Agostini: Bettencourt at Del Rio for charity

By Ron Agostini
ragostini@modbee.com

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The day called for fund-raising, a few laughs on the practice range and some fancy shots from PGA Tour pros Matt Bettencourt and Colt Knost.

Knost tossed out one-liners. Bettencourt blasted one more than 250 yards on his knees. Both spoke about eventful rookie years on the PGA Tour.

"A lot of learning this year," Knost summarized.

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Bettencourt, the Beyer High graduate, and Knost did a golf clinic and fund-raising auction Saturday for The Tour Players First Tee Benefit at Del Rio Country Club. About 150 attended the event highlighting two pros a decade apart in age -- Bettencourt 34, Knost 24 -- but both trying to gain traction on golf's biggest stage.

With four Fall Series tournaments left in the season, Bettencourt is ranked 106th with $729,737 on the money list. He needs to stay in the top 125 which will keep him fully exempt for 2010. If not, he'll fall into the conditional exempt category, which means he'll get in only about 20 events but must wait for less-than-capacity fields.

"I feel like I will (make it). I'll just go out and play my game and whatever happens happens," Bettencourt said. "I don't even think about that. I know I'm close, but there's a pretty good gap between me and 125th. A lot of guys will need to pass me."

His highlights contained some clout -- a date with Tiger Woods in the final group and a tie for fifth at the Memorial, and a tie for fifth in the U.S. Open during which Bettencourt flirted with contention on Sunday. His Open performance earned him a berth in the 2010 Open at Pebble Beach.

There was also a lowlight -- a 10 on the first hole Sunday while he was tied for the lead at the Buick Open. A potential win downsized to a 78 and a tie for 46th, thanks to two out-of-bounds tee shots on national TV.

"You can't recover from the 10 to start the final day. That's golf," he said. "Hopefully, there won't be another 10, but there could be. It's happened to Tiger. It's happened to everybody."

Bettencourt now wrestles with something more daunting long-term -- a torn AC joint at the top of his left shoulder. Though he still swings fine, he admits to some pain. He took cortizone shots two weeks ago to get him through the final month.

"A week after the U.S. Open, I started to notice it," he said. "It's hard to hit driver sometimes because it hurts, especially when it's cold out or when I have to hit a high shot it bothers me."

Bettencourt says he'll probably undergo surgery in December and rehab for four or five weeks and be ready for the 2010 opener in Hawaii.

"My surgeon says, 'Definitely.' I don't really want to," he said. "I won't miss anything."

Bettencourt's injury bears a reminder to golf's harsh reality. There is no such thing as a disabled list. If you can't play, you can't make money. It's all on you.

Knost, the 2007 U.S. Amateur champion, is ranked 193rd with $170,704 in his coffers. He hasn't given up on the season, but he knows time is short. Earlier this week, he traveled to San Francisco's Olympic Club, the scene of his Amateur title, perhaps to refind his good karma.

"I've missed six cuts by a stroke," he said between iron shots on the range. "I led the last day at Houston and then I had a disaster (an 81 and a tie for 42nd). But you know what? It only takes one tournament."

So it is with two pros enjoying a lighthearted day -- sort of.

Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.