Harrison Frazar admits he was not interested in playing FedEx St. Jude Classic last year
Harrison Frazar, the defending champion at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, admitted that he was not sure about participating in the event last year until his caddie advised him to continue with the schedule without skipping the tournament at the TPC Southwind.
He told that he decided to withdraw from the event last year because of the fatigue he had, following the 36-hole qualifier for the US Open.
Therefore, he informed his caddie, Marc Lebas, about his plans. However, Lebas advised him to reconsider his decision, as he was expecting some good results because of Frazar’s form on the Tour.
He tied for the 14th position in 2011 HP Byron Nelson Championship and Lebas believed that it was all due to massive improvements in his swing technique.
That was the major reason why he wanted him to play the St. Jude Classic prior to moving to the US Open. As a result, Frazar reassessed his decision and packed his bags for Memphis.
“It was a no-brainer,” Lebas said. “It's like Lee Trevino used to say: 'If you're playing good, keep playing. I knew he wasn't thinking straight. Once he asked 'Do you think I should go to Memphis?' I said 'Yes, you're crazy if you don't.' He was playing
too good”.
“He's not always been the straightest driver throughout his career, but the way he hit it in Dallas -- in a 30-mph wind -- was something special,” he added.
“I told him if you played 50 percent as good as you did in Dallas, you could win in Memphis. And if you play 100 percent as good as you did in Dallas, you could win a major”.
That was the time when Frazar was considering retiring from professional golf and was also battling a hip problem that had resurfaced once again.
At the event, he went three-over par early in the round. However, he bounced back strongly and never looked back, which allowed him to earn his maiden victory on the PGA Tour.
As a result, he was also given the permission to retain the PGA Tour card, and this year he returns to the same venue with an aim to repeat history.
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