"It's more important to me than golf," said Saltus, who lives in Costa Mesa. "Until I win a major, or if I ever win one, being a Grateful Dead fan is what's been the greatest part of my life."
If Saltus does win a major, it won't come as too much of a shock. On his personal information in his bio at www.asiantour.com, Saltus tells more of the importance of his favorite band. He said he had a "religious experience" at their concert in Las Vegas in 1993 and was granted a wish. He wished that he would win the Masters.
But that's not to say that Saltus hasn't been enjoying himself while on the Asian Tour, especially after his rise in prize money that came last year.
He went from earning $67,235 in 2005 to $146,981 in 2006. This past year, he was 33rd on the Asian Tour money list at $132,027, but the Cambodian Open victory was the first of his career.
He'll begin his work in 2008 two days after his 37th birthday. That's when he'll play at the Johnnie Walker Classic in New Dehli, India, Feb. 28 through March 2.
Before then, he took time out to answer questions from Daily Pilot Sports Editor Steve Virgen:
Question: What was it like to win the Cambodian Open?
Answer: It was like a whirlwind. It hit me out of nowhere. I came there and I knew I liked the area. I had been there before. I was just really mellow. I wasn't really worried about the money. I just went and played golf.
I went there a month before that and played one practice round before that. They charged me $130. I tried to get a discount, but they didn't allow that. But after I won, they gave me a free membership and I get to stay at the hotel for free.
