Early success no guarantee of the future

He played in the Honda Classic as a 16-year-old, earning his spot in the field through Monday qualifying.

The year was 1990. The kid who seemed destined for stardom was Chris Couch.

The biggest victory of his career came Sunday when Couch, who needed a sponsor's exemption just to get into the Florida Classic, closed with a 64 to win the season-opening event on the Buy.com Tour.

Hardly anyone noticed. The hype was hovering over the Honda Classic about 300 miles down the road, and not all of it was on Jesper Parnevik winning in outrageous, purple plaid pants.

Meet Ty Tryon.

He played in the Honda as a 16-year-old, earning his spot in the field through Monday qualifying.

Tryon, groomed since he was 7 at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, spent the first two rounds chasing the leaders instead of the cut line. He became the youngest player in 44 years to make the cut in a PGA Tour event, finishing at 10-under 278 for a respectable, remarkable tie for 39th.

"I think he's going to be a name we're going to see over the span of 20-some-odd years," gushed Phil Mickelson. "I think that it will be interesting for all of us to watch him develop and continue to improve as a player."

There is little doubt what Tryon wants to do the rest of his life. Until recently, his e-mail address was "ProQuick," and it doesn't take a genius to understand where he got that.

"Like, becoming a professional quickly," Tryon said.

Not so fast, kid.

Tryon was not the first 16-year-old to qualify for a PGA Tour event, nor will he be the last. Tiger Woods said Tuesday it was "pretty neat" to see a high school kid perform at that level, but it did not surprise him.

"Anybody can have a great week," Woods said. "Can you repeat it? That's the key. There are so many times that players have gone out here and played well one week, and then they're gone."

Has anyone heard from Ted Oh lately?

You remember him. Oh was the 16-year-old who got into the 1993 Los Angeles Open as a Monday qualifier, and also qualified for the U.S. Open that summer. His next year on the PGA Tour will be his first.

Bob May remains the youngest player to get into a PGA Tour as a Monday qualifier, in the 1985 Los Angeles Open. May is now 32, and this is only his third full year on the PGA Tour. His fame comes from the terrific fight he gave Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship.

Justin Rose was 17 when he strung together four incredible days at Royal Birkdale and closed out his week by chipping in for birdie on the 18th hole to tie for fourth in the 1998 British Open. He turned pro the next way and wasn't heard from again for two years.

Then there's Couch.

He was in the gallery the day Greg Norman posted a 62 in the final round at Doral and then won in a playoff. Couch was so inspired that he told his father, "I'm going to try to qualify tomorrow for the Honda Classic." And he did, with a 65.

Couch didn't make the cut, not even close. He bumped into his idol, Tom Watson, while registering for the tournament and his legs were still shaking when he teed off in the first round. But the experience helped him to soar to the top of the junior rankings the next year and he was an All-American at Florida.

Then he turned pro, and reality set in.

"I didn't realize how tough it was," Couch said. "You've got to be pretty dedicated."

Couch spent his post-college years on the mini-tours, finally earned full status on the Nike Tour and made it to the big leagues in 1999. He only made the cut in six tournaments, his best finish a tie for seventh in Honolulu.

He didn't get past the second stage of Q-school, meaning he had no status on any tour this year. Eleven years after he was a teen sensation and Monday qualifier in the Honda Classic, he thought about giving up.

Four months before the Florida Classic, Couch applied for an assistant pro's job at Gainesville Country Club because he wanted a steady paycheck to support his wife and infant son. The head pro turned him down, said he had too much talent to quit.

That's what made Sunday victory so sweet.

"My life has definitely changed," Couch said. "This is the biggest tournament I've ever won, considering what was at stake."

He can play the Buy.com Tour the rest of this year and next, and might even play well enough to get back to the PGA Tour. But Couch has been around long enough to know that one week doesn't guarantee success at any level, at any age.

"We've all had those magical weeks," Woods said. "The trick is to repeat it. And that's when it becomes a little more difficult."

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