ATLANTA -- One of the humanizing things about professional athletes is that they usually double as big-time sports fans, just like the rest of us.
No amount of success in their chosen field eliminates the passion for favorite teams; no amount of prosperity diverts their rooting interests.
Raised in Melbourne, Australia, golfer Geoff Ogilvy always has been a dyed-in-the-wool St Kilda supporter. That would be Australian Rules Football, for the uninitiated -- a sport many view as the ultimate combination of speed, power and teamwork.
Exactly one year ago, the Saints -- as the team is called -- competed in the AFL Grand Final. This was big news in some circles, as the team often has drawn comparisons with the Chicago Cubs, lovable losers who own just a single title in 114 years. And so on the eve of the 2009 Tour Championship third round, Ogilvy stayed up 'til the wee hours Saturday morning, cheering on his squad from half a world away.
"It was a pretty depressing game," he said. "I mean, it was an epic match -- low scoring, anyone could win up to the last 10 seconds kind of thing, like everyone who was watching would have been on the edge of the seat."
Ogilvy certainly was. He remained awake to witness a third-quarter lead evaporate into an 80-68 loss that was closer than the score reflects. Running on fumes later that day, he parlayed that disappointment into a 6-under 64 total at East Lake Golf Club, vaulting him from the depths of the leaderboard into contention, eventually finishing in a share of 16th place.
This story remains relevant, as once again St Kilda will be vying for that elusive championship prior to the third round of the FedEx Cup finale. However, instead of battling from the bottom of the field, this time Ogilvy is very much in contention for a title of his own.
And no, he won't be going to bed early.
"I think you can play golf on no sleep if you haven't been drinking," said Ogilvy, who plans to watch the 12:30 a.m. ET kickoff from the comforts of his hotel room. "Drinking is what makes it hard when you get no sleep. You couldn't do it every night, you'd get tired, but we're all semi athletes. I mean, three or four hours -- you can play golf off three or four hours of sleep."
Last year's Grand Final was hardly the first time a sporting event precluded his preparation. Prior to the final day of the 2006 U.S. Open, he pushed back his preround practice routine to watch Australia's match against Brazil in the World Cup. Although his beloved Socceroos lost that day, Ogilvy did not, later claiming his first and only major championship at Winged Foot.
If he plays nearly as well as he did in that situation, expect Ogilvy to be in hunt come Sunday.
Following rounds of 66-67, the Aussie is in sole possession of third place, one stroke behind co-leaders Jim Furyk and Luke Donald entering the weekend and three shots clear of the next closest competitor.
"I think I can win this," he said. "I'm pretty happy with my form. I hit some shots that I didn't like today, but I hit quite a lot of good ones that I did like. I'm putting well, and whenever you putt well, you can win golf tournaments."
Winning is definitely on Ogilvy's mind, but it might be the fate of his team that is more in his thoughts than his own chances. Asked whether a Tour Championship victory would supersede an AFL title, he puckered his lips and wouldn't commit.
"I don't know," he said. "That's not a fair question. I'm not going to answer that."
If things go his way, he'll never have to. With a little help from the Saints and more stellar play from himself, Ogilvy could very well be celebrating two wins this weekend.
Jason Sobel is a golf writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Jason.Sobel@espn.com.
