Turnesa tries to regain form after injury

SAN DIEGO -- The contrast between Marc Turnesa's two rounds on the South Course at Torrey Pines this week tells the story of his game almost entirely.

Thursday, the Rockville Centre native shot a six-under par 66, making him the only golfer in the top-16 at the Farmers Insurance Open to have reached the leaderboard playing the far-more difficult South Course. But after he shot even par Friday on the North Course, Turnesa slumped to a tie for 49th at four-under with his 74 yesterday.

The 33-year old Turnesa, who is trying to put serious back problems behind him, sees rounds like Thursday's as what he is capable of. He sees rounds like Saturday's, where he never recovered from three bogeys to start the back nine, as what he needs to fix to get there.

"I feel good, and it's not a bad back -- It's just bad swings," said Turnesa, who was born on Long Island into a family of pro golfers. "My good shots are better than my good shots were a couple years ago. I think I'm on the right track, and I'm really excited for this year."

Turnesa's great uncle Jim won the 1952 PGA Championship and his grandfather Mike finished second to Ben Hogan in the 1948 PGA. His father Mike is the head pro at Rockville Links.

Turnesa trails leader Kyle Stanley by 14 strokes. Stanley tied a 54-hole tournament record with a 198.

Yesterday, Turnesa hit just 11 greens, was 2-for-6 in sand saves, and took 30 putts. That came after a stellar Thursday where he hit 13 greens, saved par each time he found the bunker, and had 25 putts.

Because of yesterday's swoon, it's now virtually assured Turnesa will fall into the "past champions" category of golfers when his Major Medical Exemption runs out after this week's tournament. A top-4 finish would have meant Turnesa retained at least conditional status on the tour and that he would be higher in the pecking order for coming tournaments.

As for his goals this season in those events, Turnesa didn't get specific. "I'd like to play better golf," he said, "and first, I'd like to stay healthy."

The latter, he knows, is out of his control. Turnesa tore a disc in his back early in the 2010 season, and back problems forced him to withdraw from the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in December. Now, he rarely takes a shot without the nagging thought of potential injury.

The back inhibits Turnesa from practicing as intensely as he once did, but as for the notion that injuries are the reason he hasn't regained his 2008 form, he says it's "an excuse that's not accurate."

"Stay patient, that's the toughest thing," Turnesa said when asked what he needs to do to regain that 2008 stroke, when he recorded his sole career tour victory at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. "You just can't beat yourself up. Any week, any day could be when it turns around."

Turnesa is proud of his bloodline, noting he wouldn't be the golfer he is today without his family. But now, he says, all of his inspiration for success comes from within.

"I get excited when I hit good shots, and I'm climbing up that leaderboard," he said. "Just like anybody else."