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Sports

Club Pro Craig Stevens to Start PGA Championship

Teaching professional gets chance to strike first tee shot at the 93rd PGA Championship.

A 7:30 a.m. starting time isn't the most coveted spot on the tee sheet for most professional golfers, but it's ideal for Craig Stevens. The PGA teaching professional will have the honor on Thursday of hitting the first shot in the 93rd PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club in nearby Johns Creek.

"It's awesome," Stevens said. "It's awful early for people to come out and get here from across town, but a lot of people have told me they're going to be here. I expect the No. 1 tee to be full."

But Stevens, who lives in Dallas, GA., wants to do more than just a good shot off the first tee. He would like to play well enough to make the cut and play on the weekend.

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"I'm going to try to enjoy myself and not get all frustrated," he said. "I've played some practice rounds and I'm playing well. If I can control my emotions, then I think I've got a chance to make the cut."

This is the third time Stevens has qualified for the PGA Championship; the first was when the event was held at the Athletic Club in 2001. He failed to make the cut on either occasion, but has enjoyed the opportunity to experience the high life that most PGA club professionals and instructors aren't exposed to on a regular basis.

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The PGA Championship sets aside 20 spots in the field for its rank-and-file members, the men responsible for the organization's mission to grow the game. Those spots are determined by performance at the annual Professional National Championship tournament, where Stevens tied for 16th last month in Hershey, PA.

The average person may not realize the difference between levels of golf professionals. The professional golfers, such as those who compete on the PGA Tour, make their living as competitors. The golf professional is someone who works at a local club, gives lessons, operates programs and helps juniors; they get little chance to play and compete. That's what makes this week so gratifying for those who qualify, like Stevens.

"It's really hard to describe," Stevens said. "It's very special." The moment may be more special for Stevens, who will have his son Chase as this week's caddie. Chase Stevens is an assistant professional at Highlands Country Club in LaGrange.

The club professionals are treated the same as big guys like Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Their lockers are in the main locker room, they get to eat at the sumptuous buffets, they hit practice balls on the same range, and they have the use of a courtesy car for the week. Stevens picked up his complimentary Mercedes on Sunday.

Stevens, who is director of instruction at Fox Creek Golf Course and Legacy Links in Smyrna, has been one of the more accomplished players in Georgia for the last 25 years. He was the Georgia PGA Player of the Year in 1999 and 2001 and won the Georgia PGA Section championship in 2001 and 2003. He's won the Griffin Classic and the Georgia PGA Match Play, as well as the Atlanta Open title this spring.

But playing in the PGA is a different game. Stevens knows the key will be controlling emotions and playing his own game.

"You can't make too many bogeys," Stevens said. "It's a long golf course. I know I can make a bunch of pars, but if I can keep the ball in play and eliminate the bogeys, I think I have chance of making the cut."

Stevens has already been heartened by the amount of support he's received from his fellow professionals.

"All the professionals in Georgia have been very supportive," he said. "It's a real help for my ego and my attitude."

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