Mexico OHL Classic - Rounds One and Two

It has been a wild week so far. I'm losing track of what day it is. The weather delays on Thursday meant zero golf for us. Our first round started Friday morning. Kevin played solid. He is still struggling with the driver but he managed to keep it out of the hazards during the first round. With a solid iron game and putter, he shot a nice six under par (65). A quick 30 minute turnaround and we started our second round on the par three tenth with a tap in birdie. Unfortunately, as the round went on, the driver finally caught up to us. Two drives right into water hazards led to a bogey and a double and we made the turn at three over par. We made it to the third green when play was suspended for the day due to darkness. After a 4:00am wake up call, we were back in position at 6:45 and finished round two. A late bogey on the final hole kinda sums up how our year has been. From 136 yards, Kevin hit a nine iron 12 feet left of the hole that lands directly on top of a sprinkler head located on the fringe. The ball bounced about 40 feet away into an impossible up and down position. He did well just to make bogey from where we finished. We now are sitting at two under par for the tournament awaiting to see if it will be good enough to play the final two rounds. If so, we will begin round three late today and hope to get about nine holes in before dark.

McGladrey Recap / Mexico Update

As most of you know, we had a good week at Sea Island for the McGladrey. It was great seeing everyone that made it out and I appreciated all the thoughts and prayers. I am happy to say that last Sunday was my first pain free day since my fall seven weeks ago and I continue to feel great here in Mexico.

Last week at the McGladrey, Kevin finished t-20th with rounds of 65, 73, 70, 66. We struggled a little off the tee but we managed it well and Kevin hit his irons great. The middle two rounds were solid but we were just a little off on the greens with the reads. Kevin hit good putts but we were just slightly off and had a run of 27 holes without a birdie during the middle two rounds.

After the round on Sunday, I drove back to Charlotte, NC and met the family for the night near the airport. We were able to have a late dinner together and I flew out Monday morning for Mexico. I met Kevin on Tuesday and we began our preparation for the week. Even though the "rainy season" has officially ended, they are still getting a lot of rain down here and it looks like it will continue this week. Right now (Thursday morning), we are in a weather delay. Our scheduled tee time today was 12:05 with Scott Gardiner and Andrew Loupe but it looks like that will be delayed. With rain forecast all week it looks like it could be a long week.

McGladrey Classic - First Round

We had a great week of preparation. We met Monday around noon and spent a few hours practicing. Kevin's instructor was here for a few days but not much had to be done. They worked hard during the off weeks and Kevin is hitting the ball nicely. We spent most of our practice time around the putting and chipping greens. Kevin also worked with Fourteen Golf (Kevin uses their wedges) during the off week and had a few wedges built to help him with his bunker play. We spent some time Monday dialing in those wedges. We finished the day with a nine hole practice round with Blake Adams.

Tuesday we had the clubs re-gripped, played another nine hole practice round, and once again spent most of our practice on the short game. Wednesday Kevin practiced in the morning and then went off site and played. I'm staying at my brothers in Fernandina Beach, FL (about an hour away) so Kevin gave me the day off.

We showed up Thursday morning to a totally different golf course. The winds have been blowing about 25 mph all week but Thursday was dead calm. After a 1:50 fog delay, we teed off at 10:20. Kevin struggled starting the round and made bogeys on one and three. After a great par on the fourth from a bad lie in the rough, Kevin settled in and took advantage of the calm conditions. Great iron shots and great putting led to eight birdies over the next twelve holes. Sitting six under for the day in the 18th fairway, the 4 iron found the right bunker and we couldn't get it up and down. We finished the day with a nice five under par (65).

Because of the fog delay, the afternoon tee times were not able to finish the first round. Our revised round two tee time is 1:50 off of number ten. The winds have once again picked back up and it is forecast to blow 25-30 mph all day. It will take a lot of patience today and look forward to the challenge.

Las Vegas - Round One

Kevin had a great work week. We meet Monday afternoon and had a great practice session with his teacher, John Tillery. Tuesday we played a practice round with Tommy Gainey, Blake Adams and Scott Brown. Kevin is swinging well. We also worked with the Taylor Made guys and got into a better driver and 3 wood. Wednesday we had two practice sessions. One in the morning and the another after lunch. We put in some extra time in the bunkers this week and Kevin was starting to feel better about his bunker play.

Thursday's round was all about patience. We missed a few opportunities early and Kevin's patience was wearing thin. Two sloppy three putts and a flier out of the rough was our only miss steps to the day. A round that could have been an easy four under turned into an even par round (71).

Once again, my back started acting up about halfway through the round. By the time we reached our 14th hole, it was difficult for me to pick the bag up and get it on my shoulder. The pain was so intense the last few holes I was even having trouble breathing. After the round, Kevin was selected for drug testing so we only hit a few putts, making sure his fundamentals were good, and called it a night.

At about 9:30 last night, not feeling any better, I realized there was just no possible way I was going to be able to caddy. Kevin's long time friend, David Robinson is here caddying for Blake Adams. Blake had to WD due to a hip injury before the first round, so we decided it would be best for David to caddy the rest of the week for me. It's killing me not to be able to caddy today but I didn't want Kevin to be playing and have to worry about me. This is the first day I have ever missed a day of work but I woke up this morning and struggled to even take a shower. I have booked a flight home this afternoon. I'm  looking forward to finding out what is going on and getting ready for Sea Island, GA in a few weeks

Frys.Com Open - Round Four

Kevin shot a solid round of four under par (67) to finish the event 7 under par. His scores improved each day 73, 69, 68, 67. The driver still gave him some troubles during the final round as both of the bogeys came after the tee shots found a hazard. His iron game and putter remained solid all week. It was a nice way to start the season and we're looking forward to Las Vegas.

After the round, we all didn't have much time to catch our flights. As soon as we finished, we packed up the golf bag and Brittany and Kevin headed out to San Jose airport. I waited for my roommate, Derrick Redd (Ben Martin's caddy) to finish and then we headed out to the San Francisco for our flight over to Vegas. The plan for today is to meet Kevin mid day for some practice. We plan on working with the Taylor Made guys to try and find a better fitting driver. His old driver cracked and the two new drivers they built for him last week produce too much spin.

Frys.Com Open - Round Three

Kevin had another solid day. He drove the ball much better today and continued to hit good quality iron shots. Starting on ten, we bogeyed the difficult par 3 eleventh but made back to back birdies on 15 and 16 to turn at one under par. A couple of great par saves during the middle of our round on the first and second holes kept us in the game after a few wayward tee shots. Kevin was then able to go on and play the back nine in two under par. His three under total (68) puts us in a tie for 52nd with one round to go.

With more then 78 players making the cut (81 total), the Tour makes a "secondary cut" to the low 70 and ties for Sunday. That cut fell at one under par. We will once again go off split tees in threesomes. Our tee time will be 11:25 with Jason Gore and Heath Slocum on number 10.

Frys.Com Open - Round Two

Kevin continued to hit solid iron shots today. He hit a total of 14 greens for the second day in a row and had 10 of those 14 approach shots inside fifteen feet. After starting the day with birdies on the first two holes, Kevin hit every green on the front nine but was unable to make another birdie. His two under par on the front nine moved us back to even for the tournament and in great shape heading into the back. Things were slowed a bit after bogeys on 10 and 11 but he hung in there and kept giving himself good opportunities for birdies. Three birdies on the last six holes got us back to even par for the tournament and good enough to make the cut right on the number.

After some lunch, we had a short practice session before calling it a day. We will be teeing off in threesomes tomorrow off of both tees. Our tee time is 11:20 off of number ten with Will Claxton and Brian Stuard. 

Frys.Com Open - Round One

We just played our first round of the new season without a birdie. Kevin played well today in some tough late day conditions. The temps were cool, the wind was gusty and playing in the final group, the greens were bumpy. He managed to hit 14 greens but was unable to convert the putts and finished the day with 34 total putts. If we just continue giving ourselves the opportunities, we'll be fine tomorrow.

When we finished the round, it was almost dark so we just packed the bag up and headed out. My back was OK for most of the day but I started getting back spasms on the last four holes. With the rounds taking almost 5 1/2 hours to play, I should have brought my medicine with me. I decided to just pick up some dinner and get back to the room to get some medicine. Now, after a shower and taking my medication, I'm starting to feel better. I'm hoping a good night sleep will have me ready to go again in the morning. We tee off tomorrow at 8:50 on number one. 

Start of the 2013-14 PGA Tour Season (Fry's.Com Open)

The PGA Tour season is here already. After finishing the Web.Com Tour Finals in Jacksonville, FL, we only had one week off before the start of the new season. It was a good week. My parents came back to North Carolina with me from Jacksonville and spent the week with us at home. The kids were excited to see their grandparents and it was nice to have some help around the house. I took a little tumble while caddying in Jacksonville and did something to my back. Not being able to do much, my dad spent most of the days outside helping with yard work. I'm a little embarrassed to say but my yard hasn't looked this good in two years (the last time he was able to visit!!!).

I flew out here (San Jose, CA) on Sunday and met Kevin Monday morning. We spent a few hours practicing before playing in the afternoon pro am. Tuesday's schedule was much like Monday with a good morning practice session and then an afternoon practice round with James Driscoll, Will MacKenzie and Andres Gonzales. Today was the normal PGA Tour Wednesday practice day for us. Not being able to play the course, spent most of the practice time around the chipping green and practice bunker before finishing the day with some range work and putting. Kevin struggled the last few weeks with his ball striking but showed up here hitting it much better. 

We tee off tomorrow at 1:30 on number 10 with Will Claxton and David Carr. 

Web.Com Finals (Columbus, OH)

There is not much to say except the fact that it has been a struggle the last two weeks. Many people have been concerned thinking Kevin may be hurt but he is feeling fine, his back is not hurting, its just been some bad days on the golf course. It happens, we'll work through it and will keep trying to improve.

Because of a three hour weather delay yesterday during the first round, the tee times have been pushed back one hour today. Our new tee time is 1:41. After temperatures all week in the 90's with high humidity, the weather has turned cool and windy overnight. We will go out and give it a go today and try to make it to the weekend. Next week is off before the final event (Tour Championship) in Jacksonville, FL.

Fort Wayne, IN - Final Round

For the second time in three weeks we were playing in the final group on Sunday and had a share of the lead with less then three holes to play. Kevin played well most of the day despite not feeling good about his swing. After starting the day with three birdies in the first six holes, there were two swings (number 8 and 10) that led to two bogeys right in the middle of the round. But Kevin stayed strong and came back with two great birdies on 12 and 13 to get us right back into a tie with the leaders. A late bogey on 16 during the same time Trevor Immelman was making birdie on 18 put us two back with two hole remaining. Kevin hit two perfect drives and irons on the last two but was unable to convert the putts. His two under par (70), 18 under total, gave us a third place finish for the week.

After the round, I took a quick shower and hit the road heading toward North Carolina. Not having any plans, I ended up driving the entire way and rolled into the driveway just before 4 am. Kevin took today (Monday) off so at least I got to spend the entire day at home. Since this weeks tournament is only about an hour away in Davidson, NC, I will be commuting. I am meeting Kevin tomorrow morning at 8am and I'm looking forward to starting our prep for the week. But as for right now...It's time to catch up on some sleep. Night-night all

Web.Com Tour Finals (Fort Wayne, IN) Rounds 2 and 3

Kevin continues to play great golf. The conditions Friday afternoon got very firm and fast. The only mistake we made came on the par five, 12th. After driving it into the right rough, we took a gamble from only 200 yards out, and went for the green. The ball ball carried the water hazard but kicked left and rolled back into the hazard. In my opinion, the mistake wasn't going for the green, the mistake came on the pitch shot when we failed to get that on the green. Trying to save par, Kevin tried to get a little too precise with his pitch and it came up short, finishing in a nasty lie. We failed to get that one up and down and walked away with a double. That one stung but he kept his head down and finished the day with two birdies and shot a very good three under par (69). Kevin didn't feel great with the driver during the round, so we headed out to the range and hit a few balls.

With the threat of afternoon thunderstorms, the Tour once again went in threesome off of both tees for the third round. Going off in the morning allowed us to get some softer conditions and Kevin took advantage of it (along with everyone else). After a birdie on the 8th to get us four under for the day, I looked at a leader board walking up number nine and saw we only moved up one spot. We started the day in a tie for 11th and now we were tied for 10th. A great sand save on nine kept the momentum and Kevin just stayed in the process through the back nine. Five more birdies on the back finished us with a nine under par (course record tying) 63. Kevin's total of 16 under puts us in second place heading into Sundays final round.

The only thing that could have made it a complete day was a UGA win over Clemson. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Kevin is staying in a cottage at the golf course, so a few of us got together for some dinner and football. I couldn't make it past halftime but woke up this morning and saw they lost. Oh well, Campbell also lost their game yesterday at UNC Charlotte. I guess we'll just have to represent our schools on the golf course. We tee off today at 1:00 with Patrick Cantlay.

Web.Com Finals (Fort Wayne, IN) - Round One

Well, it's here...The Web.Com Finals. The details about how it all works are a little confusing. All I know is Kevin finished the regular season 13th on the money list and has earned a PGA Tour card for the 2013-14 season. But now, that is all thrown out the window and everyone starts the Finals with $0.00. At the end of the four tournaments, an additional 25 cards will be handed out (the top 25 finishers that do not already have a card) and then the ranking order of all 50 cards will be determined by the total money earned over the four events. This is important because there are tournaments where all the players from this category will not get into the field. So, obviously, the higher the ranking, the more playing opportunities.

After missing the cut in Omaha, I drove the ten hours over to Fort Wayne on Saturday. Kevin and I met around noon on Sunday and began our preparations for this week. We played nine hole practice rounds by ourselves on Sunday and Monday, working extremely hard on the short game. We spent lots of time around the greens chipping and putting. On Tuesday, we played a full 18 hole practice round and then the pro am on Wednesday. We had a good, solid four days of practice to start the week.

Thursday's first round was solid. Kevin continues to hit the ball well and shot a nice four under par round (68). Like most rounds, we left a few scoring opportunities out there but one was caused by faulty equipment. After hitting a perfect tee shot on the par five 4th, Kevin made a great swing with a hybrid and the ball flew 40 yards off line to the right. He still managed to make par but he knew he made a good swing and something had to be wrong with the club. After the round, we took it over to the equipment trailer and found out that the face was caved in. They were able to get him a new head and we headed out to the range for a little practice.

Today we tee off at 12:42.

Cox Classic (Omaha, NE) - First Round

The first round was sloppy. Kevin drove the ball great and hit it fine but for whatever reason, there was a lose of focus throughout the day. After a nice par on one and then a perfect drive on the hardest hole on the course (#2), we blocked a five iron right into a hazard. Kevin was able to chop it out onto the green but then three putted from about 60 feet. I think that start combined with a golf course in poor shape and an extremely slow pace of play (three hours to play the back nine), put Kevin in a frame of mind where he just was not focused. We gave away too many shots around the greens with "basic" chip shots and then never made a putt to pick up any momentum. The final result was a three over par round (74). After the round, we spent all of our practice time chipping and putting.

Today, we tee off number ten at 1:20. Scores are low so it will take something special to have any chance of hanging around for the weekend. But whatever happens, we will use today as preparation for the final four playoff events. Unlike most guys here, we have that luxury to relax this week knowing we have a PGA Tour card. Now it's time to go get ready for the playoffs. 

Knoxville Open - Final Round

It rained heavy through the night but it was not raining when we arrived at the course. We were able to get through our warm up and made it to the first tee before it started raining again. Kevin was able to make a great par save on the first after his opening tee shot found the bunker and all we could go was advance it down the fairway. A nice wedge to 8 feet and made putt settled him down and we were able to get right into the round. He pared the first three holes and then after the tee shot on four, the rain can down in buckets. By the time we reached our drive, the fairway and greens had standing water and play was suspended.

The delay lasted about two hours and we headed back out. The course was already soaked from the overnight rain but now it was under water. We had to move almost 20 yards to find a spot without standing water in the fourth fairway. Kevin continued hitting solid shots and we made the turn at even par with nine straight pars. On the par five, 10th, Kevin hit two great shots and got the ball just short of the green in two. His eagle chipped 180'ed out of the hole and tapped it in for his first birdie for the day. He followed that birdie up with two more on number 12 and 14 which pulled us into a tie for the lead with four to play. 

Solid swings and great looks at birdie on 15, 16 and 17 but not able to convert the birdies left us tied for the lead standing on the 18th tee. Kevin split the fairway and left us with 241 to the pin on the par five. By the time we reached our tee shot, Peter Malnati birdied the final hole to take a one shot lead. With a perfect yardage for the three wood, we aimed at the left edge of the green took a go at the green. Kevin hit it solid but just blocked it. The ball landed just right of the green and bounced off the slope into the water hazard. With the pin cut to the right, only 4 yards from the right edge, Kevin's ball was actually only about 6 yards right of the pin when it landed. Even though we were aiming left, one of the hardest things to do it commit to aiming it so far away from the pin. I've always said, "some of my best cut shots where blocks straight at the pin". 

Finishing with a bogey dropped us down to a tie for sixth. I've had a lot of phone calls, voice mails and text messages over the last few days saying sorry about the finish and how disappointed I must be. The truth is, I'm not disappointed at all. We had a great week and it was FUN. Kevin is hitting it great, he is working on the correct things and we are working well together. I would be disappointed if I didn't think we would have another opportunity but we are going to have plenty of more opportunities to win golf tournaments. We don't live and die with one golf shot. One of the coolest things Kevin has ever said to me over the last four years that I have worked for him happened on the final green. Just after missing his final putt that dropped us down to sixth, Kevin walked over to me and said, "man, I wanted to make that for you". Knowing the monetary difference of what just happened on the final hole, he wasn't thinking about himself. He was thinking about me. We don't play and do our jobs thinking about money, but this shows how we have each others back. 

Because of the rain delay, it was fairly late when we finished, I decided to spend one to spend one more night in Knoxville with the family. I am driving the 14 hour trip to Omaha and Kevin is flying in about noon on Tuesday. Since I'm in no rush, I left Knoxville yesterday and drove 12 hours before stopping. I have about another two hours this morning and will meet Kevin after lunch some some practice. This is the last event before the final four playoff events. 

Knoxville Open - Third Round

When Kevin showed up this morning at the golf course, he had a headache and wasn't feeling good. We went through the warm up but he still had the headache. Fortunately, as we got into the round, he started to feel better. After four solid pars, Kevin birdied the 5th, 8th and 10th to get it to three under for the day. After another string of pars, he finished the day with two birdies on 17 and 18 for a final five under par round (66). 

Kevin played solid all day. He only missed one green and managed the game perfectly. His 12 under total leaves him in a tie for second with one round to play. It has already started raining so the Tour has split the tees (going off number 1 and 10) and moved the tee time up for the final round because of the threat of rain and afternoon thunderstorms. We will be in the final group teeing off at 10:20 with Aron Price and Blayne Barber. 

Knoxville Open - Thursday and Friday

After finishing 21st and locking up his PGA Tour card for the 2013-14 season at the Mylan Classic in Pittsburgh, Kevin decided to take the next week off and get ready for the final six events on the Web.Com. We all arrived here in Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon and played a late day practice round. I'm happy to say the Geraldine and the kids are with me again this week. With school starting next week, it will be the last time they will be able to come out. It has been a great summer break for them as they have been able to travel a total of four weeks this summer. Kevin did not play in the Wednesday pro am this week so he took me off site and we played 18 at Wind River. It was a nice relaxing day, getting away from the tournament course and playing some golf.

We teed off on Thursday at 12:30. Kevin played ok but we didn't get much out of the round. Three birdies and two bogeys had us shooting a one under par round (70). It was just one of those days when we were hitting it to 25-30 feet all day. It was nothing to be concerned about so we just hit a few balls after the round, worked on some bunker shots and called it a day.

Today we were the first group off at 7:30. With perfect greens for nine holes, Kevin took advantage starting the day with five straight birdies and had only 11 putts through nine holes. Making the turn, he added three more birdies and got it to eight under par through 14. Things slowed after making his first bogey  on his 15th hole (#6) after a three putt. Then, on our 17th (#8), Kevin's only bad swing of the day came off the tee as he hooked a three wood out of bounds. Having to re-tee, he then hit a perfect three and nine iron to 15 feet and made the putt to save the bogey. He finished the day with a six under par (65). His seven under total puts us in a tie for third heading into the weekend.

We tee off tomorrow at 12:35 with Tim Wilkerson.

Jackson, MS (Week) / Boise, ID (First Round)

I arrived into Jackson on Tuesday about midnight and checked into an airport hotel for the night. Kevin arrived about noon on Wednesday and we headed out to the club for an afternoon practice session with his coach. On Thursday, we had an afternoon tee time and got off to a great start. Kevin was four under par through six holes when play was suspended for a thunderstorm. A small storm cell just continued to build and hung around for the rest of the day. Play was officially cancelled for the day about 6:30pm and we were sent home for the night. Play was scheduled to resume at 7:00am friday morning but fog pushed it back until 7:30. Kevin continued right were we left off the day before and finished the first round with a nice 7 under par round (65). After the round, we only had 20 minutes until we had to start our second round. Kevin grabbed a quick bite to eat and we headed right back out for the second round. With the heat index close to 100 degrees, the 30 hole day was setting up to be a marathon. It all caught up to us late in the day. A three putt bogey (15th) was backed with a poor swing on the next hole (16th) leading to a penalty stroke and a double bogey. We ended up finishing the round at one over (73).

The weekend was much like our second round. We hit some really good shots but the bad shots were all big misses. Kevin putted great all week but we just could not give ourselves enough opportunities to keep pace with the leaders. We finished the weekend with rounds of 71 and 74 for a four round total of five under par (283) tied for 65th place. 

Monday was a travel day to Boise, ID. Since our plans last week changed last minute and I had to fly to Jackson, it was going to be a long day for me getting to Boise. I left Jackson, MS at 5:30am and headed back to Kansas City (via Charlotte, NC) so I could catch my original fights (via Phoenix) to Boise. I finally arrived here in Boise after 17 hours of travel. Tuesday was our normal practice day with a full 18 hole practice round and then the pro-am Wednesday morning. Wednesday's pro-am was a tough one. We were paired with one player that had NEVER played golf before. We understand the importance of the pro-ams and Kevin did a great job making the guys feel comfortable but it really did take a lot out of him. It was just a difficult day to stay focused.

Today, we teed off at 8:25. Kevin played well on the front nine, missing only one fairway and green on the front nine. Struggling a bit with the putter, Kevin made the turn with a solid two under par. Things took a turn toward the worse when a pulled 4 iron off the the short par four 10th found the water hazard. After the drop, a blocked nine iron right of the green put us is a bad spot and we could not get it up and down, making double bogey. The rest of the back nine was a struggle. We didn't hit it good, chip it good, or putt it good. The final result was a back nine score of three over par for a one over par total (72). With perfect scoring conditions, the scores were super low today with 72 guys shooting 3 under or better today. We will have do some work tomorrow to have any chance to hang around for the weekend. We tee off number 10 tomorrow at 1:25.

Leaving Kansas City heading to Jackson, MS

We spent Sunday afternoon in Salt Lake City practicing and getting ready for this week. We both flew out Monday to Kansas City but I did not arrive until 8:00pm. Kevin got in early and went out to the golf course for some practice. He ended up wanting to play nine holes, so thanks to my roommate, Benji Thompson, he had a caddy for the nine holes. When I arrived Monday evening into Kansas City, Kevin text me saying we were 9th alternate for the PGA Tour event in Jackson, MS.
He said to plan on going if we got into the event.

I met Kevin at the golf course this morning at 7:00am for an early nine hole practice round. By the time we finished our nine holes, we moved up to the third alternate for Jackson. Since Kevin had an off site commitment this afternoon, we hit a few balls before he had to leave. It wasn't long after Kevin left the course when the call came in to tell him we were in the field for Jackson. So I headed back to the hotel, bought a flight, packed, and headed back to the airport.

I'll get into Jackson tonight about midnight and will met Kevin sometime tomorrow. I'm excited to have this opportunity and I'm looking forward to a great week.

Utah Championship - Second Round

Everything was much better Friday for the second round. Teeing off of number ten, Kevin started the day with birdies on 10, 12 and 13. The good start fed his confidence and even though he still wasn't totally comfortable with everything, he was hitting it solid and it was going where he was looking. The momentum slowed with disappointing pars on the par 5's number 17 and number 1 as we made the turn. Knowing we needed to get it to five under to have any chance of playing the weekend, making pars on those holes was putting the squeeze on. Kevin kept hitting good shots and giving himself looks at birdie. Knowing we needed a birdie on the last to have any chance to make the cut, Kevin hit a perfect drive and approach to 10 feet. He made the putt to shoot five under (66) but still fell one short of the cut number. Even though we missed the cut, we still can take a lot of positives from the week. We just need to build off this week and move forward.

On Saturday we went to Park City, Utah and played golf at Promontory Golf Club with Scott Parel and Benji Thompson. We played a little match (pro/caddy teams) that turned out all square. We had a great time and it was a fun way to spend the day. Since we both are not flying out until Monday, I will be meeting Kevin today at the course for some practice. Keep building on this week and give it another try next week in Kansas City.

Utah Championship (Salt Lake City)

It has been a while since my last blog. The kids finished school during the week of Wichita, so I decided to pack the family up and bring them along for the Raleigh and Evanville, IN events. While it is always great to have them out with me, it's also hard to find the time to blog. After Indiana, we had the week off, so we decided to head down to Jacksonville, FL for a few days to see my parents. My Dad is doing much better and has most of his strength back. It was great to get down there and visit for a few days.

I met Kevin here in Salt Lake City on Tuesday morning. We both flew in Monday night but Kevin's luggage was delayed and didn't show up until Tuesday morning. We hit balls in the morning and then played an afternoon practice round. With the high altitude here, the 7000 yard golf course does not play very long but the narrow tree lined fairways puts a premium on ball striking. This course has five par 5's and six par 3's and most of the par 4's are not driver off the tees. With this combination, the scores will be low this week.

Unfortunately for us, Kevin's ball striking has been off since we arrived. We all know that we are going to go through times when the ball striking is not up to par and we will just need to rely on the short game to get us through the week. But what makes it difficult this week is the high altitude. When you are not hitting solid shots in this altitude, not only is the direction off but it is impossible to get the correct yardage. Shots that are hit solid will stay in the air about ten percent longer at this altitude. When a shot is miss hit, it does not produce enough spin on the ball and it will not be able to stay in the air. So even a short iron could have up to a 15-20 yard gap depending on how solid the strike was during the hit. So, with all that said, it has been a tough week for us out on the golf course.

We teed off yesterday for the first round at 7:10 with Dusty Fielding and Gavin Coles. After a tough front nine and a bogey on the 11th put us three over par for the day, Kevin managed to string three birdies in a row on 12, 13 and 14 to get us back to even for the day. A three putt on the 15th stalled the momentum but he was able to get one more birdie on the 17th hole and a great up and down the last gave us an even par round (71). It's definitely not the score we wanted but at least it still gives us a chance heading into today's round. Golf is a funny game. A little confidence and momentum will go a long way and you never know when it will show up. We just need to keep working hard, try to keep his spirits up and trust what we are doing. We tee off today at 12:10 on number 10.

Air Capital Classic - Round Three

Kevin hit the ball the best he has all week but we didn't get anything out of the round. Playing in perfect conditions, Kevin started the day with two early birdies on number two and four. A bogey on the seventh after getting a poor lie in the rough off the tee, led to the only bogey on the front nine and we made the turn at one under par.

The back nine started poorly after the tee shot on number ten caught some trees on the corner of the dogleg and dropped straight down into the long rough. With very little options, none of them very good, we tried to get the ball around the front, right side of the green. Unfortunately, it did not come out as planned and the adventure began. The ball caught a tree and then after a few sloppy pitches, we tapped in for double. Running a little hot, Kevin stepped up on the drivable number 11, hit it 335 yards and had a 30 footer for eagle. After a two putt birdie there, we had another two putt birdie on the par five 14th and had it back under par for the day. That was short lived when on the very next hole, his drive landed in the middle of the fairway, directly on top of a sprinkler head and shot about 50 yards through the fairway into the high rough, under some trees. From there, he was able to get the ball into the back green side bunker but was not able to get it up and down to save par. We finished the day off with a great up and down for birdie on the par five 18th and shot one under par (70). 

The four under total puts us in 32nd heading into the last day. With thunderstorms in the forecast, the Tour has split the tee times off the first and tenth holes. We will be teeing off number ten at 8:11 with Richard Johnson and Si Woo Kim.

Air Capital Classic - Round Two

We definitely had the wrong side of the draw his week. The guys this morning had it much easier with calm conditions. This afternoon, the wind picked up and started blowing consistently 25-30 mph. Also, with the wind blowing from the south, it made it very difficult to hit fairways because most of the holes played with a cross wind.

Kevin played solid today.  Five birdies with three bogeys brought us in at two under (69). Not bad considering two of the bogeys came on three putt greens. In all fairness, both three putts came on very difficult, lengthy putts. All in all, it was a good day.

After the round, we were both exhausted from dealing with the conditions, so Kevin decided not to practice. We tee off tomorrow at 9:20.

Air Capital Classic (Wichita, KS) - First Round

After a few hot and very windy days of practice, we teed off this morning in some cooler conditions. The winds completely turned 180 degrees and blew out of the northeast this morning. After three days of practice in a strong, 30mph, southwest wind; today was very interesting as we had to figure out and trust the clubs and new lines off the tees. 

Kevin's game today was just plain vanilla. We didn't do anything special. Hitting 10/14 fairways, 13/18 greens, 4/6 up and downs with 30 total putts, Kevin finished the day with a one under par round (70). The biggest mistake came on the par three, 12th. Playing into the wind and just needing a solid shot, Kevin hit a fat five iron that failed to carry the water hazard. Absolutely irate for making a double bogey, it lit a fire under his ass. He stepped up and finished the day off making four birdies on the last six holes. 

Not feeling completely in sync with his swing, we headed out to the range after the round and just worked simply on smoothing out the takeaway. He gets a little anxious out on the course and sometimes "snatches" the club away which then gets the arms and body out of sync. Just trying to keep the thoughts simple, he started hitting the ball much better this afternoon. 

The forecast for the rest of the week is back to hot and humid conditions. The wind will also pick up and move back to the southwest direction we had during the beginning of the week. We tee off tomorrow at 1:20 off number ten.

Mid-Atlantic Championship - Round Three

It was another roller coaster day. After starting with two solid pars, the next 16 holes was an adventure. We had two eagles, three birdies, six bogeys and two doubles. The grand total came to a three over par round (73). It moved us from a tie for 12th into a tie for 21st with one day left. I know these last two days have been crazy looking at the scorecards but it's really all because of the type/style of course we are playing. It's the type of course that if you don't hit a good shot, making a par is next to impossible. But at the same time, it's fair because if you do hit good shots, birdies and eagles can be made.

The Tour has moved up the tee times tomorrow because of the threat of afternoon thunderstorms. Tees time will be split tees starting at 7:22am. We will be teeing off in the second group on number one at 7:34 with Tyrone Van Aswegen and Billy Mayfair. 

Kevin has the final stage (36 holes) of the US Open qualifier on Monday in Rockville, MD. We will be playing the North and South Course at Woodmont CC. I'm hoping the early start tomorrow will allow me enough time to go over to Woodmont and get in some course work. I played this qualifier back in 2005 but I do not remember much about the courses. I'm actually really looking forward to Monday because I have some great memories from Woodmont. It was the last time my dad watched me compete as a professional and he actually caddied for me here in 2005 at the age of 74. He has been pretty sick lately, spending last week in the hospital ICU, so I'm sure it will be pretty emotional for me walking around here one more time. 

Mid-Atlantic Championship (Potomic, MD) - Round One and Two

Kevin missed the cut last week in Mexico and flew here on Sunday. Since I did not go, I drove up from Morganton Monday morning and met Kevin at the club for an afternoon practice round. The TPC at Avenel is playing long and tough. The rough is brutal and it will put a premium on hitting fairways and greens. This course was ranked the second most difficult course last year on the Web.Com Tour and this year will be no different.

With hot and humid conditions, Kevin's ball striking has been a little off so far this week. He was able to manage things on Thursday with a great short game, missing only one up and down opportunity. He made only one bogey, along with two birdies, for a one under par round (69). Friday's round was more like a roller coaster ride at the amusement park. Great shots where mixed in with poor shots. He made only three pars through 16 holes.  During that stretch, he had seven birdies, five bogeys, and one double. He finished the round with two solid pars on 17 and 18 and it all added up to an even par (70).

Kevin's one under total puts him in a tie for twelve place heading into the weekend. With the course playing so tough, we just need to keep plugging along. We understand poor shots will be penalized but good shots will also be rewarded. Its gearing up to be another fun weekend being in the mix. We tee off tomorrow at 11:10 with Tyrone Van Aswegen.

BMW Charity Pro-Am Week (Greenville, SC)

It was a long, exhausting week. This tournament was just close enough to home to commute, yet just far enough to where I probably should have stayed in a hotel. With a three course rotation, I had anywhere from an hour and a half to just over two hour drive each way depending on the golf course. While it was nice to get home, watch the kids softball and baseball games, put them to bed and sleep in my own bed; I had some early wake up calls. Fortunately for me, Geraldine and the kids came down Friday after school and we all had a great weekend in Greenville. It's always fun to see the excitement of the kids when they get to come out on the road with me.

My week got started on Monday. Kevin had a charity commitment in Aiken so he was not arriving until Tuesday. With two of the three courses new to us, I started out early Monday morning and drove just over two hours to The Reserve Club in Sunset, SC. I finished my course work there about noon and then drove over to Greenville to take a look at Chanticleer. I finished there about 5pm and made it home about 7pm for Albany's softball game.

Tuesday morning I drove back to The Reserve and met Kevin for a practice round. Thank goodness they were allowing us to ride carts for the practice round because this is the hardest and hilliest golf course I have ever had to walk in my entire life!! But, because of the cart, we were able to "buzz" around the course in about 2.5 hours and I made it home for some more softball. On Wednesday, we met over at Chanticleer. Mike Hostilo, Kevin's pro-am partner this week, joined us for the practice round. Mike is a longtime friend of Kevin's and played in this event with Kevin in 2010. Chanticleer is a tight, placement type of course that requires drivers, 3 woods, and even hybrids off the tees. We had a good practice round learning all the what's and where's to hit it.

When the tournament started, our rotation was Thornblade (Thursday), The Reserve (Friday), and then Chanticleer (Saturday). Thursday and Friday the weather was perfect. Kevin shot a nice 67 (-4) on Thursday and then blitzed The Reserve with an eight under par (64). Sitting at 12 under and heading over to the tight Chanticleer, we woke up to rain. After our warm-up in the rain, Kevin got off to a solid start, parring the first three holes. But as the rain quit, we ran into some trouble when we double bogeyed our fourth hole and then hit the tee shot into the water hazard on the par three next hole. Staring another double in the face, we walked up to the drop zone and Kevin holed out a wedge shot from 115 yards to save a par. From there on, he played five under par and finished the day with a three under (69). His 15 under total for three days had us in a tie for 6th heading into Sunday. Unfortunately, in the pro-am format, Mike and Kevin's team total of 27 under par fell just one shot short of making the pro-am cut where only 16 out of 168 teams made the cut.

Sunday's final round was played back at Thornblade. Starting the day in some light rain, Kevin came out of the gates playing well. He had an eagle on number two and followed that up with birdies on 5 and 7. He was 4 under through 7 holes but that's when the putter went cold. He continued to hit great shots but we could not get a putt to fall. After seven straight pars, Kevin went for the par five 15th in two and plugged a three iron into the face of the bunker, only about a yard from being perfect. He was able to hack that out to about 15 feet but once again he could not make the putt. Then after another great drive off the par 5, 16th, Kevin hit a perfect hybrid at the middle of the green. But for whatever reason, his hybrid that normally flies 235, flew 250 yards and went over the green into an almost impossible position. We not only could not get that up and down, we didn't even keep it on the green and finished the hole with a bogey. After playing those two back to back par 5 holes in one over par, Kevin walked off the 16th green extremely disappointed. We then finished the day with a sloppy missed up and down from just off the fringe on 18 and ended the day with a two under par (69). It was a disappointing way to finish the event but his 17 under total gave us a 14th place finish and moved him up the money list from 6th to 4th overall.

This week Kevin is off to Mexico. I am not able to make this trip with him. He will be heading down there on his own and will pick up a local caddy for the week. I'm confident he will do just fine without me. He is playing well and I look forward to getting back on the bag in a few weeks in Maryland. Once again, it was great to see everyone come out and support Kevin this week. The walking was tough and the weather wasn't great but its always great to see everyone. Thanks for all the support and I hope to see you all again real soon.

Athens, GA (Round Four) - Cancelled

The heavy rain continued through the night. When I woke up this morning, a steady drizzle was still falling from the sky. After some breakfast, I packed my bags and checked out of the hotel. While I was driving to the golf course, I received a text from the Tour stating tee times were delayed one hour. Since I already checked out of the hotel, I decided to just go out to the club and hang out. When I arrived, things weren't looking good when I saw caddy parking was under water and a river running through the ninth fairway. 

The official word came just before 11:00 that the golf course was not going to be playable and final round was cancelled. The tournament was going to be an official 54 hole event. Unlike the PGA Tour, the Web.Com Tour does not extend tournaments into Monday finishes. The only way the Web.Com Tour would go into Monday would be if over half the field completes the final round. Web.Com Tour policy states it will never start a final round knowing it could not be completed by days end. So that means our two under par total gives us a t-13th finish.

We are off again next week and then it is the BMW Pro-am in Greenville, SC. It will be a proam event played on three different courses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The cut will be made after Saturdays round and then the final round on Sunday. Thanks for all of the support from everyone that came out this week. It was cold, windy and wet but it was nice to see everyone.

Athens, GA (Round Three)

It was a rainy, nasty day. With gusty winds, temperatures in the 50's and a steady rain all day, Kevin played a solid round shooting two under par (69). The conditions were brutal. The umbrella was up all day and everything was absolutely soaked through. I did the best I could but I was a drown rat out there. I went through three towels and it was still impossible to keep anything dry. But Kevin and I worked well together. We had a good, solid routine together and handled the conditions as good as anyone. He was able to make four birdies with only two bogeys. His two under par moved up to t-13th heading into Sunday.

Kevin's ball striking was excellent today in those conditions. He drove it good and hit 15 greens. A missed short putt on our 17th hole for par and then missing a six foot birdie putt on the last hole put a damper on what was a very solid round. Kevin is a bit upset about the missed scoring opportunities with the putter but when you look at the stats, he is ranked 15th in total putts and 12th in putts/GIR through three rounds.

Due to the forecast of heavy rain overnight and then the chances of rain going down tomorrow afternoon, the Tour pushed the tee times back. The fourth round will not start until 11:00am, teeing off again in threesomes off the 1st and 10th tees. Our tee time is 12:06 on #1 with Rafael Echenique and Tim Petrovic.

Athens, GA (Round Two)

When I showed up at the golf course this morning, it was raining and the wind was causing it to come down sideways. After a wet warmup, the rain finally stopped by the time we teed off.

Playing in gusty wind conditions, we got off to a tough start on the front nine. After only missing one fairway, were only able to hit three greens on the front and made the turn at two over par. Kevin hit it better on the back, only missing one green (due to a poor drive where we had to chip out) and he was able to bring it in at two under for an even par round (71). His even par total leaves him t-35th heading into the weekend.

Even though the conditions were tough, Kevin still does not like the way he hit the ball today. We headed to the range after the round and focused on the things he has been working on with his coach. In the windy conditions, he has the tendency to get his ball position back which leads to most of the problems. After the session on the range, we called it a day.

Due to the weather forecast for rain, the Tour moved the tee times up, playing in threesomes, and teeing off both tees. We will be going off at 8:22 on number 10. With the leaders only at 7 under and bad weather in the forecast for the weekend, we are still right in the ball game.

Stadion Classic at UGA (Athens, GA) - Round One

After a a good week of practice, Kevin had a solid start to the week. We were first off this morning at 7:15 with Jason Gore and Andrew Loupe. I'm staying about 30 minutes away from the course, so that was an early wake up call for me. It was overcast, windy and misty rain for most of the morning. Kevin hit the ball well, but he just missed on a few scoring opportunities with the putter. A sloppy three putt on the last hole gave us an even par (71) for the day.

After the round, we hit some putts. Kevin mentioned that the putter didn't feel good all day. We just focused on the same things we have been working on over the last few weeks on with the putter. Making sure his setup is good and hitting some putts holding his head still. We then hit some balls and a few chips before calling it a day. Its time to get some rest and recharge for tomorrow.

We tee off tomorrow at 12:30.

South Georgia Classic (Valdosta, GA)

I'm a week late updating the blog for the South Georgia Classic. The Internet in my motel was absolutely awful (along with the motel itself) and I couldn't get online long enough to blog. I'm happy to say my accommodations are just a little bit better this week.

Kevin finished the week one under par and tied for 34th place. The golf course was the longest on Tour at over 7800 yards. With the length, big fairways and big greens; it definitely wasn't built for his style of game. But with that said, Kevin birdied the last hole on Friday to make the cut on the number and then had a solid weekend. When we finished Sunday, we were both pretty pleased with the finish.

Beginning this year, Kevin started working with a new teacher, Scott Hamilton. Scott has students on both the PGA and Web.Com Tours. He was in New Orleans earlier in the week on the PGA Tour working with some players and came to Valdosta on Thursday. They worked hard after each round and Kevin's game is looking good.

After Sunday's round, we left Valdosta and headed three and half hours north to Athens, GA. He was looking forward to getting back into UGA Bulldog territory!!

WNB Classic - Second Round

The ball striking was better today. Kevin was able to keep it in play off the tee on a very difficult driving course. His four birdies, two bogeys, gave us a two under par round (70). The even par total left us two shots short of the cut. 

Even though it was a short week, we took away some valuable things. We learned a lot about the importance of swinging within himself, with good tempo and rhythm, especially while playing in the wind. He continues to work hard on the short game and putting. And we also worked on a new routine between player/caddy that gets us both working together on every shot. So, even though the results were not what we wanted, it was not a wasted week.

After the round, Kevin was able to get a flight out and headed home Friday night. He is scheduled to play in the Monday after the Masters Pro-am in Myrtle Beach, SC on Monday. I was not able to change my flight until Sunday so I will not be leaving until Sunday morning. Fortunately for me, Kevin invited me to stay in private housing with him this week. We are staying in the home of Larry and Anne Phillips, who were nice enough to open their house to us even though they were going to a wedding this weekend in Dallas. Its a little lonely, but at least I have a golf tournament to watch on TV!

We are off once again next week. Our next start will be in two weeks in Valdosta, GA.

WNB Classic (Midland, TX) - First Round

The golf was a little loose today. We made three birdies and an eagle but backed those up with seven bogeys for a two over par 74. After two great days of practice on Monday and Tuesday and hitting it great; we had to play in the Wednesday pro-am yesterday morning in 20 mph winds with a wind chill of 27 degrees. Kevin's swing got a little out of whack in those conditions. When he came out today, he felt a little off. We started the day hitting the opening tee shot in the "junk" where we were forced to chip out sideways. Kevin came back with a nice birdie on the next hole but another drive into the left trees on our ninth hole (#18) led to another bogey. We made the turn at one over par.

The back nine was a roller coaster. Two birdies, an eagle, five bogeys and the only one par coming on the last hole. It was a total mixed bag. We had some great shots, poor shots, a penalty shot, a three putt and then topped it all off with a tee shot, finishing on the edge of the fairway, that stopped up against a stick that was blown off a nearby tree. Not being able to move the stick, we tried to hit a 9 iron but it only flew about 100 yards. When it was all said and done, we shot another one over par, therefore, finishing the day two over (74).

We tee off tomorrow at 8:45. Hopefully we can take advantage of some lighter wind conditions in the morning and post a number that will keep us around for the weekend.

2013 Blog / Off to Midland, TX

As I'm packing up and getting ready to leave for Midland, I figured it was about time I started to blog and get everyone up to speed with what is going on. As most of you know, Kevin started the year with three events out of the country. After two missed cuts in Panama and Bogota, Kevin picked up a win at the Chile Classic. Unfortunately for me, I was not there for those events. Because of the high travel expenses associated with these events, I had to make a tough decision to stay home. I decided to stay home and work the odd jobs I had to get me through the winter. After four months of driving a delivery truck, working in a woodworking shop, working on a ranch and herding cattle, cutting firewood, coaching basketball, coaching indoor soccer, and eBaying; I am ready to get back to my real job. I found out quickly how blessed I am to be able to have a job I love waking up and doing every single day.

So now it is off to Texas. Kevin did not play this week in Brasil so he is playing in the Monday proam in Midland. Kevin skipped this event in 2010 when he was on the Nationwide Tour. The extra day will help him get familiar with the course. It's time to go chase down win number two.