John Smoltz, future hall of fame inductee at Cooperstown, is teeing it up in the South Georgia Classic on the Nationwide Tour this week. Not the pro-am, the main event. Smoltz wants to see if his success in money and pride games with Tiger Woods translates to professional golf tournament success.There is precedent for this type of mid-life crisis. John Brodie won on the Champions Tour. Did success fuel the fire for Brodie? I believe so. Others have not continued on the path of this quest. Mike Jordan is an example of one who proclaimed for all to hear that he wanted to give professional golf a run after his hoops days were over. We know how that turned out. Jerry Rice plays two Nationwide events a year and has turned in a 76 as best single round. That 76 would probably be a 68 if he were hanging out with friends on the links. That shows me the difference between casual golf and highest-pressure tournament play.

Tiger thinks Smoltz can play. Smoltz can play against Tiger, for sure. Can he hold his own with strangers, a gallery, a caddie, delays and other distractions? Follow and find out.