Persevering amidst futility

DUBLIN, Ohio — Steven Bowditch wanted no part of this interview. And why would he? He entered this week’s Memorial having missed his past 15 cuts and has only one made cut in 20 tournament starts this year.

“I don’t know what you’re after,’’ Bowditch said with reticence, but not impoliteness.

When I told him I wanted to write about his struggles and the perseverance he’s showing while trying to play his way out of the funk, he said, “Why don’t we do a piece when I get out to the other side?’’

I didn’t have the heart to tell him this, but here’s the problem with that: Who knows if he’s ever going to “get out to the other side,’’ find the form he had when he won his two PGA Tour events, the 2015 AT&T Byron Nelson and the 2014 Valero Texas Open, and was a member of the Presidents Cup team in 2015?

Our conversation came after Bowditch shot an even-par 72 in Thursday’s opening round, positioning himself two shots inside the cut line entering Friday’s second round.

But, after a harrowing second round Friday, during which he floated inside and outside the cutline before shooting 78 to finish 6over and miss his 16th consecutive cut, the 33-year-old Aussie failed to make it to “the other side’’ this week.

Bowditch is a sports psychologist’s dream subject: A player who has been deprived of positive reinforcement like someone stranded in the desert without drinking water.

“I know what my mindset would be,’’ Memorial defending champion William McGirt said when asked what he would feel like after missing that many consecutive cuts. “I just don’t want to say, because it might involve a dull, rusty knife and my wrists.’’

This week amounted to a cruel tease for Bowditch, who was 4-under though his first eight holes on Thursday and went 10-over in his final 28 holes.

In the long term, it’s the bigger, broader picture that gnaws at him most.

“There are people that rely on me — my caddie, my coach — and they’ve got a make a living,’’ Bowditch said. “My wife hates seeing me play bad, my family hates seeing me play bad. Those are the ones I let down. If there’s any frustration, it’s from not performing up to what they want and what the team is used to.’’

Bowdit ch earned $3.1 million in 2015 and $1.7 million in 2014. He has just $12,586 in winnings this year, which ranks 232nd on the PGA Tour. His world ranking is 816th.

The only reason Bowditch is getting into high-profile tournaments like the Memorial is the two-year exemption he was awarded for winning the Byron Nelson in 2015.

That exemption runs dry after this year. And, barring a miraculous turnaround to this miserable year for him — which includes a DUI arrest in Arizona during the week of the Waste Management Phoenix Open — Bowditch is destined to be searching for places to play in 2018.

“I’m a very inconsistent player,” he said. “I’m just trying to get a little bit of consistency back ... trying to get back to the level I know I can play at. It’s crunch time in the season and I need to start playing well.’’

Until next time, though, the beat goes agonizingly on for Bowditch, who will turn up next week in Memphis at the next PGA Tour stop hoping to break his dubious streak.

“It’s golf, man,’’ he said. “I’m thankful I’m out here. I’m just going to keep working hard at it and if it turns around it turns around ...”

He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to.