NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Scott Masingill takes a realistic approach to what is a daunting challenge — turning pro as a 50-year-old and trying to beat a bunch of hall-of-fame golfers.
"When you start getting it narrowed down to this level," he said Saturday, "you're going to get beyond your talent."
But despite a difficult start to his first season as a Champions Tour member, Masingill says he hasn't reached that line yet. Not even close.
He played poorly in the first four tournaments, a disturbing trend he hopes ended with a solid outing Saturday in the second round of the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.
Masingill shot a 1-over-par 72 that easily could have been a 67 or 68 if not for a balky putter.
Masingill has not finished higher than 52nd this season, but owns one career Top 25 finish in four previous seasons as a part-timer on tour.
The 54-year-old turned pro in 2001 after a spectacular amateur career in which he won nine Idaho Golf Association Men's Amateur titles and the
1971 Pac-8 Conference championship at Oregon State.
"Through this whole process, all I've ever said is just give me a chance to play every week and see what I can do," Masingill said. "Right now, I haven't gotten much done, but there's still a long way, and still the best part is if you get through the Qualifying School, you have the respect of the best players in the world.
"Now I've got to compete with them, and compete well."
Masingill earned his spot by tying for fourth at the Champions Tour National Qualifying Tournament, a two-stage event that culminated in the six-round finals. Only the top seven players become fully exempt, which means they can play in every full-field tournament, and Masingill succeeded on his fifth try.
That performance and his reputation as an amateur convince some Champions Tour luminaries that Masingill will succeed this season.
"He's got the ability," said seven-time PGA Tour champion Peter Jacobsen, who played golf against Masingill at Oregon. "He's got the attitude. He's a wonderful guy. He's been one of my favorite people since my college days. I just love seeing him out here. Once he gets past the first couple months, I think he's going to be fine."
Patience, Masingill knows, is critical.
"I've just got to not put an undue amount of pressure on myself," he said. "There is an urgency, but it doesn't do any good to put that pressure on yourself to accomplish something right now."
All of Masingill's pressure is internal.
He set up this Champions Tour experiment as a personal challenge, not as a livelihood. He spends about $3,000 per tournament for himself and a caddie, but can earn that much money with an appearance in the Monday pro-am and by finishing about 60th in the 78-man field.
Plus, he has sponsorship deals with Idaho companies Tamarack Resort and Hopkins Financial Services.
He still draws commissions from his real job, as a sales representative for trucking company Prime Inc., and can return there if the golf doesn't pan out.
"I feel pressure financially, but it's opportunity lost," Masingill said of the six-figure winner's checks available out here.
"... This is just me trying to see what I can accomplish."
For his family members, many of whom are here this week, the first few months of 2006 have been difficult to watch. This isn't the golfer they know, and Cliff Masingill said Friday his son's body language was "awful."
Masingill entered this week 86th on the money list with $7,320 and 71st out of 72 qualified players with a scoring average of 75.67.
"It's hard to watch a person that you really love go through that," Laurie Masingill, Scott's wife of four years, said. "But then the flip side to that is if they're tough enough to be here, they're tough enough to handle that. And you just have to have faith that they're going to handle it and move on and do better."
Masingill handles the disappointment internally. He never brings it home, Laurie said.
After Friday's disappointing 76, Masingill asked for a half-hour to clear his head — and hit some range balls — before sitting down for an interview. By then, he was his friendly self.
"He has an amazing ability to rebound," Laurie said. "He has all the right tools to turn it around."
And, in an unusual move for him, he's willing to ask for help.
Masingill is stubborn about his golf game, and resists coaching. He began working with Pierce Park Greens pro Dave Bartels after failing to reach the finals of the 2004 Champions Tour Q-School — they've worked together ever since — and sought help this week from a pro-am partner.
Eric Woods, a former mini-tour standout known then as "the white Tiger," landed in Masingill's group Monday — the day after Masingill finished 20-over in the AT&T Classic. They had met several years earlier.
Woods videotaped Masingill's swing during the pro-am and the two got together to analyze and fix the problems.
Masingill credits that work for his best ballstriking round of the season on Saturday.
Curtis Mitchell, Masingill's caddie this week and for most of his Q-School experiences, said it was Masingill's plea for help from Bartels that finally pushed his game to the Champions Tour level.
"That process is unbelievably humbling," Mitchell said of the qualifying. "So you grow through the humility, and a lot of people walk away from that disappointment.
"Scott kept coming back."
And he'll continue to fight this season. The Toshiba is the fifth of 27 full-field events.
Masingill plans to play all of them.
"I believe deep down that ... I have the ability to be competitive with (the senior stars)," he said. "Am I as good as them over a period of time? Probably not. But can I do it over a given week? I believe I can.
"And I may be completely out of my mind, but I'm going to believe that."
By season's end in October, he'll know for sure.
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