Watabu Makes Tough Call

2006 APL Champion Remains Amateur To Take Run At '07 Walker Cup

By David Shefter , USGA

Far Hills, N.J. - Casey Watabu was a biology major at the University of Nevada, but recently he was faced with a decision more suited to a piece of Shakespearean literature.

To play for pay or not to play for pay? That was the question.

Casey Watabu is looking to regain the form he had last summer when he won the APL. (USGA Photo Archives)

Had things gone differently last July in Bremerton, Wash., the decision would have been easy. However, when the 23-year-old native of Kapa'a, Hawaii, surprised many by beating 2005 USA Walker Cupper Anthony Kim, 4 and 3, in the championship final of the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Watabu's world suddenly changed.

Now his professional plans would go on hold, at least until after the 2007 Masters in April. The APL winner traditionally is given an invitation to Augusta National, provided he remains an amateur. Yet Watabu had every intention of turning pro the day after the Masters. He already had exhausted his college eligibility last spring and graduated in December. There was nothing left to accomplish.

Or so he thought.

After talking with several individuals, including former USGA Executive Committee member and fellow Kauai resident Mary Bea Porter-King, Watabu was told he could possibly make a run at playing on the 2007 USA Walker Cup team this September. It would take some good results in amateur tournaments this summer, but he had as good a shot as any of the other top American players.

Watabu did turn down an invitation to the informal Walker Cup practice in Florida this past January, mainly because he thought he would be playing for pay. But after taking the time to think the process full thoroughly, he changed his mind.

"The best decision for me was to stay amateur," said Watabu, who is in the process of moving to Mission Viejo, Calif., where he'll stay with some friends to make traveling to summer competitions a bit easier.

Watabu played very few tournaments prior to the Masters. He finished third in the Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play and tied for 35th in the Hawaii Pearl Open in February, an event won by teenager and 2006 U.S. Open qualifier Tadd Fujikawa.

Besides his U.S. Open sectional qualifier in Murrieta, Calif., on June 4, Watabu has a full schedule of amateur competitions lined up. He'll play in the Sunnehanna (Pennsylvania) and Sahalee Players in Seattle, Wash., prior to defending his U.S. Amateur Public Links title July 9-14 at Cantigny Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. Then he'll compete in the prestigious Porter Cup in Lewiston, N.Y., followed by the Pacific Coast Amateur and the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco in late August. By then he hopes to accumulate enough high finishes to garner consideration from the USGA for the 10-member USA Walker Cup team, which will be captained by George "Buddy" Marucci and be played Sept. 8-9 at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland.

Watabu would love to regain the form he had in the early part of last summer. He shot a 64 in the NCAA West Regionals to share medalist honors. Then he rolled through five matches at the APL before beating Kim, who is now the youngest rookie on the PGA Tour with earnings of just over a million dollars.

Unlike last year, Casey Watabu won't enter the 2007 APL at Cantigny Golf Club as a heavy underdog. (USGA Photo Archives)

"We're good friends," said Watabu of the former University of Oklahoma All-American. "It's been a fun, fast ride for me. [The year as champion] went by real fast. I feel very fortunate to have my name on that trophy, especially now with what Anthony has done [on the PGA Tour]. He is doing so well."

Of course by winning the APL, Watabu got the priceless trip to Augusta, where he shot rounds of 87-78. Watabu's tournament hopes were derailed at the famous par-3 12th hole in the first round. He put two balls in the pond and made an 8.

"I was six over at the time," said Watabu. "If I could have just parred out . and I had a couple of birdie holes coming up, I could have shot 77 or 78. You are grinding and grinding so hard over the round and then you run into that [hole]. It's very tough to recover. On that hole, if you come up one foot short you are in the creek."

Watabu tried his best to soak everything in. He played a Monday practice round with Gary Player, and on Tuesday hooked up with fellow Hawaiian Dean Wilson and Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion. In the two competition rounds, Watabu played with 1982 U.S. Open champion Tom Watson and Fred Funk, two 50-somethings who still are highly competitive. Only a triple bogey on the last hole kept Watson from playing the weekend.

"Honestly, they don't do anything fancy or anything special," said Watabu of Watson and Funk. "They just get the ball in the hole."

Watabu saved his best moment for last. Playing 18 on Friday, his drive found a left fairway bunker. He managed to hit his approach shot to the back-left portion of the green, leaving a 20-footer for birdie. Watabu rolled it in for a 6-over 78, one of three birdie birdies he recorded in the round.

"Right after the tournament, I was kind of bummed because I played kind of bad," said Watabu. "But at the same time, I got over it and looked at all the positives. I took a lot out of the tournament. I learned a lot about me and my golf game from that week."

The biggest thing is not to create unrealistic expectations. What made Watabu's 2006 summer so great was that he entered each competition without setting the bar too high. He just played his game free and easy without much tension.

It's the same mindset he plans to have when he arrives at Cantigny to defend his APL title, even though he'll be considered one of the favorites.

"I've just got to go there and know what I can do and play my own game," he said. "That's it. When you start having expectations . that's when you put too much pressure on yourself. I think that is what I did at Augusta."

David Shefter is a staff writer for the USGA. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.