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Ridgewood's Watkins Fine At The No. 5 Spot

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By MATTHEW PARKE, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 3, 2007

Bringing up the rear suits Ridgewood's Randy Watkins just fine. For this No. 5 golfer, it's a matter of what feels right.

Watkins, a junior playing his second year for the Rams, has scores that would garner him a captain's spot on any other team. His rounds have propelled the 8-1 Ridgewood team to second place in the Sunshine Athletic Conference, where it is knocking on undefeated Mitchell's door.

'He could be one, two or three. Randy, not having a big head or concerned about himself, he accepted the five spot because he knew the other players liked who they were playing with,' Ridgewood coach Gary Zimmerman said.
Watkins posted one of his best rounds in their key matchup against Land O' Lakes, a match the Rams needed to win to keep their regular season title hopes alive. His even-par 36 helped extend the Rams lead over the Gators, the second best score behind their No. 2 Josh Barnett's 1 under par.

Even though Watkins is pushing his scores below 40, he is beating the majority of his competition by double-digits. According to Zimmerman, his golfer stays focused on his role and does not play down to his competition.

'He feels comfortable. A lot of the matches depended on him shooting well. It doesn't seem to bother him, he just plays his game. He doesn't worry that he's playing golfers shooting in the 50s or 60s. That would bother a lot of other golfers,' Zimmerman said.

What keeps Watkins at No. 5 is his playing partner, Shane Doctor. The two have an easygoing style punctuated with lots of humor on the course. Watkins likes to keep it light-hearted and enjoyable, as he 'would rather play with someone that doesn't throw their clubs.' Doctor provides the counter-balance to the stress of the game.

'Whenever I am playing with someone who is calm, keeps me calm. Doctor doesn't get mad at a shot. His composure is so well-kept that it keeps me playing smooth. We just like to go out there and have fun. We don't take it to the point where we hurt ourselves. If our scores come in to help out our team, they will. If not we'll work harder the next time,' Watkins said.

Seeing a player of Watkins' caliber playing at his seed has drawn a bit of confusion from some of Watkins' opponents, who have not been shy to question him about it.

'They always ask me why I am playing the No. 5 spot. I told them that I am comfortable here. I can play anywhere. I think it throws them off their game a little bit as they're more worried about trying to beat me than play their own game,' Watkins said.

Watkins' general attitude reflects his workman-like approach to the game. Since being introduced to golf at the age of 13, he has been playing at Brooksville's Rivard Golf and Country Club, which is also managed by his father.

'It's a working man's course. I just go out there to play. Most of the people that play there work full-time and are average golfers that are out there to have fun. I am out there having fun and I don't get mad, that's a great mindset to have,' Watkins said.

This season, Watkins has worked on his putting and his swing with his longtime friend and instructor, Tim Thorn. In two years, his education under Thorn and his experience with the Ridgewood team has improved his game to the point where he could make a significant impact in the upcoming conference tournament held at Crescent Oaks on Tuesday.

The tournament host, Mitchell, served Ridgewood its only loss in a sudden death playoff at the same course. The loss still stings Watkins, who feels that their mistakes caught up with them. When play is extended to 18 holes for the tournament, Watkins believes that is enough course to work with to challenge the Mustangs for the conference title.

'They are a great team. They did great against us. We made a few mistakes obviously, and every player had something they could have fixed. ... 18 holes might give us a better chance to correct our mistakes rather than eight or nine holes and that could take us far,' Watkins said.

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