ROUND 2 – Friday, July23rd
Have you heard of the saying “I brought a knife to a gun fight”? That is exactly the way I felt on Friday. I told Mark as we left the course on Thursday that I had run out of swing keys and had nothing that worked. In case you were wondering, yes that did leave me a bit uneasy about Friday’s round!
After play on Thursday, we returned to Park House (the B&B where the Wrenns and Hourigans were all staying – GREAT place!) and ordered pizza. No doubt it had been a long day, and I needed to think through things. I was embarrassed about shooting 78, but with 6 penalty shots and no good swing thought, it was as much as I could grind out. It appeared that the cut would be 6 or 7 over, so I thought, in spite of my poor play, if I could resurrect my game and put together a decent round I could possibly make the cut. But I DID need to find a decent key that I could hit some reasonable shots with. Unfortunately, this swing pattern has been working its way into my game since I effectively quit playing the Tour 14 years ago. Even in some of the video I have looked at from “back in my playing days” I see the “lift” in my backswing. With a number of years of very little practice and play, especially competitive play (this is something like my 12th or 13th tournament since ’96), that “lift” has become much more pronounced.
So I tried one last swing thought on Friday – trying to keep the left wrist feeling a little more “bowed” at the top instead of “bent”. In theory, I felt that it might keep the left arm rotating a bit more through the backswing and minimize the lift. It did seem to work a bit better on the practice tee, and I thought I might just have a band-aid I could play with. Unfortunately, this band-aid started to unravel around my second shot on #2 (well, at least I hit a couple of reasonable shots on #1 – but made bogey anyway!) and from then on I fought hitting the ball in both directions. I had no idea where to aim or what would be coming out of the barrel. I felt like a drowning man being thrown a cinder block.
By the end of the round, it added up to 85 – possibly (likely) my worst competitive round ever. I had 3 more penalty shots, and I made a 9 on #14 (Spectacles – one of the holes I birdied in round 1). The only real “highlights” (if you can call them that in a round that poor) were a birdie on #15 after I hit a 5-iron to 1’, and pars on 16 and 17, two of the toughest holes out there. I was (am) beyond embarrassed about my play, but I know that I tried on every shot and squeezed out of it what I could. I feel badly for those that have helped me in different ways to get prepared to come over here and play, and I really wanted to play well for my devoted gallery!
In hindsight, the event never really was about the competition – but don’t get me wrong, I REALLY wanted to play well and had put significant time into preparing. It was about the experience, a chance to meet up with old friends again, to jump back into their world, and to be the catalyst for my family, the Hourigan family and friends to enjoy a unique experience together.
As Mark told me as we were walking down the par 3,16th for the last time, “Look over there – that is what is important, and that is what you have over most of the guys in the tournament”. He was referring to “Wrenn’s Renegades” – our faithful band of followers that had never missed a step in the 2 days (except, of course, for a short break for some outstanding ice cream out at #9 – we are talking about 4 teen age boys in the group!). and they weren’t just walking around following us – they were into it.
He’s right – it doesn’t take long around a Tour event to see how dysfunctional many of the players are. The lifestyle does not lend itself to functionality – husband/dad gone for over half of the year, the pressure of playing and relying on that for income even when injured, peaks and valleys of income and exempt status, etc. As someone told me when I was a rookie in 1985, life outside the Tour is like a merry-go-round, and life ON the Tour is like a roller coaster. No truer words have been said.
The tough part of the journey is over – we will continue to travel some in Scotland (St. Andrews and Edinburgh) until Tuesday, and then fly to London for 2 days prior to coming home on Thursday. Part of me is very happy that the tournament portion is over – I played so poorly that it actually made it easier (emotionally) to miss the cut. Both of my boys have said some heartfelt words to me, for which I am very appreciative and realize they are starting to see things in a mature light. Jo told me prior to going to bed on Thursday night that “Dad, I am proud of you. I know you didn’t play the way you wanted to, but it takes a lot of guts to basically not play tournament golf for that long and then play in the Senior British Open on one of the toughest courses in the world”. I am still trying to determine if it was gutsy or just plain stupid! Though I know I will have to relive the tournament when I get home numerous times, at this point it is already water under the bridge. Now we can focus on sightseeing and enjoying downtime as a family – part 2 of the Great Experience.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
ROUND 1 (Thursday, July 22nd):
Though my warm-ups were reasonable (meaning I had just settled on a particular “band-aid” swing that (sometimes) produces a (sometimes) repeatable hard cut), it was somewhat difficult to tell. The wind was blowing at about 15-20 mph off the North Sea, straight across the practice tee from left to right – the worst wind for me to practice in because it only accentuates my issue of lifting and getting steep through the ball. It was cold as well, with the temperatures in the upper 50’s to low 60’s, but with that consistent breeze off the water and little sun. I was wearing a tee shirt, golf shirt and sweater vest – a “wee bit” cooler and the pullover would have come on as well.
I was a little nervous on the first tee – the last time I played an event was the Senior State Open last September, and even then I don’t think I was struggling quite as badly with my swing. To put things in perspective, I realize that most of these guys played their last event week before last and that Wednesday’s practice round was actually the first time all year I had played 3 days in a row! But that still did not make it OK for me to play poorly – I wanted to play well enough to make the cut, to play well for everyone who came over to see me, and to “feel” competitive again.
I am not sure of the gentleman’s name, but those who have watched The Open have heard his voice announcing players on the first tee with tremendous British high-pitched inflection in his voice. He was there to announce us as well – that was a lot of fun – in front of the hotel and the patio dining area. It was time – 3:10.
I had a good plan until I hit my tee shot on the first hole with a 3-wood left into the burn (that Tiger hit into the last time the Open was here – at least I am with good company in that regard). Unfortunately, the burn is out of bounds. After re-loading, I make a 6. Nice start. Though I was not especially nervous on the tee, my swing right now will result in atrocious shots with just a little bit of added quickness or anxiety – and I am sure that both jumped in there at the wrong time! I am just glad I did not hurt anyone…
Though I did bounce right back and make a 30 footer for birdie at number 2 (the crowd of 9 went wild – the Hourigan clan, the Wrenn clan and my sister and brother-in-law who made the trip over). I was glad to at least get a birdie, right the ship and move in a positive direction. Unfortunately, that was short lived. I hit a 4-iron off the tee on #3 and pulled it into one of their famous pot bunkers. After pitching out, I hit a 9-iron about 10 feet but could not convert it – one of only 2 putts I hit today that I was tentative on. On hole #4 I pulled another tee shot (seems to be a pattern here…) into a burn. OK, it is really a drainage ditch, and literally only about 2 feet wide and cut straight down on the sides – no chance of playing out of it. So I drop out, hit 9-iron to about 3’ and make the putt for par (!). #5 I elected to hit 3-wood off the tee (you know – the one I hit so straight off of #1?) to keep it short of fairway bunkers. I was successful, but only hit it about 210 back into the ocean breeze and I was left with a 5-iron out of the 1st cut of rough down the right side. Again, I pulled it about 30’ left of the green, but after putting from there I converted a 10’ putt for par.
OK, 2 over after 4 and hanging in there by my finger tips. The par 5 sixth hole – Hogan’s Alley (named so for Ben Hogan because in the 1953 Open he drove the ball 4 consecutive days into the fairway left of the fairway bunkers – only about 25 yards wide and with OB immediately to the left of that). Mark and I discussed the options off the tee – it was straight downwind and if you can drive the ball into Hogan’s Alley, you can reach the green in two. The other options are to hit a fairway wood down the right side of the bunkers that gives you an opportunity with another fairway wood to possibly reach the green in two, but more likely lay up for a wedge (because there is another burn down the right side that sneaks into play) – but it brings the pot bunkers into play off the tee. The third option, and safest, is to hit about a 4-iron off the tee and that will leave a mid-iron layup shot. The problem is that you will still have a third shot of about 150-175 yards. It is a great par 5 – one of the best I have ever seen because it is so full of options.
I decided to go with driver, because it would be fairly easy to make birdie if I drive it in the fairway. Though it was a gamble, it was straight downwind and that usually minimizes the curve on a ball. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a thing for a dead pull. OB. I lay up my provisional with a 4-iron and make 7. After making a birdie at the par 3 seventh, I already had on my card for the day a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and a 7 along with 2 OB and another penalty shot. Other than that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs. Lincoln?
I won’t go through the balance of the round except to say that I did add another birdie (on 14 – Spectacles for the 2 large bunkers that prevent you from seeing the green from the fairway – I play my best golf blind!), another penalty stroke (in the burn on 17) and assorted bogeys on my way in. After a 4-wood approach on 18 into the right bunker and saving par, it added up to 78, +7. I am somewhat embarrassed by the score, but I tried hard on every shot and did not (outwardly) get upset. I was most impressed by my gallery and the fact they walked every step of the way and kept their enthusiasm throughout the round. I was especially proud of Grace Hourigan (age 12). Surrounded by boys this entire trip, she has been a real trouper and has been a spark plug for us out on the course. It is fun to see my boys in the gallery as well – this is one of the few times they have ever seen me play in a tournament, and this is by far the biggest event they have ever witnessed. They all seem to be having a good time – I just hope to give them a “wee bit more” to cheer for in round 2.
I was a little nervous on the first tee – the last time I played an event was the Senior State Open last September, and even then I don’t think I was struggling quite as badly with my swing. To put things in perspective, I realize that most of these guys played their last event week before last and that Wednesday’s practice round was actually the first time all year I had played 3 days in a row! But that still did not make it OK for me to play poorly – I wanted to play well enough to make the cut, to play well for everyone who came over to see me, and to “feel” competitive again.
I am not sure of the gentleman’s name, but those who have watched The Open have heard his voice announcing players on the first tee with tremendous British high-pitched inflection in his voice. He was there to announce us as well – that was a lot of fun – in front of the hotel and the patio dining area. It was time – 3:10.
I had a good plan until I hit my tee shot on the first hole with a 3-wood left into the burn (that Tiger hit into the last time the Open was here – at least I am with good company in that regard). Unfortunately, the burn is out of bounds. After re-loading, I make a 6. Nice start. Though I was not especially nervous on the tee, my swing right now will result in atrocious shots with just a little bit of added quickness or anxiety – and I am sure that both jumped in there at the wrong time! I am just glad I did not hurt anyone…
Though I did bounce right back and make a 30 footer for birdie at number 2 (the crowd of 9 went wild – the Hourigan clan, the Wrenn clan and my sister and brother-in-law who made the trip over). I was glad to at least get a birdie, right the ship and move in a positive direction. Unfortunately, that was short lived. I hit a 4-iron off the tee on #3 and pulled it into one of their famous pot bunkers. After pitching out, I hit a 9-iron about 10 feet but could not convert it – one of only 2 putts I hit today that I was tentative on. On hole #4 I pulled another tee shot (seems to be a pattern here…) into a burn. OK, it is really a drainage ditch, and literally only about 2 feet wide and cut straight down on the sides – no chance of playing out of it. So I drop out, hit 9-iron to about 3’ and make the putt for par (!). #5 I elected to hit 3-wood off the tee (you know – the one I hit so straight off of #1?) to keep it short of fairway bunkers. I was successful, but only hit it about 210 back into the ocean breeze and I was left with a 5-iron out of the 1st cut of rough down the right side. Again, I pulled it about 30’ left of the green, but after putting from there I converted a 10’ putt for par.
OK, 2 over after 4 and hanging in there by my finger tips. The par 5 sixth hole – Hogan’s Alley (named so for Ben Hogan because in the 1953 Open he drove the ball 4 consecutive days into the fairway left of the fairway bunkers – only about 25 yards wide and with OB immediately to the left of that). Mark and I discussed the options off the tee – it was straight downwind and if you can drive the ball into Hogan’s Alley, you can reach the green in two. The other options are to hit a fairway wood down the right side of the bunkers that gives you an opportunity with another fairway wood to possibly reach the green in two, but more likely lay up for a wedge (because there is another burn down the right side that sneaks into play) – but it brings the pot bunkers into play off the tee. The third option, and safest, is to hit about a 4-iron off the tee and that will leave a mid-iron layup shot. The problem is that you will still have a third shot of about 150-175 yards. It is a great par 5 – one of the best I have ever seen because it is so full of options.
I decided to go with driver, because it would be fairly easy to make birdie if I drive it in the fairway. Though it was a gamble, it was straight downwind and that usually minimizes the curve on a ball. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do a thing for a dead pull. OB. I lay up my provisional with a 4-iron and make 7. After making a birdie at the par 3 seventh, I already had on my card for the day a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and a 7 along with 2 OB and another penalty shot. Other than that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs. Lincoln?
I won’t go through the balance of the round except to say that I did add another birdie (on 14 – Spectacles for the 2 large bunkers that prevent you from seeing the green from the fairway – I play my best golf blind!), another penalty stroke (in the burn on 17) and assorted bogeys on my way in. After a 4-wood approach on 18 into the right bunker and saving par, it added up to 78, +7. I am somewhat embarrassed by the score, but I tried hard on every shot and did not (outwardly) get upset. I was most impressed by my gallery and the fact they walked every step of the way and kept their enthusiasm throughout the round. I was especially proud of Grace Hourigan (age 12). Surrounded by boys this entire trip, she has been a real trouper and has been a spark plug for us out on the course. It is fun to see my boys in the gallery as well – this is one of the few times they have ever seen me play in a tournament, and this is by far the biggest event they have ever witnessed. They all seem to be having a good time – I just hope to give them a “wee bit more” to cheer for in round 2.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
MY PAIRING - THURSDAY
I am playing just after 3:00 local time with John Benda and John Chillas. Benda used to run the Asian Tour when I played back in 1982 and 1983, and he qualified on Monday to get in. He is a wealth of historical knowledge of the players that have played in Asia over the years and gone on to be great players in Europe and the US, and in some instances, gone on to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame. He hopes to write a history of that tour in the coming years – it really has been a great proving ground that little has been written about.
John Chillas is a Scotsman and a two-time winner of the Scottish PGA. He has also represented GB&I 5 times in the PGA Cup (PGA professionals version of the Ryder Cup). I have never met John, but he is obviously an accomplished player and I look forward to spending the next couple of days with him as well.
John Chillas is a Scotsman and a two-time winner of the Scottish PGA. He has also represented GB&I 5 times in the PGA Cup (PGA professionals version of the Ryder Cup). I have never met John, but he is obviously an accomplished player and I look forward to spending the next couple of days with him as well.
WHO’S YOUR CADDY?
Mark has done a great job as a caddy. He continues to see good swings in me that I am not feeling (!), has hustled to get the right numbers, studied and learned from the other caddies, and lugged around a 40-pound “tool box” for 5 miles each of the last 3 days. I hope he is having a good time – I know we could not have had better company in our practice rounds, and it has been fun for him to meet and get to know some of the guys I used to hang out with a lot. Today, however, will be a different day for both of us. The gun goes off, we’ll see hole locations we have not seen, tees in different spots and every shot counts.
THE STATE OF MY GAME (!)
In assessing my game prior to coming over to Carnoustie, I knew that I had a couple of things I needed to improve – neither of which I was sure I could improve prior to the event. One was my time on the course. I know that sounds like a simple thing, but finding time to play a lot of golf when you have a “real job” is quite challenging. Kathy and the boys have been great about encouraging me to get out and play more, but 36 holes a week has been about max. I told Jeff Sluman on Wednesday that “it’s official – today marks the most consecutive days of golf I have played all year – 3!” I have a few aches and pains from both practicing and walking – nothing major, though and I feel pretty good in general.
My swing is not where I want it to be. I am way too far to the inside on the backswing and “out and over” the plane coming down. Long story short, I am hitting the ball rather weakly with either a low pull or pull-cut. I have worked hard with Mike Hott at Salisbury CC in Richmond to try to work this out of my swing, but the reality is that I have always had a little “lift” in my backswing, even when I won the Buick Open. Over the years of playing little golf and becoming a “desk jockey”, the lift has become more pronounced. At this point, as Sam Snead used to say, “you gotta dance with who ya brung”. In other words, it isn’t going to get any better, so I just have to manage what I do have really well and get competitive. My short game is reasonably good – it is just that my execution with my long game is nowhere near “tour caliber”. Mark and I will need to do an exceptional job of managing yardages, swing thoughts, routines and emotions today to carve out a reasonable score.
My swing is not where I want it to be. I am way too far to the inside on the backswing and “out and over” the plane coming down. Long story short, I am hitting the ball rather weakly with either a low pull or pull-cut. I have worked hard with Mike Hott at Salisbury CC in Richmond to try to work this out of my swing, but the reality is that I have always had a little “lift” in my backswing, even when I won the Buick Open. Over the years of playing little golf and becoming a “desk jockey”, the lift has become more pronounced. At this point, as Sam Snead used to say, “you gotta dance with who ya brung”. In other words, it isn’t going to get any better, so I just have to manage what I do have really well and get competitive. My short game is reasonably good – it is just that my execution with my long game is nowhere near “tour caliber”. Mark and I will need to do an exceptional job of managing yardages, swing thoughts, routines and emotions today to carve out a reasonable score.
Chasing The Dream by Robert
There are those who “chase the dream” that are trying to figure out when they will have to stop. Some it is due to lingering injuries or illness, but most it is due to the clock ticking and marginal golf games to play at that level. A good friend and college teammate of mine, Gary Hallberg, is in that situation. He qualified here this week (in a playoff) knowing that he has to make the best of every event he plays in to try to gain exempt status on the Champions Tour. He is currently 61st on the money list (top 30 at the end of the year are fully exempt) and only has partial access to events, so he has to play really well when he does get in. If he does not make the top 30 he will go back to qualifying School and, I believe, only the top 8 earn full exempt status. There is a HUGE amount of pressure as a fringe player on the Champions Tour, because there are not a whole lot of other options (like the Nationwide Tour for the aspiring PGA Tour players). Also, how long to you try to “keep the dream alive”? Gary is 52, and these are, ostensibly, his best years (generally from 50 – 56 or 57) to be playing the Champions Tour. I know that Gary has been in a bind financially for a number of years, and the sad part is that I (nor anyone else) knows what Gary would do for a living if he did not play golf. Though I know Gary well, there are a lot of players just like him, “chasing the dream”.
Mark Hourigan said that something he has given some thought to after talking with players and caddies over the past couple of days is “balancing normalcy”. The players that have done a great job in all aspects of their lives (both professionally and personally) are a rare breed. There is a player out here (whom I will not name) whose older children by a previous marriage will not speak with him. There have been countless divorces and estranged families. Aside from significant help from friends, a number of players may have had to file for bankruptcy while chasing the dream. Gary Hallberg is not the only one I know that has a limited set of marketable skills outside of playing golf – most of these guys would be challenged to find a job with their skill set in this economy and approaching their mid-50’s in age.
Mark Hourigan said that something he has given some thought to after talking with players and caddies over the past couple of days is “balancing normalcy”. The players that have done a great job in all aspects of their lives (both professionally and personally) are a rare breed. There is a player out here (whom I will not name) whose older children by a previous marriage will not speak with him. There have been countless divorces and estranged families. Aside from significant help from friends, a number of players may have had to file for bankruptcy while chasing the dream. Gary Hallberg is not the only one I know that has a limited set of marketable skills outside of playing golf – most of these guys would be challenged to find a job with their skill set in this economy and approaching their mid-50’s in age.
Wednesday Practice Round
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday was a lot of fun for me – I played with Jeff Sluman and Jay Haas. Both are GREAT guys to play with – very funny and very competitive at the same time. No wonder both are among the best-liked players on tour. Jeff and I first really got to know each other when we played together in Asia in 1982. He was in my wedding, and we travelled together on the PGA Tour most weeks for 4 or 5 years. An interesting story – we both came over to Spain for the European PGA Tour Qualifying School in 1984 because the US Qualifying School was about 3 weeks later that year. I won the Q-School and Jeff finished 3rd – but neither of us ever came over to play a single event that next year. We had both gone on to make the PGA Tour a few weeks later and, obviously, decided our future was in America. The European Tour was not happy with our decision and, subsequent to that, the Q-Schools were held simultaneously to force a player to make a commitment to one tour or the other prior to playing.
Jeff is amazing – only about 5’7” and 150 pounds, he is quite long, especially over here where a driving sort of tee shot can run a lot. He has a very simple swing (I have always had swing-envy of Slu’s swing!) and rarely mis-hits a shot. His only Achilles Heel is his putting, and that has gotten somewhat better with a modified claw grip.
Jay’s swing is a bit more unconventional (takes the club back a little outside and has very little shoulder turn) but hits the ball equally solid – not quite to Jeff’s level, but very few players are. Jay has always had a great short game, and his years on the Champions Tour have not seen that diminish at all. Jay and I share that we both played our college golf at Wake Forest, and Jay’s brother, Jerry, is currently the golf coach at Wake. Son Bill (who one at the Hope in Palm Springs this year) is also a former Deacon player and is making his mark on the PGA Tour now.
Both Jay and Jeff were gracious to hang out at the end of the round for a minute to meet the Wrenn boys and the Hourigan boys – and it was a thrill for the boys to meet them! While it was great fun to spend a few hours with them again, it gave me the stark realization that I am now a guest in their world. They will go on doing this week after week, year after year, and I will go back to Richmond having had a great one-time experience back into a world that I knew very well at one time. Parts of that I envy – being able to play golf every week and travel the world and (certainly at their level!) make a terrific living at it. Of course, the parts that people don’t see are when you are struggling with your game, bags get lost during travel, away from home weeks at a time, etc. It makes me really appreciate my life at home, my job in the investment world and the opportunity to play golf without the pressures of needing to play great golf.
Wednesday was a lot of fun for me – I played with Jeff Sluman and Jay Haas. Both are GREAT guys to play with – very funny and very competitive at the same time. No wonder both are among the best-liked players on tour. Jeff and I first really got to know each other when we played together in Asia in 1982. He was in my wedding, and we travelled together on the PGA Tour most weeks for 4 or 5 years. An interesting story – we both came over to Spain for the European PGA Tour Qualifying School in 1984 because the US Qualifying School was about 3 weeks later that year. I won the Q-School and Jeff finished 3rd – but neither of us ever came over to play a single event that next year. We had both gone on to make the PGA Tour a few weeks later and, obviously, decided our future was in America. The European Tour was not happy with our decision and, subsequent to that, the Q-Schools were held simultaneously to force a player to make a commitment to one tour or the other prior to playing.
Jeff is amazing – only about 5’7” and 150 pounds, he is quite long, especially over here where a driving sort of tee shot can run a lot. He has a very simple swing (I have always had swing-envy of Slu’s swing!) and rarely mis-hits a shot. His only Achilles Heel is his putting, and that has gotten somewhat better with a modified claw grip.
Jay’s swing is a bit more unconventional (takes the club back a little outside and has very little shoulder turn) but hits the ball equally solid – not quite to Jeff’s level, but very few players are. Jay has always had a great short game, and his years on the Champions Tour have not seen that diminish at all. Jay and I share that we both played our college golf at Wake Forest, and Jay’s brother, Jerry, is currently the golf coach at Wake. Son Bill (who one at the Hope in Palm Springs this year) is also a former Deacon player and is making his mark on the PGA Tour now.
Both Jay and Jeff were gracious to hang out at the end of the round for a minute to meet the Wrenn boys and the Hourigan boys – and it was a thrill for the boys to meet them! While it was great fun to spend a few hours with them again, it gave me the stark realization that I am now a guest in their world. They will go on doing this week after week, year after year, and I will go back to Richmond having had a great one-time experience back into a world that I knew very well at one time. Parts of that I envy – being able to play golf every week and travel the world and (certainly at their level!) make a terrific living at it. Of course, the parts that people don’t see are when you are struggling with your game, bags get lost during travel, away from home weeks at a time, etc. It makes me really appreciate my life at home, my job in the investment world and the opportunity to play golf without the pressures of needing to play great golf.
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