Golfing

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― Jim Furyk Q and A

Q: Tell us a little about the Exelon event, its history, and what it means to have a pro golf event in southeastern, PA?

A: Well, it's been a lot of fun. I grew up here in Lancaster, Southeast Pennsylvania. I played all of my junior golf in the Philly area, and really just to be able to come back home, and this area is really rich in golf tradition. Going back to 1930, I think it was Bobby Jones who finished up his grand slam at Merion, and yet there is no PGA Tour Event anymore in the Philadelphia area. We had one here for a little while, for 2 or 3 years at Waynesboro. It was great to see the tour come where I'm from, but it didn't last. It's not here any longer and this will be our tenth year for our annual Exelon invitational. Exelon has been a wonderful sponsor, rarely do you find a company or partnership that lasts that long in golf in general. But on a golf tournament of this scale to have a sponsor for that long is fantastic.

We've had a lot of support from the fans here in the area, from a lot of local businesses, and really its been fun to bring 2 or 3 of my good friends who are wonderful players on the PGA tour to this area, and put on a good show for the fans and also to raise some money for the community. Boys and Girls Club is a wonderful charity and this year we are going to raise over a million dollars for our 10 tournaments. So it's been wonderful and it's been a great run. It is hard to imagine it's been 10 years already. It's gone very quickly because we've had a good time.

Q: Tell us about how much hard work it takes to make it on the tour, and how hard it is to stay on the tour?

A: Well this will be my 15th season, so those years have gone quick. I think its just one of those things … I'm getting old. But it's been an honor in one sense. As a kid you grow up, you want to play golf for a living … you want to play on the PGA tour. I looked up to a lot of players who came before me. You got to kind of pinch yourself. You're playing a game for a living. I've grown up without a boss, I make my own schedule, I play when I want to play, I get home when I want to be home, and it's wonderful, but it's also very grinding. I have a family now. I've got two beautiful young kids. I am on the road now, but it's no fun to be away from them at time. It's been taxing on our family as well, so I have a wonderful wife and an understanding family. They understand what I do for a living. I do get to be home quite a bit. When I'm home, I'm not at a 9-5 job, but when I'm away, I'm really away and that makes it difficult as well.

Q: When you come back to the area, do you have a favorite course that you enjoy to play and why?

A: When I get back to the area, I haven't played a lot of golf, to be honest with you. But if I had to pick just one, Lancaster is where I grew up. Lancaster is home and the Lancaster Country Club would be the one that I'd pick. When I was a younger, it was ranked in the top 100 in the country, it's an old William Fling golf course. I think it's more about the people too, not only the course, but the people. I don't get back home as much as I would like because I have a family but they have a lot of wonderful people there who got me started and helped me out in the game.

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