January 12, 2004

ROCKY MOUNT, NC — Another year recently passed, and fans believe Chris Lashley must make a positive move in the right direction. It is a fact easy to forget whenever Lashleys' game is dissected, his greatness measured. Has he even hit his prime?

As the 2004 On Tour Championship season commences on March 1, his fourth as a full-time member, the Macho Stallion is still a very young man in a game that allows success for a long time, conceivably well past his 20th season.

So there is no great urgency to this season, no "time-is-running-out" feeling. At least you wouldn't think so.

But if we have learned anything from Lashley, it's that he finds ways to derive motivation. And given his stated goal to win championships, that could very well be what drives him this year.

He may not feel he has anything to prove -- not after winning the 2002 On Tour Championship and running his career to one Top 10 finish after another. But the 2003 season was somewhat disappointing by Lashley standards, as he was shut out in major championships due to kitchen pass allowance for the first time since 2001.

And then there is the issue of his personal life, a factor long speculated as a possible hindrance to excellence. How will his marriage effect his game, his life. Many have wondered how his immense focus would change. Will having a wife -- and perhaps children -- complicate his amateur aspirations?

Can he win them both? That seemed to be the question just two years ago. Now it's more along the lines of if he can win one. That will be the type of pressure he faces each weekend and in Winston-Salem.

"I'm more consistent now", said Lashley back in November. "I've worked my tail off to become more consistent and not have as many flaws in my swing or game. The biggest thing that's improved is my course-management skills. I've learned. I've made a ton of mistakes. But I've learned from those, and I think that's why the game has become easier, because I've got more course management skills than I had before."

It will be interesting to see where that takes the Machio Stallion in 2004. A learning, evolving Chris can't be kept without a major for long.