Center Cut Review
Golfer Jack Austin has been feeling anxious about his game, a state of mind that began several months prior when he blew his chance to win a major tournament. Since then, he's been mired in a slump. Just as he's starting to regain his form, he becomes involved in the murder investigation of the caddy of a colleague. Although the evidence suggests a drug deal gone bad, Jack has reason to believe otherwise. He thus once again finds himself in a perilous situation on and off the course as he seeks the truth.
Center Cut is Corrigan's third novel to feature pro golfer Jack Austin, following Cut Shot and Snap Hook. Likeable and down to earth, Austin is the perfect narrator, observant but not omnipotent, confident, but painfully aware of his flaws. As such, he provides as much insight into the motivations of those around him as he does about the PGA and his profession, keeping readers' interest piqued in the ongoing murder investigation and his personal triumphs and travails on the golf course.
One of Center Cut's strengths is that it's not necessary to be a golf aficionado to enjoy it - Corrigan writes well enough that Jack Austin would be just as interesting if he were a baker or a plumber. The real beauty of the book, though, is how Corrigan makes the world of the PGA seem fascinating to non-linksters. Even those who are bored to tears by golf will enjoy reading this first-rate novel.