Shriners Hospital Open (Las Vegas, NV)

It's been a long week here in Vegas. We all arrived on Monday and took the day off. I headed to the Doctor's office to figure out why I was getting red, itchy, rashes popping up on my body for the past five days. The Doctor ruled out shingles, bug bites, etc. and believed it was a reaction to a flu shot I received the day I left for California. He prescribed me some medication and I've been getting better each day.

Tuesday and Wednesday was our normal preparation. We played an afternoon practice round on Tuesday with Lucas Glover and their instructor, John Tillery. Kevin continues to hit it well so there was just some maintenance work done on the full swing with the majority of work spent in the bunker. We're still struggling with consistency out of the bunkers so he is trying to figure it out.

Thursday and Fridays rounds were played with Sean O'Hair and William McGirt. Kevin played well but we had two three putts the first day for a one under par (70). Friday's round was a bit of a struggle starting out but Kevin was able to make a 12', 17' and 33' putt on the first three holes to keep us even par. He settled down and stayed hot with the putter. He was able to birdie 6 of his last 10 holes including his last four to shoot six under (65). His seven under total had us in 12th place heading into the weekend and feeling great about the opportunity ahead of us.

Unfortunately, the mojo with the putter left us. Kevin struggled a little with hitting a few shots but he absolutely made nothing over the weekend. We could only manage four birdies over the final 36 holes and the 72-72 (2 over) weekend fell us back to T56th when it was all over.

When we finished, I helped Kevin get packed up and he headed straight to the airport to meet Brittany and Kate for an earlier flight home. Our early tee time in twosomes allowed them to change the flight so they would not have to deal with the red eye flight home with Kate. They'll get home tonight and be able to spend the day home before heading out to Sea Island for next weeks event.

This week I was surprised by my great Canadian friends Rick and Beverly from Victoria, Canada. They showed up Friday morning to watch us play and it was awesome having them here. We had some great dinners and it was fun catching up. Rick is also planning on coming to Mexico in a month when we play in Cancun. I'm looking forward to another great week with him down there. As for me now, I'm still in Vegas waiting on my red eye home. I'll be flying back to Charlotte tonight and will head home for the day before driving down to Sea Island early Tuesday morning. It will be another long night but I'm looking forward to seeing Geraldine and the kids for the day.

With Sea Island being close enough to feel like a "home game", I'm also looking forward to seeing some of you all next week.

Frys.Com Open (Napa, CA) - Rounds 3 and 4

It was another solid weekend after making the cut on the number. The overall game improved each day and solid putting kept us fighting when things weren't going well. With rounds of 70-68, we moved up 40 spots and finished the tournament t-21st. A nice way to start the new season.

After the round, we packed up and headed to San Fransico for the night. We are all flying over to Vegas this morning and will take the rest of the day off when we get there. Kevin's instructor is coming in tomorrow and we'll have a couple of full practice days in before Thursday.

New 2014-15 Season (Frys.Com Open - Napa, CA)

After a short six week break, the new season has begun. Finishing last season 104th on the FedEx list, we begin our first "fully" exempt season in Napa, CA for the Frys.Com Open at a new venue - Silverado Resort. Kevin flew out a few days early and was able to play the golf course on Sunday before playing in an off site proam on Monday. I arrived Sunday night and spent the day on Monday doing my course work. We finally met up on Tuesday and had two good full days of preparation before starting on Thursday.

The first two days had a little bit of everything. Kevin fought his ball striking a little on Thursday but made some nice saving putts and managed a one under par (71) during the first round. Today's round was much better tee to green but we left a lot of opportunities out on the greens. Hitting 14 greens, we were only able to convert two into birdies. Two birdies and two bogeys left us with an even par round (72). His one under total left us right on the cut number heading into the weekend.

Sitting on the cut number, we have an early tee time tomorrow at 7:51 with Russell Knox but two solid rounds over the weekend will put us right back into the tournament.

Wyndham Championship - Round Three

It was another solid day with a few hiccups around the greens. After starting with a nice birdie on the second hole, a sculled chip shot from the front of number four ran over the green and led to a double bogey. One over through four, Kevin bounced right back with two birdies in a row and five over his next eight holes. One last bogey came when a bad lie in the rough on the par five 15th forced us to lay up with a sand wedge combined with a tough break when the approach shot finished pin high. From 30 feet and having to play about twelve feet of break over a mound, Kevin had to bring the back fringe into play. He was unable to two putt. If the approach shot finishes a yard or two shorter, it would have been a routine 30 footer for birdie. The bogey was only the third hole over par for the week (2 doubles, 1 bogey) but his six birdies on the day had us finishing with a nice three under par (67), 10 under for the tournament and in a tie for 8th heading into the final round.

Four shots off the lead and many of the guys ahead of us with a lot to play for (PGA Tour status, Ryder Cup selection, etc.) I like our chances. Kevin is playing great so when we keep making the birdies, we're going to have a great chance today. Its going to be fun and I'm looking forward to the opportunity. We tee off at 1:25 with Bill Haas.

Wyndham Championship (Greensboro, NC) - Rounds 1+2

After two weeks off, Kevin and I met early Tuesday to start our preparations for the week. I had a "caddies caddie" for the day as my close friend, Dennis Woolard, came out and carried the bag while I walked the course. It was great seeing Kevin refreshed and full of energy after the much needed two week break. We put a full day of work in before a rain shower forced us to quit about 5pm. Wednesday was once again the normal routine with some extra time spent in the bunkers working on the sand game.

The first two rounds was some of the best golf we played all year. Through 36 holes, Kevin has played only one hole over par (16th / round 1) and is seven under par with rounds of 69-64. His stats prove how well he is playing. He is first in greens in regulation, second in fairways hit, and second in approach shot distance to pin. The work he has been putting in with his instructor, John Tillery (JT) is paying off.

We tee off today at 12:35 with Johnson Wagner.

Canadian Open - Final Round

What a day. With so much on the line, knowing a solid final round will ensure his card for next season, Kevin was a stud. No bogeys and six birdies later, we finish the tournament T-9th. Kevin saved his best for last. When I met him Sunday morning, he was still not feeling well but it did not affect his play. He drove the ball great and continued with an unbelievable short game. He finished the week leading all three categories in putting (strokes gained, total putts, putts/GIR) and was about 75% getting the ball up and down all week.

This finish has now moved us to 95th on the FedEx list. This week's event is in Reno opposite the WGC event at Firestone. Not feeling well and with only half FedEx points available, Kevin has decided to take the week off. It will give him two weeks off to recharge the batteries before we head to Greensboro and then make a run through the playoffs.

Canadian Open (Montreal, Quebec) - Rounds 1, 2, 3

As most of you know, we were able to close out the weekend at the John Deere Classic with a T-20th finish. That finish moved us up on the FedEx list to 108 and sitting in great shape with only a few tournaments left before the playoffs. We did not qualify for the British Open last week so it was a much needed week off.

This week, we arrived in Montreal on Monday afternoon and had a light afternoon practice session before a full day of practice on Tuesday. Kevin is fighting a little bit of a head cold that he picked up last week so he decided on a late day practice session on Wednesday. 

The first three days have been pretty solid and improved each day (70, 69, 68). In the windy conditions, the ball striking is a little off as we've only hit about half of the greens in regulation (28/54) but the short game has been great. According to ShotLink, Kevin is 17/26 getting the ball up and down and leads the field in putts/GIR. He ranks second on total putts and fourth in the Strokes Gained statistic through three rounds. The good news is the ball striking has been getting better each day and with bad weather (rain) in the forecast for tomorrow we will need our best stuff. 

Due to the forecast, the Tour moved up tee times and will be teeing off split tees in threesomes. We will be off at 8:25 on number one. 

John Deere Classic - Rounds One and Two

We survived. After opening with a solid first day, we struggled a bit on Friday but found a way to get it in and will be playing the weekend. Thursday's first round had five birdies with one double bogey for a three under (68). It was a solid ball striking day with the possibilities of really going low. Solid putts that were rolling down his intended lines just wouldn't fall as he kept giving himself birdie opportunities throughout day. One lone bad shot on the par four, fourth, put us in a tough position. Two chips and two putts later, we walked off with a double. Grinding hard, he came right back hitting an eight iron to three feet on the very next hole to get the momentum right back. His three under total finished the day in a tie for 24th.

Friday's round picked up right where we left off as Kevin started the day with a birdie. Gusty, windy conditions during the afternoon made the late tee times play difficult but we managed an even par front nine. A few loose shots starting on 10 had us fighting to hang around. Two bogeys with wedges and one drive into a fairway bunker had us two over for the day thru 15 and one shot outside the cut number with three to play. Kevin didn't panic and finished the day making five great swings over the last three holes. An eight iron to 15 feet on the par three 16th, two perfect shots on the par five 17th, and a perfect drive and nine iron to 12 feet on 18. He was only able to get one birdie over the closing three holes but it was good enough to get us to the weekend.

With storms forecasted for Saturday, the Tour moved tee times between 9:50 - 11:50 off of the first and tenth tees. I woke up this morning to a thunderstorm but it looks like its moving out and we should still be going off on time today. Our tee time is 11:50 off number 10 with Chad Campbell and Derek Ernst.

The Greenbrier Classic

It was a tough week at The Greenbrier. Even though we managed an even par round on Thursday, we really didn't do anything good. The misses were both ways (right and left) and the short game was awful (5 for 15). Kevin is good enough to get things done when one is off but when both the ball striking and short game are off, it's almost impossible.

Thursday's round was up and down with five bogeys and five birdies but I was extremely proud about how he finished. Struggling early in the round and over par, Kevin showed some guts and fought hard making three birdies coming in to shoot even par (70). That finish kept us in the tournament and looking forward to Friday. Unfortunately, we couldn't getting done on Friday. Missed up and downs and wayward tee shots had us fighting most of the day. We finished the day at five over and had the weekend off.

This was the first of two weeks that Geraldine and the kids are out on the road with me. We stayed in Roanoke, VA this week and had a blast. We were able to do some sightseeing, take in the caverns, go to a water park, play some golf and see an amazing July 4th fireworks show. On top of that, we were able to spend some time with my old college roommate, Lou Masini. We don't get to see each other much so it was nice to have dinner and catch up.

This week, we are in Moline, IL for the John Deere Classic. The family and I flew up yesterday (Monday) and I will meet Kevin today for our practice round. Kevin went home after the Greenbrier and put a work day in yesterday with his instructor at home. With only four events left on the schedule for us and sitting 117 on the FedEx list, it's time to take care of business.

Quicken Loans National - 2nd and 3rd Round

Friday's second round was just what we needed. Teeing off early, Kevin was able to take advantage of the conditions and shot a great round of three under (68). For the day, there were only six rounds better and his round moved us well inside the cut line to t-40th after two rounds.

Today's third round started right where we left off on Friday; hitting fairways and greens. Unfortunately, two early birdies were voided by two early three putts and we were even par through five holes. A hooked 8 iron into the par five 6th put us in a bad spot and then two missed up and downs later, we walked off with a double bogey.  Making the turn at two over, things didn't get much better on the back nine putting up three 6's on the card. The first 6 (double) came on 11 after a hooked tee shot led to a chip out. From there, we missed the green with an 8 iron and failed to get that up and down. The next 6 (bogey) came on the par 5 - 16th. After laying it up in the rough, we couldn't find the green. Another missed up and down led to another six. The final 6 (double) came on 18. The second shot (another 8 iron) hooked into the water hazard and another missed up and down after the drop near the green. The final nine (40) left us at seven over par for the day (78) and backing up all the way to 74th place.

Although we were ten shots higher today, we hit the same amount of fairways (8/14) and only two less greens (11/18) from Fridays second round. The biggest difference today was on and around the greens. Those two early three putts along with the missed up and downs throughout the day was the difference. After the round, we spent our entire practice session chipping and putting. We have nothing to loss tomorrow (74th out of 75 players) but know a good solid round will still go a long way. Every FedEx point matters and every position we can move up will help get those extra valuable FedEx points needed to secure his card for next year. I'm looking forward to getting out there early and seeing what we can do. We tee off tomorrow at 8:36 with Jason Bohn.

Quicken Loans National - First Round

We just didn't have it today. Only hitting half the fairways 7/14) and half the greens (9/18) it was a tough day to score. Congressional is playing long with high, thick rough so ball striking is at a premium. Sitting at five over par through 11 holes, the ball striking started to turn around as Kevin hit the last five fairways and five of his last seven greens. We managed to finish the round at four over (75) and we were only a few putts away from shooting a respectable score. But, as bad as the score may sound, we are still in the tournament with a solid round tomorrow. With the course playing difficult, two over par (73) is tied for 62nd place. Anything under par tomorrow will have us playing the weekend.

After the round, we had a range session and then called it a day. We tee off tomorrow morning at 7:12 so it will be an early wake up call. Good night all.

Update - Memphis, US Open, Baby Kate

Once again, I've failed to blog for an entire month and it has been an exciting month. After qualifying for the US Open on the Monday of Memphis, we had a long week filled with weather delays. Kevin played well considering having so much on his mind that week. With weather delays threatening to push the tournament into a Monday finish, it was hard to maintain focus not knowing how it would all work out. A few loose shots finishing our round on Sunday led to a couple doubles but, all in all, it was a solid week. Happy we were done, Kevin hopped on a plane and headed home for the birth of their child.

Kathleen Grace "Kate" was born Monday afternoon (June 9th) at 2:49pm. Everything went well and everyone was doing fine. Kevin stayed in Aiken until Tuesday night and then drove over to Pinehurst for the US Open. We met up Wednesday morning and worked a little with JT on the range before our practice round. I rolled into town Tuesday morning and spent the day doing course work. The golf course was playing extremely firm and fast and shots landing on the front edge to five yards onto the green were releasing all the way to the middle of the greens. Our keys for the week was all about where we wanted to land each shot on the green, patience, and a solid short game. Unfortunately, an afternoon storm rolled in on Wednesday and we were called off the course after only 12 holes.

We ended up missing the cut but it was still a solid experience. I feel Kevin learned a lot of competing in his first US Open and the experience will only help him in his future major championships. The US Open was our fifth week in a row on the road and with a new baby, he decided to take Hartford off. It was nice to get away from the game and he had a great week being a dad.

This week we are at the Congressional in Washington, DC for the Quicken Loans National. We met Tuesday and had two solid days of practice. We tee off today at 12:12 with Russell Knox and Robert Streb.

The Memorial - Final Round / US Open Qualifier

It has been a great couple of days. Kevin worked through the bad feeling he had with his golf swing on Saturday and had a few great rounds on the golf course both Sunday and Monday. Muirfield was playing firm and fast on Sunday but once again he showed patience and a solid short game. Both of these were tested late in the day as his wedge flew into the flagstick on the par five 15th and ricocheted off the green, down a slope, 15 yards away into a difficult position. But he was able to get it up and down to save par. The very next hole, par three 16th, our tee shot found the water but he walks up to the drop zone and was able to get that up and down from 120 yards to save the bogey. As most players would have just packed it in after those two shots, Kevin once again showed his maturity and grind it out. We finished the day with a birdie on 17 and shot a nice round of three under (69) finishing T-46th. But more important, his finish gained us those extra valuable FedEx points and we moved up two spots on the list to 103rd.

Because we had to be in Memphis for the 36 hole US Open qualifier in just over 12 hours; Kevin decided to fly private using his new sponsor, Wheels Up, and brought me along for the ride. I do have to say it was one of the coolest experiences in my 44 year life. Little did I know, it was only about to get better!!

I met Kevin at the golf course about 7am Monday morning. I was joking with Kiz telling him it was a bit of an anniversary for us because it was here in Memphis at Colonial Country club in 2008 where we first met. I was caddying for Doug LaBelle and we showed up to play a practice round. We went to the first tee and Kevin was standing there with his good friend Mike Hostilo waiting to play their practice round. We ended up playing two rounds together, striking up a good friendship, and now six years later, I'm back carrying his bag. Can you say fate???

Since I save all my old yardage books, without any practice rounds and not being back here since 2008, all we had to lean on were my old notes from those books. We started on the "tougher" South course with some on and off drizzling rain. With 145 players trying for 13 spots, I knew if we just managed our way around and gave Kevin plenty of birdie looks, we would do fine. An early three putt bogey was washed away with three straight birdies on 7, 8 and 9 making the turn at two under. One more bogey and two birdies on the back had us shooting three under (69) for the first round. We had only 20 minutes before round two so we had a quick lunch. When I took a look at the scores, I saw that there was only one score better then ours on the South course. With all the other low scores on the North course, I knew we where in perfect position. Starting on 10, Kevin birdied 10, 12 and 16 getting us to six under through 27 holes. Another nice birdie on the par three 2nd as the rain started and then another birdie during a torrential downpour on the very next hole put us in the drivers seat. The rain finally stopped and the winds laid down for the final five holes but now we had to deal with mud balls. One more birdie with a bogey coming in had us shooting five under (66) for an eight under total for 36 holes. Eight under was good enough for T-3rd and a trip to THE US OPEN.

Completely worn out, it took awhile for it all to sink in. Having one of my biggest accomplishments in my playing career occurring at Pinehurst #2, winning the 1992 North South Amateur, I am excited to be heading back to a place that means so much to me. Having to play nine rounds of golf in six days during that week in 1992, I leaned on my bother/caddy, Darrell, to get me through. I would have never won that Championship without his help. Now, to be going back as a caddy, I just hope I can do as good of a job as he did 22 years ago. 

As for Baby Kiz, Brittany and Kevin had a plan in place just in case we qualified for the US Open. Brittany and the baby are doing well, so if Baby Kiz does not arrive this week, they have scheduled an appointment to induce Monday morning. If Baby Kiz decides to come this week, Kevin and I have our plan worked out and we will get him home. It's definitely an exciting time for the Kisner family. Please keep them in your prayers.

The Memorial - Third Round

Tough sledding today. During the warm up, Kevin hit it well and talking with him throughout the warm up he felt much better today. A solid up and down on one and then a chip in birdie on two had us under par early. A hooked hybrid off the tee on three led to a bogey after chipping back out to the fairway but two more birdies on the par fives had us back under par (-2) through 8 holes.

Here is when things start to go south. After a nice drive on nine, a blocked wedge to the right of the green started a streak of ten straight missed greens in regulation. Not all were bad shots and not all were from the fairway but we still missed 10 in a row. The common thread was right. When we did miss the fairway, it was missed to the right. Then when we hit one off line from the fairway, it was also to the right. And wouldn't you know, when we did hit a solid shot on line, the distance was wrong. Add this all up, we shoot 34-42=76 for the day. Only hitting four greens all day, I guess the positive is that his short game was pretty solid. He chipped in twice and had some great up and downs. So, it could have been worse. The one over par total puts us in T-60th heading into the final round.

After the round, we once again hit the range and worked on things. We tee off tomorrow morning at 8:54 with Billy Hurley. As soon as we finish, we will be heading off to Memphis, TN for our US Open 36 hole qualifier on Monday.

The Memorial - Second Round

It's been a long day so I'm going to make this short. Kevin told me on the range warming up that something didn't feel right with his swing. He was hitting it solid during the warm up but he said he felt out of sync. We ended up managing it pretty good all day considering how he felt. Three birdies with three bogeys had us shooting even par (72) for the day.

After the round, we headed straight out to the range to figure it out. A few quick videos with a phone call to his instructor and we were back on track. We hit balls for about 45 minutes before calling it a day. Kevin's three under total puts him T-24th heading into the weekend. We tee off tomorrow at 10:45 with Justin Thomas.

The Memorial (Columbus, OH) - First Round

Kevin did not arrive until Tuesday so I spent Monday doing all of my course work. I walked the front nine by myself and then helped out William McGirt by caddying for him on the back. His caddy was not getting into town until Tuesday and he wanted to play nine holes. We played the back as he gave me insight on how each hole played. This will be William's third visit here so I was able to get some valuable information about how the course plays.

Kevin arrived mid afternoon on Tuesday after a few flight delays. We had a quick warm up and played the front nine by ourselves. Rather then rushing around and trying to play 18, he decided to spend extra time around each green chipping and putting. Because the Memorial only has a morning pro am on Wednesday, we were able to play the back nine Wednesday afternoon. Kevin had a great time playing with the Georgia Tech boys (Roberto Castro, Bryce Molder and Chesson Hadley). 

Thursday's round started a 8:59 on number 10. This golf course will test every facet of your game - mental and physical. There is no "faking it" around here and it will test patience. That patience was tested early and often but he battled through it and finished like a champ. An early bogey on the par five 11th after a miscue coming out of the rough led to the first bogey of the day. A great wedge on 14 followed by two more great shots on the par five 15th gave us two birdies in a row and had us at one under through six. The patience was once again tested through the middle of the round after a bogey on 17, a 10 foot par save on 18, and another bogey after driving it two inches into the rough on number one. But he showed some maturity and fought through it, making four birdies on his final eight holes. His three under (69) put us T-11th after the first round. 

After the round, we had a light practice session hitting a few balls with some chipping and bunker work. Brittany had a scheduled doctors appointment today and Kevin was looking forward to hearing about how it went. When we finished practicing, Kevin checked his phone and all is good back home. Brittany is dilated to 2cm. Exciting times!!

The Colonial (Fort Worth, TX)

The week got started with a Monday proam. Since Kevin never played here, he felt it would be best to get in a round on Monday. JT came into town on Tuesday and we had an afternoon practice round and practice session with him. Wednesday was our normal routine.

The winds were up all week which made the "old style" golf course play difficult with tight fairways and dogleg holes. It was difficult picking the correct clubs and birdies were hard to make. Two three putts on the first nine on Thursday coupled with two bad swings on the back led to three bogeys and a double. We finished the day with a five over par (75).

Playing late on Friday, Kevin and I met with JT for a morning practice session. Kevin was just a little out of sync yesterday and didn't feel good with things. A little fine tuning and he was back hitting it solid. We took a break for lunch and then started our normal warm up routine. A missed green with a wedge on seven and then a poor course managing decision by me on nine cost us two bogeys. We made the turn one over (6 over for the tournament). But Kevin hung in there and kept doing what he has been doing. Three straight birdies on 10, 11, and 12 put us back in the game and a chance at making the cut. A missed up and down from the front bunker on 14 was followed by an 8 iron to 3 feet on 15 for birdie. Needing to make two more birdies to make the cut, Kevin hit a perfect iron on the par three 16th to seven feet. He was unable to convert the birdie put but rolled in a 30 footer on 17 to get us within one shot of the cut number. One more perfect drive on 18 left us 120 to the hole. But a slightly pulled wedge, that landed about two yards short and left of the hole, spun down the slope and off the green into the water hazard. It was a tough way to finish but he did great things just to give us a chance coming down 18. I was proud of him for the effort. His two under (68) on Friday was one of the lower rounds for the day. 

After missing the cut, Kevin flew back to Aiken for a couple days home with Brittany. She is only two weeks away from her due date so Kevin is wanting to spend as much time at home as possible. He will be flying up to Columbus on Tuesday. Since this is a new venue for both of us, I decided to fly straight to Columbus and start my preparations for the week. As of the deadline Friday afternoon, we were first alternate for the Memorial but at the time of this post, we are now in the field. 

Byron Nelson - Final Round

Kevin played great Sunday. Hitting the first 13 greens in regulation, we made five birdies with putts all inside 12 feet which included two tap ins. With the way he was playing all week, we knew a low round was coming and we finally had a day where we had good yardages and could be aggressive.

With a 15mph wind blowing from the south and gusting up to 20, it makes the final five hole stretch play long and difficult. But once again, Kevin's hard work he has been putting in on his short game paid off as he was made three great up and downs on 14, 15 and 16 to keep the round together. We were unable to get it up and down from over the green on 17 but two great shots on 18 closed out the round with a nice par. His four under (66) shot us right up the leader board and we ended up with a T-16th finish.

This finish moves us to 100th on the FedEx points list and now gives us an opportunity to get into the limited field at The Memorial in two weeks. Since the Memorial is an invitational, the field of 120 players is filled by the current years FedEx list after the Byron Nelson. As of now, Monday morning, we are currently 111/120 in the field for the Memorial but all exempt players have until this Friday to enter the event.

Byron Nelson - Third Round

Once again we had to tee off the tenth hole to start the day. The twenty minute gap between our warm up and start of play didn't agree with us and a poor approach shot finished buried in the lip of the green side bunker. Unable to get that up and down and we started the day with a bogey.

It didn't take long until Kevin was able to get into the flow of the round but we just a little off all day. After making two birdies to get it under par through seven, the tee shot on the par three 17th found the water hazard. But Kevin followed that up by almost holing out his wedge shot from the drop zone and then almost holed his second shot on the par four 18th. Three birdies and two bogeys had us making the turn at one under for the day.

The back nine was much of the same. Good shots mixed with not so good shots had us making a bunch of pars. Our only hiccup came on the par three second (our 11th) as we three putted from off the fringe. The one over par back nine gave us an even par round (70) for the day. (T-47th) It's not what we were looking for but we also know that a good, real low round isn't far away. 

We tee of tomorrow at 9:18 with Kris Blanks.

Byron Nelson - Second Round

We got it in at even par (70) but it wasn't easy. We got off to a shaky start with a three putt on the third and then drove it into a water hazard on the fourth. Two over after four holes has us fighting back early. Even though Kevin continued to hit it well, it seemed to be the type of day where we had middle yardages and were between clubs all day long. That left us hitting it to 30-40 feet and not really having good looks at birdies.

Kevin's one under total has us sitting in a tie for 41st but only five shots from 2nd place. The field is bunched up and anyone making the cut still has a chance to win the golf tournament. Since a total of 84 players made the cut, the Tour has us teeing off in threesomes for the third round. We tee off number 10 at 10:00am with Scott Gardiner and Scottie Scheffler.

Byron Nelson (Dallas, TX) - First Round

We played a solid round of golf today. Teeing off number 10 presents a bit of a challenge starting the day. Since the tenth does not start near the clubhouse, we had to complete our warmup 20 minutes early, load up into a van, and ride out to the tenth tee. Kevin's rhythm was a little off early and it took a few holes to get into the flow of the round. I feel like we managed the round nicely and made only one bad mistake late in the day on the sixth hole. After hitting a perfect tee shot, we short-sided ourselves with a nine iron and could not get it up and down from a tough position. It was just a situation where he was a little too aggressive and it cost us a shot as we finished with a bogey.

On a day where conditions were tough and scores were not low (5 under leading), Kevin finished the day with a one under par (69). We caught a bit of a break with the wind as the gust seemed to lay down late in the day. Tomorrow's forecast is for gusty winds in the afternoon so I'm hoping we can get most of our round in with calmer conditions once again. We tee off tomorrow at 9:00.

April - May Update / Byron Nelson Practice

It looks like I've been missing from the blog for about a month and a half. But, as most of you know, things have been pretty good since my last post. We made four straight cuts and the finishes improved each week. Houston (68th), Hilton Head (38th), New Orleans (34th), and Charlotte (6th). Bad weather and family friends in Hilton Head, Geraldine and the kids in New Orleans, and commuting from home during Charlotte (along with some laziness) kept me from blogging. But now that I'm back on the road and in my normal routine, I'll try to post a little something each day.

This week we are in Dallas for the Byron Nelson. We did not qualify for the Players Championship so we had last week off. We flew into town Monday but due to some extreme weather Monday afternoon and evening, we both arrived late. I met Kevin Tuesday morning and we had a solid day of practice. JT (Kevin's instructor) flew in for a few days and they worked together after our practice round. Nothing major. Just monitoring and fine tuning a few things as Kevin continues to hit the ball great. Today was our normal Wednesday practice session with a little extra time spent on some bunker work. Kevin is looking good and ready to the week.

We tee off tomorrow at 2:00pm off of number 10 with Hudson Swafford and USGA Junior Amateur Champion Scotty Scheffler.

Houston - Monday Qualifier

Even though we were first alternate and had a great chance of getting into the event on his number, he still wanted to play today in the qualifier so he could start seeing some putts drop. Well.....that is exactly what happened. Taking only a total of 21 putts for 18 holes, Kevin made nine birdies with one lone bogey to shoot eight under (64) and was the low qualifier. It was fun to be a part of it and watch him play. We changed up the routine today, keeping things simple and just got back to playing golf. He played with a clear, uncluttered mind and stopped trying to be perfect. He committed to his decisions and wasn't focused on being perfect. Now, we just need to keep building on this and keep it rolling. Today was a big step on getting that confidence back.

Valero Texas Open (San Antonio, TX) - Recap

We didn't get into the field for Bay Hill so we had the week off leading up to San Antonio. I had a great week off after three weeks on the road. I was able to take the family to Chapel Hill and watch a good friend coach our local High School to a win in the NC State 3A Championship with a last second game winning shot, do some spring cleaning yard work, watch the kids soccer games, and play a little golf with the kids. It definitely recharged the batteries and I was ready to get back to work.

Although the drive to San Antonio is 18 hours from Morganton, I made the decision to cut expenses and make the drive. I left early Sunday morning, drove 14 hours, stopped for the night and rolled into San Antonio around lunch time on Monday. Kevin was not flying in until Monday night so I was planned to head out to the course for some course work. Unfortunately, shortly after I arrived, an afternoon thunderstorm hit the area and shut things down for the rest of the day.

I met Kevin Tuesday morning for some range work. He has been struggling the last few weeks with his irons hitting into the wind. The ball has been spinning too much so the ball "steps up" and falls out of the sky when hitting into the wind. He spent the week off with his instructor, John Tillery, on trackman testing and recording ball spin, launch angles, etc. When we arrived on Tuesday, we worked with the TaylorMade Tour staff and they build him a new set of irons with different shafts to help improve his "numbers". Kevin loved the feel of the shafts and we saw an immediate improvement in the ball flight. We went out and played an afternoon practice round with Bo Van Pelt, Scott Brown and Robert Allenby. A weather system moved in Wednesday morning and the temps struggled to get above 50 with a wind chill hanging around the lower 40's. We spent a few hours in the morning chipping and putting before it started raining and it got too bad to continue. The rain stopped around lunch time and we headed back out for some more practice. 

Thursday's round was delayed 2.5 hours due to fog. When we finally teed off, Kevin felt great and we were looking forward to a great week. After two solid pars to start the round, we missed the green from 120 yards and couldn't get it up and down. Another missed up and down on the next put us two over early and clawing our way back. Unfortunately, we couldn't gain any momentum as we didn't make a birdie all day and the longest putt we made was 6'8" according to shotlink. It was a very frustrating day and patience was wearing thin. We had now played 47 holes in competition without a birdie. After the round, we spent the rest of the afternoon working on putting. Missing most of the putts right, Kevin and JT worked on keeping his stroke more square on the backswing. 

Because of the delay on Thursday, Friday's tee time was pushed back until 3:00pm. We met at 12:00 for some short game work before lunch and starting our normal warmup. Kevin once again had a very solid ball striking round. We were able to make three birdies but two of those birdies came from putts inside 2 feet. According to shotlink, we only made one putt outside 15 feet for the entire week. Unfortunately, it really doesn't matter how good the ball striking is if you can not make a putt. It's also the putter that effects the attitude the most. For us this week, it kept us from focusing on the positives, trying to be perfect, and put too much pressure on the rest of the game. Confidence is so important in this game and when you don't have it, it is almost impossible to play it well. You start beating yourself up along with everyone and everything else around you. We need to find a way to turn that around.

This week is Houston. As of Friday, we were not in the field and was third alternate. We decided to stay in San Antonio Saturday and Kevin went out for a mid morning practice session and workout. On Sunday morning, Kevin drove over to Houston with me and we went out to the tournament course and played a few holes with Hudson Swafford. Our tee time today for the Monday qualifier is 1:39. We moved to second alternate early this morning and while I was writing this post, Kevin text me and said we moved up to first alternate. He said he still wants to play the qualifier today because we can not play the tournament course. We need to keep playing so we can start seeing putts dropping. We are going to keep banging it out and it will turn around.

Valspar Championship (Tampa, FL) - First Round

With some extremely tough playing conditions, Kevin played a nice and tidy round of golf today. We caught a little bit of a break with our late tee time. With temps not getting much above 60 and the wind blowing about 20mph; our 2:20 tee time gave us the warmest part of the day with the wind calming down a bit later in the day.

Teeing off the tenth, Kevin got off to a great start with birdies on the first two holes. We dropped a shot with a bogey on the par three 15th but came right back with a birdie on the toughest hole on the course (16th hole). He continued to play well for the rest of the day. The greens were getting bumpy late and it was tough to make putts. He hung tough finishing the day with a nice one under (70) and in great shape after one round.

We tee off tomorrow at 9:30.

Puerto Rico Open (Saturday/Sunday) - Tampa Monday Qualifier

It has been a wild few days with a lot of golf and very little sleep. Saturday's round was met with very little wind and scores were low. Kevin struggled hitting fairways (4/14) but was able to hit 16 greens for the day and shot three under (69). Starting the day in a tie for 33rd, his 69 dropped one spot to a tie for 34th at the end of the day.

On Sunday, Kevin drove the ball much better and continued hitting a lot of greens (16/18) but struggled with the putter. His speed was a little off and we had 18 straight two putts (36 putts total) for a final round 73. His six under total backed us up to a tie for 49th. Needing a top 10 finish to get into the field for the Valspar Championship, we were now heading to Tampa to play the Monday qualifier.

Soon after checking in at the airport, we found out that our 8:15pm flight was delayed three hours and not leaving until 11:15. We finally arrived in Tampa at 2:30am, got our bags, picked up the car and drove the hour north toward the Monday qualifier. We finally checked into the hotel at 4am and set the alarm for 7:20 for our 9:00am tee time. After three hours sleep and some help from a Five Hour Energy drink, Kevin played great. Never seeing the golf course before, we managed our way around without a bogey and shot a six under par round 66. With only four spots available, we were tied for first with one other guy after the morning wave. We had some lunch and then had to wait about six hours for the afternoon wave to finish. No one else was able to match our score and we qualified without a playoff. Finally leaving the course about 7pm and heading back toward Tampa for the Valspar Championship we stopped for a quick dinner and then some much needed rest.

Puerto Rico Open - Thursday and Friday

Well, it's nice to finally get into a tournament. After being on the alternate list the last few weeks, we come to Puerto Rico knowing we are in the field. I arrived Monday and Kevin flew in Tuesday morning. We played a practice round Tuesday afternoon and then filled in for nine holes during Wednesday's pro-am.

Kevin has played solid over the first two days. The wind is blowing about 20mph every day which makes it difficult at times but he is hitting it solid which makes it easier to manage. On Thursday, we had a little trouble in the middle of the first nine and we were over par early. We made a double after his shot from a fairway bunker hit the lip and barely made it out and a missed up and down led to the other bogey. But he hung in there and birdied all the par fives the rest of the way and shot one under (71) for the day.

The only blemishes on Fridays card came from two three putts. A missed short putt on the fourth and then another on the 11th after a poor first putt. But once again, he kept fighting and birdied three of the last four to shoot three under (69). His four under total puts us t-33rd heading into the weekend. With 80 guys making the cut, the Tour decided to split the field, pair us into threesomes and tee off both nines. We tee off today at 9:45 on number 10

AT&T Pebble Beach / Northern Trust Open Summary

Since I haven't posted in a while, here is a summary of the last few weeks. After missing the cut at Torrey Pines (San Diego), we did not get into the field for the Waste Management Open in Scottsdale, AZ. I flew home but Kevin decided to stay out west and spent the week practicing in Palm Springs, CA. It turned out to be a great decision since the weather back home was miserable and he would not have been able to get much practice in if he did came home.

I flew back out to California on Sunday and met Kevin early Monday morning at Pebble Beach. The ATT Pro-am was played on three courses (Spyglass Hill, Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach) so we needed to get a practice round in on each before Thursday. The weather was perfect Monday through Wednesday but turned nasty by the time the tournament started. Rain, wind and cold were the words that described the rest of the week. Thursday's round was at Spyglass and we were able to get around in at par (72) even though we didn't hit it well early in the round. Fridays round was at Monterey and it was the best ball striking round of the week. Kevin got it to four under through eight holes and then we held on for dear life as we made the turn back into the wind to finish the day. The wind was so strong that solid drives were only going 225 yards and 3 irons were going 170 yards. His two under (70) was one of the best rounds for the day.

Saturday's round was on Pebble and the winds were up again. With the exception of the opening drive on ten that found the ocean, Kevin played solid in the tough conditions. Play was suspended for a few hours because the wind was so strong, as it was blowing balls on the greens. After opening with a double bogey, we finished the day with a three over par (75). His one over total put us in a tie for 64th but because 25 amateurs also make the cut and play on Sunday, the "playing" cut for the professionals this week was the top 60 and ties. So, even though Kevin earns FedEx points and money for his 64th place, it left us one shot out of making the "playing cut" for Sunday and we did not have the opportunity to improve our position. Then, making it sting a little more, Kevin and his amateur partner shot 18 under par and made the team cut so we had to play on Sunday anyway as a team.

Because of the late finish on Sunday, Kevin was not able to catch his flight to LA, so he made the five hour drive with me to LA. On the drive to LA, we found out that because there were three guys that finished in the top 10 at Pebble, we were now third alternate for the Northern Trust Open. On Monday, we went out to Riviera and played in the Monday pro-am as our practice round. Kevin was not feeling well so he took Monday afternoon and all day Tuesday off. Tuesday morning we moved up to second alternate so on Wednesday we had a nice afternoon practice session and got prepared just in case we got into the tournament. As it turned out, only one other player withdrew, leaving us the first man on the outside looking in.

After spending 7.5 hours at the golf course on Thursday waiting to see if everyone was going to play, we left the course and headed toward the airport. On the way, Kevin was able to get the last seat on a flight leaving at 2:45. Without any time to spare, we got him on the flight and he headed home. Unfortunately for me, due to the weather back home, I was not able to find a flight home until Saturday. We are off again next week and then the "Florida swing" starts in Palm Beach, FL at the Honda Classic. With the next reshuffle for our category coming after this week, we will once again be close to getting into the event. Kevin is projected to drop to 20th in his category and that will be very close to the number that will get into the Honda. He is planning on entering the Monday qualifier if we do not get into the field.

Farmers Insurance Open (La Jolla, CA) - Practice

The North and South courses at Torrey Pines are playing long and tough. Even with dry conditions over the weeks leading up to this event, the rough is extremely long. Narrow fairways, long rough and firm greens all equal tough conditions. On top of all of that...the bumpy poa annua greens will test patience. It's going to be a difficult test but we are ready for the challenge.

We played the North course on Monday in a charity pro-am and then had a practice round Tuesday on the South course. Kevin hit the ball well and drove it awesome during both rounds. The bumpy greens made it frustrating practicing each day but it is something we have to deal with. We knew this coming to these events on the west coast but it still makes it tough mentally. Today we had our normal practice Wednesday. After Kevin's morning workout, we hit some balls and then worked on our putting. We took a break for lunch and then spent some more time on the putting green before calling it a day. We tee off tomorrow on the South course (number 10) at 9:50 with Ed Loar and Michael Block. 

Here is a link to an interview I had on Tuesday. A retired caddy that has a blog stopped me Tuesday morning and asked for an interview. He posted it last night so you can take a listen if your interested.

http://lpgacaddy.com/2014-farmers/

Humana Challenge - La Quinta, CA

The results don't show it but it was a solid week in La Quinta. One of my favorite spots on Tour, the weather was perfect every day and we leave town with a 48 place finish and 19 FedEx Cup points.

Kevin had a solid ball striking week. He fought the driver at times but hit his irons well. He ranked 12th in greens in regulation for the week and gave himself numerous looks at birdie. With rounds of 66,70,69,69 (14under), the results would have been much better if we just had an average chipping and putting week. Kevin has worked hard during the off season on his chipping but the new technique has his feel / touch off. He is hitting his chips and pitches solid with the correct trajectories but his distance control is off. We'll need to continue with reps everyday and all of that will take care of itself.

After the tournament, it was a short drive over the mountain to San Diego, CA for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. After playing and learning three different courses last week, we now will be playing two courses (North and South) here at Torrey Pines. I am meeting Kevin later this morning as he is playing a charity pro-am on the North course at noon.

Sony Open Recap

It was a week where we did lots of good things but just made too many mistakes. After 36 holes, Kevin totaled 11 birdies but had nine bogeys and one double to go with it. His even par total (72-68) missed the cut by one shot. With seven weeks off from competition, the mistakes could be summed up by being a little "rusty". His touch around the greens was a little off and led to nine missed up and downs and two three putts over the two days. For the most part, his long game was solid considering we come to a golf course that he has struggled on in years past. Considering everything, we leave this week in a good frame of mind and feeling good about the weeks ahead.

With the weekend off and next week's tournament in Palm Springs being played on three different golf courses, we both looked at changing our flights and heading out early. Kevin was able to make the change and left Hawaii yesterday (Saturday) but I could not get out. I'm still on my original flight tonight and will not be able to get to Palm Springs until Monday afternoon. Fortunately for me, my nephew, David, is stationed in the Army here on Oahu and I've been able to spend some time with him over the last few days. I guess there are worse places then Hawaii to be "stuck".

The Start of 2014 - Sony Open (Waikiki Beach, HI)

It's time to start 2014 and it looks like it came just in time. As most of you have been experiencing sub freezing temperatures, we start the year off in Hawaii. Kevin and I both traveled on Sunday but my day was a little longer then expected. I started out early with a 6am flight out of Charlotte only to arrive in Houston to learn that my flight to Hawaii was cancelled. After a 12hr layover, I finally arrived in Honolulu at 1:30am making it a 27 hour travel day.

After a few hours of sleep, I met Kevin Monday morning to begin our preparation for the Sony Open. Kevin worked hard over the break and is in great shape coming to Hawaii. We have struggled the past two years we played here but Kevin had two great practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday was a nice light practice session in the morning and he is ready to get started. Our tee time today is 1:10 with Ben Martin and Wil Wilcox.