Q-School Finals Heartbreaker

PAINFUL I am sure that everyone has seen the final results from today and knows that we missed earning our PGA Tour Card for 2013 by one shot. Kevin shot five under par (67) on the fifth round and continued to climb right up the board. A total of 18 under over the last three rounds put us in 17th place; one shot inside the top 25 when the day started. 

Kevin played well today. Three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine had us turning at even par for the day. Even though we made three bogeys, only one came from a poor swing. After a birdie on the second hole, we drove it into the rough on three and it forced us to play our second shot short right of the green. We were unable to get that up and down but Kevin came right back with another great birdie on the par 3 fourth. That birdie was short lived as we decided to play our second shot on the reachable par 5 fifth at the green. Playing from 236 yards to the front and a water hazard right, we decided the best play would be a three wood left of the green and then try to get the ball up and down for birdie. Kevin hit a flush three wood but the ball never turned left and it landed about a yard short of the green in to the water hazard. That mistake led to the second bogey for the day. After two good pars on 6 and 7, Kevin made a great up and down on the par 5 eighth to get us back to one under par. But once again, that birdie was short lived when the first poor swing of the day came when the second shot missed the green right on nine. That bogey moved us back to even as we made the turn to the back nine. 

The back nine was just a bunch of missed opportunities. Kevin hit and drove the ball great. The only struggles came from a few wedge shots not going the correct yardages and then the putts not falling. Kevin fought hard and handled the pressure like a true champion. On one of the toughest finishing holes in golf, knowing we needed birdie, Kevin stood up and hit a perfect drive and then an 8 iron to ten feet. Just like Finals in 2009, we had a 10 footer to get his Card. A great putt that refused to break and rolled over the top edge of the cup. A total of 416 shots (16 under par) over six rounds of golf and we fall one shot short.

The feelings are awful. Almost a numbness and disbelief, maybe a bit of shock. And I'm just the caddy. I can't imagine what Kevin is feeling. So, now, I sit here in the Phoenix Airport waiting on my flight home. It's a "red-eye" but I don't think I'll get much sleep. It hurts. It brings tears to my eyes. It sucks. But I guess I have to remember that it's still just a game. I've been blessed to be able to travel the world, playing it professionally for 12 years and caddying for 7 years. I truly love my job and when it is all said and done, I wouldn't trade this for anything else. 

I want to thank great friends, Rick and Bev Newsome, that came all the way from Victoria, Canada and Harry Robinson, who drove seven hours from Pebble Beach, CA to support Kevin and myself over the past few days. It was great to see and spent time with you guys. I also want to thank each and everyone of you that continue to read my blog. The support is overwhelming. I hope everyone has a blessed Christmas. Thanks again for your support.

Q-School Finals - 3rd and 4th Rounds

Kevin made the move we needed to get back into the game!! His 13 under par over the last two rounds (66 - 65) puts us at 11 under total and only one shot off the "top 25" which stands at 12 under with two rounds to play.

The amazing part of the whole thing is Kevin's great play comes while not feeling well. He woke up during the night on Thursday with a fever but started to feel better as the day (Friday) went on. Symptoms came back last night (Friday) and he had a terrible night trying to get some rest. He was extremely tired all day today and things did not improve through round. We just kept the fluids in him and he was able to get through the day.

We tee off tomorrow on the Nicklaus Tournament course at 8:20. Let's hope some medicine tonight will help him get some rest and start feeling better.

Tour School Finals - Second Round

Two bad swings and one bad break lead to three golf balls into water hazards. The day got started with the opening tee shot finding the water. After a drop, Kevin made a great up and down from 120 yards and saved a bogey. We were able to get it back to even for the day when we arrived at the island green, par three, 17th (our 8th hole). A pull hooked iron did not find land and we finished the hole with a double. Another double bogey came on our 16th hole after a perfect drive found a sand filled divot in the middle of the fairway. We didn't catch it clean coming out of the divot and the ball failed to cover the water hazard short of the green. At the end of the day, it all added up to a three over round (75).

With perfect weather conditions, the scores for the first two days have been very good. With four rounds left, we will need something special to get us back into the mix. We will play the Dye Stadium course tomorrow and then the Nicklaus Tournament course on Saturday. Our tee time is 10:00 tomorrow.

Tour School Finals - First Round

It has been a tough few weeks. I drove home from Second Stage in Houston, TX and within two days, the entire family had the flu. We spent Thanksgiving week in the bed or on the couch. I flew out here to Palm Springs on Saturday but I'm still feeling the effects from the flu. I have not been able to regain my strength and have been extremely tired every night. So, with that being said, I'm going to try and keep the blogs short.

Kevin had three great practice days leading up to the first round today. We played the Nicklaus Tournament course and the weather was perfect. Kevin got off to a nice start, making the turn in three under. Things turned a little sloppy on the back. After going for the par five, 11th, we finished pin high right in two shots. Playing the third shot from a deep valley, Kevin's pitch shot was hit "thin" and shot across the green into a green side bunker. We were unable to get that up and down, finishing the hole with a bogey six. Two more bogeys and one birdie gave us a two over back nine and one under (71) for the round. 

After the round, we had some lunch and then practiced. We switch over to the Dye Stadium course tomorrow, so I went out and walked the course; checking pin positions, figuring out a game plan, etc. Kevin was still practicing when I finished. The sun was setting and it was getting dark, so we both called it a day. After a quick dinner and shower, it is time for a long nights rest. We tee off tomorrow at 9:30.

Second Stage Q-School - Third Round

We didn't play well today. We started off struggling with the ball striking early in the round. Some pull hooks with the driver that led to penalty shots and a few loose irons gave us three bogeys through seven holes. Kevin was able to work through it and steadied the ship. Two late birdies on the 15th and 16th holes got us back to even par for the day and that's where we finished (72). Our nine under total still keeps us in great position to advance. We are tied for sixth and four shots clear of the "number".

After the round, Kevin went through a few putting drills and then hit some balls. We focused on ball position and the pace off the ball. I thought he looked quick in the first move off the ball which effects the entire tempo of the swing. He also felt like his ball position was a little off so we just made sure it was where he wanted it to be. A round of golf is always about making adjustments. Kevin made the changes and was able to save the round. It was a hard fought day and we are pleased with the even par.

We tee off tomorrow at 10:10. Benji and his man shot the same score (72), so we will once again be paired together tomorrow. I look forward to another day of learning from one of the best club caddies in the world

Second Stage Q-School - Round Two

Kevin played well again today. With lighter winds but still cold temperatures, Kevin played solid, shooting five under par (67). Teeing off the back nine, we made the turn four under but had an up and down back nine which included four birdies, one bogey and one double. The double came from a poor swing with an 8 iron that was pull hooked into a greenside bunker and plugged. Kevin was not able to get the ball out of the trap and then failed to get the next bunker shot up and down. He bounced back nicely, with birdies on four of the next six holes. We finished the day with a bogey on the last after our drive found the right rough. With a little bit of tree trouble, we missed the green and couldn't get it up and down. It was a tough way to finish but our nine under total puts us only one shot off the lead with two rounds to play.

For the second week in a row, I get to caddy with my roommate. This week, I'm rooming with Benji Thompson. Benji caddied the year for Casey Wittenberg on the Web.Com Tour. They finished number one on that money list and will be spending next year on the PGA Tour. Since he is such a great caddy, Phillip Molica called Benji and asked him to come work second stage. They are also at nine under par through two rounds and tied with us. Can't wait to get out there tomorrow and learn a little something from my boy, Benji. 

2nd Stage Q-School - First Round

It was another cold and windy day. When we started today, temps were around 40 degrees and the wind was blowing a steady 15mph, making it feel like the upper 30's. Kevin played great all day. He only made one poor swing. It came off the 15th tee. We caught a break and had an opening to the green and still had a 20 foot putt for birdie. He managed his game perfect today, hitting 15 greens and putting the ball in the correct spots for easy up and downs. He was able to make four birdies with no bogeys for 68.

After the round, we had some lunch and then a light practice session. The winds have calmed down but the temps were still cold. We went through some putting drills and then hit some balls before calling it a day. We tee off tomorrow at 10:00. The forecast for the rest of the week has cool temperatures but calmer winds.

Disney - 2nd Round / Q-School Practice (Houston)

Friday at Disney was better. All areas of the game were better but we still fell short of making the cut by three shots. Kevin's one under par (71) put us two over for the week and sending us back to second stage of Q-School in Houston.

With Tour School starting on Tuesday, we both left for Houston on Saturday. I took the 14 hour drive from Orlando to Houston and rolled into town just before 7pm. Kevin flew over earlier in the day and then took me out for dinner after I arrived. On Sunday, we went out to the golf course about 9am but we were not able to tee off until 12 noon. After some short game practice, range work and lunch, we went out and played a nine hole practice round with Richard Scott and Chris Epperson. With the wind blowing a steady 15mph, Kevin played well. He finished his day with a workout.

Today was another windy day. With the wind blowing from the north, which makes this golf course play it's hardest, it also kept the temperature down as it struggled to get above 60 degrees. We played our practice round today with Richard Scott, Stephen Poole and Phillip Molica. Kevin is once again on point and ready for the week. Now it's time to go out and get it done.

We time off tomorrow at 8:50. The forecast is for another cold and windy day. 

Disney - First Round

We woke up to a cold and windy morning. With temperature hovering around fifty and the wind blowing about 15mph, the wind chill was in the low 40's as we went through our warmup. As the day went on, the temperatures rose but our game remained cold. Right from the start, Kevin struggled with his ball striking which meant slightly miss hits were being pushed off line and club selection was difficult in the windy conditions. The end result was a three over round (75). This puts us in a tough position heading into tomorrow but, with what I have seen earlier this week, I know a good round is within reach. On a positive note, Kevin's putting was very good. He made a lot of 6-10 footers and finished the day with only 28 putts. Now we just need to put it all together!!

Today, our amateur partner was a former Greenbay Packers (8yrs) and Minnesota Vikings (7yrs) placekicker, Ryan Longwell. Ryan is the fifth most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL but was released earlier this year by the Vikings for Georgia Bulldog placekicker, Blair Walsh. Ummm, could that be why we didn't play well today?

We tee off tomorrow at 11:45.

Children's Miracle Network Classic (Disney) - Practice

This is it. The final PGA Tour event for the 2012 season. Kevin stands at 167th on the money list and I am projecting a top three finish alone will give us enough to earn full exempt status for next year. A top ten will earn us Conditional Status on next years PGA Tour and a trip straight to the Tour School Finals. Anything else, will send us back to Second Stage of Tour School next week in Houston, TX.

Kevin arrived at Disney on Saturday and spent Sunday at the parks with Brittany, Stephanie, Eddie and the kids. I drove down to my parents in Jacksonville on Sunday and then met Kevin Monday morning. We had three solid days of practice. Because this event is a pro-am and played on two courses, the Tour allows us to play practice rounds in golf carts. On Monday, we played 27 holes with Scott Brown, Jason Bohn and Steven Bowditch. Tuesday was another fun day out on the courses as we played another 27 holes. We played in a fivesome with the same guys, adding Boo Weekley as the fifth. We finished our practice today (Wednesday) with a nine hole practice round. Kevin is hitting it well and has worked extremely hard on his putting over the past few weeks. He made an adjustment in his setup with the putter and it has made a huge difference. His head is now staying still and he is striking the putts dead center on the face. I liked spending the majority of our practice time out on the courses - hitting drives, chipping and putting. I think it gives us a better feel for things practicing on the course and I'm excited about the week. Kevin is relaxed and seems at peace with whatever happens.

Our tee times this week are 7:45 on the Palm (Thursday) and 11:45 on the Magnolia (Friday). Another cool thing the Tour does this week is allow the players to pick their playing partners for the first two days. Kevin is playing with longtime friend, Scott Brown. That means I get to caddy with my roommate, Nick Hughey. It will be the first time we have been paired together so Nick will get to see firsthand how great I am as a caddy. He has always heard how good I was, so now he will get to experience it. He will probably have trouble sleeping tonight!!!

Frys.Com Open

Once again we failed to get anything out of our rounds this week. With rounds of 72 - 74, we missed the cut. Kevin drove the ball great, hit a lot of quality iron shots (14 birdie opportunities inside 15feet) but the putter is not cooperating. Not being able to convert putts is putting too much stress on the rest of his game and it has been difficult to maintain a strong attitude.

With two events left on the schedule, we are leaving the west coast today and will meet in St. Simons Island on Monday. Next weeks event is at Sea Island where Kevin spent some time when he first turned professional. I am hoping getting back to a place he feels comfortable will turn the mojo around.

Frys.Com Open - Morgan Hill, CA (Practice)

The preparation for this week started last Saturday in Las Vegas. After missing the cut at the Justin Timberlake, I met Kevin Saturday morning and we went out to the TPC Las Vegas for some practice. On Sunday, we flew over to San Jose early, drove down to the club and had another practice session before spending the afternoon watching some football. Kevin is making a small adjustment with his ball position and also fiddling around with his putting grip so the two days were spent trying to work on those few adjustments.

Monday morning we played a nine hole practice round with Garrett Willis before the afternoon pro-am and then spent the afternoon practicing. Tuesday we played with Boo Weekley, Scott Brown and Steven Bowditch. Kevin's ball striking is solid but he's still not satisfied with the putter. After putting most of the year with a cross-handed grip, Kevin seems to be hitting his lines better with a conventional (right hand low) grip. We continued to work on it after lunch and he will decide today what we will go with on Thursday. After the putting session, we finished the day with some range work and then short game. We had a solid eight hour day and then Kevin capped it off with a late day workout when we finished.

Today (Wednesday), Kevin decided to have an afternoon practice session. We will meet up after lunch and go through our normal Wednesday practice routine. We tee off on Thursday at 1:20 with Erik Compton and Matt Marshall.

Justin Timberlake Shriners Open - Second Round

After the long practice session last night, Kevin played very well Friday. Starting the round on number 10, Kevin hit 8 of the first 9 greens all inside 20 feet. We were able to make four birdies and made the turn at 3 under par (even for the tournament). Another great shot to 3 feet on the 2nd hole (our 11th) got us within shouting distance of the cut. Knowing we needed to get three more birdies coming in, we miss clubbed, being too aggressive, and hit it over the green on the 3rd hole. That mistake put us in poor position and we could not get it up and down from that spot. We kept grinding and had some good looks coming in but we were just too far behind and ran out of holes. A late bogey on our 16th hole was forced by trying to chip in from the back fringe and we finished the day with a two under round (69).

This morning I met Kevin at 8:00am and we headed over to the TPC Las Vegas for some practice. We spent the morning hitting ball, chipping and putting. We finished up around noon and now we're getting ready to watch UGA play South Carolina this afternoon. We also decided this morning to fly over to California tomorrow morning and get a head start preparing for next weeks event.

Time for some football...Go Dawgs

Justin Timberlake Shriners Open - First Round

Obviously we didn't get off to the start we were looking for. Our three over par (74) puts us way behind and we will need a super low round tomorrow.

The round today got off to a decent start. Kevin hit it well early in the round, we had some good looks at birdie, and only a three putt bogey on the third hole was the cause of us being over par through seven holes. Trying to stay patient, letting the round come to us, and knowing we would have a lot more opportunities, all was good as we had a two group wait on the long par three 8th.

But that all changed when a poor swing sent the tee shot right into a hazard and we finished the 8th with a double bogey five. The poor swing unsettled Kevin. He hates the feeling he gets when he misses shots to the right and he would fight that feeling for the rest of the day. But as bad as he was feeling, he still hit a lot of quality shots and we had plenty of opportunities to get the round in at par or better. His speed was a little off with the putter and a few putts that looked good refused to fall in. 

After the round, we had a long practice session. He is putting the time in and will not be out worked. He has kept a great attitude and welcomes the challenge. We will go out and give it hell tomorrow and if it doesn't work out, we will be better prepared for next week. 

Out tee time is 1:10 tomorrow afternoon.

Justin Timberlake Shriners Open (Las Vegas) - Practice

Welcome back. I hope everyone is doing well. We've had four weeks off from competition and I am looking forward to getting back at it. After spending a month working on my own golf game and seeing minimal results, I'm ready to get on the other side of the bag, back where I belong, and let my pro take over. Kevin said that he took about four days off until he started working to get ready for the final run in the Fall Finish. He spent quality time with Rickey, worked hard on his short game and putting, played in some Pro-am events and has come to Las Vegas ready.

I flew in Sunday and met Kevin Monday morning to start the week. We played a nine hole practice round with Scott Brown before the Monday pro-am and then spent the afternoon going through our normal routine. We had another great practice round on Tuesday with Harris English, Brian Harman and Scott Brown and then spent today going through our Wednesday practice routine. Kevin is looking great and we are ready for the week.

We tee off tomorrow at 8:35 with Steve Wheatcroft and Patrick Reed.

Mylan Classic - Third Round

Not much to say tonight. Kevin once again hit it great. He is leading the field in greens hit in regulation as we only missed one green today. Kevin shot a 5 under par round of 66 and is in a tie for 5th only 2 shots out of the lead. He was able to get his putter reshafted yesterday and we putted OK today. Like any round, we could have made a few more putts but I feel he is putting well and stroking it fine.

Tee times have been pushed up tomorrow because of the weather forecast. We are teeing off at 9:36 in the second to last group with Brad Fritsch and Jason Allred. Oh, its fun to be in the mix!!

Mylan Classic (Pittsburgh, PA) - Round 1 and 2

I met Kevin Wednesday morning for the pro-am. We had a good pro-am/practice round as we got acquainted with the golf course once again. With softer fairways this year, the course is playing a little longer but seems to be in better condition then years past. After the round, we spent some time practicing and getting back into the routine after a few days off.

We had an afternoon tee time on Thursday and Kevin got off to a great start. Starting the day on the tenth, Kevin birdied 11, 12, 14, and 17. He added one more birdie on the par 3, 5th and we finished the day with a 5 under par - 66. It was a solid, no bogey, stress free day. We finished the afternoon hitting a few balls on the range before calling it a day.

Friday's 7:30 tee time welcomed us with some cool temperatures. We haven't seen temps this cool in a long time but it didn't take long for it to warm up. Kevin had another great day ball striking. After barely missing the green on number one, he hit 16 of the next 17 greens. Unfortunately, the putter would not cooperate. We could only manage one birdie through 10 holes before we found some trouble on the par 5, 11th. After a drive down the left side of the fairway, the balls kicks left, hits a cart path and then bounced through the rough into a water hazard. After a drop, lay up shot and then a wedge to 25 feet, we ended up three putting for a double bogey. Running a little hot, Kevin let the putter go at the bag and the bag won. I decided not to tell Kevin until he hit his tee shot on the par 3, 12th. After hitting a 7 iron to about 15 feet, I let him know that the putter was bent and we would not be able to use it for the rest of the day. He decided to putt with his three wood and he did pretty damn good with it. He made two birdies and one bogey to finish the round at even par (71). His five under total leaves us in 13th place heading into the weekend.

We tee off tomorrow 11:27 with Marc Turnesa and Aaron Goldberg.

Knoxville - Final Round

Kevin had a great day. We started the day in 51st place, shot 64 and finished in 14th. Kevin had another great day of ball striking and we finally made a few putts. The day was started with a nice chip in on the first hole for birdie and Kevin never looked back. The only time we were in a bit of trouble was on the par 4, 15th hole. After the drive finished in a fairway bunker, with his stance up close to the lip, Kevin missed the green right. But a great semi-flop shot to 4 feet saved the par and kept the round together. We finished the day off with another great up and down on the par 5, 18th after our second shot finished left of the green. That up and down gave us our seventh birdie for the day with zero bogeys. The hard work he has been putting in on his short game is paying off. It is keeping the bad days around par or better and the good days in the 60's.

After the round, we both grabbed a quick lunch and hit the road. I am excited to have Monday off at home so I can take Albany and Alex to their first day of school. I will drive up to Pittsburgh Tuesday and Kevin flies in Tuesday night. We will meet Wednesday morning for the pro-am. It's going to be fun to return to a place where we have so many great memories.

Third Round - Knoxville (Web.Com)

It was another solid day of ball striking but for the second straight day we could only manage two birdies. Through three rounds, Kevin is ranked 3rd in greens hit but 72nd in putting and 67th in total birdies. His one under par (70) today puts us at 5 under total and in a tie for 51st place.

We tee off tomorrow at 8:42 paired again with Russell Knox. When we finish, we both will go home for a few days before heading up to Pittsburgh. Kevin is scheduled to play in the Wednesday pro-am next week, so we will use the pro-am as our practice round.

Update - (PGA) Greensboro and (Web.Com) Knoxville

Last week Kevin played the last event before the FedEx playoffs at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC. It was nice to have another event close to home as we both had family and friends with us. At the start of the week, it looked like Kevin would need a top 5 finish to make it into the playoffs. We started the tournament a little loose with the driver and we struggled getting the ball in the fairway during the first two rounds. But Kevin's short game and putter once again kept us in the game and we made the cut on the number. The ball striking was much better on the weekend and we managed a great round of 66 on Sunday. Finishing the week t-46th.

When it was all over, Kevin finished 153rd in the FedEx Cup standings. Now the Tour will play the FedEx Playoffs over the next six weeks which will include four playoff events, a week off, and the Ryder Cup. The next PGA Tour event for us will be the start of the Fall Series in Las Vegas during the first week of October. We have four events remaining on the 2012 PGA Tour schedule.

Since we will have some time off, our plan now is to play a few Web.Com events. This week we are in Knoxville, TN and then we will play the Mylan Classic in Pittsburgh, PA next week. Kevin won the Mylan Classic two years ago and had another chance to win last year. Playing near the lead all week, we found ourselves only one shot behind playing the 72nd hole, eventually finishing 5th. After the Mylan Classic, Kevin will take some much needed time off and prepare for the Fall Series. His time off will allow me to play in a few events of my own which will include the NC Mid Amateur and a few major club events at Mimosa Hills. It will be fun for me as I start preparing for a little competition of my own.

This week in Knoxville has been solid. Kevin has hit the ball well so far this week with rounds of 67-71. Today's round was a little frustrating as we hit 16 greens but could only make two birdies. This week's golf course on the Web.Com Tour is set up much easier then the normal PGA Tour courses we have seen all year. With softer conditions, wider fairways, thinner rough and a shorter golf course; Kevin has given himself great opportunities. We will just need to make a few more putts over the weekend and we can move right up that board. We tee off tomorrow at 9:45 with Russell Knox.

Reno - Tahoe Open

This week can be summed up as "vanilla". We played ok, hit it ok, etc. I feel that most, if not all, of our mistakes we made this week can be blamed on being tired. Five weeks in a row had Kevin mentally and physically tired. It was tough to stay focused.

Kevin's 12 point total finished t-63rd. We had to take two double bogeys this week when our ball stayed up in a tree on two separate occations. Some people will play an entire career without having a ball get stuck in a tree and It happened twice in two days for us.

When we finished today, Kevan and Brittany found out that their flight this afternoon was cancelled. They were rebooked on a later flight tonight. I am also flying the red eye home tonight. We are all looking forward to a week off before Greensboro.

Reno-Tahoe Open - Practice

Scoring this week will be the Modified Stableford System. The player with the most points wins.

Double Eagle: 8
Eagle: 4
Birdie: 2
Par: 0
Bogey: -1
Double or Higher: -3

Our practice sessions have been short and sweat this week. This is week number five in a row and the energy levels are low. Monday was a day off for Kevin. He arrived late Sunday night from Canada and spent the day with Brittany in Tahoe. I could not fly out until Monday, so I spent the day traveling. We met Tuesday morning for breakfast and then headed out to the course. Kevin had a workout and then we started our practice. After some short game work and ball hitting, we played nine holes with Scott Brown and Bobby Gates. The elevation at the golf course is 5500 feet. The ball travels 10-15% further in the high altitude so that will be an adjustment all the players will have to deal with this week. Since we played here last year, Kevin made the adjustment quickly and we had a good practice round.

Another affect the altitude has is oxygen. The lack of it at this altitude makes the body feel tired and sluggish. We were the second alternate for the afternoon pro-am, so we arrived late morning to start our practice. We did not have to play, so we went through our normal Wednesday practice. We had a nice 4 hour practice session and left mid afternoon for some much needed rest.

Our tee times this week will be 1:50 Thursday and 8:50 on Friday. We play with Peter Tomasulo and Gregor Main.

Canadian Open - Final Round

It was the best ball striking day we had all week. Kevin hit it great right from the start and never let up. Playing with Vijay today was fun and we had the largest crowds all day. I just love watching Kevin in these situations as I can see his focus narrows and he steps up to the challenge.

After three nice pars to start the day, Kevin hit two great shots which lead to an easy two putt birdie on the par 5 4th hole. Then, with the tees moved up at the reachable par 4 5th, Kevin hit a perfect driver (308 yards) to 12 feet. Unable to make the eagle, we walked off with another easy two putt birdie. Things slowed a bit with a 3-putt bogey on the 7th, and we finished the front with two more pars. The putter was letting us down as we had 18 putts through 9 holes, but we were still under par for the day with nine to play.

The back nine was much like the front, hitting greens and two putting for par. With the exception of two great up and downs on the 13th and 17th holes, we couldn't make a putt. Standing on the 18th tee, two under for the day, we stuck to our game plan and hit a cut 3 wood off the tee. Unfortunately today, it traveled too far and went through the fairway into the creek that crosses the fairway. It was a tough pill to swallow because Kevin hit the exact shot we wanted. We had a game plan to hit the 3 wood all week because the 5 wood would leave us with over 200 yards, plus the up hill, to a severe green that slopes from back to front. It's always tough as a caddy when your player hits the perfect shot that you asked him to hit and it finishes in trouble. The bogey on the last cost us 10th place alone to a tie for 10th. It's just never easy.

After the round, I came across the border to Buffalo and will fly out tomorrow morning. My flights take me through Philadelphia, Phoenix, and then Reno. Kevin and Brittany flew out of Canada tonight heading to Reno. Kevin will have a much needed day off tomorrow with Brittany before we get back at it on Tuesday. I want to thank my good friends Jeff and Mel Faria for taking care of me this week. It's always great to come back to Canada where I have so many great memories from all my years playing up here. I ran into a lot of old friends and it was great to catch up with everyone. I just love it up here!!

Canadian Open - Third Round

What's the matter? I guess no one thought my last post was funny? Over 100 hits but zero responses/comments. Well, I thought it was funny. Today was another great day of caddying.

We struggled early with hitting fairways. Only hitting one fairway in the first 13 holes, we couldn't get the ball close playing from the rough. We had to lean on the short game once again to keep us in the round. The one fairway we did hit was the par 5 4th where Kevin hit a great 3 wood to 20 feet, making the putt for eagle. That eagle coupled with two bogeys on the front nine had us turning at even par.

Things started to come around on the back nine as Kevin hit a 5 wood from 238 yards on the par 3 13th to 4 feet. From then on, he hit it great for the rest of the round. The day was capped off with another great 5 wood on the par 5 17th to 30 feet. Kevin made that putt for his second eagle for the day. A nice up and down on the final hole had us finishing the day at 3 under par 67 (9 under total).

Nine under leaves us t-11th going into tomorrows final round. We tee off at 12:40 with VJ Singh. After the round we worked on the putter. Kevin didn't like how he hit a few of his putts today. After a short session on the green we hit a few balls before we called it a night. Can't wait to get after it tomorrow.

Canadian Open - Second Round

It's getting late so I'll sum it up quickly; GREAT Caddying today!

Canadian Open - First Round

The weather held off until the last hole. With showers and storms in the forecast for the entire day, we caught a break and played 17 holes without rain. But when the rain came, it came hard and fast. We played the 18th hole in a downpour and by the time we reached the green, it was under water and unplayable. After about a 30 minute delay, the greens staff was able to squeegee the green and we were able to putt and finish the round.

Kevin got off a nice start. He only missed one fairway and one green on the front nine. Even though he had a number of lip outs, we still made three birdies. A bogey on the tough par 3 (6th) was our only bogey and we turned at 2 under par.

The back nine we struggled with the ball striking. We only hit two fairways and one green on the back nine but Kevin's short game kept us it. We only made one bogey on the back and we were able to get it in at one under par (69). Frustrated with how things turned with his ball striking, Kevin showed a lot of guts today. We are not going to hit it well everyday/all day so the importance of a solid short game shined through today. I was proud of him.

We tee off tomorrow on number 10 at 8:50. Rain and storms are in the forecast again. Lets hope we can catch another break with the weather.

Canadian Open (Hamilton, Ontario) - Travel and Practice

Monday was a long day for both of us. Kevin's flight out of Jackson, MS was scheduled for 6:00am. After boarding the plane, they all had to come off because of mechanical issues. Long story short, Kevin finally arrived in Canada and got to a hotel around midnight.

I got home about 11pm Sunday night and my Monday got started by watching my kids play in the Western NC Junior. They did great. Albany (9) won the girls 11 and under division and Alex (6) finished 3rd playing with the 11 and under boys. After their tournament, they took me to the airport and my day was just getting started. I decided to fly into Buffalo, NY and then drive over to Hamilton, Ontario. After my delays, I finally arrived into Buffalo at midnight but my luggage decided not to come with me. After filling out the proper customs paper work, getting my rental car, and driving across the border; I made it to my hotel room at 3:00am. Even though it was all a pain, I am just thankful to arrive safely.

The plan was to meet Kevin around noon at the club. I woke up at 8:00 and headed out to find a Walmart to buy the necessaries I needed for the day. I needed shoes, socks, underwear, and a belt. Thankfully, I wore solid shorts and a collared shirt on the plane so I decided to wear those same clothes today. We played our practice round with Bud Cauley, Brain Harman and Hunter Hamrick. Kevin played well, hitting the ball much better today. After the round, we went to the range and worked on the same keys we had all day. It was a good session.

Tomorrow we will have the normal Wednesday routine. We plan on meeting about 10 in the morning. Our tee times this week will be 1:50 Thursday and 8:50 Friday.

True South Classic - Jackson, MS

I was not able to blog last week because the storms we had on Thursday afternoon knocked out the Internet at my hotel. They were not able to get the Internet up and running until Saturday afternoon. Teeing off Thursday morning, we were able to finish our round before the Tour had to suspend play for the day. Kevin played well during the first round, not making a bogey, and shooting four under par 68.

Another thunderstorm mid day on Friday kicked our second round starting time back to 6:40pm. We were only able to play five holes before play was called due to darkness on Friday night. Kevin made four pars and a birdie on those five holes.

Play was scheduled to restart Saturday morning at 7:00am. I arrived at the course at 5:45 but the Tour once again had to suspend the restart because of more storms. We were finally able to restart round two at 11:30. With the heat index at 104 degrees and walking in muddy, soft conditions - we were in for a long day. Kevin finished round two with a one under par 71 (5 under total). As soon as we finished, we had something to eat, changed our clothes and it was time to start round 3. We played until dark (16 holes) and we were even par for round three when play was suspended.

The restart for Sunday morning was once again 7:00am. We finished the round with an even par 72. The Tour decided to repair the field according to score for the final round, so we had a few hours before we started the final round. Kevin was able to manage a two under par (70) and we finished the tournament at 7 under for the week. Kevin ball striking was not what we liked for the week and we had a lot of putts lip out on the greens. But on a positive note, Kevin's short game was awesome and it was the glue that kept the rounds together. Because of his short game, we at least had the opportunity to shoot low.

When we finished, we were both worn out. We just played 50 holes over a 28 hour period with heat indexes over 100 degrees. But there was no rest for the weary. Kevin was flying out to Canada in the morning and I flew back to North Carolina for the night before heading to Canada on Monday afternoon.

True South Classic (Jackson, MS) - Tuesday

After missing the cut at the John Deere, we both went home for the weekend. I left at 4:30am Saturday morning and was able to make it home for dinner with the family. On Sunday, Kevin's instructor, Rickey Sullivan, drove over to Aiken from Charleston to work with Kevin for the afternoon. After driving 13 hours home on Saturday, I decided not to drive another 10 hours (20 hour round trip) over to Jackson, MS on Monday. With Kevin not arriving until Tuesday morning, I got on the first flight out of Charlotte this morning. We met on the putting green around noon and started our practice. With the heat index over 100, it did not take long for us to be soaked through our shirts.

We played our practice round with Scott Brown, Tommy Biershenk and Colt Knost. Kevin hit it much better today. Kevin and Rickey worked out the right shot and Kevin feels much better about his swing. We made sure we continued with our short game work around each green and we had a very productive day. We finished the day about 6:00pm and we were all soaked with sweat from head to toe. The shower could not come fast enough.

Tomorrow we will play golf off site. It will be a great way to keep working on the swing and stay rested by riding in a cart. Our tee times this week are 8:39 Thursday and 1:39 Friday. We will be paired with Brendon Todd and Zack Reeves.

John Deere Classic - Round Two

Well, we made enough birdies (7) today to shoot low. Unfortunately, we added six bogeys to go along with them. Right from the start, we continued struggling with hitting the ball to the right. After hitting a perfect tee shot on number one, we missed a wedge right that finished buried in the greenside bunker and we once again started a round with a bogey. That trend continued all day. In fact, all ten of our bogeys this week occurred after missing a shot to the right. This is something we will need to fix before The Viking Classic next week in Jackson, MS.

After the round, Kevin decided to fly home tomorrow morning with Brittany for the weekend and said he will head over to Jackson, MS on Tuesday. Since he has decided to do this, I've decided to leave tomorrow and drive home. I will have a 13 hour trip tomorrow, so I'll leave early and try to get home for dinner with the family. I'll spend Sunday at home and will drive over to Mississippi on Monday.

John Deere Classic - First Round

With perfect conditions here in Moline, IL, we got off to a tough start. Teeing off of the par 5 - 10th, our 5 iron lay up shot went right into a water hazard leading to a bogey. Another shot right off the eleventh tee finished again in a hazard but it stayed on the edge, in the grass, and we had a shot. Kevin was able to get the ball pin high but we could not convert the up and down. Two over through two was testing our patience early. Things did not get better as we missed a few birdie opportunities and then added another bogey on our 6th hole (#15). Determined not to let this round get away from us, we kept talking about patience, forgetting the past and grinding it out.

Kevin's ball striking started to come around. A wedge to 3 feet on the par 5 - 17th (our 8th) gave us our first birdie of the day. He then drove it great the rest of the day. We still missed a few iron shots right but he was able to make some great up and downs on the back nine to get us in at one over par - 72. Even though the scores were low today, Kevin's round at least gives us an opportunity tomorrow.

After the round, we went through the normal routine. He's not struggling during our practice sessions so we just need to get it out on the course. We should be able to take some confidence from our back nine today and feed off of that tomorrow. We tee off at 1:50 on number one.

John Deere Classic - Tuesday Practice

We had a great day of practice today. We met at 9am and warmed up for a 10:00 practice round. We played nine holes with William McGirt and Tommy Biershenk. Kevin hit it well and we spent extra time around the greens working on the short game. We played a little game where I put Kevin in nine realistic up and down positions (one on each hole) and he was able to get all nine balls up and down. After the round, we went over to the short game area and continued to work on the short game. When we finished there, we took a break for lunch and then finished the day with some more range work and putting. It was a perfect, productive day.

When we finished, Kevin went to workout and I decided to find a local course for a little practice and play of my own. It wasn't much of a place but it was fun and I spent the rest of the day playing golf. Tomorrow we plan on having a light practice day at the course. Our tee time for Thursday is 8:40 off number 10 with Stephen Gangluff and Will Claxton.

John Deere Classic (Silvis, IL) - Monday Practice

After missing the cut last week at The Greenbrier, Kevin flew over to Moline, IL Sunday afternoon and was able to play a practice round late with Willaim McGirt. I had the family with me last week, so I stayed with them on Saturday and spent Sunday driving. After 11 hours, I called it quits in Peoria, IL and only had an hour and half drive this morning. I met Kevin about 10am and we had a practice session before we started the pro-am at 11:30.

The pro-am took 6 hours so we called it quits for the day when we finished. Our plan for tomorrow will be a 9 hole practice round, lunch, and then practice.

Travelers Championship - First Round

Kevin played solid all day. We had a nice, stress free front nine, turning at 2 under for the day. After two missed 8 footers on 10 and 11 for birdie, Kevin got hot with the putter. Three straight birdies on 12, 13 and 14, then a great 20 foot par putt save on 15 had us 5 under for the day. A "mini" bad break on 18 after a good drive finished on a side slope in the fairway led to our only bogey for the day. From this lie, we were unable to hit the green from 130 yards and then failed to get the ball up and down from the greenside bunker. It was a disappointing way to finish, but he played well and his 4 under par (66) has us tied for 5th place after one round.

Tomorrow we tee off number 10 at 8:39 in the morning.

Travelers Championship - Hartford, CT (Practice)

Kevin and I both arrived Monday evening and met up Tuesday morning at 7am for our practice round. After a morning workout and some practice, we played with Lucas Glover, Tommy Biershenk and Kyle Thompson. Kevin hit it well today with the exception of losing some focus late in the round. Our practice round slowed down on the back nine with long waits on every tee and it was hard to maintain focus. After the practice round, we hit a few balls and finished the day with some putting. Kevin's instructor is here this week and likes everything he sees from Kevin. We are just trying to maintain what they have been working on all year.

Tomorrow we decided to once again play off site for our practice day. Rickey was able to set up golf at Friars Head on Long Island. Friars Head opened in 2002 and is ranked in the top 100 in the world. We have heard nothing but great things about Friars Head and we're looking forward to seeing what it is all about. I am also excited to get back to Long Island. A place I grew up and haven't been in over 10 years. It will be a special day.

Kevin tees off Thursday at 1:39 with Richard Lee and Mark Anderson.

FedEx St Jude Classic - Round Three

Another solid day. With the wind gusting and swirling, it made it very difficult to pull the correct clubs. There were times it made us look stupid but Kevin hung tough and was able to knock down five birdies to offset the five bogeys. His even par round (70) maintained pace with the field and got us one shot closer to the lead heading into the final round tomorrow. We are tied for 4th, one shot off the lead.

With the chance of rain rolling in tonight and the forecast of thunderstorms in the afternoon, the Tour had decided to bump up the tee times tomorrow. We will be playing in threesomes off the first and tenth tees. Our tee time is 8:44 with Dustin Johnson and Robert Allenby.

FedEx St Jude Classic - Round Two

The kid played good today!! (four under par - 66) We got off to a slow start with a missed tough up and down on 10 (our first hole) for bogey. We added another bogey on our 4th hole with a 3-putt and we were two over par early in the round. But he didn't panic, showed great patience and let the round come to him.

It all got started when we least expected it. He flushed a 3 wood off the 15th tee that went 298 yards (according to Shotlink) and we were blocked out by a tree. We had to play about 10 yards left of the hole from only 100 yards but then he ends up making the putt for birdie. From there, we had a tap in birdie on the next hole and then made four in a row making the turn. We played a stretch of 8 holes in 6 under par and found ourselves only two off the lead. Kevin's last birdie found the cup from 55 feet on the par three 4th. He had a couple more good looks for birdie coming in that missed but also made three great up and downs to keep the round together. Statistically, we hit less fairways and greens today but we were never in trouble today (punching out). It was just a good solid round of golf with nothing special.

Kevin's five under total has us in a tie of 5th with two rounds to go. We tee off tomorrow with Ken Duke at 12:03. I also want to give an early birthday shout out to Brittany. Her birthday is tomorrow!! Happy Birthday Brittany!!

FedEx St Jude Classic - Round One

We had a solid day. With windy conditions this morning, Kevin shot one under par - 69. The driver was a little loose as we had some tree trouble six times but he was able to recover well. We only made one bogey on those six holes and that one bogey was a missed 5 foot putt for par.

Kevin's iron game was really solid all day. He gave himself great looks but was unable to knock them down. He once again hit good putts but they were just slightly off. We need to somehow find a way to get back putting like a kid. See it, Feel it, Hit it.

We tee off tomorrow at 1:48 off of number 10

US Open Qualifier - Atlanta, GA (Monday)

After two weeks off, we started the week in Atlanta, GA at the River Club for the 36 hole Sectional Qualifier for the US Open. We both drove to Atlanta and met Sunday morning for a practice round. The River Club was in great shape and the greens were fast. We woke up Monday morning to some unsettled skies and played 6 holes in the rain before play was suspended due to lighting. The delay lasted about an hour but the rest of the day was played in perfect conditions. We played sloppy in the morning, making two double bogeys and had three 3-putts, finishing the morning round with a 74. The afternoon round was a little better. We still struggled with the swing but Kevin was able to manage it around without making a bogey and shot 69. With only 3 spots available, his 143 total finished in 8th place, 6 shots from qualifying.

After the round, we had a quick dinner and I headed out for the 7 hour drive over to Memphis, TN. We are playing in the FedEx St Jude Classic this week. I was able to drive about 3 hours before I called it a night in Birmingham, AL. I drove the rest of the way this morning and met Kevin around noon at the golf course. He flew in this morning, had a workout and some lunch before we started our practice. We did some putting and range work before playing nine holes. He is still not completely happy with his ball striking but it is getting better and we had a solid nine hole practice round.

After the round, we hit a few more putts before we called it a day. After dinner, Kevin was suppose to pick Brittany up at the airport but someone made a mistake with the travel plans. Brittany was all packed, at the airport ready to check in but there were no planes leaving. She was so excited to come to Memphis, she showed up at the airport a day early. Her flight doesn't actually leave until tomorrow. Sorry Brittany, but that was a funny story that I just had to share with everyone and I'm sure it was all Kevin's fault!!

Tomorrow we will be playing 18 holes off site for our Wednesday practice. I've also been invited to play so I'm looking forward to playing some golf myself. We tee off Thursday at 8:48 with Fran Quinn and Luke Guthrie

Byron Nelson - Third Round

Blow wind, blow. We woke up this morning to wind blowing 20mph and gusting up to 30mph. Because there were more then 78 players making the cut, tee times were split off the 1st and 10th tees in threesomes. We teed off number 10 with Chris Riley and Roberto Castro. Kevin continued to hit it well but it was extremely difficult to get shots close to the hole. Good shots in conditions like today were ending up 20-30 feet from the hole all day. We were only able to convert two birdies with our three bogeys that gave us a one over par (71).

Our two over total leaves us t-53rd but only four shots from a top 20. Because the size of the cut, the Tour made another Saturday cut to the top 70 and ties. Now with less then 78 players for tomorrow, all tee times will be off number 1 in twosomes. We tee off tomorrow at 8:14 with Gary Woodland. The forecast for wind tomorrow is 10-15mph. A solid round will go a long way. 

Byron Nelson - Round Two

Things got off to a rocky start today. After making a nice par on ten to start the round, we found trouble on 11 which got us off to a horrid start. It all started with a disagreement with our club selection off the tee which was then magnified by a poor shot from the fairway bunker into the water hazard. The sequence of events caused a bad exchange in communication with each other. It put us both in bad attitudes and we struggled for the rest of the day.

After taking a drop, we failed to get the ball up and down from just off the green and made double. More missed up and downs on 13, 15, 2 and 3 put us at six over for the day through 12 holes and in danger of missing the cut. With his back against the wall, Kevin made two birdies and a few nice up and downs coming in to finish the day at 4 over (74) and inside the cut number.

With the wind blowing a steady 20-30mph, it was a tough day for everyone both physically and mentally. But as tough as it was, we need to work on patients and the understanding that we don't have to be perfect. After the round, we worked on the short game and then headed over to the range. We finished the session with some putting before we called it a day.

Byron Nelson Championship - Round One

Kevin played well today. He did not feel good with his swing all day but he worked through it. He drove the ball well and managed a great short game. He has been working hard on his chipping and putting and it was fun to see some putts falling as we finished the day with no bogeys for a 3 under par round of 67.

After the round, we headed to the range and worked on the swing. A slight adjustment to his setup position helped with getting the club in a better position on the downswing. Now his body and arms are working properly again and he started to hit it great. We finished the day with a few putts before we called it a night.

We tee off tomorrow morning at 8:30 on number 10.

Byron Nelson Championship (Dallas, TX)

My plan was to take the 15 hour drive to Dallas on Sunday but all that changed when I woke up Sunday morning. I woke up early and something was telling me not to drive. I went downstairs, turned on the computer, saw the bad weather across Tennessee, went to US Airways.com and decided to buy a plane ticket. Now that I was flying, I was able to spend Mother's Day at home and I flew out early Monday morning.

I landed just before Kevin in Dallas, so we met at the airport. He was going to spend the day working with his putting instructor, Pat O'Brien. Kevin wanted to work with Pat out on the golf course. Since the Monday pro-am was going, we headed over to Texas Star Country Club and played 18 holes. We had a great day as all three of us played and Pat was able to see Kevin's routine and habits during the round. They made an adjustment with his left hand grip position and also with his thumb position on his right hand. It was the perfect way to get a lesson and we had a very productive day.

Tuesday morning we played a practice round with Garrett Willis, Andres Gonzales and Stephen Gangluff. Kevin's tempo was just a little off but he rolled it great all day. After the round, we went to the range and he starting hitting it fine. We finished the day with some putting matches with Garrett Willis and Tommy Gainey.

Tomorrow we are heading over to the Nike facility (The Oven) for some practice.

Wells Fargo Championship - First Round

Its been a long day today so just a quick little blog. Kevin hit the ball great today. We hit 17 greens (T-2nd) but took 35 putts (T-148th). Once again we could not get the putts to fall. Kevin's even par round (72) keeps us in the game. All we need to do is see a few putts fall and the momentum will change quickly.

After the round, we had some lunch and then went to work on the putting green. After some putting, we spent time chipping before we called it a day. Traffic was bad getting out of Charlotte so it took me a little longer to get home. When I walked in, Alex was ready to go play golf so I took him out to the club and we were able to get five holes in before dark. From there, we headed over to watch Albany's first softball game of the season. We finally made it home about 9:30, took showers, and got them tucked into bed. Now its time for me to get some sleep.

We tee off tomorrow at 2:25 on number one. Thanks to everyone that made it out today. Looking forward to seeing more of you all tomorrow and on the weekend.

Wells Fargo Championship (Charlotte, NC) - Practice

It has been an easy week so far for the caddy. Kevin played in an off site Pro-am on Monday and did not arrive to Charlotte until late Monday. We met up Tuesday morning at Quail Hollow for our practice round. Kevin's instructor is here with us this week and he brought one of his students, a University of South Carolina standout, Katie Rose Higgins. Katie Rose was the "caddy's caddy" today. She carried the bag and had the full experience walking inside the ropes, learning from Kevin's practice routine.

We had a great day playing with Zach Johnson, Ryuji Imada, and Tommy Biershenk. Kevin continues to hit the ball great. Quail Hollow was playing extremely firm and fast for a Tuesday practice round. We are not use to seeing the course play this firm and fast this early in the week. Usually the course firms up as the week goes on, so if this trend continues, we will be playing on some of the toughest conditions we have seen all year. Kevin is still having a few issues with the putter so, after the practice round, we headed over to the putting green and worked on a few things that Rickey suggested. The ball seems to rolling better so he will continue working on these things on Wednesday.

Since I am making the one hour commute this week from Morganton, Kevin told me to stay home Wednesday. Kevin and Rickey spent the day practicing and running through our normal Wednesday practice routine. We tee off Thursday at 9:00am on number 10 with Brian Harman and Frank Adams.

Zurich Classic - Second Round

What a disappointing ending to a hard fought day. Kevin put out a great effort but we have zero to show for it when it was all said and done. His one under par (71) fell one shot short of making it to the weekend.

It was another solid ball striking day but we were only able to make two birdies. For the second day in a row, we could not make the putts. We could only manage five birdies over two day which just does not allow for any other mistakes. Even though our mistakes were minor, we could not hide them.

Next week we will be close to home in Charlotte, NC for the Wells Fargo Championship. I'm already packed and ready to hit the road. I plan on leaving about 4am tomorrow for the 11 hour drive. I'll spend a few days home before we start the new week.

Zurich Classic - First Round

It was a solid ball striking round. Kevin was ranked 13th in driving accuracy and 4th in greens in regulation after the first round. We got off to a solid start but the momentum of our round was slowed on the 17th hole (our 8th) after a three putt bogey which was followed by a missed drive right into a water hazard on the reachable par 5 - 18th. The 2 or 3 shot swing turned the momentum around as we turned at one over par for the day. A solid back nine of one under had us finishing at even par (72).

The day could be summed up with poor putting (142nd putts/round and 115th in putts/GIR). A combination of miss reads (by the caddy...I started reading putts last week) and miss hits (by the player) are to blame. So, we spent the majority of our time practicing putting after the round. A slight adjustment in his eye position and ball position seemed to help. With all of that, we left the golf course in a much better frame of mind for tomorrow.

After a nice dinner with Kevin and my roommate, Nick Hughey (Scott Brown's caddy), it time for some rest. We tee off tomorrow at 1:40pm.

Zurich Classic (New Orleans, LA) - Practice Days

The Monday pro-am went well. Kevin's body was a little tired but he continues to hit the ball well. During the pro-am, we spent some extra time focusing on chipping. Since the pro-am took almost 6 hours to play, when we finished, he decided to call it a day and get some rest.

After an 11 hour nap, I met Kevin Tuesday morning for a full day of practice. He started his day with a workout so I went out on the course alone to do some course work. We met up after lunch and spent a few hours chipping and putting. After hitting a few balls on the range, we played a late nine hole practice round with David Hearn. It was a nice practice round as we continued to work hard on the chipping and putting around the greens.

Wednesday was once again our normal practice day. Kevin once again started his morning with a workout before we started our practice. We hit some balls, hammered out a solid chipping session, then finished the practice day with some putting. We finished up early this afternoon and headed home for some much needed rest.

We tee off tomorrow morning at 8:40 with Steve Wheatcroft and Jason Kokrak.

Valero Open - Final Round

Sunday's round was not our best effort. We struggled from the start. Playing from the woods on the first two holes got us over par early and we were two over through two holes. Kevin settled in and started hitting a lot quality shots. Unfortunately, the short game did not follow. We missed the green with a bunch of wedges, even including some chip shots. We were putting from 20-25 feet no matter if we hit the green from the fairway or chipping. That, as we found out, will make it a long day on the PGA Tour. The final round (77) bumped us back to a tie for 47th.

After the round, we packed up Kevin's clubs into my car and I hit the road for the 8 hour drive to New Orleans. Kevin was playing in a pro-am Monday morning so I drove the entire way Sunday night, arriving around 1:00am. Monday morning at 9am, we were back at it preparing for the Zurich Classic.

Valero Open - Third Round

Wow, what a difficult day. This course is tough enough without wind but when you add 25mph conditions, it is down right brutal.

Knowing it would be difficult, we got off to a solid start with two descent looks at birdie on the first two holes. All that changed quickly with two nine irons on the next two holes (3 and 4). On the par 3 third, playing straight down wind, a slightly thin nine iron failed to carry the water hazard, leading to a double bogey. On the very next hole, a solid nine iron was blown too far to the left, missing the green in the wrong position. We were unable to get the next shot on the green and then missed a 5 footer for bogey. The back to back doubles tested our patients. Knowing it was going to be difficult for everyone, we stayed committed to the process. After a poor 3-putt bogey on 8 had us 5 over par for the day, Kevin looked at me and told me he still felt like we could shoot 5 under on the back.

Well, he almost did it. Birdies on 12 and 14 and then a great eagle on 17 after driving the green for the second day in a row gave us 32 (-4) on the back nine. Kevin's one over par (73) kept pace on a difficult day. We are now tied for 21st and only 4 shots from 3rd place. The forecast tomorrow is for calmer conditions. We tee off at 10:15 with Nathan Green and Brendon Steele.

Valero Open - Round Two

We had perfect conditions this morning for the opening nine holes. The winds started blowing as we made the turn and it turned downright ugly with about four holes left to play.

Kevin took advantage of the calm conditions birdieing three of the first eight holes and made the turn at three under par. Our first bogey came on 12 as the tee shot found the fairway bunker and we could not advance the ball to the green. We were able to get that shot back on the par 5 - 14th but a double bogey on the very next hole took away any momentum we gained. With the 15th hole turning back into the wind, a poor 4 iron from the fairway finished wide right of the green. With our only option being a pitch out backwards away from the green, we failed to get it up and down from 55 yards and made double. Play was suspended for a thunderstorm after we drove the green on the 347yd par 4 17th hole. After a 2 hour delay, Kevin was able to 2-putt for birdie and then made a nice up and down par save on 18. His 2 under par (70) put us at 1 under for the tournament.

With the afternoon wave still playing in the heavy winds, scores soared and Kevin's one under total has moved up into a tie for 16th. The second round was suspended due to darkness about 8pm and it will resume tomorrow morning at 7:30. Once play is completed, the cut will be made, tee times set and the third round is expected to begin around 9:45am with tee times going off of the 1st and 10th tees.

Valero Open - Round One

With the wind gusting and coming from the opposite direction then our practice rounds, we got off to a nice start with birdies on 10 and 11. Kevin's iron play was solid all day. He missed a few drives but he didn't miss an iron shot. His one over par (73) leaves us in 61st after round one.

Our troubles came from a few tee shots missed right. We missed the fairway on 15 into a right fairway bunker and another on number 1 into the right trees; both led to bogeys. One more tee shot right on number 4 finished in a lateral hazard in the right trees. After a penalty drop and then a chip out, we finished the hole with a double bogey.

After the round, we went to the range and worked with the driver. Kevin focused on the things he has been working on with Rickey and he straighten it out. After a bag of balls, we hit a few putts and called it a day. We tee off early tomorrow at 8:30.

Valero Texas Open (San Antonio, TX) - Practice Days

We had a good practice round Tuesday morning playing with Scott Brown and Bill Lunde. The TPC San Antonio is a very long golf course with difficult green complexes. Short game and putting will be tested this week so we have spent the majority of our practice time on the short game. Kevin has brought out an old putter that he had a lot of success with over his mini tour career. It is the same type (an Odyssey Two ball) that he has been using for the past year but it is a different style (blade). He seems to be much more consistant starting his ball on his intended line which is something he has struggled with over the past few months. We look forward to putting it to the test tomorrow.

Today, we had our normal Wednesday practice day. We spent the entire morning chipping, bunker play and putting. After a lunch break, we hit balls and then did some more chipping and putting. It was a great day practicing and preparing. We tee off tomorrow at 1:30 on number 10 with Garth Mulroy and Seung-Yul Noh.

Valero Texas Open - Monday

After 16 hours of driving on Sunday and then another 3 hours this morning (1259 miles), the Pontiac G6 rolled into the parking lot at the TPC of San Antonio at 9:45am. Kevin was playing in the pro-am starting at 11am. His flight was delayed this morning and he arrived just in time for the start. It was a good day, getting back to work and preparing for the week. After the pro-am, we finished the day with some range work and putting. We will get back at it tomorrow morning at 8am.

This week, I am fortunate to be staying at the home of Chip and Gay Saunders. They are members at Mimosa Hills in Morganton and they spend about half the year here in San Antonio. They are in Morganton this week, so I have the house to myself. With spending so many nights in hotels rooms, this is a great way to spend a week. It is now time to get some rest after two long days.

Shell Houston Open - Friday

After a long day, we shoot one over par and miss the cut. We caught a bad break for the first round as the Tour had to make the guys play the ball down for round one. Since the first round started Thursday morning under those rules, the Tour could not allow lift, clean and place after the heavy rain yesterday and over night. Kevin drove the ball great but we had zero control from the fairways. I have never seen so many balls with so much mud on each and every hole. There was nothing we could do. We managed it the best we could, shooting even par (72) even though we had balls flying "sideways" finishing so far off line; two of them ending in water hazards.

When we finished, we had about 1/2 hour to get ready for the second round. The Tour played lift, clean and place for round two. Kevin continued to drive it great but struggled with the putter. Only missing two greens through 13 holes, we could only manage two under par to that point. With 5 holes left to play and hanging on the "cut number", we missed the next three greens; making bogey on each of those holes. In a blink of an eye, we watched the entire day go down the drain. We once again left too many opportunities out there. Hitting it well, we only missed 8 greens for 36 holes and played those 8 holes 6 over par. We played the par 5's one over without a birdie and had a total of 63 putts. For the second year in a row, we leave the Shell Houston Open very frustrated.

As for leaving, we are all heading home tomorrow. I will be back pounding the pavement at 3am for my 16 hour drive home. I am hoping to get home before the kids go to bed. It looks like we will have two weeks off before our next start in San Antonio. We did not qualify for The Masters next week and we will need an exemption to get into Hilton Head the week after The Masters. We'll get our rest and try to do better next time.

Shell Houston Open - First Round (Suspended)

No golf for us today. A storm rolled in just before our 1:40 tee time and play was suspended at 1:30. It dropped about 1.5" of rain and the Tour could not get the course back playable before dark. Play was officially called for the day about 4:45pm. The practice facilities were open so we went out and hit a few balls, chipped and putted.

It looks like we will be in for a long haul tomorrow. Our tee time is set for 7:40am and as soon as we finish 18, we will go right back out for the second round. Some isolated thunderstorms are in the forecast for tomorrow but, if all goes well, we should get 36 holes in before dark.

As for Kevin's hip, he said it felt "better" earlier today during our first warm up. When we came back out tonight, we mainly hit short irons and only a few 3 woods. We did not hit the driver. He said it felt fine so he didn't want to push it. We have a lot of golf to play tomorrow.

Shell Houston Open - Practice Days

When we arrived Tuesday morning, we went to the putting green to find a putter. Kevin's main concern was finding a putter with the same feel as his Odyssey Backstrike. He found another Odyssey putter with the same insert which provided the same feel. This putter produced the type of stroke his putting instructor, Pat O'Brien, was looking for with the same feel / distance control as his old putter.

After finding a putter, we warmed up and played a practice round with Vaughn Taylor, David Mathis and Matt Bettencourt. Mathis and Bettencourt only played nine and Vaughn continued on with us. Kevin played well and we had a great day with Vaughn, listening to Ryder Cup stories. Vaughn played on the 2006 Ryder Cup Team in Ireland. After the round, we had some lunch and Kevin had his left hip worked on by the physical therapist. His hip has been bothering him and got worse through the round. It really bothers him when he hits the driver. After his treatment, we went through our practice routine, concentrating on the short game and putting. Kevin finished his day with a workout and then took Brittany and I out for a great dinner in downtown Houston.

Wednesday was a light day. Kevin's hip is still bothering him when he starts hitting the longer clubs. His ball striking is good, so we didn't force the issue and spent most of the session on the scoring irons, chipping and putting. We tee off tomorrow afternoon at 1:40 with Erik Compton and Kyle Reifers.

Shell Houston Open - Monday Qualifier

As I was leaving the hotel this morning for the qualifier, Kevin text to let me know we moved to first alternate. We talked about not even going but since there was a pro-am on the Tournament course, we decided to head over to the qualifier. Kevin has only hit balls since his wedding, so we thought it would be good to get out on a golf course and play. But the day didn't last long. An official came out and told us we were in the field after only 5 holes into the qualifier. We hopped on the cart and headed in to the clubhouse.

We went over to the Tournament course, registered and then practiced. After some range work and chipping, Kevin was able to work with his putting instructor, Pat O'Brien. They worked for almost an hour, making a change away from his Odyssey Backstrike putter. Pat saw that the design of the Backstrike putter was putting Kevin into a bad position with his hands and he was manipulating the putter through the stroke. They switched to a "conventional shafted" putter and he started rolling it great. Since it was late in the day and all of the manufacturer reps were gone, we will be looking for a putter early tomorrow before we head out for a practice round.

Louisiana Open - Final Round

It wasn't the final results we were looking for this week. Richard's ball striking was better today statistically but we could only manage a one under par round (70). Trick's 8 under total left him two shots from the "magic top 25 number" which would have put him into the next Nationwide event in California.

Looking back on the week, 8 under par was actually a pretty good score with what we had this week. He fought his swing and putter all week but stayed patient and worked extremely hard for every shot. When you add his 8 under to his 5 under par on Monday; 13 under for the entire week of competition is pretty solid. The next "re-shuffle" on the Nationwide Tour will come after the next event. His position will improve and he will be getting into more events as the Tour moves to the east coast.

After the round, I hopped in the car and started my 200 mile drive over to Houston. An overturned semi turned a 3 hour trip into a 4 hour trip. Kevin texted me on my way in and I was able to meet Kevin and Brittany for dinner.

This morning we have moved to 2nd alternate. Our Monday qualifiying tee time is scheduled for 1pm. It feels like deja vu from last year. We were 3rd alternate in 2011 on Monday morning and teeing off in the afternoon for the qualifier. We played 7 holes before a Tour official came out to let us know we were in the field. We hope that happens again this year, but we still have to prepare to do our best today. You never know how many guys will withdraw, especially the week before a major, so we need to go out and prepare as if today was our only chance at getting into the event.

Louisiana Open - Third Round

We had another tough day with the ball striking. Trick continues to have trouble driving the ball as we only found three fairways. The Tour played the ball "down" today so at least we weren't giving up much of an advantage by missing the fairways. Trick managed to hit 11 greens and had a solid short game to keep us in there shooting a two under par round (69).

After the round, he headed back to the range to work on things. He worked on his ball position, feeling like it has moved forward on him. After moving it back, he started to hit it more consistent and he decided to go with it. We finished the day with some putting practice before we called it a day.

We tee off tomorrow at 10:03 with Stephen Gangluff

Louisiana Open - Second Round

Today was another perfect day to play golf. The wind was down and the temperature was perfect. Trick drove the ball better today but he is still not happy with it. We caught two good breaks when we missed the fairway on the 18th and 4th holes which allowed us to still have shots to the green. Other then those two swings, I thought he drove the ball fairly well. Our only bogey came on the long par 3 third hole with a missed up and down from short of the green. He was able to add 4 birdies to that lone bogey for a round of three under par (68). Our five under total keeps us around with an opportunity to get something done over the weekend.

After the round, we went through the normal routine - putt, chip and hit balls. Kevin called this afternoon to check in on us and told me to just "stay out of Trick's way." He has made it back from their trip to New York and is now getting ready for the Houston Open with Rickey. When entries officially closed today at 5pm for the Houston Open, Kevin is the 5th alternate. We will have to play the Monday qualifier to try to get in or have five guys withdraw by Thursday. At least we now have two good chances at getting into the tournament.

Trick tees off tomorrow at 10:06 with Josh Broadaway.

Louisiana Open (Nationwide Tour with Richard Scott) - First Round

I was excited to get a phone call from Richard Monday night asking if I wanted to come to Lafayette, LA to caddy. Richard was Kevin's roommate in college and I was fortunate enough to work for him at the first stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying school last fall. Richard (aka Trick) earned conditional status on the Nationwide Tour through last years Qualifying School. Not in the field this week, Trick came to Louisiana after Kevin and Brittany's wedding to Monday qualify. He shot 5 under par and qualified.

On Monday night, I told Trick there was no possible way I could get to Lafayette on Tuesday. I had to take care of a few things at home before I could leave. I ended up leaving at 3am Wednesday morning and drove 13 hours to Lafayette, arriving here 3pm local time. With heavy rain and thunderstorms all day, the golf course was closed for most of the day. Trick was only able to get about an hour of practice time in all day, so I actually didn't miss anything. I was sleeping by 8:15 after a full day of travel.

We teed off today at 2:10. The weather was perfect and the wind was calm. Trick struggled with the driver and finding the speed on the greens. Playing lift, clean and place today; we were only able to hit 5 fairways and added two 3-putts on top of that. But he hung in there and was able to make two late birdies coupled with two nice par saving putts over the last four holes, finishing the day at two under par (69). He felt like his tempo and rhythm was off with the driver. It was only his second time ever seeing this course, so I think it will only get better as the week goes on and he gets comfortable with his sight lines, etc.

We tee off in the morning at 9:20 on number 10.

The Wedding - Brittany and Kevin

It was an incredible weekend. I once again have to thank the Kisner Family and DeJarnett Family for hosting an unforgettable weekend. Things got started on Friday morning as I met Kevin, along with his family and friends at the UGA golf course. We all played 18 holes as Kevin joined in and played about 3 holes with each group. After some lunch at the club, I headed to the hotel for a much needed nap before the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was at The Georgia Theatre (the place where Kevin and Brittany first met). I was able to catch up with family and friends and also meet so many others that mean so much to Kevin and Brittany. My highlight of the night came when I found out that I was seated at the table with Uncle Jim and his family, Aunt Susan and Kevin's Grandparents. It was an honour to spend the evening with them and share the stories about Kevin. You may have noticed that I have changed the picture on the homepage. I was told by Kevin's Grandfather that "he has seen the backside of my kid for long enough!! It was about time that I turned that handsome young man around!!" He once again reminded me to "turn him around" on Saturday night at the reception when my family was able to met him in person. So, here you go Grandpa Kisner, I have turned them around for you!!

Geraldine had to wait for the kids to get out of school on Friday so they did not arrive until late Friday night. We woke up Saturday morning and I took them for a tour around UGA. Our first stop was at the UGA golf course. They were exited to see the team photo of "Mr. Kevin" and his NCAA National Championship Team along with the other history around the clubhouse. From there, we went to campus to walk around. We visited the bookstore along with all the sport complexes. It was a neat way to spend the morning. After some lunch, it was time for a little rest before the Wedding.

The Wedding Ceremony was perfect. Brittany was absolutely stunning and Kevin looked pretty good too. It was a beautiful ceremony. Afterwards, the reception was at The Taylor-Grady House. To see all the love and support these two kids have was so impressive. We all had a wonderful time celebrating their marriage. It was amazing.

As for our golf schedule, we are not in the field for the Bay Hill Invitational next week. We will be close to getting into the Shell Houston Open the week following Bay Hill. Kevin has signed up for the Monday Qualifier in Houston so we are planning on doing the qualifier if we do not get into the field.

Thanks again to every one that introduced themselves this weekend and thanked me for the blog. I am overwhelmed by the amount of people that read the blog and actually enjoy it, looking forward to it each week. I look forward to seeing you all sometime in the near future.

Puerto Rico Open - Final Round

It was the tale of two nines. We were able to get off to the start we were looking for with two early birdies on one and three. With some solid ball striking, chipping and putting, we stayed two under through the turn and in perfect position to make a move. Unfortunately, the move we made was in the wrong direction.

After a nice par on 10, we managed to play the next seven holes four over par with only one poor swing. On the long par 3 - 11th, a 4 iron to the middle of the green led to a 3-putt. On the 12th, we played a 7 iron from 170 yards out of the lite rough. Catching a flier, the ball flew 204 yards, hit a cart path, ending on the beach of the Caribbean Sea. With the tide rolling in and water breaking at his feet, Kevin hit a nice 60 yard blast with a 9 iron from the beach and saved a bogey. After one more 3-putt on the 14th, we made that "one bad swing" off the 17th tee as the tee shot found a water hazard down the right side of the fairway. When it was all said and done, we played the back nine in 40 shots finishing the day at 2 over par (74). Our 5 under total for the week finished t-25th. It was our best week to date in 2012 but left us wanting more. We worked our way into contention with nine holes to play so now we need to build on that progress.

After the round, we had little time to waste as we only had 1:45 to catch our flight. Kevin and I were on the same flight out of San Juan to Charlotte, so we loaded up a car and headed to the airport. We are not playing in Tampa this week at The Transitions because "my boy" is getting MARRIED. We are looking forward to a great week off topped off with a great celebration this weekend. Our next event should be the Shell Houston Open in two weeks.

Puerto Rico Open - Third Round

The weather was much like yesterday. The early tee times caught a break with the wind as it was fairly calm all morning. By the time we teed off at noon, it was blowing about 15 - 20mph. Kevin hit the ball solid most of the day. We missed a difficult up and down on 7 and three putted the 9th to turn at one over for the day. Two late birdies on 15 and 17 got us under par for the round (71) and within shouting distance from the leaders. Kevin is definitely playing well enough to go out a shoot a low one tomorrow.

We tee off tomorrow at 11:30 with Boo Weekley.

Puerto Rico Open - Second Round

The conditions were not as tough as yesterday. The early tee times had very little wind this morning, while the afternoon guys only had to deal with about 15mph wind conditions. The difficult part was dealing with the tough pin positions.

Starting the day, Kevin struggled a bit with his ball striking. After a nice birdie on the par 5 second, we were hitting out of the palm trees on the next three holes. Bogeys on 4 and 5 dropped us to one over for the day and not in a very good frame of mind. A nice 30 foot par saving putt on 7, great two putt from 70 feet on 8, and then chipping in for birdie on 9, turned it all around. Kevin hit some fantastic shots on the back nine as we birdied 10, 11 and 12 to move us to 7 under for the tournament. A late bogey on 17 to another extremely difficult pin put us back to 6 under and that is where we finished. Our 2 under (70) keeps pace as we start the weekend in a tie for 5th five shots off the lead.

We tee off tomorrow at noon with Kevin Stadler.

Puerto Rico Open - Practice and First Round

Kevin and I arrived on Monday. Kevin just spent the afternoon hitting balls, chipping and putting. On Tuesday, we played a practice round with Scott Brown, Blake Adams and Will Mackenzie. Our practice round was cut short, due to the pace of play, because both Kevin and Scott had a Sponsor Value obligation at 4:00 pm. We were only able to play 14 holes before we had to quit. After the Sponsor Value, we spent some time putting and chipping before we called it a day. Wednesday we woke up early to play the six holes we missed on Tuesday. We had to go out before the Wednesday pro-am so we met at 6:30am. Some heavy downpours delayed our start but we were able to get them in before the pro-am. We finished the day with some range work, chipping and some gambling with Garrett Willis on the putting green.

Today we teed off number 10 at 8:40. The wind blows hard here every day and today was no different. With the wind blowing a consistent 20mph with gust up to 25-30, Kevin played a very tidy, no bogey, round of four under (68). Every part of his game was solid. He made a few key sand saves late in the round (5 and 6) to keep the round together.

After the round, we finished the day with a little putting practice and then hit a few balls. He feels good about everything so there wasn't much we need to do. The wind is forecasted to blow all week with 50% chance of showers everyday. We tee off tomorrow on number one at 1:20.

Mayakoba Classic - Second Round

First, I want to thank Kevin for coming to my room Thursday night, ordering us pizza for dinner and blogging for me. It's about time he did something!!

The second round was much like the first round. The wind blew hard most of the day and we once again struggled on the back nine. Teeing off of the par 3 - 10th to start the round, our tee shot once again found the water hazard right of the green. Two more tee shots right into water hazards off the 13th and 14th tees had us behind the 8-ball early. Knowing the scores would be high, Kevin fought through and we had our chances coming in. Other then those three bad tee shots, he hit it well and we managed it well. But we just could not take advantage of the scoring opportunities. It's frustrating but all we can do is keep playing and practicing, trusting that it will all come together and pay off soon.

After the round, Kevin booked us flights out for today. He headed out early to Richard Scott's wedding and I'm on my way home. Unfortunately, our re-rank will not be good enough to get into the Honda Classic next week in Palm Beach, FL. Our next event will be in Puerto Rico in two weeks.

Mexico (Guest appearance)

Hi Everyone, this is Kevin.  Dewey said he was tired of blogging after I play like a "kned" so I told him I would sub in as a guest blogger tonight.  Now to see if I can sound like him...

We had it going a for a little bit with -1 thru 9, but had a rough back nine.  Seems to be a common theme for the year.  Started with a pushed 4 iron on 10 that the wind blew forever in the hazard and the double bogey train was revving up.   I played (excuse me "We") solid for the next few holes missing some makeable birdie putts until the 16th hole.  Another wayward drive on 16 led to another double and a popped up 5 wood on 17 topped it off with another bogey.  The wind started to howl later in the round and the scores ballooned a bit so we still have a shot at this.

3 bad swings led to a bad round, clean those up and hole a few putts and we are off to the races.  Hope everyone is doing fantastic and we will let Dewey return tomorrow!

Northern Trust Open - Off Week

Many of you called, text, or emailed wanting to know what we were doing this week. So, it has come to my attention that half of my blog (Pebble Beach Pro-am) was deleted when I posted it on Sunday. I was sitting in the San Francisco airport, using my phone to post the blog (which I don't normally do) and I guess I messed up. Anyway, here is the "rest of the story".

After missing the cut, Kevin took the red eye home Saturday night and I flew home on Sunday. Kevin is not in the field for this week's Northern Trust Open. We have been on the road for five weeks, so Kevin decided not to "chase" the Monday qualifier in LA. We are taking the week off, getting some rest, refueling the body, and then it is off to Mexico next week.

The Mexico event is the final event before the "reshuffle". Each player in Kevin's category (Nationwide/Qschool) has a ranking number. With some of the more popular or smaller field events, this category is the last category to fill the field. Therefore, some of the players in this category will not have the opportunity to play (i.e. this week - Northern Trust Open). This category gets reshuffled throughout the year after every 5-7 events. The re-ranking is based on total money earned. The more money the player makes, the better their chances are to get into tournaments. With the Florida swing happening after Mexico, these events are popular with more European players coming over and filling the fields. We are hoping for a solid week in Mexico to move up the ranking.

Since I've been home this week, many of you have asked about Kevin. I can sum up the start of the year with a positive note. We have only made two cuts, finishing back in the pack, but we are not playing bad golf. The PGA Tour is tough! The players are great and the golf courses are difficult. Small mistakes are magnified out here but that does not equate to poor play. Kevin's ball striking is solid. He has the confidence in the things he is working on with Rickey. He continues to work hard on his short game and I still see big improvements with the variety of shots he is learning around the greens. I believe he is real close to doing something special and I know he does too.

See ya next week from Mexico.

 

Pebble Beach Pro-am

Sorry for not keeping in touch this week but after five weeks on the road, I was a little tired of blogging. By the time I made it back to my room each night, all I wanted to do was go to sleep.

Kevin and I met up on Tuesday. We worked with Rickey in the morning and then played a practice round on Pebble Beach. Wednesday was the same routine except we played Monterey. Kevin was hitting it great and we were ready for the week.

When I met Kevin on Thursday, he was not feeling well. He came down with a head cold with a sore throat, sneezing, runny nose, etc. He couldn't shake it for the rest of the week, and then I caught it Friday night. We finished the week 4 over par and missed the cut by four. The week can be summed up as a week of missed opportunities. We putted poorly all week we also left other scoring opportunities out there. We didn't take advantage of the reachable par 5's and missed a few greens with some short irons.

Waste Management Phoenix Open - Final Round

Kevin's ball striking was better on Sunday. He drove the ball great hitting 12 of 14 fairways. We missed a few scoring opportunities with four loose wedge shots but the rest of his game was good. Kevin's short game was sharp and we managed a two under par round (69). The highlight of the day came when Kevin hit a nice 7 iron into the famous 16th and made the putt for birdie. It was the first day they didn't boo us off the stage. Our total of one under (283) finished t-55th.

After the round, we packed up and headed to the airport. Kevin flew to Las Vegas to meet up with friends that were there for the weekend. Since we were not in the field for the Phoenix Open, his friends had his bachelor party planned for this weekend. When Kevin Monday qualified and then made the cut, his boys were in Vegas without him, so he took off to spend the night with them.

I flew into San Francisco and spent the night. This morning I drove down to Pebble and I was able to get some course work done on Spyglass Hill this afternoon. The ATT Pebble Beach Pro-am is played on three golf courses - Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and The Monterey Peninsula Club. Kevin flew to Pebble this afternoon and we will meet tomorrow with Kevin's instructor, Rickey Sullivan, to start preparing for the week. Rickey flew in yesterday and is here working with everyone in his camp. I'm excited about the week. We are back at the place where Kevin made his first PGA Tour check and it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. What a great office I have this week!!

Waste Management Phoenix Open - Round 3

Our tee time this morning was 10:20 on number 10 with Bill Lunde and JJ Killeen. Kevin struggled all day with his ball striking. He has been driving the ball great over the past three weeks but we were only able to hit three fairways today with the driver. We topped that off with only hitting 5 greens. His short game kept us in it for most of the day but we went to the well too many times and it finally caught up with us on our back nine.

After the round, we went to work on the range. Kevin has been working hard with his instructor but his swing keys today took him out of rhythm and his body and arms were out of sync most of the day. By the end of our range session, Kevin was back in sync and his body looked great through the ball.

We finished our practice with some short game and putting. Kevin was getting a kick out of the drunk rowdy crowds hanging around the practice greens so he wanted to give me a taste of what it has been like for him. He challenged me to a putting contest with drunk college kids watching. It did not take long and I had kids yelling at me about my calves, my poor putting skills, telling where to hit each putt, etc. I lost the match but it was fun none the less.

We tee off tomorrow at 10:15 with Brandt Snedeker and John Merrick

Waste Management Phoenix Open - Friday

The day started early with a 4:45am wake up call. I met Kevin at 6:20 to start our warm up for the 7:30 restart. It was dark and cold as we started to warm up under the lights. But as the sun began to rise, the frost started to lay. The Tour announced a 30 minute delay around 7:00 and then added another 30 minutes about 7:15. When play finally resumed at 8:30, it was a perfect morning.

Kevin completed the first round with 6 straight pars. As soon as he signed the scorecard, we went straight to the first tee to start round two. It was an average round on a course that had some difficult pins. The front nine, we bogeyed both par 3's after missing the greens but Kevin was able to make two birdies to turn at even par. On the tenth, Kevin made a nice long putt to get us under par for the day. A tee shot right into a water hazard on the par 5 13th led to a bogey but he was able to get that shot back with a nice birdie on the other par 5 (15th).

We arrived at the famous 16th one under par for the day. With a packed house, we came up short into the front bunker and we were not able to get it up and down. They all let us know that we did not have a good hole and that they all thought they could do better then us. It is an unbelievable experience. If you hit a great shot, they cheer like you are greatest of all time. Hit a poor shot, and they will yell things at you that would make their momma's be ashamed of them. Caddies are not left out. They bet on each group on which caddie will reach the green first. The two caddies that don't win will have a few choice words thrown at them. It's all a little over the top, but fun none the less.

We finished the round with two pars and shot even par (71). Our 2 under par total will be good enough to make the cut. Because of the early frost delay, play was once again suspended due to darkness. The Tour will again try for a 7:30 restart, finish round 2, make the cut and begin round 3 between 10:00am and 12:00pm teeing off both the 1st and 10th tees.

We are looking forward to the weekend and having two more memorable experiences on that 16th.