NEDBANK CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE
jeff sluman J
eff Sluman returns to the Gary Player Country Club as the winner of the inaugural Nedbank Champions Challenge in 2010. Like the fine wines he collects, Sluman’s career has been the perfect expression of a golfer maturing in his later years. He started playing golf at the age of four, and it was only after a successful college career with Florida State University that he even began considering a future as a professional golfer. He was never a prodigious winner in his 20s and 30s. He won only once during this time, at the 1988 PGA Championship, which earned him his only Major. But as he approached his 40th birthday, something clicked. Sluman won the 1997 Tucson Classic and the floodgates opened. He went on to claim a total of six victories on the PGA Tour. In 2002 he enjoyed his finest season, finishing 15th on the PGA Tour’s moneylist. In 2007 he joined the Champions Tour, where he has won four times. But despite his success in the game, Sluman has distinguished himself as a player who is approachable in the locker room when the younger stars need a bit of advice. And he’ll probably tell them to have more fun out there. “Guys our age, for the most part, have done it. The kids are still learning how to do it. We probably have more characters, a lot of fun, because it’s more of a business now on the regular tour than an adventure like it was for us,” he says. But Sluman himself has had to work at learning to enjoy his golf more, and not getting too upset with the bad results. “I’m a much more relaxed player today. It’s become my personality. I was a fiery guy when I was young. I’d get frustrated, lose my cool and my stroke. Now I
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NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE 2012
concentrate on being calm. It does not take any effort now to remain tranquil even when things don’t go right on the course. It just didn’t help my game, nor did I like being that person who lost control and got so upset.” He’s also somebody who believes in the adage “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it” when it comes to the golf swing. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to make major changes to a golf swing. Every player has the swing that fits his make-up – both physically and mentally. A tweak here or there is one thing, but it’s more likely to create bigger problems if large changes are undertaken. I’ve known more players to get injured and mess their brains around when they change their swing so much. “If things are not going well for me, it usually means that I’m not following my pre-shot routine – even if I think I am. So, I become more diligent about it,” he says. Sluman’s ability to bring a fresh perspective is what Davis Love III relied on as one of his assistant captains in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. Off the field, Sluman is an avid collector of fine wines, and is reputed to have about 2 000 bottles in his cellar, including a number of 1957 vintages. He is also a self-confessed sports fanatic and, unusually for an American, a devout follower of Formula One racing. He also shares the South African love for a braai, and is known as something of a barbecue expert. “The grill has to be hot, that’s the key,” is all he’s willing to let on about his cooking secrets. It’s clear that, while he’s a deep thinker, he’s never one to lose touch with the fun side of the game and life. And you can bet he’ll be ready to turn up some heat during the Nedbank Champions Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club this year.
biography BORN 11 September 1957 PLACE Rochester, New York, US TURNED PRO 1980 FAMILY Wife, Linda; one daughter SPECIAL INTERESTS Collecting wine, F1 racing, Chicago Bulls (basketball) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Won 1988 PGA Championship, won six times on PGA Tour, finished 15th on 2002 moneylist, won four times since joining Champions Tour in 2007 2012 HIGHLIGHTS Three third-place finishes on Champions Tour, six other top-10 finishes
Number crunch Champions Tour DRIVING DISTANCE 279.9 (19th) GREENS IN REGULATION 71.67% (13th) PUTTING (PUTTS PER HOLE) 1.782 (20th) SCORING AVERAGE 70.44 (17th) MONEYLIST $869 474 (18th) As at 6 November 2012