Padraig's Secret Weapon

Padraig Harrington is the new man to beat! He flips on the turbo-boosters when he needs to, and the Irishman fills the current Tiger-shaped void as someone who actually goes out and snatches the championship away from the other contenders.

Sergio played valiantly for the week, but a couple of key errors coming down the stretch cost him (why do you flirt with the water on #16?). Don't feel too sorry for Sergio, though...did you know that he has actually beaten Padraig in playoffs twice before? Garcia first humbled him on the European Tour at the 1999 German Masters, and again at the 2004 Buick Classic on the PGA TOUR. As much as Sergio probably dreads a head-to-head showdown with Padraig these days, it used to be the other way around. What has turned the tables? It's Harrington's secret weapon, or what he calls his fifteenth club...his superior mental game!

Padraig will be the first to admit that his swing and natural talent have never been head of the class. But he is a tireless worker, and more importantly, has totally embraced the notion of resilient attitude and a "soft focus". His mental coach is acclaimed golf consultant Bob Rotella, who just published a new book entitled Your 15th Club. In his book, Rotella reveals how Padraig's intense dedication to the mental side of golf has been the catalyst for his stellar play in the last few years.

You always hear a victorious pro praising their ability to focus and stay in the moment. I've never really considered "how" you are supposed to fine tune such abilities, but a good friend of mine named Lee Palms recently clued me in. Lee played briefly on the mini-tours after college, but quickly traded in his golf clubs for a briefcase and family life. In the past decade, he's had some success as a local amateur golfer in South Carolina, defeating most of the other "30-something" guys. But this summer Lee Palms has caught fire. He recently qualified for the upcoming U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, beating out dozens of flat-bellied college players, and then last weekend he again stuck it to the "young guns" when he won the South Carolina State Amateur. This week, he qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur in September, shooting 66 and earning medalist honors for his site. During a congratulatory phone call, I asked him what has made the difference in his game.

"Don't laugh," he started out, "but it's seriously been my improved mental approach. Simplifying my routine, being target-focused over the ball, accepting my bad shots and moving on, positive self-talk only, journaling my good shots and building up my self-image as a successful golfer."

"OK, but how exactly do you do all that?" I asked. "My mind is going a mile a minute when I play a competitive round!"

"This is where Rotella's new book has really helped. He provides a bunch of techniques and phrases to help you establish a daily mental routine of affirmation and confidence. And then it's up to you to really practice and apply this stuff. It takes some commitment, but I've been working really hard on it, and it's obviously started paying off."

So there it is...a book about golf's mental game that is showing some real results. Not only is it benefiting Padraig Harrington, 36-year old winner of three of the last six major championships, but it's also helping Lee Palms, 39-year old working man and reigning SC State Am Champ. I've got no aspirations of following in the footsteps of either guy, but I do want to become a better golfer and maximize my potential. Stay tuned, because I'm ordering Bob Rotella's Your 15th Club today and getting on board.

Michelle Wie Actually Signs Her Scorecard!

I've had a lot of my friends asking me about Michelle Wie after her recent scorecard debacle on the LPGA Tour. I decided to hold off until now, as I was actually sitting in the scoring trailer with Michelle last week at the PGA TOUR's Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.

Michelle was playing in her eighth PGA TOUR event, and after an opening 1-over par 73, everyone was abuzz about her making the cut. She came into my scoring area after the round, and after checking her hole-by-hole numbers and handing me the card, she proclaimed with a big smile, "Look, I actually signed my scorecard!"

She obviously was poking fun at herself, so I played along. "Good for you, Michelle! That's awesome!" I responded, and she laughed along with the other players in her group.

That moment told me a lot about Michelle, that despite all of the controversy and criticism surrounding her lately, she keeps a sense of humility and playfulness. There's a ton of pressure on that girl, and she does a great job maintaining her composure. I've dealt with Michelle at all of her PGA TOUR appearances, and each time she has been nothing but soft-spoken and kind.

That being said, I seriously doubted she was going to make the cut, even after her respectable score on Thursday. I didn't watch her round, but I spoke with her playing partners later and both agreed she was scrambling like crazy. Granted, she was playing in a stiff afternoon wind during round one, but she only had 24 total putts and yet still shot over par. That meant she needed to play MUCH better on Friday morning and post a number in the red just to make the cut. She hung in there for a little while the next day, but eventually crashed through the thin ice and made some big numbers on her way to an 80.

I know that Michelle's presence at a men's event is big time news for most, but I feel it tarnishes her reputation as a legitimate pro golfer and probably erodes her confidence, as well. She needs to play with the women, and start winning tournaments...period. I mean, if the appeal of women playing in PGA TOUR events is just to see if they can sneak under the cut line, then let's put some proven champions out there. Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen or Brittany Lincicome all come to mind as big-hitting ladies who actually have professional victories. Let's give them a shot. Michelle's had her chances, and she's 0 for 8.

I'm rooting for Michelle to do great things on the LPGA, mainly because she's too nice of a person to go down in history as a mismanaged underachiever. She's a great golfer, and as long as she keeps playing against the ladies, she'll start writing a new chapter for herself soon enough.

Harrington Survives Shark-Infested Waters

Paddy does it again! I thought it was anyone's game as they made the turn on Sunday, but Harrington righted the ship and played crazy-good on those last few holes. I had a weird feeling that the Irishman might make it two in a row, bum wrist and all. If Greg Norman had won, it would've made one of the greatest golf movies of all time...a 53-year old legend comes out of retirement to redeem his past failures with one last major victory. Instead, the best "feel good" story of the year will remain Tiger gutting it out on one good leg to win the U.S. Open.

I haven't dealt with Greg Norman much on the PGA TOUR. He's only played in a handful of events in the last five years, but every time we have interacted, I've been very impressed. It's easy to see why he's been so successful in his multiple business ventures. Norman is very engaging, looks you right in the eye, and makes you feel important, even if just for a few minutes.

The Shark played in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this year, where he teamed up with his amateur son Gregory Junior. As I've mentioned before, I was stationed at Spyglass Hill all week, and on Friday I got a call on the radio from one of our Rules Officials. "Casey, Greg Norman is out on the course and needs some soft-spike replacements. See if you can grab some in the pro shop and meet him on the ninth tee."

The next thing I knew, I was holding the Shark's left shoe in my hand, frantically cranking one of those crappy little spike-wrenches to replace two missing soft-spikes. Norman sat next to me on a bench as I tried to look proficient in spike-wrenching. "Aren't you the guy in the scoring area?" he asked me. I replied yes, and he said, "Ah, a man of many talents. Thanks for making the trip out here to help me." I told him no problem, and that the two soft-spikes would cost him $5,000 each...he could pay me after the round. He laughed and said sure, but I never saw the money. He must've forgotten.

Good luck this week at the Senior British, Greg, and thanks for a memorable four days at the Open! And of course, congrats to Padraig...AGAIN!

The Caddie Beats His Pro

The week of the British Open has arrived, and Padraig Harrington will do his best to defend his title. Padraig is a great guy, and even though I'm also a big fan of Sergio Garcia, I was glad to see Harrington come out on top after last year's Open playoff. I created a scoresheet for Padraig to commemorate his major victory, and presented it to him at last year's TOUR Championship in Atlanta (see the photo on my home page at caseyjonesgolf.com). He was very appreciative, and later sent me a signed British Open pin flag and copy of his new book "Journey To The Open".

Back in February at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, I was talking to Padraig and his caddie Ronan Flood on the putting green at Spyglass Hill. Earlier in the week, Padraig, Ronan, and a couple of their Irish buddies were in San Francisco for some fun. The group decided to play a casual round at Harding Park Golf Course, and the weather that day turned out cold, wet and miserable.

Padraig revealed, "That's the first time my caddie has ever beaten me straight up."

"What?" I replied. "Ronan, are you that good? Why are you carrying the bag? If you're beating the defending Open Champion head-to-head, you might want to consider a career change."

"It was a fluke," Ronan admitted. "I'm a pretty good mudder, and I slopped it around in the rain to shoot even par. Padraig finished at 1-over. I need you to do a scoresheet for me to immortalize my win. I'll hang it up in my house, so everyone that visits will see..."

"I don't think so," Padraig interrupted. "The only guys that know about this are the four of us that were there, and now Casey."

And now everyone who reads my blog.

Good luck to Padraig and Ronan this week...I'd love to see another back-to-back champion at the Open. Tiger obviously did it in 2005-2006, but before him it has been over twenty years since Tom Watson won consecutive titles (1982-83).

The Man with One Black Shoe

Anthony Kim is showing the world that he is for real. With two wins in his last five starts, he is the first American under 25-years old to win twice in the same year since…Tiger Woods.

One of my first impressions of AK came at last year’s Nissan Open (now the Northern Trust Open) at Riviera Country Club in California. He showed up to start his third round on the tenth tee wearing one black shoe and one white shoe. The fans were snickering, the other pros were rolling their eyes, and I was the first to ask him what was up. “Did you get dressed in the dark, AK?"

“What…you don’t like this action?” he fired back.

“Well, I’ve seen some crazy shoes before, but I can’t say I’ve seen two completely different pairs being worn at the same time. That’s a new one.”

“Exactly. I want to be the first to make the two-shoe statement.”

I realized right there that this rookie is either extremely clueless, or he’s cocky for good reason. He then stepped up and cranked his drive onto the green, 315 yards away. Anthony shot 64 in the final round that week, finished ninth on a sponsor’s exemption, and went on to make $1.5 million for the year (60th on the 2007 money list).

Hey AK, wear any combination of shoes you want (or a huge, five-pound, diamond-encrusted belt buckle). You’re currently fifth on the money list and fifth in FedEx Cup points…by now, you’ve definitely earned it.

Golf Match: Cink vs. Jones

As most of you golf fans know, Stewart Cink won last week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut, closing with a solid 67 to win by one. Stewart and I are pretty good friends, not just through our interaction out on TOUR, but also because he is also a Georgia Tech grad and Atlanta resident.

Back in November, Stewart invited me and my wife to join him for a casual round at TPC Sugarloaf, his home course in Duluth, Georgia. Watching a TOUR pro play up close is borderline boring in that they are usually so consistent, you can’t even remember half of the shots they hit. Stewart split almost every fairway, hit most of the greens, and had easy two-putt pars hole after hole. Yawn (that’s an envious yawn).

However, on the few occasions where Stewart did miss a green or drilled one off line, he always came right back with a mind-blowing recovery shot. These are the shots I remember! He perfectly executed two impossible bunker shots (I couldn’t have duplicated either one with a large bucket of balls), and after he flared a three-wood into the right woods on #14, he threaded a waist-high four-iron through about twenty trees that then rose and faded down the fairway, hitting the green some 180 yards away. My jaw was on the ground.

“How did you do that?” I stammered. “Do you practice hitting punch-cut four-irons?”

“No…obviously I don’t practice that specific shot,” he replied. “But I picture the ball flight it in my mind and feel it in my hands, and then just hit it and hope. It helps to get lucky.”

Didn’t Tiger tell me the same thing about being lucky? Where do I buy some of this luck stuff?

We had a little match going, and Stewart was giving me five strokes per nine. My game ran hot and cold, but I made a bunch of pars and somehow hung in there until the last hole. The match was all square going into #18, and then Stewart showed why he’s a TOUR pro and I showed why I’m not. He hit that par five in two and easily made his birdie. I bladed a sand wedge from the middle of the fairway into the back greenside bunker, gouged it out and two-putted for a bogey. Cink over Jones 1-up, and I owed him a Moe’s Southwest Grill burrito for lunch.

Stewart is one of my favorite guys on TOUR. He is down-to-earth, generous with every one he meets, and just a pleasure to be around. Congrats on your fifth PGA TOUR win, Stewart! Who says nice guys finish last?

U.S. Open Interviews

I sat in on some interviews at the U.S. Open, and heard some interesting things. Concerning Phil’s quadruple bogey on the par five thirteenth…all of the pros were raving about the stellar conditions of the kikuyu fairways, and how the stiff, bristly blades were shaved down tight and provided perfect lies for spinning the ball off the short grass. Phil claimed that his second and third chips to #13 on Saturday weren’t bad shots, but just mental miscues because he didn’t take into account how much they were going to spin. When asked if that was his highest score ever on that hole, he replied, “No, I’ve made a nine on thirteen before…I was only eight years old, but I have had a nine there.”

After Saturday’s round, Tiger confessed that he didn’t warm up well on the range, and that he had a “two-way miss” going. He said he tried to “organize” that into a one-way miss, so at least when he hit it way off-line, he could predict which direction. He wasn’t able to figure it out during the round, and consequently spent the day playing self-described “army golf”…right, left, right, left. On Sunday, when he roped his second shot into the ice plants on #13, Tiger said he was trying to play a high cut into the green. He admitted to hitting the dreaded “double-cross”, trying to hold off his swing through impact but instead completely flipping his wrists over for the hammer-hook. At this point, we all know that most of Tiger’s struggles were the result of a bad knee, a stress fracture in his left shin, and obviously a lot of rust due to lack of practice. But his comments reveal two important truths about the game of golf…

One, that hitting the golf ball like you want to every time is freakin’ impossible! Even Tiger Woods sometimes flails with his swing to the point of having “two-way misses” and “double-crosses” infecting his game! The second truth is that scoring well in golf is all about one thing…getting the ball into the hole as quickly as possible. Tiger proved that last week. Despite being outplayed tee to green all week by dozens of players (including Rocco), Tiger took home the Championship Cup because of his superior short game. He chips well, his scrambling is unmatched, he makes all of his crucial short putts, and he basically gives himself opportunities to recover from every wayward driver or approach. So take heart, all you hopeful hackers…don’t stress over your missed shots (everyone is going to have them). Quit pounding range balls and go practice your short game! That’s where you’re really going to save some strokes.

Since Tiger has made his announcement about more surgery and taking the rest of the year off, you have to wonder how the other TOUR pros are going to respond. We will finally get to see what the major championships would look like without the Tiger factor. Will the big names like Sergio and Phil take advantage of his absence? Can Tiger still win the Fed Ex Cup even if he misses the entire playoffs (just kidding, I think that’s impossible)? I’ll have some more thoughts on a Tiger-less PGA TOUR later, but I’d like to hear yours.

The U.S. Open Media Center

I just returned home from the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. The USGA hired me to handle the scoreboard graphics inside the media center. The media center at a major championship is impressive. It is usually a gigantic temporary structure (think mega-tent) decked out with a large dining hall, a photographers’ lounge, an interview room, and of course the workspace area. It’s located on site, this year being situated on the adjoining North Course at Torrey Pines. Hundreds of journalists and television/radio/internet representatives from around the world are lined up in row after row of desks, all facing my huge scoreboard and several jumbo screen televisions at the front of the room. All of the heavy hitters in golf reporting are there, from the top writers in the country to the famous on-air talent for the networks. If you’re a golf nut, it’s a very cool scene.

The weird thing about my job at the U.S. Open is that I travel all the way from Atlanta to San Diego, proceed inside the Torrey Pines gates, and then basically watch the tournament on TV. What you might find surprising is that most members of the media do the same thing. During the really dramatic moments, several reporters will obviously track down the on-course action so they can see it live, but for the most part, everyone is watching from the comforts of the media center, working on their stories and taking advantage of the resources provided there. That’s a lot of people going to a lot of trouble just to watch golf on TV!

Saturday afternoon in the media center was a blast. As Tiger was doing all the mind-boggling stuff on the back nine that Tiger usually does, all eyes inside the media center were glued to the large screen TVs. There was a two-second delay between the live action and the TV broadcast, so as we watched Tiger’s ball roll toward the hole, we could hear the enormous roar from outside on the course, and would know the result before we actually witnessed it. Nonetheless, all of us in the media center would echo the outdoor response with a huge roar of our own. It gives me goose-bumps just thinking about some of those moments. What Tiger did that afternoon was unbelievable, and will go down as one of the most amazing stretches of golf in championship history. I feel privileged to have been there to experience it (via television).

My next entry will have some post-round quotes from Tiger’s interviews. That’s a huge perk of working in the media center…I get to sit in on the Q and A’s with all of the tournament leaders.

Tiger Behind Closed Doors

Since most people only see Tiger Woods when he is either A) playing in a tournament, B) doing an interview, or C) in a commercial, they often ask me “What is he really like, you know, behind closed doors?” I’ve had the good fortune of dealing with Tiger on a number of occasions during my job on the TOUR, and my answer to this question is…he’s really a normal guy! I’m not trying to sound cliche, because Tiger is anything but normal, but seriously, for someone who is mega-rich, mega-famous and mega-talented, he seems like a very well-adjusted, likeable person. He’s always friendly to the walking scorers and other volunteers in the scoring area (but he won’t sign a golf ball…that’s a steadfast rule). He has a sharp sense of humor, and never seems to put on airs. I’m sure many golf fans have been irritated by a stone-faced, blinders-on Tiger as he strides past hundreds of screaming well-wishers, but please understand, this is what he has to do just to make it out of public situations in one piece. Just ask anyone who is out on TOUR regularly, and they will tell you it’s a completely different atmosphere around Tiger…absolute chaos. To his fellow pros, even though he is very intimidating on the course, he is very approachable off of it and has an agreeable personality that meshes well with most everybody. Tiger is very humble, never overplaying his own success and often giving praise to those guys who gave chase (or sometimes beat him).

After the final round of the 2007 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, Tiger was sitting across from me in the scoring area, checking his card following a 66 and his fifth victory in that event. I asked him, “Tiger, just how in the world do you win this thing year after year?” He answered, “Honestly, Charles (Howell III) could’ve won, but I just got some good bounces. I don’t care who you are, you need some lucky breaks to win golf tournaments.” I replied, “Didn’t someone once say that the harder you practice the luckier you get?” To that, Tiger flashed his trademark smile, winked at me, and walked out of the trailer to face the throngs of media and fans. That story describes Tiger in a nutshell…he might be self-effacing, but deep down, he knows he’s the man to beat.

If I were to formulate an equation that summed up Tiger Woods’ golfing prowess, it would be GOD-GIVEN ABILITY + UNRIVALED WORK ETHIC + VAST UNDERSTANDING OF HIS SWING AND THE GAME = TOTAL WORLD DOMINANCE IN GOLF. Stay tuned for more stories about my personal interactions with Tiger and other players out on TOUR.

Knocking on Heaven's Door - John Daly

One of the biggest perks about working for the PGA TOUR travel staff is being invited to certain social functions hosted by the different tournaments each week. One that really stands out in my mind from this year was a mid-week party for all of the amateur players in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Dozens of local restaurants set up tables of their finest cuisine in a Palm Springs resort ballroom, and hundreds of participants and their guests enjoyed a great evening of food, drink and a local band playing some background music.

As the night wore on, one of the professional golfers at the party made a surprise appearance for one song. In my decade out on TOUR, I’ve only seen one pro get on stage to perform, and that of course is John Daly. Unfortunately, when in front of a large crowd, J.D. seems to be a one-trick pony. Every single time I’ve seen him, he plays “Knocking on Heaven’s Door”, and this night was no different. So Daly started strumming away and gently eased into the lyrics, as he always does (I’ve got little musical instrument experience, but I think he’s about a 4 handicap on the guitar). To his credit, J.D. usually nails this song, given that he plays it so often. But on this particular night, Daly’s back-up vocalists are the ones responsible for making the song so memorable. Sharing a microphone and screaming the chorus were none other than Alice Cooper (wearing his famous make-up) and a slimmed-down Meat Loaf (both of who were playing in the tournament). So there was the one of the oddest rock bands you’ll ever see…Long John, Alice, and the Loaf, belting out Guns N’ Roses at the top of their collective lungs, with veins popping and voices straining. Half of the crowd was screaming with them, and half of the crowd stood silent with a look of bewilderment…”Just what am I witnessing here?” It was a rather surreal moment.

That being said, I’d like to admit that I really like John Daly. He’s always been nice to me out on TOUR, and I’ve seen many examples of his generosity with both fans and other players. The guy just likes to have a good time! I do believe he’s not getting the most out of his inherent golf talent. I think he could still be a major force on the TOUR, with the right attitude. I wish him the best, and think he needs to start practicing some other songs.