Allen, the 'Crash Davis' of golf, perseveres in good spirit  PGA TOUR Contributor Michael Allen is the Crash Davis of the PGA TOUR. Crash Davis, of course was the fictional character played by Kevin Costner in "Bull Durham" who broke the all-time minor league home run record but didn't want any publicity for the accomplishment.  Michael Allen enjoyed his best finish of the year at the Byron Nelson. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
Michael Allen doesn't get much publicity for his dubious PGA TOUR record. Since 1989, he's made successful trips through golf's toughest task a remarkable nine times, and his tie for 25th at the latest Qualifying School marked the third consecutive year that he has made it through. As a matter of fact, he's made it through three consecutive times on two different occasions. With that feat, Allen is the all-time leading money winner at Qualifying School. Yet even with his q-school prowess, he was on the outside looking in at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship the week before the event. Qualifying School and Nationwide Tour alums are ranked at the beginning of the year based on their finishes for the purpose of determining the order in which they get into tournament fields. Throughout the course of the year, there are several "reshuffles" that re-rank the players based on performance. Unfortunately for Allen, he only made a few cuts on the West Coast and didn't move up in the re-shuffle. But after his best finish of the year, a tie for 28th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, he thought his game had turned a corner. So he made his way over to Dallas on Sunday night and teed it up with all the hopefuls on Monday morning. A successful day in the qualifier put the 48-year-old into the field at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Through three rounds, Allen found himself in the rarified air of the TOUR's elite; his Sunday tee time was even later than Vijay Singh's and Phil Mickelson's. But, quietly, he had a tough final round. While Scott Verplank and Ian Poulter were putting the hammer down, Allen struggled with early bogeys that knocked him out of contention, and he finished tied for 19th after a final-round 73. Unlike players like Singh and Mickelson, Allen's number hasn't come up for the Wachovia Championship, either. He needed a top-10 finish to guarantee a starting spot. Now he needs another good Monday to make that field. There are two things you can count on with Michael Allen. He will come back to fight another day, and he'll do it with a good attitude. Playing the TOUR on the fringes of success can be a difficult life. Never knowing when you're going to get into golf tournaments makes long-term travel plans impossible. Furthermore, you have to play when you get in, whether you like the golf course or not. I spent several years in the same situation that he's been in for the better part of two decades. I always felt that if I could get a little bit better or a little bit worse, the path of my life would be a lot clearer. As my game was sliding into disrepair, Allen was still working. And though his pursuit of glory hasn't born the fruits that some of his contemporaries have enjoyed, he's attacking career with renewed vigor. He still pounds it out there with kids half his age. And he is still fighting the good fight with a smile on his face. He's a throwback to an era when the TOUR was a more relaxed place. He is self-deprecating and funny. He enjoys a cocktail and a fine meal, and is always good company. Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
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