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So, what does a golfer -- whose major goal over the next month is to get his PGA Tour card -- do on a day when he's not directly working toward that goal?

Play golf, of course. Even if it means playing in miserable weather conditions.

"I'm on the 10th hole at St. Jude Country Club," Nathan Smith said when he answered his cell phone Monday. "I'm either going to try to chip or we're going to build a snow man."

Smith, a Brookville resident who has become the dominant amateur golfer in Western Pennsylvania over the last few years, survived the first stage of qualifying school last week, as did another player from the district, Washington, Pa., native Steve Wheatcroft.

The two competed at the Martin Downs Country Club in Palm City, Fla., and did so under what could best be described as "weather-frenzied" conditions. The uncertainty surrounding when and where Hurricane Wilma would make landfall in Florida led officials to tell the field of hopefuls that every effort would be made to finish the qualifier as quickly as possible.

"We had a lot of storms that pulled us off the course, but we didn't play in a drop of rain," said Smith. "But it was very hard to get into much of a rythmn with the conditions the way they were."

Wheatcroft shot rounds of 69-70-66-70 for a 9-under-par 275 total, giving him a seventh-place finish. Smith opened with rounds of 68 and 68, but finished with 71-74 for a 3-under 281. The top 19 finishers and ties advanced to the second stage of qualifying, Nov. 9-12.

Another hopeful from the district, Justin Smith, a Moon High School graduate who later moved to Franklin, Venango County, wasn't so fortunate. Playing in a qualifier at the Jennings Mill Country Club in Bogart, Ga., Smith put up rounds of 70-69-71-70 for an 8-under total of 280.

However, that score wasn't good enough to finish in the low 20 and ties. Smith made birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to get back under the cut line, but made a bogey on 18 to miss out by a shot.

One other district player, Dan Konieczny of Mt. Pleasant, will attempt to get through the first stage today through Friday. He'll do so at the Cypresswood Golf Club in Spring, Texas.

Mazza also affected

John Mazza, who resigned his position as golf professional at Montour Heights Country Club to take a crack at qualifying for the Champions Tour, had a great plan in place.

He was going to compete in the Callaway Golf PGA Senior Club Professional Championship in Palm Beach Gardens last week, finish in the top five, thereby allowing him to bypass the first stage of Champions Tour qualifying.

But early last week, 4 1/2 inches of rain fell in that area of Florida, making it very unlikely the course used for the CPC event could be made ready for play by the scheduled start. And, with Wilma looming, the decision was made to reschedule it until Nov. 8-11.

Nice idea for some players, but not for Mazza. The first stage of Champions Tour qualifying will be held next week, meaning he'll not get the opportunity to bypass it.

All's well

Greensburg native Rocco Mediate had a reasonably good week at the Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, finishing in a tie for 21st, which moved him to 125th on the PGA Tour money list for the year. He needs to finish there or higher to be fully-exempt for next season on Tour.

Equally good news for him was that his new home in Naples, Fla., survived Hurricane Wilma's barrage yesterday morning.

"There was a lot of wind, of course, and some minor damage, a few roof tiles, things like that," said Mediate, whose wife Linda, and three sons were with him in Orlando. "Obviously, I was concerned all weekend."

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