Five years, one month, 28 days.
That's how long it's been since former Gamecock golfer Carl Paulson has teed it up on the PGA Tour.
A mainstay on the PGA Tour in 1995-96 and from 2000-05 (and a member of the Nationwide Tour from 1997-99), Paulson has missed the last five years with a lingering back injury, but still holds conditional status on the Tour under the "major medical exemption" category.
But that streak comes to an end Thursday when Paulson will make his first start in a professional event since July 2005 when he tees off on the Nationwide Tour in the Albertson's Boise Open presented by Kraft.
Paulson won the Boise Open in 1999 that, along with another win that year at the Nike Utah Classic, propelled him to No. 1 on the Nike Tour (now known as the Nationwide Tour) money list and earned his PGA Tour card for the following season.
Paulson, the 1993 SEC Player of the Year and an All-American that year for the Gamecocks, was the medalist at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in 1995 and has made 202 career starts on the PGA Tour and another 109 appearances on the Nationwide Tour. With 99 cuts made on the PGA Tour, Paulson's career earnings are over $2.6 million with nine career top-10 finishes.
One of the great ironies about Paulson's extended absence from professional golf - in 1999, he set the Nationwide Tour record for consecutive starts when he teed it up in his 79th straight event at that year's Omaha Classic.
But a new streak can begin at 3:15 p.m. ET Thursday when he steps to the No. 10 tee at Hillcrest Country Club, where he is paired with another former Gamecock, three-time All-American Kyle Thompson.
The Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds of the Boise Open, running from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday and from 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday.
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