night game in Tiger Stadium, right?

STERLING: There's nothing quite like that scene. Nothing really comes close. I love the Tigers and love the fans. I'm a little concerned about our quarterback situation this year, but we've still got a ton of talent, so we should be alright. And we get Georgia at home, so that should be the game of the year.

PGATOUR.COM: What's your plan of action over the last part of the schedule?

STERLING: Hopefully to win enough money to keep my card. But equally important is to enjoy myself. When I first got out here early in the year, I was putting way too much pressure on my game, and I wasn't having any fun. If I never make it back here, I don't want to look back at my year on the TOUR as a bummer.

PGATOUR.COM: Hopefully no more hurricanes will get in your path.

STERLING: That's the thing. During the FedExCup, I was planning to lie low for a couple of weeks, then practice for a couple of weeks and come back ready to roll. The hurricane pretty much destroyed those plans. I can't practice now unless I want to go retrieve my own balls. And I can't work on my short game because the courses are closed. Who knows, that might be exactly what I need to succeed. I'll take it. We'll see shortly. I do know that the hurricane did cost me a couple of weeks of watching college football, and that's unacceptable.