List expects exciting year

Former Baylor golfer is set for the Nationwide Tour and looking to move up to the PGA Tour.

Luke List lit the torch of expectations in 2004 -- maybe even a little bit before.

He has become the Chattanooga area's most accomplished golfer of the last decade and will embark on the next step of his goal of reaching the PGA Tour later this month by playing on the Nationwide Tour with full status.

He can earn an instant promotion to the PGA Tour by winning three tournaments or play there in 2011 by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide money list.

"Just because I'm set for all year doesn't mean I'm going to be comfortable, because my goal is to be No. 1 on the money list," the former Baylor School star said. "My goal is to get hot early, do well overseas and play each tournament as they come."

Back in 2004, during the final match against Ryan Moore of the U.S. Amateur at Winged Foot Golf Club, New York residents bantered among themselves after staring at the Titleist that List slugged into a greenside bunker at No. 12.

Rob Riddle saw the same ball and heard a variety of opinions from spectators who'd seen balls in the same spot of a deep bunker.

"No way ... no chance ... he can't get it close ... just concede it now 'cause I ain't got all day," were among the paraphrased words, minus the profanities, that Riddle remembers.

But Riddle knew better than to join the mob mentality of the moment that had Moore with the advantage. Riddle, the general manager of Black Creek Club in Chattanooga, had watched List's growth, preparation and development for that one shot since the course opened during List's sophomore year at the Baylor School.

"I told this one guy who was running his mouth, 'Luke will do this,'" said Riddle, general manager of Black Creek Club. "I knew that he'd practiced this shot most of his life from that deep bunker on our lower green. He'd been doing it forever."

Those New York golf fans may be the only ones who have ever questioned List's skills, preparation or determination. List splashed the shot to within a foot or two. "A gimme, to win the hole," as List remembers it.

Riddle said those spectators never yapped again even though Moore wound up winning 2-up.

More than five years later, doubters are as silent as mimes as List begins the next phase of his professional career, which began at the 2007 U.S. Open.

"What I've learned is that it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks or says," List said. "It's how you handle it. And this year, I've been playing for my love of the game and my goals, and not worrying about what others think.

"I never stopped believing. It was a matter of when, not if."

List earned full status -- the ability to play in every tournament -- on the Nationwide Tour for the 2010 season by finishing in a tie for 42nd at PGA Tour Qualifying school in December at Bear Lakes Country Club.

"All the experiences, travel and tournaments I played in last year have prepared me for this," List said. "One of the benefits of playing a mini-tour schedule is that you're bouncing around town to town, and I'm looking forward to having a pretty much set schedule."

List took a break from golf after Q-School and relaxed with family in Ringgold over the holidays. He's temporarily moved to the Phoenix area, where he plans to play in a couple of three-day tournaments. Then he'll test the durability of his luggage.

List will attempt to Monday-qualify for the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii. Then he will play in Nationwide events in New Zealand, Australia, Panama and Colombia.

"I'm excited to hit the ground running," List said. "But I have a long year ahead of me."

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