The Travelers and You Might Be A Redneck...

After my world wind experience at the U.S. Open, I traveled back to Georgia on the always-dreadful redeye flight.  Beth and I picked up the kids and headed North to Connecticut to battle my fellow Tour players in this year’s Travelers Championship.  I entered Thursday’s round excited about the direction of my game and I was determined to improve on last year’s 9^th place finish.  I came out of the gates a little slow and finished the day with a semi-disappointing round of 1 under par (69).   Friday was much more exciting as I put myself into contention with a solid round of 6 under par (64).  The weekend didn’t turn out as I would have liked and my rounds of 70-71 slipped me into a tie for 29^th.  My inexcusable bogey-bogey finish on Sunday was extremely disappointing and something that has plagued some of my decent finishes of late (ex. Double bogey-bogey finish at The Memorial plummeted me to a 19^th place finish).  Two pars on the final two holes at The Travelers Championship would have greatly improved my finish and made the lack-luster weekend of golf a little more enjoyable.  However, all in all, I played some decent spurts of golf throughout the week and if some putts had fallen, my outcome would have certainly been drastically different.

This week I am in our Nation’s Capital for this week’s PGA Tour event hosted by Tiger Woods.  His tournament, The AT&T National, returns to its original site, Congressional.  The two-year absence was required because the course underwent several changes in order to host the 2011 U.S. Open.  In that event, Rory McIlory destroyed the field and “Old Man Par” thanks to the soggy and wet conditions that Mother Nature produced at Congressional.  To his credit, Rory played incredible golf but the soft conditions yielded an uncharacteristic large number of birdies.  Well, as you can imagine, the members of Congressional were NOT happy.  So, with that in mind, who do you think will pay the consequences for Rory’s mindboggling birdie barrage?  You guessed it…this week’s field at The AT&T National.  This course is HARD!  And I mean U.S. Open hard!  Thankfully, I have a history of playing difficult courses well.  The rough is thick, the greens are bricks, and every tee box is a million miles away from the green!  It will be a great test of golf and I am looking forward to my “2^nd U.S. Open” of the year!

After playing the course on Monday for the first time ever, my back decided to bow out and forced me to lay low for a few days.  I went to the course on Tuesday but just for rehab.  My team of trainers worked on my old body for over two hours before I headed back to the hotel for movie day.  Wednesday was pretty much the same routine.  I hit about 10 balls today but after experiencing extreme tightness, I Withdrew from the Wednesday Pro-Am and headed back to the trailer for more rehab.  Hopefully, the rest and rehab allow me to challenge Congressional in a pain-free manner.

Before I get to the “Question of the Week,” I have to tell you about my experience last night.  My sister, Courtney, is in town on business and after we ate supper, she drove me to a CVS Pharmacy to pick up some Ibuprofen for my back.   As I began to checkout, the man working the register struck up an interesting conversation with me.  He appeared to be from the Middle East and our conversation went like this…

Middle East CVS Man:  Do you have a CVS Card?

Me:  No sir, I am not from here and we don’t have a CVS in my town.

Middle East CVS Man:  That is Okay, I will use one of ours complementary.  Where are you from?

Me:  Thank you for doing that…I am from Georgia.

Middle East CVS Man:  How long are you here for?

Me:  I leave on Sunday

Middle East CVS Man:  How do you like Washington DC?

Me:  It’s nice.  Little big for me but it’s nice.

Middle East CVS Man:  Well, Welcome to America!

Me:  Ahmmmmm, Welcome to America to you too Buddy!

Middle East CVS Man:  Your accent...Is English your first language?

Me:  Ahmmmmm Yes

Middle East CVS Man:  Hmmmmm.  Do you speak any other languages? 

Me:  No, just English.

Middle East CVS Man:  Wow, I am surprised that English is the only language you speak in Georgia.

Me:  Ahmmmmm.  Yeah, that’s it.

Middle East CVS Man:  Hmmmmm. Your accent sounds really strong and kind of weird.  Sounds like a blend of several languages.

Me:  Okay, Thanks…I guess?

Middle East CVS Man:  I can’t believe you don’t speak any languages other than English in Georgia!

Me:  Sir…Where do you think Georgia is?  I live in Georgia, which is next to Florida…not the Georgia that is next to Russia!  I am an American!

Middle East CVS Man:  Oh!  Sorry.

Me:  HaHa…Welcome to America Sir!

You might be and SOUND like a Redneck if a man from the Middle East thinks your accent sounds “really strong and kind of weird” and he thinks you live in a foreign country!  Wow!  Simply…Wow!

Question of the Week:   Jim from Indiana wrote…Blake, Thank you for taking the time to write a weekly blog.  I follow it and look forward to it every week.  I am sure you have played all the great courses in the United States so my question is which one is your favorite and why?

Jim, Thank you for the email and your continued support and interest.  Golf has been a huge part of my life and I have been very fortunate to play some great courses during my 36 years on this Earth.  I have been fortunate enough to play the extremely private courses like Cypress Point and Pine Valley along with the breathtaking views on courses like Pebble Beach and Whistling Straits.  I have played everything from the fancy country club courses to the small town local courses.  All are great and unique but in my mind, there is one course that has separated itself from the pack and is ultimately…untouchable.  That place, as many of you can guess, is Augusta National.  The aura and history that makes up Augusta National is truly special.  There is no other place like it on earth.  Driving down Magnolia Lane sends chills down your back and the experience of spending time in the clubhouse is incredible.  Television doesn’t do the place justice and a person cannot truly believe how incredible the property is until they step foot on the premises. Whether you are there for the Masters or are fortunate enough to play golf there with a Member, the experience is breathtaking and indescribable.  I have been fortunate to play the course twice and experience the Masters Tournament more times than I can count.  However, I get chill bumps every time I go and I hope that each of you have or can one day experience my little piece of Heaven.

Thanks again for your continued support and please keep the questions coming!

In the Hunt at My First U.S. Open...

I first want to thank everyone for the tremendous support that I received last week during the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California.  The hundreds of emails and texts that I received during the week were both humbling and inspiring.  I am forever grateful for your support and I hope that I will continue to make you proud.

The week began with some great preparation and advice from several U.S Open veterans.  I arrived in San Francisco on Saturday with my swing instructor, John Tillery, and my caddy, Barry Williams, by my side.  I played the course for the first time on Sunday morning and left The Olympic Club excited about the week ahead.  Since this was my first Major and U.S. Open, I made sure that I scheduled my practice rounds with experienced U.S. Open players… On Monday I played with 2009 U.S. Open Champion, Lucas Glover…Tuesday was with 2012 U.S. Open Champion Webb Simpson…and Wednesday was with 2012 Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III.  I leaned on each of them for advice on ways to attack/survive the difficult course conditions as well as the 45-minute phone call I received from my good friend, Kenny Perry.

As I predicted last week, The Olympic Club and the U.S. Open was by far the toughest test of golf that I have ever faced.  The course was in immaculate shape but the conditions and layout were brutally tough.  The rough was extremely thick and the greens were hard and lightning fast.   However, like any U.S. Open, fairways were a premium.  The difficulty with hitting the fairways at the Olympic Club was due to the fact that they were extremely sloped and in most cases, there was only one thing that could stop your ball…the THICK ROUGH!  I cannot begin to tell you how many of my tee shots landed perfectly in the fairway but wound up BURIED a few inches in the rough.  This was certainly the frustrating part of the U.S. Open but it was expected.  Perfect shots were often times not rewarded and the players that didn’t cry over the bad breaks were the most successful. 

I entered Sunday’s round with a chance to win my first Major in my very first attempt.  This was certainly a special feeling as I battled against the best players in the World on an extremely big stage. I began the Final Round only 3 shots off the lead but to be honest, I wasn’t the slightest bit worried about my deficit, the television cameras, the worldwide audience, or the leaders.  Why you ask?  Because I had enough to worry about… The Olympic Club on Sunday of the U.S. Open was going to be a battle…and a battle it was!  The course punched me in the mouth from the very beginning as I bogeyed my FIRST 6 holes!  To be fair, I probably should have only bogeyed 2 holes during that stretch (hole #1 and #4) but I wasn’t rewarded for some pretty darn good shots.  A couple of bad bounces left me in some awkward and difficult positions and before I knew it…I was 6 over for the day!  Some people would have given up and quit but like always, I refused to give up and I fought back.  I played my next 12 holes in one under par and received a huge ovation for my eagle at #17.  I played the Final Round with Two-time U.S. Open Champion Ernie Els and it was quite the experience.  I was able to pick his brain a little bit and I cannot tell you how extremely gracious he was along the way.   We talked a good bit throughout the day about golf and family and I will forever remember the experience.  Even though I didn’t hoist the trophy in the end, I learned a great deal from my first Major and I will be better prepared next time around. 

I hung in there for the most part and I once again proved a lot of people wrong.  Unlike some people, I embrace the criticism and use it as motivation.  I enjoy being the underdog and having the last laugh.  Thanks again for the motivation fellas!

As I mentioned last week, I have begun taking questions and comments from my readers and each of them will be included in my blogs throughout the year.  Since last week’s tournament was a new event, I didn’t feel as if I was repeating myself and I included some tidbits from the U.S. Open.  So keeping with the new theme, I will answer one of the many questions submitted.

Barry from Georgia wrote..."Blake - I know putting is critical to being successful on the Tour and you have changed putters a few times - so, what putter are you using and are you pleased overall with your putting?"


         Putting is the most important statistic on the PGA Tour.  I work extremely hard on my putting every day and I feel that I am getting better and better each week.  Currently, I am using an Odyssey White Hot #7M Belly Putter and it has been in my bag for over a year and a half.  I am very pleased with the direction that my putting has gone since I began using this putter.  My instructor, John Tillery, and I work hard and monitor my putting each and every week.  Putting is the key to success on the PGA Tour and I am definitely headed in the right direction.

Thank you for all your interest and please keep the questions and comments coming!

I'm Back...New Website and U.S. Open Bound

I apologize for taking such a long break from my weekly blog but hopefully, after reading my words, you will understand.

Since my last post, I have been extremely busy with Golf and the travels that go along with my job.  I have journeyed all over the country and there is little doubt that my game is getting better and better each week.  I just completed an 8 consecutive week stretch of tournaments that ended in Dublin, Ohio, at one of the PGA Tour’s most prestigious events…The Memorial.  This event was once again hosted by one of Golf’s greatest players, Mr. Jack Nicklaus.  In what has become a norm at his Tournament each year, the golf course and hospitality were first class.  I finished the event in a respectable 19^th place but my results certainly didn’t justify my ball striking for the week.  The cold and blustery conditions played havoc on everyone throughout the week.  My old hip gave me some trouble on Friday but I managed to fight through it.  Tiger won the event in dramatic fashion, thanks to an impossible chip that he made on the difficult 16^th hole. My double bogey, bogey finish on Sunday didn’t sit too well but, as always, I will learn from my mistakes and move forward.  A par, par finish would have put me in 11^th place for the Tournament.  Oh well…could of, should of, would of!!

As I mentioned earlier, this was my 8^th event in a row.  I know, I know…I play Golf for a living so how hard can it really be?  However, 8 consecutive weeks on the road translates into 8 consecutive weeks of work.  My last OFF DAY was during The Masters (first week in April)!!  My job requires me to be at work 7-days a week, regardless of a made or missed cut.  But, like I said, I am playing Golf for a living.

There were two highlights during my 8-week marathon.  The first came at The Players Championship down in Ponte Vedra, Florida.  I hit the ball well throughout the week and I couldn’t help but smile as I proved several television commentators wrong after they made some very strong and opinionated comments about me on national television.  My 12^th place finish fell 11 spots short of my goal but it was a million miles ahead of where those individuals predicted I would finish.   Thanks for the extra motivation, fellas!

My good friend and Country Music Star, Luke Bryan, played on Wednesday of the event in front of a packed house.  I met him for lunch before he was scheduled to go on stage and we visited for a short while following the concert.  The Golf Channel interviewed him shorly after he arrived to Jacksonville and several of the commentators tried to pry some of our college stories out of him.  Thankfully, he kept things PG rated for the millions of viewers watching at home!  He did a tremendous job with the concert and I couldn’t be more proud of him and his success.

The second and, without a doubt, most memorable highlight occurred on Monday of this week.  After battling the tough conditions at The Memorial, I put my body and game to the test in a one day, 36-hole qualifier for the upcoming U.S. Open.  I, along with the majority of the PGA Tour, battled through the wind for 16 spots and a trip to The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California.   I bogeyed my very first hole but thankfully that was the last one I would make all day!  I played my next 35-holes bogey free and finished in solo 2^nd with rounds of 67-68.   I earned a spot into this coming week’s U.S. Open and I cannot wait to participate in my first Major (one of four each year for those of you that don’t follow golf – Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship).  Each year, the U.S. Open is the most difficult test in Golf.  The rough is so thick that golf balls are often lost, only to reappear months later like last year’s Easter eggs!  In addition, the greens are so fast that they are almost impossible to stop, especially on downhill putts.  It is, without a doubt, the toughest Tournament in the world and I cannot wait for the challenge.

Since my last blog entry, I have been working extremely hard on a couple of projects away from the golf course.  One of the two is completed and hopefully this new outlet will do a better job of keeping everyone MORE INVOLVED AND UPDATED on my weekly adventures.  This completed project can be located at www.blakeadamsgolf.com.  This website will be updated weekly and I am asking each of you to become a part of it.  My blog is extremely important to me but, in all honesty, I have run out of things to say!  I feel that I am repeating myself each week and I am at the point where I don’t know what my readers want to hear.  So with that being said, I am asking YOU to become part of my weekly blog.  I am opening up two lines of communication for questions or comments and my weekly entries will be based on your interests and inquiries.  This way, I will have a guideline for what to write about and you will be involved in the content.  I will do my best to answer as many questions as possible each week but obviously some of them will not make the cut.  Please don’t be discouraged if yours isn’t answered on that particular week because I will refer back to them for future entries.  The first way to contact me is through my email (blakeadamsgolf@gmail.com) and the other is through the Contact Tab on my website (www.blakeadamsgolf.com).   Hopefully you will enjoy this new avenue and involvement.

In addition to the “new and improved” entries, I will have contests on the website that will give my followers a chance to win prizes.   These prizes may range from equipment to autographs of certain players on Tour.  Please don’t miss out on some of these chances to win some really cool prizes.

My second project is still in the works and if things continue on its current path, it will be huge.  I cannot say a great deal about it but hopefully I will have some good news in the upcoming months.  It is very dear to my heart and something that will definitely impact thousands of people.

I hope you will become a part of my weekly entries by submitting your questions and comments.  I welcome anything tasteful and of interest to my readers.  I am really excited about this new approach to the blog and website.  Hopefully you will enjoy the new path, as well.  Please take the time to look over the site and GET INVOLVED!  I have included an email signup on the web site as well that will send out an alert when new things are posted.  PLEASE sign up so you will be included in the weekly updates.  This will also allow me to gauge the level of interest on the site.   Also, I encourage each of you to join in my Campaign to help the children of Putnam and Emanuel Counties.  Find more information under the heading “Campaign” at my web site (www.blakeadamsgolf.com).  Please get involved and good luck with the contests!

The Beach, Olives, and the Snake Pit...

Is it still considered work when your office is located on an Island? The beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico served as my “office” a couple of weeks ago and I will be the first to admit that I am very blessed. The calmness and peaceful feeling that I experience on week’s like this are truly special. The sight and sounds of waves crashing in the background made for quite an enjoyable week while the enormous palm trees, exotic birds, and crystal clear water only added to the beauty of the island. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit such beautiful places on this earth and I am very blessed that my job allows my “office” to be 85 degrees with sunny skies, beautiful beaches, crystal clear water, and a million other great things!

Beth and our good friends Bruce (Ope) and Melissa Kelly flew down to the sunny shores of Puerto Rico on Wednesday. We had a great time and we really enjoyed eating at several of the local restaurants that the island had to offer. Mofongo and Plantain were popular meals throughout the week along with fresh fish. We spent our afternoons watching the waves gently roll in toward our lawn chairs as the sun slowly disappeared along the ocean line in the distance. Yes...I am very blessed.

One of the local restaurants that we ate at twice during the week is a place called Richie’s. It sits atop a small mountainside and overlooks the ocean. During one night at dinner, Jeff Overton and his girlfriend joined us and Jeff ordered the Special on the menu...Red Snapper with Plantain. It looked really good and after I told my Physical Rehab guys the next morning about our experience they decided to go that evening. They both ordered the same Red Snapper Special that sat on Jeff’s plate the night before and quickly decided to play a joke on their Golf Channel friends sitting at the table with them. The presentation of the ENTIRE Red Snapper on their plate was incredible and for obvious reasons, the cook replaced the eyeballs with Olives. Well, one of my regular Rehab guys is from South Africa and he (jokingly) told the table how much his culture loved to eat Fish eyeballs. They all believed him and he immediately reached down and put the Olive (fake eyeball) in his mouth. The table almost lost their supper! They obviously had no clue and didn’t realize that it was only an Olive. A few seconds later, my other Rehab guy (who is American) said he “would be tough and partake in the culture.” He was obviously in on the joke and grabbed his Olive from the Red Snapper. The South African said, “Come on, it’s easy. Here I will eat the other one first to show you.” He ate the Olive as the table looked in astonishment. The American put his Olive in his mouth and the table couldn’t believe it. All of sudden, his face turned really pale...WHY you ask?? Well, his Olive was not an Olive...it was indeed an EYEBALL!

Just like any tournament, there were both positives and negatives from the Puerto Rico Open. The positives definitely outweighed the negatives and my Tie for 9th place finish echos this statement. I can proudly and honestly say that I played the entire event pain free! What an amazing feeling! The shot obviously worked and my Rehab guys continue to do a great job on my body. Our daily two hours sessions have paid huge dividends and hopefully our tireless work will keep my body feeling this way for a long, long time. Putting was once again a major obstacle for me and I am not sure why. Last year, I finished the season 13th on Tour in Putting...Not Bad. However, this year my results and statistics have been less than stellar. During the Puerto Rico Open, I had 7 three putts and missed a ton of short putts. Sure, the greens were extremely grainy but there will NEVER be an excuse worthy of 7 three putts. In fact, I probably didn’t have 7 three putts during my entire 2011 season!! I lost the tournament by 6 shots and was 4 shots out of 2nd...so you do the math. The good news is that I played well enough to win. I was solid from tee to green and I was pain free. Hopefully the putts will fall in the coming weeks and my name will be on TOP of the leader board.

The kids joined Beth and I for the Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor/Tampa, Florida, at the incredible Innisbrook Resort. Practice went extremely well leading up to the First Round. Kenny Perry and I played on Tuesday alongside good friends Scott Stallings (2011 Greenbrier Classic Champion) and Scott Brown. As in most practice rounds on the PGA Tour, a friendly wager took place within our group as the Old Men faced off against the Young Kids. Kenny and I took the lead after the first hole and never looked back. In fact, the young bucks never had the “Honors” on the tee box which meant that they never won a hole! As we walked to the 18th tee, Kenny and I once again had the tee and the Kids were dejected and beat down. Their wallets were hurting and they bravely decided to go “All in.” Kenny and I both hit the Fairway while BOTH of our competitors found the trees on the right. The Old Men hit the green and we faced two very makable 25 foot birdie putts. Scott Brown missed the green long and left and faced a very difficult chip. Now, their only hope was Ol Mr Greenbrier! Well, regardless of how many poor shots Team Young Bucks had hit over the previous 17 holes, Stallings dug down deep and hit an INCREDIBLE shot to about 6 feet! After Kenny and I both rolled our birdie putts over the edge of the cup, the stage was set for Stallings. He had two choices...miss the putt and continue the trend and BEATDOWN that his team had faced all day OR make the putt and erase all the humiliation of never winning a hole! Well...the little punk make the putt and changed the whole outcome of the match! What a joke and a bunch of bull!! HaHa. The Old Men put on a clinic but walked away with nothing to show for the massacre. Oh well...a rematch has already been rescheduled!

When Thursday rolled around, I was excited about the state of my game. My body felt great, my swing felt effortless, and the ball was going exactly where I was aiming. I knew that if I could hole a few putts then I would probably be in the mix come Sunday. Well unfortunately, things quickly unraveled. After missing four putts inside six feet over my first twelve holes, I got frustrated and aggravated. This was unusual for me because I normally do a good job of letting things go. However, this day was different. I let the missed opportunities on the greens change my game plan from a smart and well thought out attack to an overly aggressive and mindless press. Usually when this occurs the golf course wins....and on Thursday it did! I shot 75 and walked away extremely dejected. I hit the ball way too good to shot over par however I let my emotions take over. I vowed to not let this happen again and on Friday, I rallied the troops and attempted to make the cut from a million miles outside the cut line. Sure I missed some putts along the way but I didn’t let things bother me. In fact, as I reached the treacherous 16th hole (which begins a challenging three hole stretch nicknamed the Snake Pit), I had the Low Round of the Day going at 5 under par. I was inside the cut line as well but I had a difficult challenge ahead. My adrenaline was high and like most players in the field, I hit 3wood off the tee to cover the water along the right side of the fairway. When the ball left the club face, I knew that I had struck it extremely well and its path was on a good line. However, what I didn’t know was that I was about to hit a 304 yard 3wood (according to ShotTracker)!! Unfortunately, my ball bounced through the fairway and came to rest DIRECTLY up against a tree. I was TOAST!! I fumbled around the hole a bit and finally tapped in for a crowd pleasing Double Bogey. Game Over! I pared the last two holes of the Snake Pit but my mishap on 16 cost me a weekend tee time. Another missed cut and another disappointment.

I took last week off and things couldn’t have been better. Time with the family is always special and the convenience of having a green in the backyard is priceless. I worked long hours on my putting and chipping in hopes of making a run at this week’s Shell Houston Open. I am excited about the week ahead and as usual, if a few putts can fall, good things will happen. I am staying with my good friend and Houston Astros owner, Jim Crane again this year. The week has already been amazing and next week’s blog will have some good stories. I know great things are ahead in terms of Golf and a win this week would secure me a tee time in next week’s PGA Tour event....The Masters!

Welcome Back Ol' Faithful.....

The experiments are officially over!  After months of working with various drivers and golf balls, I have decided to go back to the equipment that secured my card rather easily last year.  Go ahead...you can say it...why would I change in the first place?  Well, due to contract obligations I am required to give new equipment "my best effort" as it becomes available.  I have always been a huge supporter of the equipment companies that I represent and their advancements in technology.  However, I will be the first to admit that I need to do a better job of getting comfortable and trusting the new equipment before I put it in the bag.  With that being said, over the last three tournaments I have used three different drivers which in my opinion, have been the culprit to three consecutive missed cuts.  Missed fairways have been the norm lately and my time away from the short grass has lead to an increase in missed greens.  Obviously when you add these two factors together a golfer's work week is cut short!  I have also been experimenting with a different golf ball and the results have been less than satisfactory.  The bad news is that I will eventually have to make a golf ball switch because Titleist has decided to stop  manufacturing my ball of choice (2005 Pro V1x).  However for now, I will continue to use the stock pile of balls that I have until they run out.

There is good news however.  During Friday's round at the Honda Classic I truly believe that I made two major strides.  First of all, I finally trusted my hip and I was able to turn without restriction or limitation.   This was a huge development because during Thursday's opening round, my mind and body wouldn't quite allow my hip move freely.  I had a pinch in my left hip during the first round and I basically played scared and protective.  I eased into all my shots and as my first round score indicated, this was a recipe for disaster.  After my round, I made my normal trip to the rehab trailer and spent over an hour on the table.  The trainers worked tirelessly to help remove the pinch from my hip.  They assured me that regardless of what I was feeling, the cortisone and "greaser" shot was definitely a success.  I had an increased range of motion and on Friday, I was finally able to reap the benefits.  I played pain free and my ball striking was much better.  The second stride that I made on Friday was a reunion with my old TaylorMade R11 Driver.  I took the club out of my bag following its lackluster performance in Phoenix.  Even though I was fresh off a run of several made cuts in a row, I made the change following the Waste Management Phoenix Open because I felt my driver was the culprit for my mediocre finishes on the West Coast.  This obviously wasn't the case.  Since the change, my driving stats got worse and I missed three cuts in a row.  On Friday, I put Ol' Faithful back in the bag and I only missed one fairway with it during the round.  My score of 68 was a welcomed site and if a few putts had fallen, it would have been much, much lower.  Regardless, I am glad that I made the switch and I certainly enjoyed being back in the short grass!

Last week during the Honda Classic, Beth and I rented a house in a neighborhood just down the road from PGA National.  The homes inside the gated community were enormous and many celebrities such as Tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams lived just down the road from our rented house for the week.  Our place was nice and we really enjoyed how close it was to my Tournament site.  As I put Libby down one afternoon for her nap, I stumbled upon one of the coolest things that I have ever seen!  In the office of our rented home, the owner had three baseballs proudly on display.  All three were very impressive and as I made my way down the line, my jaw began to drop.  The first name was Yankee Legend, Joe DiMaggio...very impressive!  The second name was another Yankee Legend, Micky Mantle...also very impressive!  And the third name? Another Yankee Legend but a signature that I have never seen in person in my entire life.....Babe Ruth!   Seriously....the Babe, the Bambino, the Sultan of Swat??!!   Yes, as you can tell....I was impressed.

This week I am Puerto Rico and I am excited about the week ahead.  As I mentioned earlier, Ol' Faithful is back in the bag and my hip feels great.  I have continued my trend of practicing hard every day and I cannot wait for Thursday's round to begin.  I know that good things are on the horizon and my tireless work will shine through.  Who knows...this week could be my week!  We will see.

Time Flies When You Are At Home....

I cannot believe how quickly the days flew by last week while I was at home.  In a blink of an eye, it was time to pack my bags and head out on the road.  Fortunately though, I wasn't alone as I said goodbye to the dirt roads of South Georgia.  As my tail lights made their way down the driveway at 5am on Monday morning, my family closed their eyes and began the journey with me to West Palm Beach, Florida, and the Honda Classic.  We boarded a plane in rainy and cold Atlanta, Georgia, and made the short flight to sunny skies and 85 degree temperatures!  Beth and I somehow managed to keep our two extremely active monkeys in check during the flight which I will be the first to admit...wasn't an easy task.  I definitely don't see how Beth does it alone!  God Bless her!

On Wednesday of last week, I headed north and met with the Orthopedic Doctors that work directly with the University of Georgia and their athletes.  They took some x-rays and injected my left hip with cortisone and a "greaser" to help lubricate my joint capsule.  I limped around the house for a couple of days due to the increased fluid in my hip and finally gave it a test run on Friday.  Fortunately, I didn't have to travel very far to practice!  Jake and I walked out the back door and hit balls for a couple of hours on the green at my house.  My hip felt pretty good and actually got better and better as the weekend progressed.  When I met my caddy Barry on Monday afternoon in Florida, I was able to turn on my left hip with ease.  My speed through the ball had returned and everything felt great.  In fact, my hip turn was so fluid that my swing felt out of sorts and different.  My body had become used to the restricted feeling in my left hip and I didn't realize how bad it had gotten.  In fact, I now realize that I made a mistake this past winter.  Last year, I received two shots of cortisone due to pain and stiffness in my left hip.  My plan was to get an injection prior to this season but due to the minimal pain I was feeling, I decided to wait.  Obviously, this was a mistake.  I played the entire west coast on a hip that was extremely restricted and because it didn't hurt all the time, I thought I was fine.  This obviously wasn't the case and I can chalk it up to a lesson learned.  Note to self...you have a 2x4 of a left hip and until you have surgery, please continue to get regular cortisone shots regardless of how well you THINK you feel!

I played on Tuesday with one of my normal practice round partners, Kenny Perry.  Fresh off his Champions Tour victory of five shots, I spent the afternoon picking his brain on his latest win.  He has always been very kind and generous to me and I cannot not tell you how extremely blessed I am to have him as a good friend.  The insight and knowledge that he has provided me over the last three years has been incredible.  I am very lucky to have someone who is so willing to give advice each and every week. Hopefully one day, I will put all his knowledge to good use!!

We will see how my swing reacts to a fluid hip this week.  I know my best golf is ahead and my timing and rhythm will return.  Last year, it took a week or two my shots to finally trust myself and swing freely. This week's tournament at PGA National is a tremendous test.  The rough is high and the winds swirl on every hole.  The infamous Bear Trap (holes 15-18) serve as a land mine and can dismantle a good round in seconds.  I have high expectations this week and I am excited to get started.  Regardless of what happens, I know that my hip is pain free and unrestricted!  Hopefully my mind will trust that my hip is ok and I can play carefree for the first time in a long time.  We will see.

Oh How I Love Small Town USA....

I wish every town in America had the same population as mine...130 people!  Life would be so much simpler and I truly believe that people would enjoy their time on earth much better.   Unfortunately, my precious gem of a hometown is not the norm for cities located inside the borders of our great Nation.  The hustle and bustle of big city America is unbelievable and I will never understand it.  The site of my last event, The Northern Trust Open, is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum from my quiet South Georgia town.  Los Angeles, home of chaos, a gazillion people, traffic, and did I mention, a gazillion people!

On my way home from beautiful Riviera Country Club on Tuesday afternoon, it took me 1 hour to go two blocks!  Really?...two blocks...that is only two red lights or the distance of a short Par 4!  In South Georgia, 1 hour of travel time will usually yield 60-80 miles depending on the weight of your foot and the location of Barney Fife.  However in Los Angeles, 1 hour of travel time during the wrong time of the day will only get you two lousy blocks!  Unbelievable.  Like I said...I will never, ever understand it!

President Obama was in town on Wednesday and according to the 6 motorcycle policemen and SWAT Teams every half block leading up to my hotel, he was either inside my hotel or very, very close by.  I told Beth that unfortunately my location and safety was pretty much cut and dry...I was either extremely safe due to his proximity or I was in extreme danger because of all the crazy yoyo's in this world.  There was no in between!  My hope and prayers were certainly on the safe option and I putt all my trust in the hundreds of policemen, SWAT, and helicopters flying around my hotel that I would see my children at weeks end.

My golf looked pretty pitiful from the sidelines this past week.  A missed cut by a shot is always frustrating but after I sat down and analyzed my rounds, I wasn't as disappointed.  In 2011, Riviera Country Club yielded more 3 putts than any other course on Tour.  Whether you blame it on the Poa Annua greens, the inconsistent ocean and hill affects, or the guys on Tour that cannot walk in metal spikes, the greens at Riviera are difficult to putt.  With that being said, I had 6 three putts in two rounds and I missed 3 additional putts inside five feet!  And that my friends... is a recipe for a missed cut.  The good news is that I only missed the cut by one shot which indicates that I did more than a couple of things right.   Also, I am fortunate that missed short putts and an abundance of 3 putts is not the norm for my golf game.  Heading into last week's event, I was inside the Top 6 on Tour in 3 putt Avoidance.  Unfortunately, that is no longer the case!

This week I am at home resting my body after 7 weeks on the road.  The last time I laid my eyes on my house, dog, and truck, the calendar read January 3rd!  That was a long, long time ago!  Beth and I decided to surprise the kids and not tell them exactly when I was coming home.  I simply walked in the door and stood in the hallway where they couldn't see me.  I heard my little angel Libby call out "PaPa?" in hopes that Beth's Daddy was the culprit for the door chime.  I peaked my head around the corner and I wish I had a recording of my children's voices.  "DADDY!!" rang out and filled our home.  The sound of happiness followed by tears of joy filled their faces.  My little sidekick Jake wouldn't let go of my neck and I didn't let go either.  I certainly hate being away from them but at the end of the day, little moments like the one I experienced on Saturday night will last forever.

The Views of Pebble and an NBA Legend...

I hope some of you were able to catch the television coverage of this past week's tournament at Pebble Beach. The views were amazing as usual and thanks to the rain and windy conditions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the waves were enormous. I found myself staring off into the ocean which as you can imagine, created a very calm and peaceful feeling. I am very fortunate and blessed to have an office view like Pebble!

The AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is always a special event on the PGA Tour. Professionals are paired with celebrities and CEO's throughout the week and the atmosphere is fun and extremely laid back. I was once again paired with my good friend and Houston Astros owner, Jim Crane. We had a great time and I was very intrigued by our conversations of his day to day operations with the Astros. Jim lives in Houston and obviously has an extremely influential circle of friends. This year, Jim invited his good friend and fellow Houstonian Clyde "the Glide" Drexler to join our group during the Tournament. It was truly an honor to spend three days with both of these two gentlemen and I will forever remember the experience. As a member of the NBA Hall of Fame, Clyde has achieved tremendous success on and off the basketball court. I was thoroughly impressed with his 4 handicap (Jim's as well..2 handicap) and his "go to" shot...a low bullet power fade. Clyde burst into laughter on the 4th hole when I began calling him Clyde "the Slide" in reference to his seemingly effortless power fade. We instantly became friends and I spent two evenings eating supper with both of my Amateur partners during the week. The stories that the two of them told were amazing! Inside tales of Baseball and Basketball were the common theme and I couldn't believe the one that I am about to tell.

Clyde Drexler, NBA Hall of Fame Member, was CUT from his 10th grade Basketball team. How that happens....I have no idea! He eventually was asked to join the team after the Head Coach saw him playing in the gym one day during lunch. At first he refused to play for the man who embarrassed and cut him only weeks earlier. However, after an in-home visit from the Coach with Clyde's mother, they eventually convinced him to play for the school. He went on to average over 30 points and 20 rebounds and 15 assists a game! Amazingly enough though, Clyde was not on many college radar's and if not for one of his best friends, he might not have played in college at all. A package deal of sort, landed Clyde and his best friend (also one of the top players in the country) at the University of Houston. They went on to greatness and with the help of another NBA Hall of Fame player, Hakeem Olajuwon, became one of the best teams in the history of college basketball. However, things didn't start off so well. Clyde told me that when Hakeem showed up for his first day of practice with the Houston Cougars, the point guard passed the ball down to the future NBA Hall of Fame player. Hakeem caught the ball, tucked it like a football, and began running down the court like a running back! Seriously...a future NBA Hall of Fame Member started his legendary basketball career galloping down the court like Herschel Walker!!!?? Unreal.

The experiments with my equipment were costly as I missed my first cut in four weeks. The golf ball change was detrimental as well as a Driver and 3 wood that couldn't find the fairway. Obviously, the game of golf is hard enough but when you play from the rough on seemingly every hole....you have no chance. I am extremely frustrated with my game right now because the hard work that I have put in each and every week hasn't paid off. I have practiced harder this year than any time in my career! My hands are beat and battered and the cuts and blood are evidence of my hard work. Regardless of the results, I will continue to work hard and I truly believe that great things are on the horizon.

This week I am in LA for the Northern Trust Open at historic Riviera. Traffic has been a nightmare throughout the week but I am managing pretty good for a Redneck. Hopefully this week will be MY week and my frustration will be an afterthought come Sunday.

Made Cuts, New Equipment, and Some Great Pairings....

The last few weeks have been pretty uneventful in terms of great stories and adventures. I played in three tournaments and successfully made all three cuts. Beth and the kids journeyed out for the first two events and they were definitely the highlight of this past stretch. I rented a house for both of the tournaments they attended and I am very thankful that I did. My two wild hyenas had plenty of room to run around and this definitely helped out with their adjustment to time zones and bed time. The first house I rented for the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, California, was located on a golf course inside PGA West. Mid-70 degree temperatures throughout the week were certainly a welcomed sight for my family who had just traveled from the cold January temperatures of Georgia. Jake and I ventured out on the golf course behind our house every afternoon and I was of course….his caddy. He smoked his "Big Dawg" and we had a blast walking the fairways in our bare feet. Libby usually followed along and I spent most of my time chasing and eventually pulling her out of the bunkers! They also loved the heated pool and hot tub at the house and we spent almost every evening swimming around. The second house was located in Del Mar, California, which is located just down the road from the Farmers Insurance Open at the infamous Torrey Pines Golf Course. This home was nice as well and the amenities were certainly a welcomed sight. The basketball goal, playground/fort, and trampoline were high priorities on my kids list each and every day. I lowered the goal for Jake and we spent hours outside in the driveway. Libby raised havoc on the playground and loved being chased as she scurried her little legs up and down the slides. My involvement with the last amenity would have worried the heck out of most over protective parents. A good ol' fashion trampoline…wow…I can see their faces now! I cannot remember the last time I climbed my old body up on a trampoline but one thing is for sure…I was certainly thankful that it had the protective walls wrapped around it! So, as Larry Munson used to say as he described the scene before every opening kickoff at UGA football games…."Get the picture!" Libby and Jake would lay on their back as their 6'3 205 pound father would jump up and down beside them. The sound of their laughs and cackles were priceless and yes…I didn't take it too easy on them. I will be the first to admit that I probably went a little overboard with the perfected double spring technique that I learned as a kid! Needless to say, they loved it. Their little bodies would flip and flop all over the place and regardless of how many times their Mommy told the over-grown man in charge of the aerial acrobatics to stop…they begged for more! We had a blast and thankfully, my little monkeys are going to be tough! Libby is something else and she is definitely going to be one tough cookie! Jake knows that his only option is to be tough and his Daddy constantly makes sure of it!

As far as the golf was concerned, there were definitely some positives to take away from the mediocre finishes of the last three weeks. Barry (my caddy) and I are getting more and more comfortable each and every week. His personality is very similar to mine and we have a lot in common. I am expecting great things throughout the season. My winter rust is fading with each and every week. I continue to have spurts where my game resembles a PGA Tour player but unfortunately an uninvited high handicapper shows his face from time to time. Hopefully the hard work and time that I continue to pour into my game will prevail as time progresses.

For those of you that don't know, the Humana Challenge is a Pro-Am format that matches two Professionals with two Amateurs. I was fortunate enough to have movie celebrity Lucas Black as my partner during Round One. Sling Blade, The Fast and the Furious, Friday Night Lights, and Seven Days in Utopia are just a few of his film accomplishments. We had a great time and instantly bonded due to our hunting and fishing background. Lucas currently lives in Missouri but was born and raised in Alabama. The only fault that I found in Lucas was his love for the Alabama Crimson Tide. I eventually gave him a pass due to the fact that my beloved Georgia Bulldogs haven't preformed up to their level lately. Hopefully my crew from Athens will turn things around and I will have the bragging rights over Lucas and our bordering state to the west! On Sunday, the Amateurs exited the tournament and the pairings went back to a grouping of three Professionals. I was once again dealt an interesting tee time and it was an honor and privilege to play with my good friend Jason Bohn and newly inducted PGA Tour Hall of Fame member, Phil Mickelson. The three of us were miles behind the leaders according to the scoreboard but the fans didn't care. Thousands of people lined the fairways as we made our way along the Palmer course at PGA West. This was my first pairing with Phil and due to the abundance of rust on my game, I was anxious to see how well my swing would hold up. Thankfully, I didn't embarrass myself despite having a faulty putter during the round. A respectable round of two under par gave me hope that bright things were on the horizon. My score would have been much lower but wasted shots around the green proved to be the difference. I certainly learned from the experience and I cannot wait to battle again with Phil sometime in the near future. Hopefully next time, our names will be a little closer to the top of the Leader Board!!

As I mentioned earlier, my next tournament was held just outside of San Diego along the beautiful shores of Torrey Pines.. Another made cut was welcomed but the story of the week involved my visit to the Titleist Performance Facility on Wednesday morning. For those of you that don't know, Titleist is the #1 ball in golf and for good reason. Traditionally, they introduce a new golf ball to the public every two years. Every ball is different and the difference is certainly noticeable to those of us that play golf everyday. They make an amazing product and since Titleist is a performance driven company, they give Tour players several options to chose from. We are not limited to the current ball that most of you see in each and every pro shop around the world. They want us to play the ball that suits our game regardless of its introductory date. That was of course, until this year! Since 2005, I have played the 2005 Titleist Pro V1x and for good reason. As a player who creates a lot of spin, the 05x is a perfect fit. It is a lower flighted golf ball that has a limited amount of spin. Since Titleist doesn't offer this ball to the public anymore, they cannot make a profit on its production. Therefore, they decided to eliminate the 2005 Pro V1 line of golf balls from their inventory. I certainly wasn't happy with their decision but I understood the reasoning. So, on Wednesday morning I made my way to their incredible Facility with an open mind. I was excited to test their other golf balls under the watchful eye of the Titleist experts. Unfortunately, the numbers were drastically different. The 05x outperformed the other balls with my current equipment and as you can imagine, this was a little worrisome. Equipment change is never easy, especially when you are in the middle of a season. However, I trusted the knowledge and opinions of the Titleist experts and we kept testing until we found a solution. Eventually, every club in my bag needed to be changed to accommodate the new golf ball. A shaft change was mandatory in my irons along with a new 3 wood and Driver. The numbers greatly improved after the change and my new golf ball of choice is the 2009 Pro V1x. My clubs are still and will always be TaylorMade products and my 3 wood and Driver are members of the new RBZ / Rocketballz line. They are extremely good clubs and I am excited to try everything out this coming week.

Last week I made my third cut of the year (out of four tournaments) at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. This was certainly an accomplishment because the tournament at TPC Scottsdale has been the culprit of two missed cuts during each of the last two years (both by one shot!). Even though the weekend didn't go as planned, it was still a success. I continued to knock off the rust and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully some of you were able to witness the craziness that has become known as the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The infamous 16th hole is a short par 3 surrounded by stands to create a coliseum effect. Estimations of crowd size for that particular hole were well above 50,000 people each day! In fact, Saturday's attendance for the entire property was over 171,000! Think about that…Sanford Stadium, home of the University of Georgia Football Team, holds just under 93,000 fans and 171,000 people attended a golf tournament in one day! Amazing. The roars and Boo's (yes...Boo's...if you miss the green on hole 16 the crowds Boo's you as loud as they can!) were deafening around the course all week. I was amazed at how many people were positioned on every hole throughout the course, let alone the 16th. Fortunately, I managed only one Boo for the week and I was very thankful. Hopefully next year I will make a few more birdies leading up the 16th and my good play on that hole will be even more rewarding.

This week I am at one of my favorite places in the world….Pebble Beach. The views here are breathtaking and I welcome each of you to attend this area at least one time in your life. You will certainly not be disappointed. As mentioned earlier, I am introducing a new golf ball and Driver to my bag (I have had the new Rocketballz 3 wood since Hawaii). Hopefully they will behave and my week will be a success. In 2010, I finished in a tie for 10th place at this event and if any putts had fallen during the week, I might have been holding up the trophy on Sunday. Maybe this year will be the year! This tournament is once again played in a Pro-Am format and I am paired with my good friend and partner from last year, Mr. Jim Crane. He recently fulfilled a lifetime dream of his by purchasing the Houston Astros and I am exited to spend the next few days by his side. NBA Hall of Fame Member Clyde Drexler is the other Amateur in my group. This will certainly be an honor to play with both of them and I cannot wait to get started in the morning. Please tune in to the Golf Channel and CBS throughout the rest of the week…you will be amazed at the views! Hopefully while you are mesmerized by the scenery, you will catch a glimpse or two of a South Georgia Redneck playing some decent golf!

A Ton of Positives and A Few Experiments Along the Way...

For the second year is a row, my trip to the beautiful islands of Hawaii was cut short. Rust was once again an uninvited guest and played a major role in my quest to win the first tournament of the PGA Tour season. Despite the disappointment of missing my first cut of the year, all was not lost. I achieved a few goals during the week but more importantly, I was able to experiment and test run a couple off-season ideas and also experience the benefits of a new Corporate logo.

Just like every off-season in the past, I analyzed and broke down every statistical category imaginable. In my opinion, improvement can sometimes be difficult to achieve unless you take a good, hard look at the facts. And in my profession, facts are statistics….. and as we all know, numbers don't lie. Even though some of my statistics were encouraging (13th on Tour in Putting, 14th on Tour in Total Driving, etc), I was disappointed in several other categories (Hole Proximity, Greens in Regulation, Sand Saves, etc). I compared myself to the top players in the world and it was evident that in order to achieve success, and I mean real success, these numbers have to improve.

So how do I improve? Obviously practice makes perfect but in my opinion, it goes beyond that. There is no substitute for preparation and dedication to ones trade. So with that in mind, I have a few changes in store for my 2012 campaign. The first took place a week or so before I left town. Unfortunately, until I return to the dirt roads of South Georgia, I personally won't reap any of its benefits (although I have a four year old son that certainly will !!). Thanks to my long time friends, Steve and Andy White, I was able to build a miniature golf course behind my house. Their companies, Challenger and X-Grass manufacture and build artificial greens across the United States. Challenger is responsible for supplying turf to well known green companies like Southwest Greens while X-Grass uses the same product to build their own greens. With their help, I was able fulfill a lifelong dream of mine. I combined the slow country life of dirt roads and outdoor recreation (hunting and fishing) with a golf practice facility just a few steps away from my back door. Now, I will never have to leave the house in order to practice. This is extremely important because I can now spend more time with my family during an off-week while also getting the necessary practice and work done. The putting surface is 30 yards long (90 feet) and 20 yards wide (60 feet). I also added a 6 foot chipping fringe around the green and a bunker as well. All in all, the putting green and fringe cover around 7500 square feet. I can prep the green so it rolls as fast as Augusta National or as slow as the carpet in my house! There are four tees that extend down the driving range I created last year in my planted pines. The first tee measures 50 yards to the front edge of the green and 80 yards to the back. I have flags positioned in 5 yard increments throughout the green which will help me to work on accurate distance control. The first tee is designed to work on shots between 50 and 80 yards and I can use the flags to achieve my desired distances (55, 60, 65, 70, and 75). The second tee is positioned so the front of the green is 85 yards and the back of the green is 115. Obviously the same rule applies for shot increments (5 yards due to the flag setup) so every distance is obtainable between 85 and 115. The third tee measures 120 yards to the front of the green and 150 yards to the back and you guessed it.... the same rule applies with shot increments. All in all, these three tees will allow me to tackle every yardage imaginable between 50 to 150 yards…..and in my business, that is HUGE! The fourth and final tee is positioned so the front of the green is 190 yards and the back of the green is 220 yards. This obviously allows me to work on longer clubs and once again, this is extremely beneficial in my profession because for some reason, the PGA Tour doesn't believe in short Par 3's! Unfortunately, I won't be able to use my new facility for a while but Jake has already put it to good use. He calls me almost daily with stories of his practice sessions out behind the house. I will certainly never push him into golf but I promise you that if he continues on the pace he is on….look out!

My first "experiment" this past week came as a result of my statistic number crunching over the off-season and the very short, two days worth of practice I experienced on my green once it was completed. Overall improved proximity to the hole and improved Par 5 scoring are major goals for 2012. In order to achieve success in these categories, I decided to tweak my club setup throughout the bag. Ever since I was in high school, five wedges have been a part of my golf bag. Most players on the PGA Tour carry three or fours wedges because they need an extra club (3 iron, hybrid, or 5 wood) at the top end of their bag to fill the yardage gap between their 3 wood and their longest iron. This was never a case for me because I was able to hit my 4 iron at such a long distance that it didn't produce the dreaded gap that most players experience. Well, as hard as it has become to realize…..I AM GETTING OLD! Thankfully though, I realize this and I don't have a macho ego that keeps me from adding an extra club at the top of my bag. So with that in mind, I eliminated my 60 degree and 56 degree wedges and replaced them with a 58 degree wedge. This may not sound like a big ordeal to many of you but believe me…it is. Not only do I have to learn new wedge distances with my change in loft setup, but my chipping and bunker play has been effected too. Luckily however, I play golf for a living and hitting a lot of golf balls is my job! The adjustments should come pretty quickly and I should be "dialed in" in no time. I added a hybrid permanently to my bag which will greatly benefit me on second shot approaches to Par 5's. So how did this experiment work in Hawaii? I played four Par 5's total during my short, two round tournament (par 70 course with two Par 5's) and I birdied ALL FOUR Par 5's….not bad.

My next "experiment" is hopefully going to be a life changing experience. My "eventual body change" will begin on Tuesday when I meet with a personal trainer for the first time. Over the life of this blog, I have continually documented the aches and pains that I experience on a day to day basis. And to be honest, I am tired of it! Sure, I need Total Hip Replacement Surgery in my left hip thanks to a lifetime of rough sports and an extremely rambunctious and fearless childhood. The disappointing diagnosis that I received from three Doctors back in 2008 will not heal itself and most of the pain won't disappear until I have surgery. However, I can do something about my chronic back pain, my extreme lack of flexibility and improving my overall health. The first two will immediately improve my golf game and the last factor (definitely the most important reason) is for my wife and kids. I lost my Father when he was 55 years old (April 11, 2004) and there is not a day that goes by where I don't miss him. I never want my family to experience this premature grief because it isn't fun. I know, I know…I am not in terrible shape (6'3" 205) and I certainly don't feel like today is my last day. However, I can certainly improve my health and at the end of the day….that is not a bad thing to work hard on!

The last "experiment" that took place this past week in Hawaii involved a new face for the first time in three years. I hired a caddy by the name of Barry Williams who took the place of my old caddy of three years, Aaron Wark. My decision to part ways with Aaron was strictly a professional one that I felt was necessary as I evaluated my career this past winter. We still stay in touch and I cannot thank Aaron enough for his work. Barry came highly recommended from two very successful caddies and several players that he worked for in the past. This season will be his 12th year on either the PGA Tour or the Champions Tour so experience won't be a factor. I felt that we worked well together during our first tournament….especially since I meet him for the first time on Monday!! As I stated earlier, my winter "rust" won this past week but it certainly wasn't a reflection of Barry's work. I am very excited about the tournaments ahead and it will be interesting to see the courses from his perspective.

In last week's blog, I mentioned that I had several new Corporate logos that I will proudly represent and endorse in 2012. One of those companies, Hyatt Hotels, certainly made me feel very welcome during my stay in Hawaii. Before I begin, for those of you that personally know me, you are well aware that I am far from fancy. I don't care about materialistic things and fancy and expensive items don't impress me. I am just a South Georgia Redneck that likes to wear his boots and jeans. With that being said, I was in for quite a surprise as I checked into my first Hyatt hotel of 2012. After my agent, Alan Bullington, informed me of my new Hyatt deal back in December, I booked an ocean view room at the Hyatt Regency in beautiful Waikiki. As I checked in Sunday afternoon, the gentleman at the front desk said, "Mr. Adams, would it be ok if we upgraded your reservation??"…….hmmmmmm sure??!! He continued by saying, "Hyatt would like to upgrade you to our top floor, the 40th floor, into our Presidential Suite. Will this be ok?"……hmmmmmm sure?? Needless to say, my stay was unbelievable! Thank you HYATT!!

So as you can see, Hawaii wasn't a complete bust. I was able to knock off some rust while getting spoiled and pampered along the way. This week I am in La Quinta, California, for the Humana Challenge. I was in this exact location the week prior to the Sony Open practicing with my swing instructor John Tillery. We spent the week at my good friend, Larry McNabb's home and I cannot thank him enough for his hospitality. Hopefully I can continue to knock off the rust as the days progress. I am looking forward to a great week of golf in the desert. The weather is supposed to be in the high 70's all week and I apologize for those of you back home freezing!! Sorry.

Aloha! and Welcome to 2012....

Aloha! The beautiful shores of Hawaii are once again my background as I write my first blog entry of 2012. The breath taking scenery and the sound of waves crashing below my hotel balcony is certainly a great way to start the New Year. As most of you know, I didn't post but ONE entry after "Mr. Anonymous" sent me his thoughts and feelings (and in all honesty, I am glad he did!). After my last entry in August, I continued to write on a weekly basis but ultimately decided to keep them to myself. The entries covered the remainder of the 2011 season and included the FedEx Cup Playoffs. My decision to not post my entries were because I needed to re-evaluate the purpose and direction of my blog and decide if it was something worth continuing. After wavering back and forth, I decided to continue posting my weekly adventures on the PGA Tour. My decision was for two reasons….First, my children would continue to have a chronological diary of our lives on Tour and secondly, I could honestly care less about one man's opinion. I enjoy my blog and I hope you do as well.

So with that in mind, I have big plans for the 2012 season as well as some changes that I hope you will enjoy. Some of these "changes" will not take place for several weeks while a few have already made their presence known. Hyatt Hotel, Tempus Jet and Arctic Ease are three new Corporate logos that I will proudly display this year on my clothes and bag. They will join TaylorMade, Adidas, Titleist, VWR and Cuscowilla as the brands I endorse. Some of the future "changes" include a new web site, an improved blog, and a few items that will hopefully create more interaction between myself and the loyal followers of this blog. My ultimate goal is to create an atmosphere where you feel more "inside the ropes" and a part of my adventures. I am patiently waiting several projects to complete and you should gradually notice some changes over the next few weeks. I encourage you use the email I set up last year on this site (blakeadamsgolf@gmail.com) to speak openly...I welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have.

I am very excited about the direction that my golf career is heading. I recently set new goals and standards for my upcoming season and I cannot wait to improve on my 2011 campaign. My wonderful family will once again travel during the year and I cannot wait for our adventures to begin! Thank you for the continued support that each of you have shown me during my career. I could never thank you enough. May God bless each of you and I hope my blog will bring you some happiness and laughter throughout the year. I look forward to opening up a little more this year so hopefully you can truly experience my life inside the ropes.

The 4G's...The Greenbrier, Gambling, Greensboro, and A Special Little Girl

With Mr. Anonymous in the rear view mirror, I spent the week in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, for the Greenbrier Classic. In only its second year, this event is quickly becoming one of the best tournaments on the PGA Tour. I flew Beth along with my former UGA roommate and good friend Davis Thomason and his wife Lynn up for the week. The owner of the Greenbrier Resort, Mr. Jim Justice, leaves no stone unturned and the hospitality is second to none. A brand new casino, great restaurants, spa treatments, fishing, off-road driving, and skeet shooting are just a few of the activities available to the players and their guests. And if that wasn't enough, last year Mr. Justice built a huge concert arena near the Resort to provide music entertainment and hopefully draw bigger crowds to the tournament. Well, it worked. Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley performed during the week and the players were given VIP access to everything. It was amazing. Obviously this year was no different. On Thursday night, Luke Bryan and Tim McGraw performed followed by The Black Eyed Peas on Friday night. Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban rocked the stage Saturday night in front of a huge crowd. My favorite performance of the week was of course Georgia's own, Luke Bryan. The two of us met while we were in college at Georgia Southern and we spent most afternoons and late evenings together doing things that college kids do…enough said. Immediately following my round on Thursday, Davis and I met Luke outside the Greenbrier Resort. He drove up in his bright yellow Bronco and the three of us spent the rest of the afternoon playing golf on the Private course at the Greenbrier. We had a blast and laughter constantly filled the air. Luke dropped Davis and me off at the hotel and we quickly encouraged our wives to get ready so we wouldn't miss his concert. The four of us climbed on the Greenbrier bus outside the hotel around 6:45pm. With the concert arena less than 10 miles away, we had plenty of time to get there before Luke hit the stage at 8pm….or so we thought. For some reason, the local police closed most of roads leading to the venue and traffic quickly became a nightmare. When we finally arrived, the four of us walked into the VIP area (which was located against the stage) and Luke immediately held up his arms in a "where have you been" motion. We saw him play his last song and that was it!! Obviously this was a huge disappointment. However, moments after Luke walked off the stage, his manager came and invited us back to his bus. We took several other couples to meet Luke and his band and everyone had a great time. As imagined, stories of our college days were the topic of choice…some were good and some were probably better left untold!!

We skipped The Black Eyed Peas on Friday mainly because we didn't want to sit in traffic. Later that evening, a friend of mine told me that the traffic situation was resolved and the bus ride from the Greenbrier only took 15-20 minutes. I sure wish they would had figured that out a day earlier!! So like a bunch of yo-yos, we loaded the bus on Saturday once again…this time Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban took the stage. They both put on a great performance and of course all the ladies were googly eyed over Keith Urban. The highlight of the night was meeting Virginia Tech Football Coach Frank Beamer. He spoke with Davis and me for quite a while and I quickly reminded him about the 2006 bowl game defeat he experienced against my beloved Dawgs.

Lost amongst the entertainment was a golf tournament. After struggling through Friday's round in Canada, I met with my physical therapists and a doctor on Monday morning to access my hip. We all agreed that it was time for another cortisone shot. I drove over an hour and a half (one way) to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, to meet with the Football Team's head Orthopedic surgeon. He injected cortisone and a "greaser" into my hip socket. And in case you were wondering….it didn't tickle! When I woke up Tuesday morning I was shocked to find that I could barely walk. My hip swelled up from the injection and after the therapists examined me, they instructed me to not practice. I spent the next three hours in the rehab trailer with them in an attempt to improve my condition. Wednesday morning unfortunately brought the same swelling and discomfort in my hip. I was forced to withdraw from the Pro-Am and once again, I didn't practice. I spent the day in the trailer again and I entered Thursday's round without hitting a golf shot since my Friday round in Canada….and for a man that plays golf everyday, this was a long layoff. I woke up Thursday morning feeling much better. I scraped it around the course and shot a respectable score of 69. As I mentioned earlier, I played more golf that afternoon with Luke in an attempt to knock the remaining rust off my game. The rest of the week went about as expected for a man that was playing a little timid and scared. I made the cut and eventually finished 32nd. My good friend Scott Stallings however had an incredible week. He birdied the 18th hole to join a playoff with Bob Estes and another friend of mine Bill Haas. Stallings made a 6 footer on the first playoff hole to win the 2011 Greenbrier Classic. I couldn't be more happy for he and his wife Jennifer. They are two of the nicest people on Tour.

If you ever have a chance to visit the Greenbrier, make sure you listen out for the train as it rolls through the hills/ halls of West Virginia late at night (that's for you Davis and Lynn!!)

I left West Virginia and headed to Washington D.C for a Monday morning Pro-Am prior to my next event in Reno, Nevada. Unfortunately, I went against my rule of never flying out of Dulles International. Several years ago, I vowed to never step foot in that airport after a nightmare trip of countless delays and disgruntled workers. Seriously, what is the deal with Dulles? Even Bruce Willis in the movie Die Hard got stranded at Dulles! Well, I rolled the dice again and lost……again! My flight to Reno, along with 15 other PGA Tour players, got delayed, canceled, re-booked, and delayed again. We missed our connecting flight in Denver and had to spend the night there. Thankfully I had some of the funniest guys on Tour alongside of me. We made the best of our situation and I laughed the entire time. I finally got to Reno Tuesday morning just in time to make it to my second of three Pro-Ams for the week. I hurried into the parking lot and changed right beside my car into some extremely….and I mean extremely…. wrinkled golf clothes. As you could see, the week was off to a roaring start. However, things were quickly about to change.

At the Pro-Am, I was paired with three guys from Charleston, South Carolina, and a Casino host from my hotel, the Eldorado. Obviously, all three fellas were big gamblers and after 12 holes, one of the guys suggested that the two of us bet on our final 6 holes. I quickly agreed to his wager and game of closest to the pin for $100 a shot. Well, after four holes…. ol' boy from South Carolina was down $400 to the redneck from Georgia. As expected, he pressed his bet to $200 a shot on our next to last hole. As I stood over my shot, I knew things were about to get out of hand. Already up $400 and with my opponent not very close to the hole, I had a decision to make. Either bury this guy, expect another press on the next hole, and eventually win $1000 or lay down. This was an extremely difficult decision because I NEVER LET anyone off the hook….heck I don't even let my 4 year old boy win at anything. I am the Dad that tackles hard, blocks shots, and whizzes fast balls past him….TIME OUT….before you get bent out of shape, my father and brother did the same to me growing up. It made me a better athlete and it will do the same for Jake. Anyway, after deciding that it probably wasn't a good idea to take a $1000 off a Pro-Am partner, I reluctantly and conveniently left my approach shot just outside of his ball. I entered the final hole up $200. As we walked on the tee box of our final hole, my opponent added a twist to our bet… $200 closest to the pin and $100 for a made putt. I agreed of course but now I was just mad at myself. Here I was, being Mr. Nice guy and instead of being up $600, I was only up $200 and I now had a chance to lose money! To add fuel to my fire, our last hole was a par 3 and his tees were about 25-30 yards closer. As expected, he began yapping and said that he couldn't wait to hit it closer than me, make the putt and then tell everyone at the Pro-Am that he took $100 from a PGA Tour player. He repeated this statement as I stood over my ball. As he talked about making the putt, I began to swing. My ball flew high in the air, landed softly about 6 feet behind the hole, spun back and went in the hole for a ONE!! His buddies and the Casino host went nuts! They were jumping up and down, slapping me high fives, and laughing at their dejected sidekick who in a blink of an eye, lost $400! They couldn't stop laughing. They told me that the best part was how their buddy "REALLY thought he could win." They loved how I "let him hang around and after messing with him, I shooed him away like an annoying fly. You crushed him by making a hole in one and never giving him a chance to win!" It was priceless and something I will never forget.

The events on Tuesday obviously gave me a bust of confidence and I entered Thursday's round with a positive outlook. I played solid the entire week and entered Sunday's round with a chance to win. Sitting three strokes back of the leader Scott Piercy, I knew that in order to win, I would need a flawless round out of myself as well as some help from him. To my credit, Sunday's round was one of the best ball striking rounds of the year. I hit the ball well from tee to green but once again, my putts burned the edges and never seemed to fall. I finished the tournament in a tie for 3rd place and by most calculations, I locked up my card for 2012. I of course, am not content with those figures and I will continue to play.

This week I am in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the Wyndham Championship after spending a week at home. In fact, last week was only my 2nd time at home in the last 18 weeks!! I cannot tell you how nice it was to sleep in my own bed. Beth and the kids made the trip north with me and I played the course on Tuesday with Boo and Jason Bohn. I hit the ball extremely well (17 of 18 greens and 14 of 14 fairways) especially since I didn't practice much last week. Hopefully good ball striking will once again be the norm throughout the week. Our FedEx Cup Playoffs begin next week in New Jersey and my goal is to make it to the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Only the Top 30 players advance to this final tournament and with my current standing at 71, the Tour Championship is certainly not out of reach. Why am I so concerned about the Tour Championship??? Well, by making it to this tournament you earn an invitation to all four Majors in 2012……and yes, that includes that event which takes place in early April about an hour down the road from my house!! The Masters

Thank you all for the emails and messages following my last post "Mr. Anonymous". They truly mean a lot and I appreciate all the kind words.

One last thing.....if you have a second please visit (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annahayspolk). The parents of this beautiful little girl went to college with Beth and me at Georgia Southern. Their little princess Anna Hays was diagnosed with Leukemia on the day before her 3rd birthday! They could really use some prayers right now!

Hello Mr. Anonymous.....

My red eye flight from Vancouver to West Virginia was scheduled for just over four hours. I spent the evening writing my blog from this past week's RBC Canadian Open. I was planning on combining my last two tournaments into one entry so that I hopefully wouldn't bore you to death. But oh how things quickly changed. As our wheels touched the ground, I turned on my phone and a few emails and texts began to show up. One email in particular made me sit there and scratch my head. So, rather than post my blog from the last two weeks of tournaments, I have decided to write a new one and focus on the nature of this "Anonymous" email.

When I began writing this blog, I did it because my friends and family asked me too. As a group, they have always been extremely supportive and insanely interested in my whereabouts. They convinced me that a blog could keep everyone informed of my weekly adventures without having to repeat myself through emails and phone calls. I reluctantly began writing the week prior to my first tournament on the PGA Tour in 2010. As the weeks progressed, I began to enjoy writing the entries because I realized just how special my blog might be one day to two people in particular. You see, my weekly entries are more like a diary. At some point, my children will be able to look back and not only read about their Daddy and his weekly battles against the best players in the world, but about their lives as well. There are stories of birdies and bogeys, first words and first steps and, of course, big laughs and big tears. So you see, my blog is not for me, it is for my kids. I have said a thousand times how difficult it is FOR ME to leave them for weeks at a time. I certainly realize that I am not the only person out there that goes through this dilemma. There are millions of parents that experience my same predicament each and every week. Our jobs require us to travel in order to provide for our families but that is what we do! I get up every morning and do my job the best I can because my family needs me. I travel a lot because my job is on the road. I would give anything to spend every night at home so I can tuck my kids in bed….but I can't. I sacrifice my time at home in order to provide a better life for my family.

With that being said, here is the message that was sent to me via the comment box below one of my entries…..

"You really are stuck on yourself and want it to appear that you just have the perfect life and perfect family……wow…… you complain that you have it so hard being away from your perfect family…….how do you think the military members feel being stuck in a desert for a year or two without the option to fly home on a private jet…….

By Anonymous"

First of all, I AM VERY PROUD OF MY FAMILY AND MY LIFE. Is it perfect?…..certainly not. But I have a wonderful family that I love dearly and I have worked extremely hard to get where I am in my career. Golf is not like some Fortune 500 company where I was handpicked to run a business and collect some huge salary. Golf doesn't care who you are or where you came from. A player must earn his stripes and climb the various levels or ranks to hopefully one day play on the biggest stage of all, the PGA Tour. I am guessing that Mr. Anonymous doesn't know me personally. If he did, he would know that I was not a spoon fed child growing up. My parents worked hard to provide for our family but we were certainly not living some fantasy life of luxury. I began my career on a very small tour (similar to AA baseball) and worked my way up. I battled injuries year after year and through hard work and perseverance, I made it to the PGA Tour in 2010. My body is beat and battered from the process and I put a lot of unseen and extremely hard work / rehab in each week just to be able to tee it up on Thursday. But I don't complain about that. The only complaint that I have is that I am away from the day to day activities of my family. But, as I mentioned earlier, my job is on the road and I must travel to provide for my family.

Secondly, Mr. Anonymous certainly hasn't read my blog over the last year and a half. If he did, he would realize that I have the upmost respect for the men and women in our military and their families. In fact, a large number of my family members have dedicated their lives and service to our Nation through military services over the years. In addition, one of my very first entries in 2010 was about my breathtaking and incredible experience when I visited Pearl Harbor. Most recently (because I know Mr. Anonymous didn't read that one), I wrote about meeting several members of the Wounded Warrior Program at the AT&T National in Pennsylvania. I spent a long time with each of them and I was blown away by their stories. I wrote how I walked away from the humbling experience an even better person.

Thirdly, I want to apologize to anyone if I have ever offended them in anyway with my blog. I am a very prideful person and I care what people think about me. I have never, and will never, compare my job or life to anyone else. I don't care if someone has $2 to their name or $200 billion….I don't care…..I treat people the same. I am just an average Joe who loves to spend time with his family, hunt and fish. I am who I am……and for those of you that know me (I am obviously convinced that Mr. Anonymous doesn't), know that I am just a big Redneck who can occasionally hit a golf ball halfway decent.

And last but not least, I, for one, completely understand how this world works. There will always be people who thrive on watching others fail. They cannot wait for you to make a mistake and they constantly root against you. I completely understand this ……it is only human nature and we are all guilty of wanting to see an eventual outcome…….a winner and a loser……and in most cases we don't care who suffers. My job is certainly not immune from this situation and I am perfectly OK with the haters of the world. I can handle their criticism. Our tournaments are viewed by millions of people all over the world each and every week. Every shot is praised and criticized by fans in the stands, announcers on TV, and the people following at home on their TV and Internet. However, when you sit back and think about it, how would you feel if you had someone standing over your desk at work criticizing you every move? You probably wouldn't like it. Like I said, I can handle the criticism because it is just human nature and part of being in a sports-related job. What I do not like, however, is for people to judge how I feel about my family. My job and the way I hit a golf ball is one thing, but my relationship with my family isn't. I AM VERY PROUD OF MY FAMILY AND MY LIFE and I will never apologize for that. I am very fortunate and I count my blessings every day.

I am curious about one thing though…..why would "Mr. Anonymous" bash someone that he probably doesn't even know without at least leaving his own name and personal information? Is he afraid of criticism? Is he afraid that I would post his information for everyone to judge his family and life in the same way he has mine? Can he handle someone looking over his shoulder watching his every move……telling him when he did something wrong? I think I have made my point and he obviously answered my question by signing it….."Mr. Anonymous"

I will leave you with this…..feel free to leave a comment, good or bad, in the comment box below this entry or any in the future. I have also set up an email address that can accommodate your responses as well (blakeadamsgolf@gmail.com). I value your opinions and I apologize if I have ever offended any of you during the duration of this blog.