原文连结: http://tinyurl.com/3ujwlf2
John Smoltz usually could get some help if he got into trouble during 21
seasons in major-league baseball. But, except for his caddie, Smoltz will
pretty much be on his own as he makes his Nationwide Tour debut today in the
South Georgia Classic.
"No, Bobby Cox won't be there to take me out of the game," Smoltz told
reporters as he prepared for the event, which runs through Sunday in
Valdosta, Ga. "In golf, it's all on you. So if I have a bad hole, I'm going
to have to keep playing and fix things myself."
Smoltz, 43, is playing on a sponsor's exemption.
"I don't want to step on anyone's toes," Smoltz said. "I'm not looking to
take anybody's spot who is aspiring to be a Tour professional. I have a lot
of respect for everybody who does what they do on the Nationwide Tour.
"I'm not afraid to fail, but failure is right there. I know it's not easy. I
just want to see what it's like. I want to know what my body feels like. I
want to know if that tension creeps up. I just want to see what that's like."
Smoltz used to play a lot with teammates Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine when
they were together with the Atlanta Braves, and in recent years Smoltz has
had the chance to play with Tiger Woods.
"Obviously he was an incredible pitcher," Woods said earlier this year. "But
I think just the way he's able to take that same tenacity into golf is pretty
amazing. I've gone out there and played with him and he shot, what, 69-67 in
the same day. Not too many amateurs can do that, especially when they are
still playing a professional sport at the time. So it's pretty phenomenal."
Smoltz, 43, makes no secret of his desire to qualify for the Champions Tour
when he becomes eligible at age 50, but he knows that is a long shot.
"I guess it's about a billion-to-one to make it on that Tour," he said.