Go Win My Friend...

Hello those of you still reading!

It's been a while, and I apologize.  Since our missed cut in Raleigh, I've taken our week off, been to LA, and back home.  It's nice to be home after just a short while on the road!

To cut to the chase, I have made the decision to step down from my caddying duties.  I felt that I could not be the caddy that Justin needs in a short enough time frame to achieve the goals we set out when I got on the bag...finish 1st on the money list or win two more times.  The last thing he needs right now is to think about the job his caddy is doing.  With such a fast start, he needs (in my humble opinion) to be able to focus all of his energy on hitting each shot.

I fully intend to continue to serve as one of several who keeps his game on track as an instructor.  In fact, I'll fly out to some events to provide that service to him.

Anyway, it was a short, awesome, beautiful experience that I don't regret for a second.  What a great time...from grinding to making a cut, to winning, to missing a cut.  All great times in their own way.  I am very grateful and humbled.  So I probably won't be updating the blog anymore.  Or I'll find a way to blog differently.  We'll see.  Thanks for reading and until next time!

Day 1 At The Rex

72 today. Which is gonna mean a god round is necessary tomorrow. Nothing crazy, but a good solid round in the 60's. Justin actually played quite well today tee to green,but we just couldn't get any putts to fall. We could speculate as to why or what, but sometimes in golf it just goes that way. I didn't have my most stellar day as a caddy either today, dropping the head cover once and losing my positive in the moment vibe for a few holes. But I'm gonna learn and move forward. There is a learning curve and I'm making my way. Our first early day off in a while so I think I'll get away, take care of some odds and ends, maybe read, maybe watch a movie, maybe go for a soak. Whatever it is I do, it'll be chill! Let's get it going tomorrow and get that energy going in the right direction again! Until tomorrow friends...Miyagi out.

Let's Get In On In Raleigh!

Hey all! Hope all is well, and you're looking forward to following us and rooting us on again this week at the Rex Hospital Open. Early time tomorrow, 7:40, so a short one tonight. No TV coverage this week, so keep track of things on the PGA Tour site. Feeling re-energized and ready to go! More tomorrow with hopefully a good update. One shot at a time, the best we've got on each stroke. Til tomorrow friends and send your positive mojo! Yellow bib for the first time tomorrow this season, and we plan on keeping it that way! Gnite...

Wednesday Pro-Am Day in Raleigh

Now no one really thought that last weeks winner wouldn't be a part of this week's Pro-Am, did they? It's actually quite an honor, and means that the Tour is deeming Justin one of the guys worthy of representing the tour! Cool! We'll see who we get this week, but I'll give anyone 1000 to 1 odds that we won't have anyone as smoking hot--or as funny and nice--as Paula Trickey! You know, make that 100,000 to 1!!

Other than that, I'll be re-checking some numbers and elevations, and rolling some putts on the back nine today, which I didn't do yesterday. Beautiful golf corse with some meaty holes. We'll see how it plays today...the course was designed to roll out and with all the rain it's NOT. But the drainage was pretty decent and as long as we don't get more rain, it should start to play firmer. Time to go get ready, caffeinate myself, and have some fun!

Golfweek Interview With Justin...And He Remembered Miyagi Too!

Check out the nice piece in Golfweek about Justin's win. He even remembers the little people too! A champion and winner. Thanks my friend!

www.golfweek.com/news/2010/may/18/nationwide-notes-hicks-road-pga-tour/

More Info...

For more info and updates (like you want more to read, right?), be sure to join my Facebook group "Tom's Summer Internship 2010" on my FB homepage. You can click on the link or try http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111631348868091

Tuesday And Back To Work!

Well it's still overcast and sprinkling in Raleigh this morning. The forecast is for things to clear up this afternoon and a high of 75. What a difference from last week's heat and crazy humidity! Today's plan is for us to head to the TPC at 9, practice for Justin while I walk the course and do my pacing, layering, and charting. Justin knows the course pretty well, is still tired, and plans to ease back into it today. That's just a bonus for me as I'll get to walk bagless for a day and save my legs, as I have to admit that I'm still a little worn out as well. It'll give me a chance to hide away a little too and will give Justin a chance to do talk with all the folks who will mwant a word from him about last week. I'm eager to see the course and it's green complexes,which Justin says are worth a look see.

On other notes, it looks like "Miyagi" is emerging as the nickname of choice...apologies to those who preferred others, especially fellow pro Joe Affrunti and his caddie Emmitt who were strong advocates of "Bruce," the Trickster who has pushed for "Chong Wang," and you readers who liked "Chow." I personally liked "Mr. Lu" but Miyagi it is!

I may check in later to tell you about the course. We'll see how the day unfolds. As we will not be on TV this week, I'll try to keep you updated with short posts more often. Til then, enjoy your day and back to work!

We've Got A Winner!

Good afternoon everyone! If you don't know by now, Justin won the BMW Charity Pro-Am yesterday! He shot a great round of 66 playing in the final group with 3rd round leader Fabian Gomez and his celebrity amateur partner Jennifer Mills. There's not much to say other than it was an incredible day, one of the most exciting experiences of my life.

Our playing partners were a pleasure to play with, Justin stayed focused and patient all day, we worked great as a team, and I didn't throw up on myself! Although he made a great birdie to seal the win on 18, his pars on 16 and 17 were the keys to victory. On 16, a par 5, he hit his second shot from a difficult lie and his ball plugged into the lip of the green side bunker. I have never seen a ball so buried, and after consulting a rules official, Justin had to gently brush away sand until first, we found it, and second, confirm that the ball we found was his. After brushing about two inches of sand away, he then had to brush sand back onto the ball to recreate the original lie. He then swung as hard as he could to just get it on the green, and two-putted from 40 feet, draining a 6 footer for par. On 17, Justin hit a perfect 7-iron--one of the best shots he hit all day--and the ball hit a concrete green and bounded over the green. From an awkward lie, he chipped it to 8 feet and drained a hard right to left breaking putt for another fantastic par. Awesome. I can still remember the goose bumps after both holes. Little did we know that at the time, the par saves made the last hole much easier to play.

After an hour rain delay, during which we sat in his car listening to music, we warmed up, and went out back to our drive on 18 fairway. After watching Fabian, the only player left who could beat us, miss the green with his second, Justin hit a 7-iron to 3 feet from 173 yards and made the birdie to win by two. A winner finishing like a champion!

We are now on the way to Raleigh for the next event, still savoring the victory but beginning to focus on this week. We are happy, tired, but very excited to keep it going! This post has already been extra long, so I'll wrap up, but thanks to all of you for all the support...the emails, texts, calls and Facebook posts are overwhelming and moving. Thank you, we are grateful and will keep on trying our best!

After 3 Rounds at the BMW Charity Pro-Am

Hello everyone!  For those of you following the tournament, it's clear that Justin has put himself in great position for tomorrow's final round.  He currently stands in a tie for 4th, with only three players ahead of him going into Sunday at 15 under par.  We posted a 69 today.  A good round that puts us right in the chase.  Justin is playing as well as I've ever seen tee to green, just did not capitalize on a couple of birdie chances today.  But overall, everything balanced out in the end.  Got a few unlucky breaks, got a few good ones, and hung in there.  We will be in the final group tomorrow, playing with Fabian Gomez from Argentina and his amateur partner, Jennifer Mills, a one-time anchor woman for the Golf Channel.  I love that we're in the final group, and we feel good about things.  We had an early start but an early finish today, so got in the requisite post-round practice, rest, and dinner done early.  Because we tee it up in the final group tomorrow, we start at a reasonable 10:10 am, so no 5 am wake up calls tomorrow!  

So we look forward to tomorrow with anticipation and are thinking good thoughts.  This is the time for a few cliches because nothing else fits...we'll do what we've been doing all week, take it one shot at a time, not get ahead of ourselves or dwell on the past, and take what the course gives us.  I sound like I'm being interviewed on TV!  But that's the way we've gotta approach it, so that's what we'll do.  We're playing to win and going to try our best, and we'll accept whatever shakes out by tomorrow afternoon.  Please watch us on the Golf Channel starting at 1 pm and root us on!  We'll take all the positive energy we can get!

And most importantly, we've had a good time and we're gonna have a good time no matter what tomorrow.  I'll be back tomorrow with another update!  Time for the hot tub and some rest.  Let's go have some fun! 

Rounds 1 & 2 at the BMW

Hey all! The storyline halfway through this week's event in the Carolinas:

1. JUSTIN--A very nice opening round of 66 at Bright's Creek Golf Club in North Carolina. His score of 6 under par put him 2 shots back of the leaders. He's playing quite well and managed to get some putts to fall. He followed that up with a round of 65, also 6 under par today at Thornblade Club here in Greenville. That puts him in a tie for second at the moment only 1 shot behind the leader. We both feel pretty good about thing but realize that there are still 2 more rounds to go, and lots of guys are capable of shooting some pretty low scores. Positive but staying in the present. A special tip of my cap to Justin for not only playing great but for being mentally strong during a couple of pivotal moments in each round that kept things going.

2. ME--I'm beat! Bright's Creek is up in the southern part of the Great Smokey Mountains, and lugging the bag up the hills in 90 degree, humid conditions was a challenge. Today at Thornblade was less hilly, but it was near 90 again and super humid. Water, water, water! No complaints though as I'm getting my legs finally, and a nightly soak in the hotel hot tub helps! I'm having a great time, learning my way, and love what we're doing and the direction we're headed. We are really beginning to gel and communicate what we need to play the best golf possible. The nickname voting has "Miyagi" and "Chow" in the lead for now, with "Bruce" (in honor of Bruce Lee) and newcomer "Mr. Lu" (a player who almost won the British Open in the 60's) close behind. Players seem to like "Miyagi" and "Bruce," while readers are seeming to like "Chow." I'll of course keep you updated on what sticks. Fun!

3. RANDOM--As mentioned in earlier posts, this week is a celebrity pro-am event in which each group has two pros, one amateur, and one celebrity. And we couldn't have two nicer people in our foursome, Phil and Paula. Paula is our group's celeb, of Baywatch, The OC, and of numerous other television shows. Both have been super nice, fun, and don't take things too seriously, which while making rounds long keeps things in perspective. I'll say that the format hasn't hurt Justin's play!

That's it for today...watch us on the Golf Channel, check the links for the leader board and Justin's scorecards, and some interesting articles and even a video that features highlights from J's play for the first 2 rounds. I'm off to dinner, a soak, and bed. Our earliest day is tomorrow, so gotta get some rest for what is sure to be another long, hot, and fun day!

Game Time...Let's Tee It Up! More Tomorrow!

Facts and Info About Justin

Here's some miscellaneous info about Justin...

In his bag:

• TaylorMade SuperQuad Driver, 9.5 degrees, Graphite Design Prototype, X-flex...270 yard carry
• Adams RPM LP, 14.5 degrees, Graphite Design 902 Prototype, X-flex...245 yards
• Adams Idea Pro Tour Prototype, 18 degrees, Mitsubishi Rayon hBassara...228 yards
• Adams Idea Pro Tour Prototype, 22 degrees, Aldila NV MLTi Pro-X...218 yards
• Titleist CB Forged, 4-iron through Pitching Wedge, Rifle Flighted 6.5
• 4-iron...205 yards
• 5-iron...190 yards
• 6-iron...180 yards
• 7-iron...170 yards
• 8-iron...155 yards
• 9-iron...143 yards
• PW...130 yards
• SW (54 degrees)...114 yards
• LW (59.5 degrees)...90 yards
• Odyssey Tour Black #9 (no insert) for slower greens, #9 (with insert) for faster greens
• Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
• Apparel: Sligo
• Hat, Shoes, Glove: Footjoy/Titleist

So there it is.  You can see it's quite a mix of equipment, which reflects the narrow tolerances that players of Justin's caliber need to perform their best.

Chow for real this time!

Course 2 and It Feels Like Michigan!

Hey all...just had dinner at On the Border and relaxing in the hotel room.  By the way, I'd never been and it's very good and fairly priced.  We played Carolina Country Club today, and had a nice day and got some good pre-event work done.  Justin and I are figuring things out and we talked today about how we both feel pretty good about the pairing and have positive feelings about the next few weeks and the remainder of the year.  It seems to becoming a situation of me providing what he needs and him providing what I need.  Good things are coming our way...

As promised, a new feature to spice the blog up a little:

• I met a veteran caddy named "Rings" today.  His name comes from the fact that he has what must be 8 or 9 earrings.  I then found it necessary to demand that I have a nickname without delay.  The choices are:
• Miyagi
• Sensei
• Chow (vote for this one)

Please cast your vote by commenting on the blog, texting me, calling me, posting on facebook, or however you'd like, but it might be interesting to see which wins.

Tomorrow is our last practice day and we'll be heading into North Carolina actually to take a look at the third course, Bright's Creek Golf Course.  The saving grace for me is that because of the many pro-ams this week, players and caddies have been allowed to ride carts during practice rounds.  This is NOT usually the case, so my legs feel fresh, which is nice given the forecast of higher temps than the mid 60's we've had so far.  So much for the hot and humid deep south!

Lastly, we learned that one of our amateur playing partners for the first three days will be Paula Tricky.  This could prove to be a special challenge (like I don't have enough to learn and do!), as she is a former Baywatch Girl and actress.  I promise to do my best to stay focused and avoid the distraction!  I do have to say that having a beautiful amateur join us is preferable to any man (my apologies to all the guys, you know where I'm coming from).

Later for now, I'm off to the hot tub for a few minutes, some alone time to meditate for a bit, then to bed. I hope you all are doing great and enjoying the blog.  At least a little.  ;)  Chow.

Celebrities Scheduled To Play This Week

Here's a couple of links to who's playing along side the pros this week:

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20100420/SPORTS/304200030/NFL-great-Jerry-Rice-joins-BMW-Charity-Pro-Am-lineup

and,

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BS&Dato=20080402&Kategori=YOURUPSTATE&Lopenr=804020802&Ref=PH

BMW Charity Pro-Am Week

Monday at a tour event usually means practice and some holes.  This week's a little different as it's a celebrity tournament (celebrities to come later), so the pro-am was today.  We actually played with 4 guys from Michigan!  Nice guys but a long, long day.  Not their fault but they hadn't touched a golf club since September!  Needless to say, the team wasn't so competitive.  Again, weather is unseasonably weird--65 degrees and drizzle.  We hear that it'll clear up and work up to 90 by Wednesday.  That's more like the south!

We'll have a good two practice days Tuesday and Wednesday.  We'll need it as this week the event is played over three different courses.

I'm gonna start a few new features to the post tomorrow that will hopefully be interesting and funny.  Stay tuned and keep reading.  I'm out, hitting the sack soon.

The Weekend

Justin finished in a T-34 for the tournament, with an overall score of 283, or 1-under for the week.  The winner was Martin Pillar with a final score of 12-under.  As you can all see, it's very competitive out here and every stroke carries with it great significance.  We were looking for a couple more under today as he had his best round of the week, but couldn't quite figure the greens out (and the course for that matter).  An ok week because he made the cut, but a bit disappointing for him because he was near the top of the list in ball striking stats for the week.  After a week off, we move onto South Carolina and play in the Celebrity event in Greer.  Should be fun.

I had a good time this week.  People were very nice, Justin was very patient with his rookie caddie, and I'm happy to have had a new experience.  I hope that I can get nothing but better from here.  The week off will help me rest my legs and I should feel strong for the BMW event.

For those of you just learning about golf, the first paragraph in English:

• T-34 means a tie for 34th place.  Finishing alone in a place is always more ideal than tying for a place, as then the player must split prize money for his finish.
• Tournament scores are referenced in total strokes played for the four rounds (283), and also in a score relative to "par."  Par for one round in Athens was 71 strokes, therefore par for the tournament would have been 284.  The 1-under means that Justin used 1 stroke under the par total for the week. The winner was 12-under, therefore shot a 272.
• When Justin feels like he left a couple out there, he means that we had opportunities to score better but let them slip away or got bad breaks...but such is life and golf, no?
• Figuring out the greens and course is a week to week adventure and challenge.  Each course may have different grasses, speeds of greens, wind, fairway and rough lies (of the ball in the grass), and lines of play that make navigating the course easier or more difficult.  World-class players adjust to all conditions in addition to competitive pressures, but all players have preferences and play better on average given certain course conditions.
• Making the cut, as described in a previous post, means that Justin made a check.  That's a good thing.  I also make a little more money as I receive a percentage depending on the finish.
• Having good ball striking weeks means that you have more opportunities to score lower.  Leading or being near the lead in ball striking for the week but finishing in the middle of the pack means that we did not take advantage of the excellent swings and shots Justin made all week.
• For all who care...Kevin Costner usually plays next week.  So if you want to see him because you're a fan, come on out.  But we'll know it's really because you want to see us.

That's all for now...waiting for my flight back home at the Atlanta airport.  I'm gonna take a nap.

Tournament Time

Hey all, sorry to leave you post-less yesterday but was exhausted.  If you've checked out the Leaderboard link you know that Justin shot 142, and as of about 6 pm today looks good to make the cut and is currently in T-36.  There are still some players yet to finish, but we're playing the weekend!  Now for those of you who aren't familiar with professional tournament golf, this is important because first it means we can still win, and second it means that Justin makes a check this week.  Golf is unlike other sports in that even if you qualify to play, there's no guarantee that you make money.  You must finish in the top 60 (including ties) to "make the cut," and thereby make money and have a chance to win.  A great first event so far!

Random thoughts:

• I prefer my Ecco Gortex tennis shoes over my Nike Airs.  More comfortable and truly waterproof, not just water resistant.  I hate wet socks.
• My shins still hurt, but I now realize it's from resisting with my feet and toes on the downhill parts of the course.  Today I just let myself fly down hills and it got better.
• There is a very delicate balance to find as a caddy to know what to say and when to say it.  For the player, a day is filled with ups and downs emotionally, and to gain the feel for what Justin needs from me is one of the most important things that needs to happen.  Time.
• This is hard work.
• But I get to eat for free.  At least this week.

Follow us tomorrow on TV or online and send your positive energy and thoughts.  I'm looking for a good day tomorrow that moves us up the leaderboard.  Talk soon and thanks for reading!

Day 2...The Pro-Am

Wednesdays are Pro-Am days on the Nationwide.  Justin's position on the money list got him a spot in the Pro-Am today, and gave us a chance to look at all 18 holes in warmer and calmer conditions.  We also played with 4 great guys, all of whom help sponsor the purses in these events.  Mike, Mark, Ed, and Foy were all average golfers and great guys, sympathetic to my newbie status as a caddie.  We had a relatively late start and finished play at about 7 pm, then practiced a little more later.  I had my first solo experience walking the back nine (as we only looked at the back if you recall yesterday) and doing my caddie thing--compass notes, elevation changes, green contours and slopes--and got a private look for myself for the overall feel of the course.  After a quick lunch of pulled pork and mac and cheese...we are in the south after all...off we went.  Again, learned a lot and met some nice folks.  I thought I'd struggle more physically, but find interestingly enough that the only part that hurts are the fronts of my shins!  Anyone have any suggestions?  Besides bengay or a massage?  As I catch up on sleep and the routine, my usual charm and humor will hopefully come out a little more, but for now, that's it.  A little chill time and sleep.  The links on the blog will give you this info anyway, but we tee off for real tomorrow in Round 1 at 1:20.  That means a chance to relax and sleep in a little!  Ready to go and looking forward to tomorrow...til then friends.

The End of Day 1

Back at the hotel after a long day.  Met a lot of people, learned a lot of things.  Arrived in Atlanta at about 10 this morning, Justin picked me up and we went straight to the course, The UGA Golf Course.  I will say without a doubt that it is one of the best University courses in the country and  has an amazing practice facility.  Justin hit some balls, chipped, and tried some drivers.  The weather was unusually cold, maybe about 60 degrees at best.  We walked the front nine and J introduced me to professional caddying by lasering yardages, mapping north on each hole, pacing off greens and talking about what he would like from me.  LOTS of work, especially for someone coming off of 3 hours of sleep.  But lots of fun.  Tomorrow I'm on my own in the morning, charting the back nine while Justin practices then plays the pro-am in the afternoon.  As for me, I'm going to bed, happy, tired, missing my bed but altogether great.  I'll check in with you all again tomorrow and post some pics as well.  For now, good night all...

Day 1

Nervous.  Excited.  Sad to leave things behind.  Happy to see what's ahead.  Walking the course, lasering yardages, wedges, and taking a look at the course today.  I'll be in Georgia at about 10 am.  Check in later, flight is boarding...

My First Taste of Life on the Road

It' 9:22 pm Monday night, and my flight leaves for Atlanta tomorrow morning at 7:30.  As I scramble to pack and make sure I have everything I need, I'm feeling a slight bit frantic and want to get to bed at a reasonable time given that I have to leave the house at 5 am.  I needs to chillax...all will be fine and I'll check in tomorrow to give you an idea of how the course looks and what to expect.  I appreciate all who are following along and hopefully I make this interesting enough to have you all continue to read!  And feel free to comment and make requests for topics, or ask any questions that you may be wondering about.  Later for now.

S. Georgia Classic Recap and onto the Stadion Athens Classic!

Hey all!  Sorry I've been away for a few...finals week kicked my butt.  But now I'm finished, and tomorrow morning at 7:30, I board a Delta flight to Atlanta to begin my internship for real, and I'm pretty pumped up about it.  It'll be great to get away from Ann Arbor for a while!

Anyway, as I'm sure you all saw, Justin shot 146 in the first Georgia event to miss the cut by one.  He had some swing issues that we fixed via iPhones, but he just could not get the putter to cooperate.  Look for a better performance this week as super caddy gets on the bag for real.  Off to pack, tie up loose ends, and stretch.  I'll be checking in with you all week and during the tournament.  Here we go, baby!

South Georgia Classic 1st Round

About halfway through the opening round, Justin is currently 1 under through 11 holes.  Doesn't look like a shootout this week as he stands T-8, only two shots behind the current leaders.  Keep following and I'll post something again after the round is complete.  Looks like Justin is coming into form, which is unusual for him as he generally gets it going in the early summer.  But no complaints...let's keep it up!

South Georgia Classic

Follow Justin in his last event before he takes on a new caddy.  I'll fill you in more on this character as I find out more.  I hear he's crazy and not so bright (but has streetsmarts), a pretty good guy, and cleans clubs real good.

Professional Golf Primer

Hey all!  I thought I'd give those of you who are unfamiliar with professional golf a primer so that as the season goes on, you can understand the posts a little better.  I'll do it in bullet form because I like bullet lists, so here goes:

• There are two basic types of golf pros--a professional golfer, or touring pro.  These are they guys and gals who play tournament golf for a living.  Justin would be an example.  A golf pro, or club pro, or teaching pro, are those who earn a living from golf, just not necessarily from competing.  I would be an example of that.  While touring pros are governed by the PGA Tour, golf pros are governed by the PGA of America.  By the way, the PGA of America is very involved in the PGA Tour, running the PGA Championship (one of the four "majors") in August and the Ryder Cup every two years.
• The PGA Tour is the goal of every professional golfer.  Only 125 players are fully exempt into the tournaments of their choice on the big tour, and you must finish in the top 125 on the Money List by the end of the season to keep your playing privileges for the following year.
• The Nationwide Tour is in a sense the developmental tour for the PGA Tour.  Each year, the Top 25 finishers on the Nationwide Money List earn PGA Tour cards for the following year.  Also, if any Nationwide player wins 3 times in one year, he receives a "battlefield promotion" that elevates him immediately to the PGA Tour and gives him exempt status for the following year as well.
• The top 40 players on the Nationwide each year retain full playing privileges for the following year (and that includes the top 25, who will go on and play on the PGA Tour).
• Finishing in the top 40 on the Nationwide Tour exempts that player into the final stage of Tour School, a grueling 3 stage process involving 16 rounds of golf, and another means of earning a PGA Tour card.
• When I post that Justin finished a round or an event in T-6, that means a tie for sixth (Curt!).
• Each week, the field of players on either the PGA or Nationwide Tour is cut down to the top 60 and ties.  The remaining players play out the weekend and make checks.  The players who miss the cut make no paycheck for the week.
• A top ten finish in an event earns a non-exempt player a spot in the tour's next event
• We, like those on the PGA Tour, play almost every week through October all over the country.  The beginning of each Nationwide season actually starts in New Zealand and Australia.
• This is an extremely competitive tour and business.  Pay for performance.  Lots of travel, lots of hotels and motels, lots of early mornings and long days, lots of extreme weather, especially heat and sometimes cold.  But the show goes on.
• My job as a caddy is primarily to carry the bag, count, keep track of, and clean the clubs, laser distances and make notes about the course (hazards, green contours, yardages, wind tendencies, etc.) but is also to keep my player in the present and positive.  It can be a delicate balance to know what to say and when to say it.

So there's some basic stuff that should help.  Please post something on the blog if you have a question or don't understand something.  My real adventures start in a week when I leave for Atlanta bound for Athens.  And keep following!

Big Move!!

Justin's outstanding week moved him from 83rd on the money list to 36th, with $27,150 earned to date!  This is very encouraging with most of the season remaining, as the Top 25 on the money list at the end of the year earn their PGA Tour cards.

Final Round

So Justin saved his best for last today, shooting a 65 with 7 birdies and only 1 bogey.  He had an outstanding week and will likely post a top ten.  25 birdies for the week leads the field for now, and bodes well for the weeks and months to come!  Good playing dude...feel free to send him a message of congratulations on the blog if you feel like it and keep on following us!

3rd Round

So yet another 68 today, and he stands in T-16 going into tomorrow's final round.  Had it to 5 under for the day through 13 holes but lost a couple coming in.  Justin is 6 shots behind the leader with 15 players ahead of him.  On the Nationwide, that lead isn't safe as everyone can go super low on a given day...so we'll hope that he's that guy tomorrow.  Great to see another 6 birdies today and he's made 18 over three rounds!

Moving Day in Cali

It's 5:35 pm on the east, and Justin is 3 under after 9 holes in the third round.  The telecast is on the Golf Channel for those interested in taking a peek.  Let's see what happens on the back and hope that he's moved himself into position for Sunday.  Keep making birdies!

A Golf Instruction Rain Delay

My good friend and colleague wrote me the following email when he saw that one of the captions of a photo on the original blog said "keep your head down."  I purposely put that in there cause I wanted to see if he was going to go through my blog in detail.  Not only did he, he sent me the aforementioned email that appears now:

"Change the caption on the website to "keep your head stationary"  or "stationary head" not "keep your head down."  A stationary head provides a central pivot point that secures the pivot from the top.  The stationary feet secure the pivot's anchor to the ground.  Moving the head side to side (swaying) or up and down (bobbing) is not permissible.  A stationary head that rotates is o.k. (see Annika or Duval).  Everything between the stationary head and stationary feet moves as a series of interconnected hinges to extend the pivot's range of motion to the player's personal extent.  Feet stay in place and can roll or lift up at the heel but moving the feet off the ground or changing their location from side to side is equally as destructive to the pivot as moving the head up and down or side to side.  Justin's picture looks good, but he is not keeping his head DOWN, he is keeping it in place and steady.  If his head was DOWN, his chin would be glued to his sternum and his eyes would be staring at his dick.  The website looks rad, keep the the captions pure."


So not only was I happy because Scott looked through everything, I get to share his vast knowledge about the golf swing and mechanics to anyone who's readying.  Fantastic email!  If you want to take a lesson from Scott, let me know and I'll get you in touch with him.

Round 2

Justin shot another 68 today, putting him at 6 under for the week.  More importantly, he moved from a T-28 to a T-16, placing himself in a position for the weekend.  Not as many fireworks today, 5 birdies and 2 bogeys.  Let's see what happens this weekend!

Day 2 at TPC Stonebrae

A quick update...3 under through 7 holes today has moved Justin from T-28 to T-7, only two shots behind the leader.  Go lowwww....

First Round at the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae

Justin shot a 68 today, 3 under par.  He really had it going for a while but finished rather poorly.  6 under after 15, 6 birdies in seven holes, 7 birdie total...good stuff.  I'm always encouraged when he makes lots of birdies and gets silly, cause that's when I feel like he's getting back to form.  So at one point tied for the lead, he's in a T-28, in good position to make a solid move tomorrow.  Shot by shot.  Good playing dude.

Change and new opportunities

Hello all, I'm back!  In 12 days, I'll be boarding a plane to Atlanta, GA, on my way to Athens, GA to caddy for Justin for the first time in a professional capacity.  This is what I hope to be the first of daily posts of my adventures with him on the Nationwide tour through October of 2010.  I hope we play well and qualify for the PGA tour, have tons of fun, and that you read along...in the meantime, I have a few more MBA obligations to take care of, get my caddying gear and mentality in place, and enjoy the time I have left in Ann Arbor.  Talk soon...