Craig Bowden, Close Up

Do you have a financial planner? Who handles your money?

We have a financial planner in Philadelphia. I sought him out -- we had mutual friends -- and I'm very pleased with what he's done. He provides a lot of ideas about money management.

We try to stay as liquid as possible. We're mostly in mutual funds, so we can get to them. I have a SEP-IRA, too. I also keep quite a bit in money-market accounts -- at almost 5% guaranteed, it's hard not to.

I'm in the gallery at a PGA Tour event -- why should I watch Craig Bowden instead of one of the big names?

Because I'm not a robot. The PGA Tour has groomed players to be one-dimensional -- not to have any excitement to them or to show any personality. They don't advocate us doing those things.

But I do. If you see me make a bogey, I'm gonna be mad. If you see me make a birdie, I'm gonna be excited. That's just the way I am.

And I'm gonna show somebody who's not 6-foot-3 and able to hit it 310 yards on the fly that someone who's 160 pounds and hits it 275 yards right down the middle can compete.

There are lots of people who'd love to hit it as straight as I do, including the best player in the world, Tiger Woods.

You're also known to hit some pretty cool shots -- high-risk flop shots and bunker shots with often unusual techniques.

I'm very creative on the course, with both my shots and my tactics. I'm not just a one-dimensional player with a technically perfect swing. It gives the fans a different perspective to see a little guy like me be successful without hitting it miles. That's the beauty of the game, that there are lots of ways to get it done.

You've played in countless pro-ams. What are amateurs' three biggest problems?

The first thing is that they have a handicap they can't play to: a vanity handicap. From a playing aspect, not many of them are flexible enough, so they try to hit the ball with their arms and shoulders as opposed to using their body.

The other thing is ego. A lot of guys come out there and want to impress me. I'm just out there to enjoy the day and help them do the same.