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.
Practice Rounds -- by Robert
MONDAY:
Just prior to the practice round on Monday, I went into the players’ hospitality center and caught up with some old friends for breakfast – Corey Pavin (this year’s Ryder Cup captain), Mark Wiebe and Tim Simpson. It was great to catch up on what their kids are up to now – I have found I have to be careful about asking about wives – some are no longer married to the ones I knew!
I had a great opportunity to play on Monday with a couple of other old friends – Larry Mize (who just won in Montreal a couple of weeks ago) and Loren Roberts (the “Boss of the Moss” and a 12 time winner on the Champions Tour). Both are average length off the tee and Loren is shorter than average with his irons. Both, however, are GREAT putters, with incredible rhythm and pace. Because neither has great length off the tee, I was curious to see how they would “attack” Carnoustie. Not surprisingly, their primary objective was to avoid the fairway bunkers – even if it meant a second shot of 3-4 more clubs into a green. Ironically, these 2 guys probably hit it straighter off the tee than the vast majority of the tour players, yet they still elected to hit 3-woods and hybrids most of the time just to avoid the bunkers.
TUESDAY:
I had signed up to play with Tim Simpson and Katsuyoshi Tomori. Tim and I first played together in the Eastern Amateur in 1976 – Tim was an All-America at Georgia and I was in high school. While he was a great player at that time, I thought he was about the most self-centered, pompous player I had ever met. Over the years, he has mellowed and we became good friends. Tim has helped me with my game on more than one occasion, as he has a keen teaching eye as well. He has been one of the best ball-strikers on both tours for many years, and I always like to play practice rounds with Tim because he has a very simple swing and beautiful rhythm. Oh, yeah – he has a great deep-south redneck sense of humor! And he will be the first to tell you that’s exactly what he is. We had a great time together for about 6 holes, and then Tim said he had to head back to the clubhouse. The new shoes he was wearing were creating a blister on his heel. Just goes to show you that even guys that are playing every week have some of the same issues that weekend golfers (and I include myself in that category now!) experience. Olin Browne was asking one of the caddies (Casey Kerr – caddied for Hubert Green in his prime) about his Sunice rainsuit – because the one he has is awful. You would certainly think that guys that make their living from playing golf would take the time and energy and, if need be, money (Tour players are FAMOUS for not wanting to pay for anything!) to have all the best fitted equipment possible, and that would include rainsuits and shoes. In Tim’s defense, he has had a lot of trouble with a variety of manufacturers in finding the right style of shoe that fits well.
Tomori is a perfect example of why this particular event is so much fun to experience. It truly is the World Open, and it has given me the opportunity to see not only many players (and their caddies) from the US Champions Tour that I have played a lot with in the past, but also a number of international players including Langer, David Frost, Sam Torrance, Wayne Grady, etc. Tomori is likely not someone most Americans can identify, yet he has won seven times on the Japanese Tour and has won on the European Senior Tour. A very controlled player with an outstanding short game…
Just prior to the practice round on Monday, I went into the players’ hospitality center and caught up with some old friends for breakfast – Corey Pavin (this year’s Ryder Cup captain), Mark Wiebe and Tim Simpson. It was great to catch up on what their kids are up to now – I have found I have to be careful about asking about wives – some are no longer married to the ones I knew!
I had a great opportunity to play on Monday with a couple of other old friends – Larry Mize (who just won in Montreal a couple of weeks ago) and Loren Roberts (the “Boss of the Moss” and a 12 time winner on the Champions Tour). Both are average length off the tee and Loren is shorter than average with his irons. Both, however, are GREAT putters, with incredible rhythm and pace. Because neither has great length off the tee, I was curious to see how they would “attack” Carnoustie. Not surprisingly, their primary objective was to avoid the fairway bunkers – even if it meant a second shot of 3-4 more clubs into a green. Ironically, these 2 guys probably hit it straighter off the tee than the vast majority of the tour players, yet they still elected to hit 3-woods and hybrids most of the time just to avoid the bunkers.
TUESDAY:
I had signed up to play with Tim Simpson and Katsuyoshi Tomori. Tim and I first played together in the Eastern Amateur in 1976 – Tim was an All-America at Georgia and I was in high school. While he was a great player at that time, I thought he was about the most self-centered, pompous player I had ever met. Over the years, he has mellowed and we became good friends. Tim has helped me with my game on more than one occasion, as he has a keen teaching eye as well. He has been one of the best ball-strikers on both tours for many years, and I always like to play practice rounds with Tim because he has a very simple swing and beautiful rhythm. Oh, yeah – he has a great deep-south redneck sense of humor! And he will be the first to tell you that’s exactly what he is. We had a great time together for about 6 holes, and then Tim said he had to head back to the clubhouse. The new shoes he was wearing were creating a blister on his heel. Just goes to show you that even guys that are playing every week have some of the same issues that weekend golfers (and I include myself in that category now!) experience. Olin Browne was asking one of the caddies (Casey Kerr – caddied for Hubert Green in his prime) about his Sunice rainsuit – because the one he has is awful. You would certainly think that guys that make their living from playing golf would take the time and energy and, if need be, money (Tour players are FAMOUS for not wanting to pay for anything!) to have all the best fitted equipment possible, and that would include rainsuits and shoes. In Tim’s defense, he has had a lot of trouble with a variety of manufacturers in finding the right style of shoe that fits well.
Tomori is a perfect example of why this particular event is so much fun to experience. It truly is the World Open, and it has given me the opportunity to see not only many players (and their caddies) from the US Champions Tour that I have played a lot with in the past, but also a number of international players including Langer, David Frost, Sam Torrance, Wayne Grady, etc. Tomori is likely not someone most Americans can identify, yet he has won seven times on the Japanese Tour and has won on the European Senior Tour. A very controlled player with an outstanding short game…
Sunday, July 18th by Robert
Sunday, July 18th
Our arrival into Edinburgh (just after 1:00 local time) was (fortunately) uneventful, and I met Mark at the Hertz counter where we rented a car and a mini-van for the week. Even though we were somewhat nervous about driving “on the wrong side of the road”, with 9 people in our group we knew that tournament transportation would not be able to suit our needs. The “mini-van” was actually hardly larger than a hatchback, and while we are fine with it at this point, it could prove to be problematic in transporting all of the luggage once everyone is here.
The drive from Edinburgh up to Carnoustie takes about 1 ½ hours, and we arrived at Park House B&B at about 3:30. After countless planning e-mails, we finally met our hosts, Robin and Frances, the proprietors of Park House. Park House goes back to 1882 and was the home for a gentleman who owned a shoe factory in town, and his workers lived in a house across the street. We were told that the back yard gardens extended all the way to the beach on the North Sea at one time (about 200 yards). Park House also has the oldest indoor bathroom in Carnoustie. For Sunday night, we would need to stay in a flat across from Carnoustie since there were several visitors at Park House that had been spending time at The Open at St. Andrews (only about a ½ hour away). After moving our luggage into the flat, Mark and I went over to the course at about 4:45 just to walk a few holes, chip and putt a bit and get the cobwebs out from the travel.
We met up with Olin Browne (just entering his 2nd year on the Champions Tour, veteran player from the PGA Tour and a 3-time tour winner). It was great to catch up with him, plus he had his son, Olin, who was here caddying for him this week after having just graduated from Pepperdine. Olin (dad) had just arrived after 10 days off, and I think Carnoustie created a little “shock and awe” – it is an incredibly difficult course.
FIRST LOOK AT THE COURSE
The best way I can describe Carnoustie is that you need to play it very defensively – and when you do try to make an aggressive play, you better suck it up and execute a great shot. It has the best set of strategically placed bunkers I have ever seen, and I could hit as few as 5 or 6 drivers up to 9 or 10 drivers, depending on the wind direction. The fairway bunkers are, basically, a 1-shot penalty and you will rarely have an opportunity to hit a shot more than 50 yards out of one. And the way the course is laid out, there are very few holes that go the same direction, so you are always fighting some sort of cross wind.
Additionally, the greens are running about 10 – actually quite slow by major tournament standards – and most do not have major undulations. However, you cannot “short side” yourself (miss the green on the side the pin is cut most closely to) because the greens are quite firm and even well-struck bunker shots are tough to stop. The grass around the greens is very short, tight and firm, so chipping with a lofted club requires some incredibly quiet hands. I will use a putter as much as 20 yards off the greens. But from a strategy standpoint, it is really important just to hit towards the fat parts of the greens or you can rack up bogeys and double bogeys in a hurry. The challenge, of course, is that if you are somewhat defensive off the tee and defensive into the green, you will have few opportunities inside of 25 feet for birdies.
Mark and I walked around 1-4 and 15-18 on Sunday night with a yardage book, a laser and a wedge and putter just to get a better feel for the greens and the green surrounds. I remember that this type of practice is something that Bernhard Langer does for most tournaments – do your homework (yardages, identifying possible hole locations, create strategy for different wind conditions, etc.) early in the week and then focus on playing golf. The course is really green right now and softer than normal in certain areas, but not around or on the greens – the ball is still bouncing fairly hard.
Our arrival into Edinburgh (just after 1:00 local time) was (fortunately) uneventful, and I met Mark at the Hertz counter where we rented a car and a mini-van for the week. Even though we were somewhat nervous about driving “on the wrong side of the road”, with 9 people in our group we knew that tournament transportation would not be able to suit our needs. The “mini-van” was actually hardly larger than a hatchback, and while we are fine with it at this point, it could prove to be problematic in transporting all of the luggage once everyone is here.
The drive from Edinburgh up to Carnoustie takes about 1 ½ hours, and we arrived at Park House B&B at about 3:30. After countless planning e-mails, we finally met our hosts, Robin and Frances, the proprietors of Park House. Park House goes back to 1882 and was the home for a gentleman who owned a shoe factory in town, and his workers lived in a house across the street. We were told that the back yard gardens extended all the way to the beach on the North Sea at one time (about 200 yards). Park House also has the oldest indoor bathroom in Carnoustie. For Sunday night, we would need to stay in a flat across from Carnoustie since there were several visitors at Park House that had been spending time at The Open at St. Andrews (only about a ½ hour away). After moving our luggage into the flat, Mark and I went over to the course at about 4:45 just to walk a few holes, chip and putt a bit and get the cobwebs out from the travel.
We met up with Olin Browne (just entering his 2nd year on the Champions Tour, veteran player from the PGA Tour and a 3-time tour winner). It was great to catch up with him, plus he had his son, Olin, who was here caddying for him this week after having just graduated from Pepperdine. Olin (dad) had just arrived after 10 days off, and I think Carnoustie created a little “shock and awe” – it is an incredibly difficult course.
FIRST LOOK AT THE COURSE
The best way I can describe Carnoustie is that you need to play it very defensively – and when you do try to make an aggressive play, you better suck it up and execute a great shot. It has the best set of strategically placed bunkers I have ever seen, and I could hit as few as 5 or 6 drivers up to 9 or 10 drivers, depending on the wind direction. The fairway bunkers are, basically, a 1-shot penalty and you will rarely have an opportunity to hit a shot more than 50 yards out of one. And the way the course is laid out, there are very few holes that go the same direction, so you are always fighting some sort of cross wind.
Additionally, the greens are running about 10 – actually quite slow by major tournament standards – and most do not have major undulations. However, you cannot “short side” yourself (miss the green on the side the pin is cut most closely to) because the greens are quite firm and even well-struck bunker shots are tough to stop. The grass around the greens is very short, tight and firm, so chipping with a lofted club requires some incredibly quiet hands. I will use a putter as much as 20 yards off the greens. But from a strategy standpoint, it is really important just to hit towards the fat parts of the greens or you can rack up bogeys and double bogeys in a hurry. The challenge, of course, is that if you are somewhat defensive off the tee and defensive into the green, you will have few opportunities inside of 25 feet for birdies.
Mark and I walked around 1-4 and 15-18 on Sunday night with a yardage book, a laser and a wedge and putter just to get a better feel for the greens and the green surrounds. I remember that this type of practice is something that Bernhard Langer does for most tournaments – do your homework (yardages, identifying possible hole locations, create strategy for different wind conditions, etc.) early in the week and then focus on playing golf. The course is really green right now and softer than normal in certain areas, but not around or on the greens – the ball is still bouncing fairly hard.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Robert Begins the Adventure
BLOG POST – Sunday, July 18th , 7:00 a.m.
I just noticed as I was writing this that the local time at home is just after 2:00 a.m.! I am currently in the Frankfurt Airport in Germany with a 5 hour layover. One would think that there are flights to anywhere more often than every 5 hours! It just goes to show you how secluded that little slice of the world – Scotland – really is.
THE BAG
The flight to Frankfurt from Dulles was uneventful, though cramped. It was the day leading up to departure time that was the real adventure. I had ordered a special golf bag for the occasion, a logoed bag with the name of my company (MidAtlantic Capital Management) on one side, and Hourigan Construction on the other. Mark Hourigan, as you may know either from this blog or personally, is a great friend whom, without his “persuasion” and constant encouragement I may not have even been taking this trip. I wanted to provide him with a sense of “ownership” in the trip by including the logo of his construction firm, Hourigan Construction, on the bag as well.
Anyway, the bag was supposed to arrive by Thursday (about 2 weeks after it was originally promised!). As I reviewed the FedEx tracking number, I saw that it was being shipped ground – from California – and due to arrive Friday! Obviously, all sorts of thoughts ran through my mind regarding potential pitfalls in the bag’s journey. I had no real option for a backup bag. The only bags I carry around these days are “Sunday bags”, the small, lightweight carry bags. Those will definitely be a challenge for The Senior Open. With potential for all kinds of weather during a round of golf in Scotland, you have to have room in a bag to stow all kinds of clothing options.
I waited at my office on Friday night until 8:30, as FedEx indicated that FedEx ground can deliver up until 8:00 – NO BAG! Great. I need to leave for the airport the next day no later than 12:30 to make my flight. I call FedEx that night and they say they will pull the bag from the truck sometime that night and I can pick it up from the station in Ashland the next morning. But when I pulled up the tracking of the package the next morning at 6:20 a.m., I saw that the bag had been delivered and signed for the previous night at 8:41!!! I immediately called FedEx and told them no one was at my office at that time and who signed for it? They said that I would have to call the station manager when they opened at 8:00…
I called back promptly at 8:00 and after explaining the situation to the manager, she discovered that the box was, indeed, still on the truck (good news! – but it does make you wonder about the old tag line for FedEx – “when it absolutely, positively, must be there overnight”) and that she would have the driver call me when she arrived and was ready to make deliveries. 9:00 – no call. 10:00 – no call. I called back to the station manager and, fortunately, a golfer picked up the phone, knew who I was (must be a fan of ancient sports history!) and gave me the driver’s cell number. After several attempts to reach her, Geisha (not kidding! – and she had very colorful nails about 3 inches long each, fake eyelashes to match, and she was driving this truck…) was incredibly nice and very helpful. I arranged to meet her at a Sheetz station off of Midlothian turnpike (20 minutes from home) to pick up the bag. When I met her she said she wished someone had told her to call me and she could have dropped it off at my house earlier that morning (!). Aside from the fact that the Hourigan Construction logo ended up silver instead of green, the bag turned out great – but by the time I got home it was 11:45…
THE TRIP TO DULLES
Of course, Murphy (of the renowned “Murphy’s Law”), being the astute philosopher that he is (and I say is because Murphy is alive and well!), knew I would have an eventful trip. This particular Saturday seemed to be a donut convention along I-95, because every state trooper in Virginia seemed to be out striving for their quotas. Once north of Fredericksburg, traffic had slowed to 20 mph, and I knew I was up against the clock as my turnoff for Dulles was still 15 miles ahead. I opted (I am sure, by the guiding hand of Murphy) to take a back road south of Quantico and then back up through Manassas. I figured it may take 10 more minutes of driving time, all other things being equal. What I did not count on was a bike tour of some 500 bikes being on this back road, slowing traffic to the current interstate rates. I also did not count on a road closure and the ensuing detour – or the food festival in Manassas that slowed traffic to a standstill. Ya gotta hand it to Murphy – he knows how to pull out all the stops!
Once I got to Dulles (now about 3:35 for a 5:05 international flight), I parked in the long-term lot (area 6-C of the Green Lot – this note is just so I remember where it is 2 weeks from now!). Of course, Murphy must have been driving that first bus that I saw as I was unloading my car, because the next one did not appear for another 15 minutes. Once we had made all the obligatory stops on our way out of the lot, we finally made it to the terminal at about 4:00. I rush into the terminal, check my bags after a minimal wait (though it seemed to take forever), and ran to security. The line looked like Disney World – I knew it would take at least another 20-25 minutes to get through and I would likely miss the flight because I still had to take the train and run to the gate.
I asked a security girl if there was a better way and explained my plight to her. At this point, Murphy must have been looking the other way. She told me (in broken English) it would be much faster to go up the elevator to “G”, take a left and go down past the baggage claim to the German Check In. I had never heard of something like this - should I chance this and get out of the line and risk not finding it or that she did not understand what I was saying? If I can’t find it or it does not exist, I am screwed. I decided to go ahead and chance it, because I had little chance of making it in the line I was in. Once on the “G” floor, I made my way down past baggage claim and asked another security girl, and she had no clue what I was talking about. Then I saw a check in point that seemed that it was for flight attendants and pilots, so I went over to ask – but the TSA waved me through! Shortest line in the history of airports!
Glad I have been working out – it was a full-out sprint to the gate after that. I made it with a good 10 minutes to spare! I hate wasting time in airports - nothing like strategic planning… Had I stayed in that security line I was originally in, there is no way I would have made the flight. I am hopeful that Saturday was all of my stress for the trip rolled into 1 day, though I know that is wishful thinking. Traveling (especially international traveling) is, by definition, a test of problem solving. Let’s see what the rest of the day will bring…
I just noticed as I was writing this that the local time at home is just after 2:00 a.m.! I am currently in the Frankfurt Airport in Germany with a 5 hour layover. One would think that there are flights to anywhere more often than every 5 hours! It just goes to show you how secluded that little slice of the world – Scotland – really is.
THE BAG
The flight to Frankfurt from Dulles was uneventful, though cramped. It was the day leading up to departure time that was the real adventure. I had ordered a special golf bag for the occasion, a logoed bag with the name of my company (MidAtlantic Capital Management) on one side, and Hourigan Construction on the other. Mark Hourigan, as you may know either from this blog or personally, is a great friend whom, without his “persuasion” and constant encouragement I may not have even been taking this trip. I wanted to provide him with a sense of “ownership” in the trip by including the logo of his construction firm, Hourigan Construction, on the bag as well.
Anyway, the bag was supposed to arrive by Thursday (about 2 weeks after it was originally promised!). As I reviewed the FedEx tracking number, I saw that it was being shipped ground – from California – and due to arrive Friday! Obviously, all sorts of thoughts ran through my mind regarding potential pitfalls in the bag’s journey. I had no real option for a backup bag. The only bags I carry around these days are “Sunday bags”, the small, lightweight carry bags. Those will definitely be a challenge for The Senior Open. With potential for all kinds of weather during a round of golf in Scotland, you have to have room in a bag to stow all kinds of clothing options.
I waited at my office on Friday night until 8:30, as FedEx indicated that FedEx ground can deliver up until 8:00 – NO BAG! Great. I need to leave for the airport the next day no later than 12:30 to make my flight. I call FedEx that night and they say they will pull the bag from the truck sometime that night and I can pick it up from the station in Ashland the next morning. But when I pulled up the tracking of the package the next morning at 6:20 a.m., I saw that the bag had been delivered and signed for the previous night at 8:41!!! I immediately called FedEx and told them no one was at my office at that time and who signed for it? They said that I would have to call the station manager when they opened at 8:00…
I called back promptly at 8:00 and after explaining the situation to the manager, she discovered that the box was, indeed, still on the truck (good news! – but it does make you wonder about the old tag line for FedEx – “when it absolutely, positively, must be there overnight”) and that she would have the driver call me when she arrived and was ready to make deliveries. 9:00 – no call. 10:00 – no call. I called back to the station manager and, fortunately, a golfer picked up the phone, knew who I was (must be a fan of ancient sports history!) and gave me the driver’s cell number. After several attempts to reach her, Geisha (not kidding! – and she had very colorful nails about 3 inches long each, fake eyelashes to match, and she was driving this truck…) was incredibly nice and very helpful. I arranged to meet her at a Sheetz station off of Midlothian turnpike (20 minutes from home) to pick up the bag. When I met her she said she wished someone had told her to call me and she could have dropped it off at my house earlier that morning (!). Aside from the fact that the Hourigan Construction logo ended up silver instead of green, the bag turned out great – but by the time I got home it was 11:45…
THE TRIP TO DULLES
Of course, Murphy (of the renowned “Murphy’s Law”), being the astute philosopher that he is (and I say is because Murphy is alive and well!), knew I would have an eventful trip. This particular Saturday seemed to be a donut convention along I-95, because every state trooper in Virginia seemed to be out striving for their quotas. Once north of Fredericksburg, traffic had slowed to 20 mph, and I knew I was up against the clock as my turnoff for Dulles was still 15 miles ahead. I opted (I am sure, by the guiding hand of Murphy) to take a back road south of Quantico and then back up through Manassas. I figured it may take 10 more minutes of driving time, all other things being equal. What I did not count on was a bike tour of some 500 bikes being on this back road, slowing traffic to the current interstate rates. I also did not count on a road closure and the ensuing detour – or the food festival in Manassas that slowed traffic to a standstill. Ya gotta hand it to Murphy – he knows how to pull out all the stops!
Once I got to Dulles (now about 3:35 for a 5:05 international flight), I parked in the long-term lot (area 6-C of the Green Lot – this note is just so I remember where it is 2 weeks from now!). Of course, Murphy must have been driving that first bus that I saw as I was unloading my car, because the next one did not appear for another 15 minutes. Once we had made all the obligatory stops on our way out of the lot, we finally made it to the terminal at about 4:00. I rush into the terminal, check my bags after a minimal wait (though it seemed to take forever), and ran to security. The line looked like Disney World – I knew it would take at least another 20-25 minutes to get through and I would likely miss the flight because I still had to take the train and run to the gate.
I asked a security girl if there was a better way and explained my plight to her. At this point, Murphy must have been looking the other way. She told me (in broken English) it would be much faster to go up the elevator to “G”, take a left and go down past the baggage claim to the German Check In. I had never heard of something like this - should I chance this and get out of the line and risk not finding it or that she did not understand what I was saying? If I can’t find it or it does not exist, I am screwed. I decided to go ahead and chance it, because I had little chance of making it in the line I was in. Once on the “G” floor, I made my way down past baggage claim and asked another security girl, and she had no clue what I was talking about. Then I saw a check in point that seemed that it was for flight attendants and pilots, so I went over to ask – but the TSA waved me through! Shortest line in the history of airports!
Glad I have been working out – it was a full-out sprint to the gate after that. I made it with a good 10 minutes to spare! I hate wasting time in airports - nothing like strategic planning… Had I stayed in that security line I was originally in, there is no way I would have made the flight. I am hopeful that Saturday was all of my stress for the trip rolled into 1 day, though I know that is wishful thinking. Traveling (especially international traveling) is, by definition, a test of problem solving. Let’s see what the rest of the day will bring…
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Adventure Begins! by Kathy Wrenn
Let me give you some background. Three years ago we started talking about this trip to Scotland and the possibility of Robert playing. Because he won the Buick Open on the PGA TOUR he automatically qualifies for the Sr. Open after he turned 50 -- and it is a one-time opportunity just that year! So,it was use the opportunity or lose it! At the time it seemed so far away and now -- here we are! People ask me, so has he been practicing? Here is an idea of what his days have looked like this spring and summer -- 5:00 AM go workout with his good friend Dr. Randy Baggesen, followed by a quick shower and dash to the office for a 10-hour day. Leave work and head to the golf course to hit balls on the driving range. Or leave work and watch our boys play in a baseball game, then head to the golf course. Family dinner at 9:00 or so with an early bedtime to get ready to do it all over again the next day! A few times a week he would try to play 9 or 18 holes. In otherwords, he worked hard to fit in a bit of practice around his work responsibilities and his family responsibilities. Not like the old days when he was on the PGA TOUR and playing and practicing from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm every day!
We are looking at this trip as a wonderful chance for our boys to see daddy playing golf in a tournament setting because they were too small to remember when he played on the TOUR. Timing is great because our oldest son Tucker will be a senior in high school this fall! Plus, it is a great excuse to take a family trip together with our friends the Hourigans. Mark Hourigan will be Robert's caddy this week. They are like brothers -- so I know they will have a good time on the links!
We are blessed to have this opportunity and we know that we will be making lasting memories on this family adventure! We will try to keep posting events and photos of our travels over the next 10-days. Enjoy!
LOVE, Kathy and the boys
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