Golf:

Though Jeff Wright sings mostly pop, his life has played out like a country western song the past couple of years.

Wright’s wife left him, his real estate appraisal business has been affected hard by the economy and his dog left him. The only thing missing was his car on blocks in the front yard.

It’s certainly a far cry from his life a few years ago, but through the tragedies he’s rediscovered his love for music and that may make all the heartbreak worth it.

“It’s been amazing what I’ve been through,” Wright said. “Sometimes when you lose everything it’s the best thing that can happen to you.”

It also seems that when Wright is confronted with difficulties, he plays his best golf. That was the case this year when Wright entered the Newport Beach Country Club Men’s Championship and won.

Because of that victory, Wright will be one of the members of NBCC’s team when they play in the Jones Cup Wednesday.

The theory of playing well through pain has held up twice now. The only other time he won the club championship was in 2004, shortly after his father died.

“I seem to play the best when I feel the worst,” Wright said. “I think I just get in a mode when I won’t let this beat me.”

Wright didn’t always need such a motivator to play good golf. He was a standout at Arizona State University and won several amateur titles.

Golf though didn’t really do much for him. When he was at ASU he found an aptitude for music and began pursuing that art.

“There’s not enough creative juice with golf,” Wright said. “I don’t really play that much. There’s a lot of people who think I’m an idiot. They would kill for the golf game I have.”

When Wright’s real estate appraisal business was going well, he wasn’t playing much music either, instead focusing on making his company as successful as possible. He had all the trappings of that life, a nice house, a nice car, country club memberships, it all seemed like he had everything he could have wanted.

It was all an illusion though. He got involved in drugs and things starting spiraling out of control. By last year he had lost or was about to lose everything he cared about, except for one thing.

“The music has really kept me going,” Wright said. “I joked that if my balcony was higher I would have jumped off of it.”

Wright’s fortunes seem to be changing. He has had some of his songs played on soap operas and is regularly performing around Orange County. He has opened for Hall and Oates and the Marshall Tucker Band and will be at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, Aug. 9. Locally he can be found at Port Restaurant three nights a week.

“I’m doing what I love, even though I’m broke and practically homeless,” Wright said. “But I’m making some money doing what I love. I really do feel blessed.”

His most exciting venture is a web-based reality show that is called, “Coming2Hollywood” that will be filming a segment at the Jones Cup at Santa Ana Country Club.

“This is a really exciting project,” Wright said. “I can’t believe they picked me.”

It’s given Wright extra motivation to help NBCC win the Jones Cup.

“This could be the last event I play in with the club,” Wright said. “I’m probably going to have to give up my membership so I really want to win.”

JOHN REGER’S golf column appears Thursdays. He may be reached by e-mail at [email protected].