Musicians, hockey stars, caddies vying at q-school

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Damon Green, Zach Johnson's longtime caddie, will try his hand at Champions Tour q-school. Green has long been regarded as one of the best players in the caddie ranks.

Jerry Howse knew he was hooked on golf. And when that happens, the only question is how good do you want to be?

Howse knew the answer to that, too. He wanted to be as good as possible.

"Being a musician, if you're going to be good at what you want to do, there is a dedication aspect," said Howse, who in his career as a guitarist/songwriter played alongside some of rock and roll's biggest names, including Phil Collins in shows around London.

"You have to put your time in. You can get to a certain level in anything you do and be happy with it but to get to an upper level, you've got to be somewhat smart to understand what you have to do to get there. Being a lead guitarist and songwriter, I liken that to aspiring to making your compositions as good as possible."

For Howse, that means being good enough to attempt to qualify for the Champions Tour. He's among the hopefuls from many different backgrounds who teed it up Tuesday at three regional qualifiers.

Howse is scheduled to play at the Bayonet course in Seaside, Calif., a short par 5 from historic Pebble Beach Golf Links. He'll be joined there by another candidate from the United Kingdom, former race car driver Tim Christmas of Brands Hatch and Hockenheim fame and Floridian Don Levin, father of PGA TOUR player Spencer Levin.

The hopefuls at Woodforest Golf Club in Montgomery, Texas, include former National Hockey League goaltender Greg Stefan, who played nine seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and Bob Pressner, who traded commodities at the World Trade Center until 9/11. The third venue is MetroWest Country Club in Orlando where Roger Chapman, Mark Mouland and Paul Curry, all former European Tour winners, will give it a shot, along with Damon Green, caddie for Zach Johnson, and Vijay Singh's older brother, Krishna.

The final stage is Nov. 16-19 at TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Fla.

Stefan won 299 games in the NHL and a championship ring as an assistant coach with the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. An avid golfer during his hockey days, Stefan took to the game seriously upon his retirement. Most recently, in addition to playing golf at a high amateur level, he has been involved in teaching the game to youth in suburban Detroit.

Stefan qualified for his first Michigan Open this year, made the cut and finished 23rd.

"It's just something I wanted to experience," Stefan said of his venture to q-school. "I'm learning. These guys are good players. I can learn a lot from them. I have a lot of respect for them."

Typical of those who have experienced athletic competition at the highest levels, Stefan is smitten with the sense of challenge the Champions Tour offers him.

"I enjoy golf," said Stefan, who will be 50 in February. "I'm a big fan of the game. I've studied the game, been around a lot of people who know it and play it well. So for me the opportunity to learn, to see the game more closely from the inside is something I'm looking forward to."

The low-key approach fits Stefan's personality.

"If I try too hard, I'm not good," he said.

Howse, who will celebrate his 50th birthday in March, was introduced to golf in 1990 by Vince Neil, frontman for Motley Crue.

"Vince took me golfing one morning, it was kind of impromptu," Howse said. "I seemed to be able to get it in the air, being fairly adept at different sports. (Neil) was kind of like, 'You're a natural, you're a natural.'"

It wasn't long before Howse was spending eight hours a day, seven days a week playing and practicing golf. "Because I loved it so much," he said.

When Howse eventually gave up his music career -- "record companies were wary of giving up big money to rock bands and I wasn't getting any younger," he said -- he devoted even more time to golf.

"I was in kind of a limbo period," he said. "I didn't see myself as a nine-to-fiver, clock-in, clock-out kind. I really would like a second lease on life.

"After the music, I kind of look on this as a chance to do something else with my life."

Howse has been playing the California Golden State tour the last two summers in preparation. There, he has chalked up a string of top 10 finishes and a couple of runner-up slots.

"I'm straight, drive it well, not a bomber like some guys," he said. "Apparently long enough but it's more about accuracy for me ... and a very good putter."

Beyond that, the key for Howse is purpose and preparation. The time he spent three days ago at Bayonet is an example. He left his hotel in the Monterey area at 9:30 a.m. and didn't get back until 6 p.m.

At home in Palm Springs, a normal day begins at 6:30 a.m. with 90 minutes to two hours of workouts. Then he heads over to the course to practice. After lunch, maybe he'll play nine holes, then return to the practice area for more work on the short game and putting. That's what Howse means when he talks about putting in the time.

For Howse, golf is a combination of science and art. It is that synergy which appeals to him.

"Some people definitely are more mechanical players and there are players who are much more free-flowing, players like Fred Couples, who kind of feel it," Howse said.

Howse applies "a little of both, I think" in his approach.

"I have studied the technical aspects," he said. "What appeals to me is to be able to hit it right-to-left, left-to-right, play in the wind and try to be creative with the short game.

"Music is like that. You have to be quite adept at the technical aspect. The fundamental skills you have in golf only help you and allow you to be creative off of that."