So much of your journal had the feeling,"I let you all down." Nothing could have been more opposite from the truth. I for one are so proud that our great LBG Forum friend was there playing his heart out with all the Golf Channel regulars that we see striving each week.
So much of your journal had the feeling,"I let you all down." Nothing could have been more opposite from the truth. I for one are so proud that our great LBG Forum friend was there playing his heart out with all the Golf Channel regulars that we see striving each week.
Thank you
Thanks for the support. Please do not take this the wrong way but the only person I let down was myself. I was not disappointed with anything other than the bad break I got with the weather and the fact that my family did not get to enjoy the event as much as I would have liked them to. Let's face it, I had to play through the elements which was much easier than having to watch it.
I just got back from my son's soccer game and will be heading back out again soon. When I return later I will post a summary on the event and believe me there are far more positives about this week than negatives. Sometimes you have to just sit back and evaluate to gain the proper perspective.
Congratulations Jeff, you fought hard despite some bad breaks that were beyond your control.
You are a champion and that can never be taken away from you.
In boxing the champ has to be knocked out to lose his crown. This aint boxing and you are still on your feet and fighting. You are still the Champ and always will be in our minds and in truth.
Thanks for letting us inside the ropes.
Im proud to say I have met you and played with you.
First of all, thank you for sharing. It was so cool to see the videos and be a part of your experience. I have lots of questions but do not want to interfere with the flow of your posts...they have been so good. May I ask a few though. Did adjusting your putter during practice rounds affect your putting under the pressure of tournament conditions. Did you do anything different in your preparation than you did for the Georgia PGA event or the Nationwide event.
You really were not out of your element----congratulations on a great accomplishment. What I think is so cool is that you tied Greg Norman and finished above others who play regularly on the PGA Tour including David Duval.
I've read most of this thread and watched some of the video. And looked at your stats and read your description of how the week went. It all sounds like a pretty normal week for a guy who missed the cut. Played pretty good, played on the bad side of the draw, and did not make enough putts.
Top to bottom, every player out there (except Tiger) has many weeks like this a year. You learn what you can and try to play better next week. The only bad news I see in all of this is that you don't get to start over next week back at even par playing for another huge purse. One of the mantras out on tour is: "I'm only one week away from having a great year."
The weather could have been worse. I've been snowed on at Sugarloaf, and I've seen the flag on eleven bend in the wind and hit the green, and I've seen the tent on the range blow over. Luckily, the horn had blown before all but the snow.
Good luck in your next event. It only gets easier.
It all sounds like a pretty normal week for a guy who missed the cut. Played pretty good, played on the bad side of the draw, and did not make enough putts.
Top to bottom, every player out there (except Tiger) has many weeks like this a year.
Thanks for this post, Andrew. Especially from your 'on the bag' perspective of countless week-to-week performances, it carries much weight.
However . . .
With all due respect, this was way beyond "the wrong side of the draw." I can tell you that I had six guys in this tournament -- a collective of many hundreds of cuts made -- and those that played in the afternoon (to a man and to a caddy) said they had never seen play continued under such conditions. John Riegger told me it was the worst he had ever experienced and that play should never have resumed after the first suspension. In fact, all five groups that started before him in the afternoon were waiting for him on #9 tee. With the teebox literally underwater and a forced carry of more than 240 yards into the wind and rain, it took the field more than an hour to play that one hole!
I was there with Jeff, his caddy Chris and his wife, Ashley, when play finally was called and the Evacuation Van arrived. The rain was still driving, and even with umbrellas, we were all beyond soaking wet. On the entire back nine, when golf balls hit fairways and greens, we could see the splash. At least, until it got so dark we couldn't see anymore.
And that ain't right.
As you said, next week comes for most on the PGA TOUR. But it does not come for Jeff, and that is what is so tough about his experience this week. Still, that was the hand he was dealt, and that was the hand he played.
No doubt that the Tour makes some strange decisions. I could tell you one about the Memorial. The players don't seem to have much leverage. I do remember Sergio complaining about the conditions once, and saying that if Tiger had been on that side of the draw then play would have been suspended.
There is fair, and then there is the tour. You hope to get enough events that it all evens out. Unlucky for Jeff. We could be wishing him a great Sunday if he were on the other side of the draw. Trouble is, the tour only cares about Tiger or #2 if Tiger is not in the field. Not right, but what plays the bills, and sadly, the bottom line seems to be the only thing that matters in Ponte Vedra (did I say that out loud?).
This tournament sounds like a second rate mini tour event.
No official to tell them anything, silly rulings, trying to just "get the tournament in". Sometimes I think these guys on the Tour don't quite have it as made as I think.....(except for all the free gear).
Thanks for the posts, they were really eye opening
Jeff, I want to say congratulations on all of your success and getting the opportunity to play at such a high level. The amount of work, mental focus, and discipline it takes is absolutely incredible. It's only a dream for 99.9% of us to get to play at that level.
I also just watched the video footage of you at the range and I was so impressed by your rhythm. Your swing is just buttery smooth.
I'm still a hitter and will always be, but I think rhythm is something we all need to focus on. It appears to me that your rhythm is the same no matter what club your swinging, which is a big issue for the masses.
Thank to you, Lynn, Ted, and Chris for all you do..
Thanks to everyone for their support during the week. Your questions are very good and I hope to answer them either in this post or separately. I think that this thread may have taken a negative turn (mostly my fault) and I want to make sure that everyone understands how much fun I had this week.
The postives far outweigh the negatives and as I look back I was very blessed to have this opportunity. This week was very similar to last year's Nationwide event in Valdosta except I got the better end of the draw last year. We battled severe wind the last round and a half last year and I fared worse. I feel I was actually more prepared, knew the course better, and was playing better than before Valdosta, you simply can't fight mother nature.
I had a great time doing what I love most: playing competative golf while increasing my knowlege base so I can help others. As much as I feel that I can play at this level, I must also remember what I am, a teaching professional and clubfitter. After watching some of the best players in the world I really see that the line is not so big, but the amount of strength required to jump over it is immense. The PGA TOUR is not about ball striking, although it does play a major role. I watched these players on the range and said "I can do that." You must be able to get the ball in the hole regardless of how well you hit it. Brad Adamonis and Tommy Gainey hit the ball poorly yet still found a way to save par and make birdies and eagles.
I was concearned about my distance, especially off the tee. After playing and watching the leaderboard I now realize that I could hit it a few yards farther off the tee but the real key to success is from inside 50 yards. I remember posting this last year after Valdosta but it really rings true now. If I had been able to convert what now look like simple saves around the green and make the putts that those guys make more regularly, I actually would have made the cut, regardless of the weather.
Putting has been my issue for a long time and what happened this week unfortunately is more "normal". Just missing is great to talk about, but in the end they still miss. Bill Parcells has said that "you are what your record says you are". I am still a great player that needs a better short game to compete at this level.
Making the cut would have been great; having a chance to win with 9 to play would have been even better. Nothing that happened this week can take away from the experience that I had. I had my family fly in from Cleveland, OH and Las vegas. I had so many friends come out to support me that I felt like I had my own gallery. I got to help Augie learn about what life was like inside the ropes so he can gain a better perspective on how to "play golf". My best friend Chris carried the bag and gave me support the entire time regardless of the situation; I can never thank him enough. Lynn and I got to share with the LBG crew a few cool moments of life on the TOUR. Most importantly I got to share the week with my wife and son. Their love and support is ultimately what matters.
I now turn my focus to the PGA National Championship at Reynolds Plantation in June. What I learned this week will definitely help me with my ultimate goal: win the National Championship and play in the PGA Championship in August.
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