Life is good and getting better for Chris Stroud, as he prepares for a next phase that will expand beyond family man and professional golfer to include humanitarian and business endeavors.

Seven weeks removed from his first PGA Tour win, and one week away from his first start of the 2017-18 season, Stroud has a lot of balls in the air.

Included are the Dec. 11-12 Hurricane Harvey Pro-Am and the official launch of CraneSafety — his business venture with Astros owner Jim Crane.

“It’s been hectic,” he admitted Tuesday, while in Jacksonville, Florida, working with his swing coach. “I had no idea how much goes into putting on a golf tournament until I got involved with this pro-am. But I am so excited about how it is coming together and the money we are going to raise for needy families.”

Stroud floated the idea of organizing a pro-am shortly have Harvey’s flooding devastated Houston and the surrounding area. Less than a month later, with the help of a strong advisory committee, plans are in place for an event that he projects will raise a million dollars.

It will be played at Bluejack National, the highly acclaimed Tiger Woods layout north of Houston. Nearly a dozen businesses have already stepped up as $50,000 presenting sponsors, with a handful of others buying in at $25,000.

Some amazing live and silent auction items promise to bring in thousands
more.

Teams will be made up of four amateurs who will get to play nine holes with one pro, then nine holes with another. Most of the participating PGA and LPGA pros have strong Texas ties, headed by the likes of Stroud, Patrick Reed, Shawn Stefani, Stacy Lewis and Steve Elkington. Jordan Spieth is a possibility.

“We have already exceeded what we thought we would be able to accomplish on such short notice,” says the former PNG and Lamar star. “The response has just been awesome. We have a strong board with a lot of pull.

“One thing I want to stress is that, like with what J.J. Watt did, we are going to make sure the money goes to the right places. There is going to be a very careful screening process by a committee.”

For tax purposes, the money will be funneled through the Houston Golf Association and its 501-3C. Steve Timms of the HGA, according to Stroud, has been a critical asset in the process.

Meanwhile, Stroud, after taking the last few weeks off from golf, is busy getting ready for a tour season that promises to be dialed way back for him as far as stress level. The sudden-death playoff victory in Reno, and the laid-back manner in which it happened, has forever changed his approach.

“I am going to laugh, smile, have fun and not worry,” he said. “My focus will be on my short game and putting. I won’t be leaving the course stressing over why I shot 72 instead of 68. I want and expect to win again, but I am trying to shift my life to where it is not all about golf.”

Stroud’s upcoming schedule presents some interesting and lucrative opportunities, with three of the five tournaments coming outside the continental United States. Included are back-to-back October tourneys in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Jelu Island, South Korea.

South Korea, Chris? Have you heard of Rocketman?

“I am not concerned at all,” he said, of the proximity to North Korea and Kim Jong Un. “The PGA Tour is watching what is going on over there every day. We get emails every few days from the people putting on the tournament. They insist South Korea is the safest place in the world.

“They say he’s not going to attack them, that it’s Japan and the United States that he cares about. This tournament was last played in 2004, and from what I’ve been told it will be totally first class. For starters, they pay for travel, lodging, everything. It’s a 78-player field with no cut and a large purse.”

Stroud’s new beginning launches with the Oct. 5-8 Safeway Open in Napa, California. The next two weeks he’ll be in Malaysia and South Korea. After a two-week breather, he’ll play the Nov. 9-12 OHL Classic in Mayacoba, Mexico.

Then it’s on to Maui for the ultra exclusive Jan. 4-7 Tournament of Champions.

Not lost on Chris, as he prepared in Jacksonville for what’s ahead, was the sweet irony of what was taking place a few miles down the road.

The Web.com Tour Championship tees off Thursday at nearby Atlantic Beach, with his former Lamar teammate Shawn Stefani, and others who didn’t finish in the FedEx Cup top 125, making a last-ditch effort to regain status for the upcoming season. But for Reno, he’d have been right there with them.

“I count my blessings every day,” he said. “Winning that tournament was life changing. If I was playing this week to regain my card, I certainly would not be where I am today emotionally. So much would be different. I feel like I’m on the other side of the fence, looking back.”

CHIP SHOTS
Congratulations to former Nederland multi-sport star Felicia Sauceda. She fired the best round of her collegiate career Tuesday, a two-under-par 70, to help Lamar’s Cardinals get past host school Oral Roberts to win the ORU Shootout in Tulsa.

The 70 matched LU teammate Elodie Chapelet and Wichita State’s Taryn Thompson for the low round of the day and left Sauceda in a tie for 12th among the field of 90 players. Her 70 followed rounds of 79-75 on Monday.

PNG ex Karlei Hemler, who had played very well in her varsity debut for McNeese State last week, did not fare as well in Tulsa. She shot rounds for 77-75-81 for a 233 that left her tied for 36th.

Another former Indian, Andrew Landry, lost ground last week in the Web.com Tour playoffs. Landry, after shooting 69-70-69 in Cleveland, faded to a 76 in the final round of the third playoff stop and finished T50 for which he collected $2,830.

Chesson Hadley, the player Landry is chasing for the top spot in overall money, lost a playoff after tying for first and pocketed $88,000. Hadley goes into this week No. 1 in overall money with $559,350. Landry is second at $388,894.

The Monday Senior 50 Plus two-ball at Babe Zaharias saw the front nine end in a four-way tie at minus 3 among teams captained by Bim Morrow, Tom LeTourneau, Gary Hanan and Bob West. The West team, which included Larry Reece, Raymond Darbonne, Larry Foster and Paul Duplantis, won the back in minus 2.

In the Super Saturday two-ball at Zaharias, the fivesome of Ed Holley, Morrow, Cecil Norris, Dan Flood and Pete Reobroi won with minus 5. On the back, the Holley team tied with the foursome of Rick Pritchett, Thad Borne, Jay Hampson and Wes McDonald at minus-1.

The team of Craig Geoffroy, Cecil Norris, Harry Green and Dwayne Benoit won the front nine in the Friday Senior two-ball at Zaharias with minus-3. Minus-3 was also the winning score on the back for the team of Ron LaSalle, James Shipley, Ron Mistrot and Richard Shipley.
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