PGA Tour Qualifying - Final Round (9 holes)

The weather this morning was perfect. Our scheduled tee time at 8:40 was met with bright sunshine and cool temperatures around 50 degrees. The rain that was in the forecast moved through over night and another round of rain was not predicted to start until early afternoon. Unfortunately, our final nine holes got started with another 3-putt. Brennan continued to give himself great opportunities for birdie but was only able to make one on the 3rd hole. A final "get me the hell out of here" double bogey on the last hole gave us a final round 2 under par (70).

Our one under total of 287 missed by 6 shots as the "cut" number fell at 7 under (281). The week can be summed up by poor putting. From tee to green, Brennan hit the ball as good or better then anyone. But throwing away 10 shots on the greens with eight 3-putts and one 4-putt made the difference. Brennan has worked extremely hard this year with his new swing coach, Sean Foley, after a poor year of ball striking in 2009. Unfortunately, this game is all about scoring and Brennan will not have PGA/Nationwide Tour status next year because of the putter.

After the round, we drove north to San Jose for the night. We are both flying home tomorrow morning. I looking forward to getting home around 10pm. If I do not get a phone call to work Finals, this will be my last blog for 2010. I want to thank everyone for following me this year. I had a great year and look forward to getting started in Hawaii with Kevin in January on the PGA Tour. I hope everyone has a great Holiday!!!

PGA Tour Qualifying - Round Three

Today we played with Matt Hendrix and Matthew Griffin. We teed off at 8:00am off of number 10. The PGA Tour has decided to continue play today and we had to play 27 holes. The weather was much like yesterday with the temperature hanging around 50 degrees all day. Brennan once again hit the ball extremely well. We were 4 under par through 16 holes when the putter problems started again. A 4-putt double bogey on number 8 (our 17th hole) and a bogey on the last killed all our momentum. It was a round that could have put us right back in the mix but ended leaving us behind the 8-ball. We shot 1 under par (71) and stand at 1 over for the Tournament. The "cut" number after 3 rounds stands at 6 under par.

We only had 15 minutes until we teed off for our fourth round, so we both had a cup of chili "to go" and went to the 10th tee. Still fuming from the finish, I tried to get Brennan focused on the task at hand. We will need to put it all together in round four with no room for error. Brennan continued to hit it great. A birdie on the 10th, holed out a wedge for eagle on 15, and another birdie on the 18th, gave us a 32 (4 under) on the first nine. We are now 3 under for the Tournament and still have a chance. Who knows?? With bad weather in the forecast for tomorrow, if we can somehow find another 32 it might be good enough. We will give it our best tomorrow as we are scheduled to tee off at 8:40 (weather permitting).

PGA Tour Qualifying - Second Round

We teed off today at 10:20. It was much colder today with the temperature not getting over 50 degrees. Brennan got off to a tough start, 3-putting three of the first 4 holes. He fought back with birdies on 8, 9, and 10. But two more 3-putts on the back nine gave us a 2 over par 74. For the first two rounds, Brennan has hit it extremely well but he has seven 3-putt greens through 36 holes. The top 19 plus ties will advance to Finals and that number stands at 4 under par. We will need to continue hitting it well but eliminate the three putts. Due to the forecast for Saturday, the PGA Tour has notified the players to be ready to play 27 holes tomorrow. They will let us know before we start our third round in the morning if we will have to play 27 holes.

PGA Tour Qualifying School - Round One

Teed off this morning on number 10 at 9:20 with Greg Huxman and Jeff Rangel. The weather was sunny but cool. Brennan got off to a nice start with birdies on 10 and 12. A missed short par putt on 13 was our only bogey on the front but a birdie on the par five 18th put us at 2 under through 9 holes. The momentum slowed on the back as we three putted twice and missed an up and down from a greenside bunker. But a great birdie on one of the toughest holes (476 yd par 4 9th hole) got us back to even par for the day. Brennan's ball striking was very good today but three 3-putts kept us from scoring. After the round, we worked on putting. His speed was good, so we worked on the short putts.

PGA Tour Qualifying School - Seaside, CA

I am in Monterey, CA caddying for a good friend of mine, Brennan Webb. I met Brennan when I played on the Canadian Tour about 10 years ago. We have played a lot of golf together and I caddied for him in 2008 at the PGA Tour Qualifying School Finals in Palm Springs, CA. Brennan earned his Nationwide Tour Card for 2009 at that Tour School finals. Unfortunately, Brennan did not keep his card for 2010 and has been playing the Hooters Tour and other mini tours this year.

I flew into San Jose, CA on Saturday and met Brennan at the airport. We rented a car and drove about 90 minutes south to Pebble Beach. We stayed with a friend of Brennan's (Harry Robinson) who lives on the Monterey peninsula Saturday, Sunday and Monday night. Harry is a member at Monterey Country Club so he took us out to play on Sunday. Monterey CC is one of the courses that host the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-am so I will be back here when Kevin plays that Tournament on the PGA Tour. The course was awesome and the views were unbelievable.

Monday started our official practice rounds for Q-School. We are playing the Bayonet Club in Seaside, CA. It is an extremely difficult course. It is very tight off the tee and it has very undulated greens. To make things worse, the greens are in poor condition and the golf course has a lot of elevation changes from tee to green. It will be a week of patience where pars will be a good score. Brennan is playing well so it is just a matter of staying calm and relaxed. It is a very stressful week so I'm hoping I can help him get him through the week. Part of the routine this week was moving out of his friends house and into a hotel. We moved into a hotel this afternoon so we are closer to the golf course and he can do his own thing. This week is about him and everything needs to revolve around his schedule.   

Tour Championship - Final Round

Kevin came out to the course early on Sunday to get more treatment on his back. We took a little extra time during the warm up to hit balls. He said it felt better then yesterday but it still was not great. We teed off at 11:45 with JJ Killeen. It was very windy again which made it difficult to get the ball close. Kevin hit the ball well today but we struggled on the greens. He putted so well the first three days but we could not make a putt today. Our only birdie finally came on the 18th when he rolled in a nice 15 foot putt to finish the year. The birdie moved us to -4 for the tournament which was good enough for t-11th.

After the round, the party started. Kevin Sarlo took me up to the STA sky box behind the 18th green to watch the end of the tournament. It took four extra holes to determine the Champion. When play was finished, the top 25 came out to the 18th green for the award ceremony and pictures. When they finished up on the 18th, we all went inside the Clubhouse for the Top 25 PGA Tour Card Ceremony. (I was told this will be aired on the Golf Channel on Wednesday [Nov. 10] at 7pm) Kevin maintained his position finishing 11th on the money list. Following the Card Ceremony, the party continued at the club as a band played outside at the 19th hole. We all had a great time celebrating Kevin's achievements for the year. I'm sorry to say that this 41 year old could not hang with the young guns. As they took the party to downtown Daniel Island, Kevin Sarlo took me home.

I want to thank everyone for their support this year. It was great to finally put faces to the names as many of you came out to watch us this week. I am truly blessed to have worked for Kevin this year and I hope we can continue our run through the PGA Tour. Having played myself, I understand how important it is to have a strong team behind you. I am very excited to see the love and support he has and want you to know that this support is just as important as making a putt. Without either one, he would not be where he is today.

As I move into the "off season", I will be caddying for a good friend, Brennan Webb, at the second stage of Tour School. We will be playing at the Bayonet Club in Seaside, CA during the week of November 15th. I will be continuing to blog my way through Tour School. Check it out.

Here are a few pics from my phone. Not great quality but you thought you might like to see them. If anyone has some pictures of the week that you would like to share, please forward them to duanebock@hotmail.com. Thanks

Tour Championship - Third Round

During our warm-up today, Kevin felt something in his back during a swing with a 5 iron. He told me earlier this week that his back was a little tight but it was not hurting during the golf swing. Today, he said it felt comfortable through the wedges and 8 iron warm up but the second swing with a five iron is when he felt it.

We teed off at 12:15 with Joe Affrunti. The weather was perfect and the wind was not a factor today. I could tell he was favoring his back right from the start. He struggled all day trying to turn through the ball and had to rely on his timing to get the ball on line. We worked through it and managed an even par round (72). Brendan Steele had a great round to take control of the tournament at -14 under par but Kevin's -6 under total is still only 3 shots out of second.

After the round, Kevin decided not to practice and went to get some treatment on his back. Geraldine and I took the kids into downtown Charleston to the Science Center. They had a special Halloween night for the kids, so they put on  their costumes and had a great time.

Tour Championship - Second Round

We teed off at 10:14 with Bobby Gates. It was extremely windy but Kevin was able to get off to a great start. It all started with a 50 foot putt on number one for birdie to get us going. Solid ball striking and great putting produced 5 birdies on the first 6 holes. We miss judged the wind direction on the long par 3 ninth hole and his 3 iron ended up in a tough spot for an up and down. The bogey on 9 left us at 4 under through 9 holes and 5 under total. Two more birdies and one bogey on the back nine gave us the lowest score of the day (67) and put us at 6 under for the tournament. When the day ended, Kevin moved from t-24th to t-4th.

After the round, Kevin just wanted to spend a little time practicing. We hit a few putts, chips, and hit a few balls. Kevin's work yesterday afternoon paid off today as his ball striking was really solid during a tough, windy day. Looking forward to the weekend.

Tour Championship - First Round

Kevin teed off today at 11:40 with last week's winner David Mathis. We were able to shoot under par (71) but it was with a mixed bag of goodies. Kevin struggled most of the day with the driver, missing most of his shots out to the right. He hit it into four fairway bunkers but he was able to hit some great recovery shots. Our only bogey actually came after hitting a solid 6 iron from 188 yards that landed on a down slope on the green and bounced over the green. Kevin's short game and putting was great today.

Kevin had a lot of support today. He had lots of family and friends out and I even had a few friends come out. Mike Sarlo from East Hampton flew down for the week and Coach Rogers drove all the way from Morganton for the day. Geraldine and the kids arrived when we finished and will be here for the rest of the weekend.

Tour Championship - Daniel Island, SC (Monday)

After missing the cut last week in Jacksonville, I decided to spend the weekend at my parents house. I was able to play some golf with my Dad and help Mom out around the house. Kevin ended up driving back home to Aiken and spent the weekend home.

I woke up early this morning and drove to Daniel Island from Jacksonville. It was about a 4 1/2 hour drive and I pulled in a little after 10am. Kevin was planning on arriving around lunch so I went out and walked a few holes before he arrived. I met Kevin just before noon. He had some lunch, registered, signed flags, did interviews, etc, etc, etc. There was a lot of things for him to do before we started practicing. But that is all good!! It's nice to be ranked 11th coming into the Tour Championship and have to take care of a few business things.

After hitting some warm up balls, we played nine holes with William McGirt. Because of the layout of this golf course, the ninth hole does not return to the clubhouse. We played holes 1 and 2 and then skipped over to the 12th hole and played through the 18th. It rained on and off on us while we played. After the round we went to the putting green and worked on his stroke. Kevin worked with the "putting arc". He felt his stroke was getting too far to the inside on the back swing which was producing toe hits on the putter. The "arc" help him find the correct path. After putting for about an hour, we finished up on the range. Kevin is really liking how his swing feels. While we were on the range, the Tour blew the horn to suspend all play and practice due to a thunderstorm that was near the course.

Kevin gets a brand new BMW SUV to drive for the week that is provided by the Tournament. He is staying at his sister's house this week. I am staying will a long time friend, Kevin Sarlo, that has moved here to Daniel's Island from East Hampton, NY. Kevin's younger brother, Michael, was my best friend growing up in East Hampton. Michael will be flying down on Wednesday to spend the week. My family is also coming in on Thursday. It's going to be a great week!!!

Winn Dixie Classic - Jacksonville, FL

Looks like we will miss the cut this week with rounds of 73-69=142. We teed off Thursday at 1:35 with Brain Smock and Craig Barlow. Kevin was off to a solid start (-1 through 7 holes) when he drove his ball into the left rough on number 17 (500yd par 4). With an awful lie, we just tried to advance it down the fairway short of the green but the rough turned the club over and the ball went left into the water hazard. From here we went on to make a triple bogey and never recovered for the rest of the day. Kevin continued to fight his swing and unlike last week, his putter was not able to bail him out. We ended up shooting 3 over. As soon as Kevin finished and signed his scorecard, he was escorted to the clubhouse for a drug test. The PGA Tour randomly selects players for drug testing throughout the year. Unfortunately, since we finished so close to sunset, Kevin was not able to practice after the round.

Today, we teed off at 8:50. Kevin focused on his tempo today and the ball striking was better. Other then one horrible lie in the rough on the 6th hole, Kevin played solid all day. His drive on number 6 found the left rough and the lie was sooo bad, he only advanced a sand wedge 10yds. I was standing only 5 feet from the ball and could not see it. He finished the hole with a double bogey. Not giving up, he continued to work his way around, making 4 birdies on the back nine to shoot 69. Kevin mentioned to me today that he was not comfortable with his stroke and struggled with the reads on the greens.

In the big picture, even though Kevin did not have his A-game this week, we were still 3 under par for 34 holes. If not for two unfortunate lies in the rough, it would be a different story.  He said he felt much better with his swing and thought some of it could be fatigue. This is our fourth week in a row and have one more week left in the season. A little R+R this weekend will do him some good.

Miccosukee Classic - Miami, FL (Second Place)

My apologies to those of you that have missed my blog. My hotel last week did not have wireless internet and I did not make the effort to blog. However, it is nice to know that people are reading this and actually look forward to it. I have been getting emails and txt messages wanting to know what was going on. I'll try to make a better effort this week.

So, I'm sure all of you already know...Kevin finished t-2 last week in Miami. We had another great weekend shooting 71,67,67,67 for the four days. Kevin's ball striking was off, but once again, he showed his ability to score and leaned on great putting and short game to get him through the week. He lead the field in the putting stats and the t-2 moved us into the top 10 on the money list.

We are now in Jacksonville, FL for the Winn Dixie Classic. Kevin had his swing coach, Hugh Royer, come in on Tuesday. They had a great session on the range Tuesday morning and then we took it out on the course for nine holes Tuesday afternoon. We worked on getting behind the ball better on the back swing while keeping his lower body stable. Kevin has the tendency to straighten his right leg during the back swing which keeps his weight over the ball. From this position, he will slide his weight left (in front of the ball) on the down swing which produces left and right shots. Now, he is working on stabilizing his lower body while he tries to get his buttons of his shirt over his right foot. From this position, he is able to release his body keeping the club on the correct swing plane. We are all excited about the progress.

We tee off today (Thursday) at 1:35pm off of number 10. Looking forward to another great week.

Chattanooga Classic - Final Round

Kevin played well once again on Sunday. We teed off at 12:10pm with Jeff Curl. One bad swing with a 3 iron ended up in a water hazard and led to a double bogey on number 13. Other then that one swing, he hit the ball solid all day. After the double, Kevin stayed focused and made three birdies on the last 5 holes to shoot 4 under par (68). Our 15 under total finished t-11th for the week and we moved up one spot on the money list to 17th. It was a great week considering where we stood on Thursday night after one round.

After the round, we loaded up the cars and started our drives to south Florida. Kevin made it to a friends house (The Lastingers) in Valdosta, GA and I made it to my parents in Jacksonville, FL. We both finally made it to Miami this afternoon. A practice day tomorrow, pro-am Wednesday, and then we start all over again on Thursday.

Chattanooga Classic - Saturday

We teed off today at 9:21 with Kevin's good friend David Robinson. It was a great pairing for us and Kevin's game matched the pairing. We had the best warm up of the week and he carried that out to the course. Kevin capped off a nice front nine by making a downhill 40 footer on number 9 and made the turn in 5 under par (31). The shot of the day came on number 10 as Kevin holed a nice wedge shot from the fairway for eagle moving us to 7 under par through 10 holes. A three putt bogey on 15 stalled the bus but a great birdie on the long par 3 17th moved us back to 8 under for the day and that is where we finished. Kevin's 64 today tied the low round for the day and moved us from t-50th to t-11th.

After the round, Kevin let me go and I was able to take Geraldine and the kids to the Chattanooga Aquarium. After the afternoon at the aquarium, we met Kevin and Brittany for pizza. The kids had a blast and now after a little swim at the pool, we are all ready for bed.

We tee off tomorrow at 12:10. After the round, I will be getting into the car and heading to Florida. I am planning on driving 7 hours to my parents house in Jacksonville for the night. Monday will be spent driving from Jacksonville to Miami for next weeks tournament.

Chattanooga Classic

Kevin and I made it home Monday morning from California. He spent Monday and Tuesday in Aiken working with his swing coach before driving here Tuesday night. Our Wednesday was spent playing the pro-am in the morning and hitting balls in the afternoon. We're working on getting behind the ball on the back swing which keeps the club shorter and in control. We had a good practice session and he felt like the swing was getting better.

Our tee time on Thursday was 12:50. We played with Jason Schultz and Andrew Johnson. Kevin struggled with his warm up. He was not hitting it as solid as he was on Wednesday. But as we played the round, he fought through it and hit the ball OK. He was able to drive it well and keep the ball in position. We just struggled with the scoring shots around the greens. Two three putts and a few missed up and downs led to an even par round of 72.

Today, we teed off at 8am. Sunrise was not until 7:40 so our warm up was in the dark under the spot lights. This morning was not as cold as the past few mornings but it was still chilly. Kevin's warm up was much better this morning but he was not able to carry it out to the course. Yet, he once again showed his resiliency and shot a 3 under par 69 to make the cut on the number. Kevin's ability to grind it out when he does not have his best is remarkable. He has not been on his game the past few weeks but he always seems to find a way to give himself a chance. This afternoon was spent once again working on the range and hitting some putts. He had a very good session and we are looking forward to the weekend.

My family is coming in for the weekend. Geraldine and Alex picked Albany up from school and they are on their way here. Kevin's Mom and Dad came here yesterday and Brittany is also on her way here for the weekend. It is nice to be playing close to home and having the family.

Soboba Classic - Miss Cut / Traveling Home

Well, we waited all morning to find out we missed the cut by one shot. Second round play resumed Saturday morning at 7:15am with ideal conditions. It was about 11:30 when the second round was completed and too late to try and change any flights. Kevin decided to head out to the course to do some practicing. We spent a few hours on the range working on ball striking. Kevin spent the entire session working on getting the club "more up" on the back swing. When he did his drills, he hit the ball excellent. Kevin said this drill was nothing new. He has spent many hours working on this drill in the past. He had a lot of improvement by the end of his practice session. After our range session, we went to the putting green. Kevin putted very well this week so we did not work on anything. He just wanted to get some reps so we actually had a little putting contest.....which I lost $25 by the end of the day. (he bought my dinner so he actually lost on the deal!!!)

Today has been spent trying to get home. We are playing in Chattanooga, TN next week so we are both going home for a day. My original flight was scheduled to leave Ontario, CA at 7:10pm connecting in Phoenix to the red eye flight to Charlotte, NC arriving at 6:00am Monday morning. USAir allows me to travel stand-by on earlier flights at no charge. So when I woke up this morning, I called USAir and they told me that there was a flight leaving Ontario at 12:15pm connecting in Phoenix which will get into Charlotte at 9:30pm. They said space was limited but I should be able to get on. Well.....they were wrong. I was able to get on the flight to Phoenix but the flight to Charlotte was full. So...I have been in the Phoenix airport since 2:00pm waiting for my red eye flight leaving at 11:30pm. At this very moment, I have been in Phoenix for 6 hrs and have 3.5 hrs more until my flight. Fun, fun, fun...but I had to give it a try. It would have been great to make it home tonight so it was worth the effort.

As for Kevin and Brittany, they are scheduled on the red eye out of Ontario tonight and will get back to Augusta tomorrow morning. Kevin will spend Monday and Tuesday at home practicing and we plan on meeting in Chattanooga Tuesday night.




 

Soboba Classic - Round 1 and 2

The first two rounds have been filled with delays. Our first round on Thursday was scheduled at 11:50am. Kevin wanted to get out to the club early to get some extra practice in before our tee time.  We arrived about 10am but just before we started out to the range, a mid morning thunderstorm rolled in. Our tee time was postponed until 2:15pm. Sunset is early here so we were able to play 17 holes before play was suspended due to darkness at 6:30pm. Kevin struggled with his ball striking all day. He has not been comfortable with his swing since he arrived here on Tuesday. He hung tough and managed to keep it under par for the day.

Friday morning started early with everyone in position to finish round one at 7:30am. Kevin made par on 18 and finished with a 70 (-1). We had 45 minutes until our second round tee time so we went straight to the range to work on finding something that worked. Round two was much of the same ball striking as round one. Fortunately, Kevin is putting extremely well and he was able to shoot 69 (-2). Shortly after finishing our round, another thunderstorm moved in and play was suspended once again. They were finally able to resume play at 4:15pm. Half the field is still out on the course when play was called for the night.

So, as we go to bed tonight, we are sitting in 49th place. We will have to wait and see how it all shakes out tomorrow morning. Play will resume tomorrow at 7:15am and the cut will be made about noon when everyone finishes the second round. If we do make the cut, we will start round 3 about 12:30. A wise man told me one time to never wish anyone bad luck....just bad weather. So I'm hoping for windy conditions in the morning!!!

Soboba Classic (San Jacinto, California) - Tuesday Practice

Well, we all finally made it to California. My journey started Sunday afternoon, flying from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA to El Paso, TX. I arrived in El Paso Sunday night at 10pm. Then it was off to Phoenix, AZ Monday morning at 6am connecting on to Ontario, CA. After 24 hours and five different states, I finally made to San Jacinto.

Kevin's journey started Monday but his flight was cancelled.  He had to wait to fly Tuesday morning and was rerouted to LAX rather then the Ontario airport. LAX  is not only further away from San Jacinto but he now had to change his car rental, hotel reservations, etc. It was a mess. Kevin finally arrived to the course around 2pm (that is 5pm est after waking up at 3:30am est). After a little practice, we went out for a nine hole practice round. He actually hit it very well and we had a good practice session. Kevin's girlfriend, Brittany, is out with him this week. Brittany came and picked us up about 5pm and then we all went out for some dinner.

For those of you that don't know, Kevin is also dealing with the Shingles. A few weeks ago, he had some back pain and then a rash broke out on his lower back while we were in Boise, ID. So early last week, he went to the Doctors and was diagnosed with Shingles. He lost focus in Salt Lake and looked very tired in Boise which are all symptoms of Shingles. He says he is feeling much better but the things I have heard about Shingles are they can be very painful. Lets hope the worse is behind him.

We are in the morning pro-am tomorrow at 7:30.

Boise Open - Sceond Round

Kevin started the day with an unbelievable warm up session. He carried the warm up out to the course and had a very good ball striking day. We teed off number 10 and birdied the 11th and 12th holes to get the day started. One bad swing with a five iron on the par 3 number 13 lead to a bogey and killed the momentum. Another good birdie on 16 was followed by a 3-putt bogey from the fringe on the par 3 17th that killed the momentum once again. We made the turn at one under par (-2 total). Back to back 3-putts on the 3rd and 4th holes put us in a position that we could not get out of. We ended up shooting even for the day (-1 total) and missed the cut.

Kevin is taking next week off as the Tour goes to Midland, TX. As I mentioned yesterday, Kevin is worn out both physically and mentally. The week off will be good for us. It is time to recharge the battery and get ready for the home stretch. Even though it looks like Kevin has his PGA Tour card for next year, every week is so important. Each position on the money list could mean more opportunities to play early in the year on the west coast. We need to continue to play well and stay focused.

As for me, I am flying home on Monday. Looking forward to getting home, spending time with the family, cooking out, and playing a little golf of my own. I hope everyone has a great week next week and I'll sign back on when we get to Soboba, CA.  

Boise Open - First Round

We teed off this morning at 8:40 paired with Charles Warren and Patrick Sheehan. It is a great pairing this week. Kevin has played many practice rounds with Patrick and Charles has been a family friend since Kevin was young. Everyone was relaxed and enjoyed the day.

Kevin played fairly well today with the exception of two tee shots and one three putt green. We had three bogeys along with four birdies to shoot one under par (70). Kevin was not in total control of his swing but he managed his game well and kept the ball in front of him (putting it in the right position). By doing this, we had plenty of opportunities which is the goal each day. We struggled with a few reads on the greens but if we were able to convert a few more putts it could have been a great day.

After the round, Kevin hit some putts and then went to work on the range. We worked on getting the club in front of him on the way down and then swinging left by turning his chest through (less arms). When the body gets tired, you have the tendency to swing too much with your arms and the swing gets out of sync. Kevin has played a lot of golf and the win has taken a lot out of him. By the end of the session, he was hitting it much better.

Earlier this week, The Golf Channel asked Kevin for some interviews and said he would be the featured player on Friday. Coverage comes on at 4:30pm (EST) - 7:00pm. Check him out!!! 

Boise Open - Monday Practice

After missing the cut last week, Kevin took the weekend off. Saturday was spent watching College football and yesterday was spent in the car driving up to Boise, ID from Salt Lake City, UT. It was about a five hour drive so I arrived in Boise about 4pm. My hotel this week is much nicer then last week. I'm in a Hyatt Place about 5 minutes from the golf course. My roommate (Randy Dietz - caddies for Jon Mills) flew in about 10:30pm (they took last week off). I picked him up at the airport about 11pm and then came back and went to bed.

I met Kevin this morning around 9am. We warmed up and then played a practice round with Darron Stiles. Kevin loved the course. It is in great shape and the greens are fast. Kevin spent extra time around the greens chipping and putting. We also worked on keeping his arms connected better through the swing.  Last week he talked about hitting alot of shots in the heel of the club. We talked and felt like he could do better keeping his arms connected to his body. To feel this, Kevin played most of his round with a golf glove under his right arm. He started hitting it much better. With his putter, I felt his rhythm was off. He practiced hitting putts with his eyes closed. This really helped him get a better rhythm and flow back into his stroke. With all of this, we had a great day of practice.

Tonight, I'm planning on having a little dinner and watching some MNF. It's kinda cool having MNF coming on at 5pm. I actually have a chance of staying up and watching an entire game!!!

Utah Championship - Friday

We teed off today at 2:00pm. The weather was great. It was sunny and about 65 degrees. Unfortunately, the weather was about the only thing that was good today. It seemed like we just could not get it right this week. When we played the ball to bounce and release - it would be soft and the ball would stop. When we played the ball to check and stop - it would bounce and release. We struggled with distance control, wind direction, etc. You name it...we struggled with it!! As easy as it seemed last week, it was twice as hard this week.

We ended up shooting two over (73) today for a three over total. The cut fell at one under par. The week can be summed up on the par five's. As much as we struggled, we just did not take advantage of the par 5's this week. There are five par 5's on this course and most of them were reachable in two. We were only able to make two birdies on the ten par five's we played in two days.

Next week in Boise, ID we will have to deal with the high altitude again. The weird thing about playing at high altitude is the adjustment changes with the temperature. Early mornings could only be a 5% adjustment and it could go up to 10% or more in the afternoon. So this is something Kevin and I will work on so we can be better prepared by next Thursday. I'm real excited about next week because I feel it is a perfect course for Kevin's game. I'm looking forward to it!!!

Utah Championship

Monday was a long day. My flight arrived into Salt lake City at 11:00pm (1am est), picked up my rental car, and finally made it to my hotel a little after midnight (2am). I was hoping the reviews I read about my hotel were wrong but when I checked in...it was worse then I expected. Oh well, at least the bed is comfortable!!!

Kevin and I met up on Tuesday a little after lunch. We practiced and then went out for nine holes with Casey Wittenberg. We finished our day shortly before 6pm. The club hosted a nice BBQ at the pool for everyone so I decided to hang around for some dinner.

On Wednesday, we were in the afternoon pro-am that teed off at 1:45. Kevin came out before lunch and we worked on the range. He also spent some time testing out some 2 irons. He was able to find one with a different shaft that now allows him to work the ball both ways. After lunch, we putted until our tee time. The pro-am finished about 7pm, stopped for some dinner on the way back to the hotel, and was in bed by 9pm.

Today we teed off at 9:10 with JJ Killeen and Jeff Quinney. The weather was cold and windy. Kevin played solid starting out and was 3 under through 10. He lost his tempo on the back and missed every green except the par five's. He fought hard to make pars but it finally caught up to us on the last three holes when he was unable to get those up and down. We finished at one over (72). Another thing that made it difficult today was adjusting for the high altitude. We are at 4800 ft so the ball flies much further here. Add that to the cold, windy, firm conditions...its tough!! After the round, we worked on tempo and he is feeling better about things. Looking forward to getting at it tomorrow!!!

Mylan Classic - Final Round

2010 Mylan Classic CHAMPION. Kevin shot a bogey free 67 to win by one shot. The win moves us to 14th on the Money List and in good shape for the rest of the year. (top 25 gain 2011 PGA Tour cards)

Kevin played great all day. Right from the first tee shot that he striped down the middle to the final 4-footer that he hearted in the center of the hole on the 18th. I was very impressed with his composure today. Our goal/thought for the day... "golf is a process, f*** results". We were so toned into the process, he was completely focused on hitting great shots. He was calm and in control all day. Nothing bothered him and he handled the pressure like a Champion.

I have a busy day ahead of me today. After the tournament last night, I drove 7 hrs home. I got home about mid-night. Woke up this morning and doing laundry. I'm flying out to Salt Lake City, UT this afternoon from Charlotte. I'm trying to get packed early so I can spend some time with the kids today. Thanks to everyone for their text, emails, phone calls and voice mails. The support means a lot!!!
                                                                                                                                                    

Mylan Classic - Round Three

Boy...we had a good time out there today. I had a friend, Jeff Faria, drive all the way down from Canada to watch us play. Teed off at 11:44 with Jason Gore and Rocco Mediate. Kevin started the day hitting a perfect tee shot off of number one and never looked back. The weather conditions were tough with the wind gusting up to 30mph and swirling. It was the toughest scoring day on the Nationwide Tour this year with a stroke average of 2.9 over par for the entire field. Kevin managed his game, stayed patient, and tied the low score of the day (68). Rocco Mediate spoke to Kevin after the round and told him how impressed he was with his game and told him not to change a thing. I thought that was pretty cool coming from a man that almost beat Tiger Woods in a playoff a few years ago at the US Open. 

After the round we practiced putting for a few minutes. The green speed was faster today so Kevin just wanted to work on his speed. It was a short session since he was tired and hungry.

We tee off tomorrow at 11:30 in the second to last group. Kevin is in 3rd place, 3 shots off the lead. Coverage on the Golf Channel starts tomorrow at 1pm - 4pm. If anyone can't sleep tonight...The Golf Channel will air today's round from 12 midnight til 2pm.

Mylan Classic - Round Two

First off this morning on number 10 at 7:20am. After this summer in the midwest with the heat index reaching into the 110's, I swore I would never complain about being cold again. Well, it was "chilly" this morning. I arrived at the club before sunrise and it was still dark when we started our warm up session. I'm just saying I wish I had a sweater or jacket to wear. (I'm not complaining)

Kevin played well today. One bad lie just off the green and an early "mud" ball caused two bogeys on the first nine holes. He was able to offset those bogeys with four birdies and turned at 2 under. A bad swing with a nine iron ending in a water hazard caused another bogey on our back nine but he finished strong with birdies on two of his last three holes. His 6 under total was good enough for the lead when we finished but I'm sure that a few guys will pass us this afternoon.

The weather forecast is calling for a cold front moving through the area later today. The high tomorrow is only expected to be in the mid 60's and the wind is forecasted to be gusting up to 30mph. The wind here at this course swirls through the valleys and it is very difficult to figure out. If the forecast stays true, it will take a lot of patience tomorrow. Looking forward to it!!!!

Mylan Classic - Round One

Teed off at 12:30 with Nate Smith and Scott Stallings. We got off to a tough start by bogeying the first two holes. A hooked four iron into a creek on number one and a hooked 3 wood off of the tee on number two into a creek lead to those bogeys. Kevin was fighting his swing to start the day. We could have easily been 5 over thru 6 holes but he showed his mental toughness and fought through it. He started hitting solid shots and gave himself 10 great looks at birdie on his last 11 holes. We played the back nine in 5 under par and finished the day at 3 under 68 (t-16th).

We are the first group off in the morning at 7:20am. That means a 4:45am wake up call. Time for bed!!!

Mylan Classic - Wednesday Practice

Wow...there does not get an easier day for a caddy!! Kevin was not in the pro-am, so we met at 10am. He had another treatment on his back and said it was feeling much better. After his treatment, we went to the range. He spent most of his time working on his wedges. We have struggled the last few weeks with distance control so he wanted to work on dialing in his yardages. After his range session, we worked on chipping. We have not played on bent grass in awhile so we spent a lot of time chipping and pitching from the bent grass rough. After some bunker practice and putting, our day was done.

This week is on the Golf Channel. The coverage starts at 3pm tomorrow. With our 12:30 tee time, we will be on the back nine during the TV coverage. So, there is a possibility we could get a little TV time tomorrow. Lets hope we give them something to put on the air!!!

Mylan Classic Tuesday Practice Day

The Mylan Classic is a new event just south of Pittsburgh, PA. Kevin was arriving to the course around noon so I had to leave the house at 5am. I packed and put everything in the car last night so all I had to do was get up, shower, and leave. The 4:30 wake up alarm wasn't too tough since I went to bed with the kids last night at 8:20pm. The drive up took about 7 hours and I pulled in to the course noon. Kevin's flight landed about 11:30 and he was at the course by 12:30. We had lunch and then he had some treatment on his back. He was complaining about a sore back last week and it has not improved.

After his treatment, he practiced putting and then went straight out for a practice round. We are not in the pro-am tomorrow so we played all 18 this afternoon. This course is extremely hilly and will be the hardest walk we have all year. Since we are only going to see this place once before the tournament, we spent extra time around the greens, chipping, putting, and charting the breaks of the greens. I also had to get all of the elevation changes on each hole, noting all of the adjustment yardages for the uphill and downhill slopes. It takes a lot of time to do all of this so we did not walk off of the golf course until 7:30.

My hotel this week is about 25 minutes away from the course. I'm staying near the Pittsburgh airport at a Four Points Sheraton. It's a little nicer then last weeks Jameson Inn!! I decided to stop at Chick-Fil-A for dinner and bring it back to the room. Its been a long day and I was in no mood to sit down in a restaurant. I'm tired and ready for bed!!!

Round Four Knoxville Open

Off at 8:33 this morning with Andrew Buckle. We had a great ball striking day - hitting all 18 greens. Unfortunately, we had a poor putting day. Three 3-putts with three 1-putt greens adds up to 36 putts total. Kevin struggled with his speed today starting right from the first hole. The greens early in the day were still alittle wet from the dew and they were rolling slower then the first three days. When they dried out, we continued to struggle. But in the big  picture, we made the cut, made big progress with the ball striking, and can now build on this into next weeks tournament.

After the round, I drove back to Morganton. Picked up the kids and went out to my club for the Parent Child Tournament. I played with Alex (4 yrs old) and my Dad played with Albany (7 yrs old). It was a three hole alternate shot format for the 7 and under age group. Alex and I shot 13 for three hole and won the age group. Albany and her Pop Pop shot 16 for the three holes and finished 2nd. We all had a great time.

I'll be home tomorrow and will drive up to Pittsburgh on Tuesday morning. Looking forward to a day at home with my parents and family. My wife, Geraldine turned 40 today and we did not have much of a birthday party for her. Maybe I can think of something to do with her tomorrow. At least the kids and I brought her home some hardware for the wall!! Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

Round Three Knoxville Open

Another perfect day here in Knoxville. We teed off at 9:45 with Jonas Blixt. It was an up and down day. Five birdies with four bogeys for a one under 71. Standing at -5 for the tournament in 52nd place. Kevin is doing a lot of good things but just needs to clean it up a bit. Nothing major. It's just one of those weeks where a little momentum could lead to a real low score.

Kevin had a lot of friends and  family come out today. Dennis, Brain, Bradley and Gray also came over from Morganton. After the round,  Kevin decided not to practice and take the afternoon off. He was frustrated with the round and he just needed to take some time away from the course.

We tee off tomorrow at 8:33 so it will be an early morning. I'm all packed and ready to get out of town. I will be going home as soon as we finish tomorrow. The Parent/Child Tournament is at Mimosa tomorrow. Our early tee time here will allow me to get home in time to play with Alex and Albany. The 7 and under age group plays three holes of alternate shot so as long as I can get home by 4:30, I will be able to play with them. My parents are also up visiting from Jacksonville, Fl so it will be nice to see them for a day.

Round Two Knoxville Open

We had a 12:50 tee time today. The weather was perfect. Starting the round off the 10th hole,  Kevin hit the opening tee shot left but was able to recover for a par. He hit the ball very well today. We were 3 under thru 9 holes (-6 total) and he hit it to 15 feet for eagle on number 1 (our tenth hole of the day). Unfortunately, we three putted (missing a 2 footer). He continued to hit it well but missed two birdie putts inside 5 feet and two other par putts from 6 feet. The greens this afternoon got very "crusty" and bumpy. Kevin felt like he was hitting good putts but the ball was not rolling well.

After the round, we went to the range and continued to work on the same things - staying connected with his arms and getting off his right side on the down swing. After hitting balls for about 45 minutes we went to the putting green and worked on his new setup. He feels like he just needs more reps with everything to get more comfortable.

We tee off tomorrow at 9:45. Missed getting paired with John Daly by two groups. Dennis Woolard called tonight to tell me that he, Brain and Bradley Reep, and Gray Miller are driving over tomorrow to watch us play. Looking forward to seeing them and having a good time.

Round One Knoxville Open

Up early for the second day in a row for a 7:50 tee time. Those 5:30 wake up calls are always tough. We were paired with Scott Sterling and Dustin Risdon and the weather was perfect today. Kevin struggled on the front with his ball striking -hitting only four greens. He managed to shoot even on the front and then played much better on the back - hitting eight greens and shooting three under. He did a great job hanging in on a average day and getting it in the 60's. I feel this is why he is going to be a great player. (Great athletes get the job done when they are not on top of their game) When we finished, -3 was good enough for t-9th and two off the lead but that will change as the afternoon wave tees off.

Kevin has his Mom, Dad, and girlfriend in town so we had a short practice session after the round. He hit a few putts and then spend most of his time working on the range. He is trying to get off his right side better on the down swing so most of the balls he hit were drills. The session lasted about an hour and then we were done.

I came back to the hotel and started booking flights, cars, and hotels for the next few weeks. No big plans for the night. Dinner at Pei Wei, Big Brother on CBS at 8:00, bed by 9:00pm. I know....it's sad....but true!!!!

Knoxville Open Tuesday Practice Round

Well, here we go....my first blog from the road. My home this week is the luxurious Jameson Inn. (For the right price....caddies will stay anywhere!!) Not the four star hotels you all are used to staying in but it will do. Just to let you know, we always priceline our hotels out here on the road and sometimes you win but sometimes you lose.

This is our first week of a nine week stretch. We had last week off and since Knoxville is only 2.5 hrs away, I was able to stay home one extra day and drive in this morning. Kevin arrived about noon and our practice day got started. (for those of you that may not know, I am working for Kevin Kisner this year) Kevin spent his week off working with his swing coach, Hugh Royer and putting coach, Pat O'Brien. He showed up this week with a new putting setup and new putter. He is working on standing closer to the ball and getting his hands higher at address when he putts. Putting this week will be very difficult. The bentgrass greens here have taken a beating with the summer heat. They are very thin and soft. This Tournament was moved from the spring to the summer this year and the course will play completely different then years past. Hitting the fairways this week will also be very important. Advancing the ball from the rough will be next to impossible.

Kevin worked on his putting and short game for about 3 hrs, hit balls for about an hour and then played the back nine. We joined up with Brain Bateman and Luke List. We finished about 6pm and left for the day. We are in the morning pro-am tomorrow teeing off at 7:50am so he was ready to get out of there. (and so was I).

Starting a Blog

After playing the TableRock Cup at Mimosa Hills and talking to Coach Terry Rogers, I have realized that there are a few people out there that would like to follow the progress of the players that I caddy for on the Tour. I thought that by creating a blog, I can keep everyone up to speed with how things are going. I will try to blog every few days and update everyone with the life of a Tour Caddy. I have never done this before, so please be patient with the progress. As I start to learn the ropes, I will try to add pictures,etc. Thanks for all of the support and I hope you find this a little bit entertaining. Feel free to tell anyone you think may be interested in reading this. Thanks