Lavery loving what he does

Bryce Alderton

Mike Lavery remembers the days as a child when he went to a driving

range, but didn’t hit any balls.

He patiently watched his father John pound balls, waiting for the

other end of the deal. In exchange for accompanying dad to the range,

Lavery’s gift was a trip to the batting cages.

Then one day on the range, when he was 13, Lavery’s curiosity

peaked. He grabbed a club, stepped up and swung away.

A life changed forever.

Lavery, 23, who graduated from UC Irvine in June after enjoying a

stellar golf career at the school, is fresh off advancing to the

second stage of PGA Tour qualifying school in his first attempt since

turning professional in August 2003.

He shot a 72-hole total 293 (67-80-70-76) to finish tied for 17th

at the Greg Norman Course at PGA West in La Quinta, good enough to

join 22 other golfers from the site who moved one step closer to

their dreams.

Lavery played in the second-to-last group on the final day and

knew within five minutes after finishing he had qualified for the

second stage.

“I thought, ‘Good, I did it,’ but I really didn’t want to get too

excited,” Lavery said. “I got through the first step, but I had to

refocus because there are other stages to go.”

The second of the three-stage qualifying process will be held at

six sites, including Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont Nov. 10-13. As

of Thursday Lavery’s second-stage site was still in doubt.

There are, though, no questions about Lavery’s dedication to the

sport.

He ranks 33rd out of 611 golfers in points on the National Golf

Association’s Hooters Tour, which he began playing in March. Lavery

has made 16 cuts in 18 tournaments this season, earning just more

than $24,300. His best finish is a tie for 13th at the Boot Heel Golf

Club in Sikeston, Mo.

Lavery has tallied 15 rounds in the 60s and has a 71.6 scoring

average.

The four-round events have helped season Lavery’s golf game to

what PGA golfers experience each week, but have also provided a

lesson in handling a rigorous travel schedule.

Lavery has earned additional income from competing in the

occasional Nationwide or Pepsi tour stop.

The tour stop in Sikeston was the furthest west of any of the 18

Hooters tournaments Lavery has played thus far.

From March through September, Lavery said he slept in his own bed

at home in Mission Viejo just three nights.

The travel, though, doesn’t bother Lavery because golf is what he

loves to do.

Lavery won the Big West Conference individual title as a UCI

senior in 2003 while helping the Anteaters win their third straight

conference crown. Before college, Lavery starred at Irvine High.

But it wasn’t until the final round of the 2002 Costa Mesa city

championship that Lavery knew he wanted to play golf for a living.

Lavery was near the lead and in the last group that Sunday with

two spectators following in golf carts.

“I made contact on one shot and they erupted,” Lavery said. “That

made me decide I had to [play golf] for a living.”

Lavery went on to finish second to champion Taylor Wood by two

shots.

A typical day on the road these days for Lavery will include an

18-hole round followed by a two- or three-hour practice session.

When back home, depending on how he feels, Lavery will spend

anywhere from two hours to six hours honing his skills, most likely

at Mission Viejo Country Club, his home course.

“It’s amazing, after [playing professionally] for a year, you

start to put in a lot more hours than you would think,” said Lavery,

whose younger brother Chris plays for UC Santa Barbara’s men’s golf

team. “You don’t play a four-hour round and then go home. But I

absolutely love to [golf]. I’m starting to have fun trying to do

better.”

And improved he has, said Derek Hardy, who has taught Lavery for

the last nine years.

When reached for comment Friday afternoon, Hardy and Lavery were

en route to another lesson. Earlier that morning Lavery birdied the

final five holes to shoot 66 at Aliso Viejo Golf Club.

“[Lavery] is better now in ball striking than when he first went

on tour and he has plenty of distance,” said Hardy, who taught at

Pelican Hill Golf Club for 13 years.

Hardy said Lavery, who stands 5-foot-10, can surpass 300 yards off

the tee. That distance is reflected in Lavery’s performance on the

par 5s. Lavery is a combined 82-under-par on the par 5s in Hooters

Tour events this year, good for a 4.69 stoke average.

One of Lavery’s strength, Hardy said, is his ability to apply a

“killer instinct.”

“When he gets it going, he’s not afraid to keep going,” Hardy

said. “We’ve talked that when he doesn’t seal it, he can get a bit

tentative, so we get positive.”

Lavery’s demeanor also sets him apart, said Paul Smolinski, his

coach at UCI.

“He manages his game and plays shots he knows he can play,”

Smolinski said. “He doesn’t try to do more than what he knows he can

do. A real good short game helps. He is good around the greens.”

“When he plays, he doesn’t get excited,” Hardy said. “He is one of

the great players out there.”

Lavery spent most of last week resting at home, but he also mixed

in a practice round with the UCI team along with lessons alongside

Hardy, all in anticipation of the second stage.

Hardy said competition at the second stage is often more difficult

than at the finals.

“If he can get through [the second stage], he is talented enough

to get on the [PGA] tour,” Hardy said.