Ryan teed off at 6:15 PM on Friday for his second round. The skies were dark and we had a little sprinkle at times. He got in 5 holes before they sounded the horn for darkness. He had just hit his second shot on 14. The other players opted to not finish the hole, but since Ryan was on the green, he finished the hole, which was his option. Play was to resume in the morning at 7 AM. With the course full of players, that meant that they would all warm up at the same time. The driving range opened at 5:30, so we were up at 4:45 and left about 5:15, for a quick breakfast and head to the range before it filled up.
Ryan played a real solid round. He couldn't get any of his birdie putts to drop. Brendon deJong played with Ryan and shot 6 under. He didn't hit the ball any better, but he made birdie putts.
I know Ryan was really disappointed in the way he putted. His last hole, which was #9 he hit a great 3 iron from 212 to 10 feet and then lipped out his birdie putt. That really told his story of the 92nd PGA. Only one PGA Professional made the cut of the final 72 players.
Every PGA Championship provides us with tons of memories. Seeing all of the top players up close and personal seems surreal, but you soon realize they are all people like us, only their notariaty makes them different. We always come away finding a player that really impresses us. This year it was Ben Crane. We got to know his family, since they were in the house next to us. He played in the group in front of Ryan today, and Vicki noticed how gracious he was to the PGA Professional in his group. The PGA Championship has the most top world ranked players than any other major. It is very special to have 20 club professional playing. It is really hard to convey how difficult a course they play on. I know some people may think that Ryan didn't play very good, since he missed the cut. All I can say is that if you were here, you'd think differently.
Coming to the PGA Championship wouldn't be the same without his coach, Brad Rickel. As the golf coach of the Gonzaga women's team, he takes another week out of his busy schedule to be away from his family and become a part of ours. He helps Ryan immensely on his approach to playing the course. He is a real pleasure to have with us, and we enjoy his wit and humor.
With the playing portion over, we look forward to being home and catching up. We will be up at 4 AM to try and change our flights so with can leave at 7AM instead of 7PM. We hope it works out.
Ryan has already qualified for next years qualifier, the PGA Professional National Championship. It will be played in Hershey, PA the end of June. He has the confidence to continue to play good golf and make it back to next years PGA Championship in Atlanta, GA.
Walking away from the caddy shack filled with pride.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
2nd Round--92nd PGA Championship
Ryan was notified that his tee time today is at 6:15 PM, provided there aren't any more delays. Thunderstorm are forcasted as possible for this afternoon. He will be real lucky to get 9 holes in. That will mean an early morning finish on Saturday.
If you go on PGA.com and look at Thursday's photo gallery, midway through they have a picture of a caddy in a yellow bib and a cool bucket hat tending a pin. That's me.
Probably won't have another post until Saturday sometime.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
If you go on PGA.com and look at Thursday's photo gallery, midway through they have a picture of a caddy in a yellow bib and a cool bucket hat tending a pin. That's me.
Probably won't have another post until Saturday sometime.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
First Round--92nd PGA Championship
Sorry, I didn't get this written after the round. It was a long day. We left at 7 AM and got back home at 7PM. We woke up to fog in the morning and when we got to the course, they were in a fog delay. The problem was the holes nearest the water. The fog was really thick, so they couldn't see the flag on the par 3's The wind was blowing pretty good off the water, but it wasn't moving the fog. Most of the time, the driving range was in sunlight. Waiting for 3 hours is long and rather boring. The longer the delay, you realize that the round won't be completed by all the players. Having a late time on Friday, we realize we might be finishing Saturday morning.
Ryan's round was disappointing. The wind out of the SE was harder than it had been all week. It made it harder to keep the ball on line and affected club selection. The errors came on the par 5's, #5 and #11. He got bogeys on holes that were birdie possibilities. Hit the water on #5 and sand on #11. He also missed three good birdie putts and had one lip out on #8 for a bogey. He knows he can shoot under par, but he put himself in a hole. Friday will be a long waiting day. They are expecting more fog in the morning, so if there is another delay he definitly won't get his round finished. Hopefully we can tee off before 4.
I want to relate a little about the area that where we are. It is very rural with corn fields, and farms with silos. Evidently it was a cattle area with dairy, although we have seen no cattle grazing near the barns. All of the homes are surrounded with huge lawns, even the none farm homes. Riding lawn mowers would be a must. Everything is really green, so the must get a lot of rain. Less than a half mile out the gate of the course is an unicorporated town call Haven. It has a nice rural fire station, a pub, one or two businesses and half a dozen homes. It is like going through Ralston. Down the road from that is a country Lutheran church with a well manicured cemetary. We are actually staying in the City of Sheboygan. Kohler is 5 to 10 miles from us. The course had been a military airfield at some point. It cost $380 to play Whitstling Straits and a caddy fee of $80 plus tip. So you are looking at $500 for a round. It is owned by the Kohler family, which I assume is the main employer in the area. They have several plants in the area. Needless to say, all of the plumbing fixtures at the course are Kohler and very nice.
Due to our schedule of getting home late and leaving early, I haven't seen grandson Carsen for over a day. Since most of Friday will be spent at home, I'll get a lot of grandpa play time with him.
Hoping for good shots and putts dropping on Friday.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
Ryan's round was disappointing. The wind out of the SE was harder than it had been all week. It made it harder to keep the ball on line and affected club selection. The errors came on the par 5's, #5 and #11. He got bogeys on holes that were birdie possibilities. Hit the water on #5 and sand on #11. He also missed three good birdie putts and had one lip out on #8 for a bogey. He knows he can shoot under par, but he put himself in a hole. Friday will be a long waiting day. They are expecting more fog in the morning, so if there is another delay he definitly won't get his round finished. Hopefully we can tee off before 4.
I want to relate a little about the area that where we are. It is very rural with corn fields, and farms with silos. Evidently it was a cattle area with dairy, although we have seen no cattle grazing near the barns. All of the homes are surrounded with huge lawns, even the none farm homes. Riding lawn mowers would be a must. Everything is really green, so the must get a lot of rain. Less than a half mile out the gate of the course is an unicorporated town call Haven. It has a nice rural fire station, a pub, one or two businesses and half a dozen homes. It is like going through Ralston. Down the road from that is a country Lutheran church with a well manicured cemetary. We are actually staying in the City of Sheboygan. Kohler is 5 to 10 miles from us. The course had been a military airfield at some point. It cost $380 to play Whitstling Straits and a caddy fee of $80 plus tip. So you are looking at $500 for a round. It is owned by the Kohler family, which I assume is the main employer in the area. They have several plants in the area. Needless to say, all of the plumbing fixtures at the course are Kohler and very nice.
Due to our schedule of getting home late and leaving early, I haven't seen grandson Carsen for over a day. Since most of Friday will be spent at home, I'll get a lot of grandpa play time with him.
Hoping for good shots and putts dropping on Friday.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Wednesday--Last practice round
Everyday at a Major event seems to bring new interesting times. This morning at 5:30 we woke up to the rumbling of thunder. By 6:00, it was overhead and really getting with the program. The rain was pouring down. As I lay snuggled under the covers, my thoughts turned to how ugly the day could be on the course. We got to the course under threatening skies, had a quick breakfast and headed to the driving range as all of the players were quickly heading to cover with the news that within 5 minutes rain was going to hit again--and boy did it rain! It was after 11:00 before everyone starting heading to the range.
Just before noon, Ryan teed off of 10 with Tim Thelen and Mike Small, both PGA Professionals. There was no one following them, so they were able to do plenty of practicing without having to worry about other players waiting. The afternoon was warm and humid due to all the rain. Walking on the course was a little treacherous at times. The heavy rain had washed the course in places, so some of the cow paths were pretty sloppy. The afternoon had just a few scattered clouds.
When we got to 18, Zach Johnson was out chipping on the green. Ryan struck up a conversation with him because they were both on the Hooters tour at the same time. He is very personable and down to earth. When we left the locker room heading for the car, he was leaving as well. He said follow him on a short cut to the parking lot. He and Ryan had nice conversation about their families. His wife had just had a baby a couple of weeks ago, so she hasn't traveled much with him this year. He shook our hands and wished Ryan good luck as we went to our cars. He seems to be in the same mold as Fred Couples.
Tomorrow will be an early rise with a 8:50 tee time off #1. I really think Ryan can play good on this course. He is well prepared. The weather forecast for the rest of the tournament is good, so hopefully we shouldn't have to worry about bad conditions. You can follow his play tommorow with live scoring on PGA.com or PGAtour.com. I am sure it is harder following on the computer or in the gallery than it is for us on the course. After we really get into the round, I don't really know Ryan's score, I just know whether he is playing good or struggling.
Hoping for a good report tomorrow.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
Just before noon, Ryan teed off of 10 with Tim Thelen and Mike Small, both PGA Professionals. There was no one following them, so they were able to do plenty of practicing without having to worry about other players waiting. The afternoon was warm and humid due to all the rain. Walking on the course was a little treacherous at times. The heavy rain had washed the course in places, so some of the cow paths were pretty sloppy. The afternoon had just a few scattered clouds.
When we got to 18, Zach Johnson was out chipping on the green. Ryan struck up a conversation with him because they were both on the Hooters tour at the same time. He is very personable and down to earth. When we left the locker room heading for the car, he was leaving as well. He said follow him on a short cut to the parking lot. He and Ryan had nice conversation about their families. His wife had just had a baby a couple of weeks ago, so she hasn't traveled much with him this year. He shook our hands and wished Ryan good luck as we went to our cars. He seems to be in the same mold as Fred Couples.
Tomorrow will be an early rise with a 8:50 tee time off #1. I really think Ryan can play good on this course. He is well prepared. The weather forecast for the rest of the tournament is good, so hopefully we shouldn't have to worry about bad conditions. You can follow his play tommorow with live scoring on PGA.com or PGAtour.com. I am sure it is harder following on the computer or in the gallery than it is for us on the course. After we really get into the round, I don't really know Ryan's score, I just know whether he is playing good or struggling.
Hoping for a good report tomorrow.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Tuesday--92nd PGA Championship
We started the day early with a 5:30 wake up and out the door at 6:15. The 10 minute drive to the course found lots of activity at the clubhouse. It is amazing how many of the golfers start the day early. Ryan had a 7 AM photo session with all of the other 19 PGA Professionals on the 18th fairway. When that was over we went to the range for warm-up, and then got in line on the first tee. The weather this morning doesn't happen very often at this course. The wind was dead calm, very warm and humid. Lake Michigan was covered in fog that stopped at the shoreline, but the sun really never shone until the afternoon. As a result, most of the day would best be described as uncomforable. The misquitoes were also a factor with a lack of wind, but repellent seemed to do the job.
Ryan played with three other club professionals that he has gotten to know pretty well, since he played on the PGA Cup team with them. There was a lot of kidding around that helped make the play enjoyable. Ryan played really well and was able to fine tune some of the lines he needs to hit the ball on some of the holes that are not as obvious. Play was slow so we had a 5 1/2 hour round, finishing around 2.
I got my new rain gear today, and with the weather forcast tomorrow, I might be using it. I will also be sporting new head wear tomorrow. I had wanted Ryan to get me wide brimmed sun protection hats, and they came today. The ladies (Vicki and Stacy) think I look pretty good with the new look. It will save the ears and neck from over exposure.
Tomorrow should be an easier day with not such an early wake up time. It is still to be determined as to what the exact schedule will be. We made it to the Merchandise Shop today, but didn't get to finish all of our shopping, because Carson started to get fussy.
This is the type of course that Ryan can play well on. Length is not necessarily the best thing on many holes, but you sure need to be accurate, which Ryan is. On the Golf Channel, they were commenting that some of the better players may have trouble if they can't hit fairways.
Ryan's tee time for the first day is 8:50 AM and 2:05 PM the second. He will be playing with Brendon de Jonge and Rafeal (something) from France. I like the early tee time the first day and he has next to the last time on Friday, so when he is done Friday we won't have to wait all day to see where the cut line is.
Looking forward to a good nights sleep.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
We started the day early with a 5:30 wake up and out the door at 6:15. The 10 minute drive to the course found lots of activity at the clubhouse. It is amazing how many of the golfers start the day early. Ryan had a 7 AM photo session with all of the other 19 PGA Professionals on the 18th fairway. When that was over we went to the range for warm-up, and then got in line on the first tee. The weather this morning doesn't happen very often at this course. The wind was dead calm, very warm and humid. Lake Michigan was covered in fog that stopped at the shoreline, but the sun really never shone until the afternoon. As a result, most of the day would best be described as uncomforable. The misquitoes were also a factor with a lack of wind, but repellent seemed to do the job.
Ryan played with three other club professionals that he has gotten to know pretty well, since he played on the PGA Cup team with them. There was a lot of kidding around that helped make the play enjoyable. Ryan played really well and was able to fine tune some of the lines he needs to hit the ball on some of the holes that are not as obvious. Play was slow so we had a 5 1/2 hour round, finishing around 2.
I got my new rain gear today, and with the weather forcast tomorrow, I might be using it. I will also be sporting new head wear tomorrow. I had wanted Ryan to get me wide brimmed sun protection hats, and they came today. The ladies (Vicki and Stacy) think I look pretty good with the new look. It will save the ears and neck from over exposure.
Tomorrow should be an easier day with not such an early wake up time. It is still to be determined as to what the exact schedule will be. We made it to the Merchandise Shop today, but didn't get to finish all of our shopping, because Carson started to get fussy.
This is the type of course that Ryan can play well on. Length is not necessarily the best thing on many holes, but you sure need to be accurate, which Ryan is. On the Golf Channel, they were commenting that some of the better players may have trouble if they can't hit fairways.
Ryan's tee time for the first day is 8:50 AM and 2:05 PM the second. He will be playing with Brendon de Jonge and Rafeal (something) from France. I like the early tee time the first day and he has next to the last time on Friday, so when he is done Friday we won't have to wait all day to see where the cut line is.
Looking forward to a good nights sleep.
Bruce from the CaddyShack
Monday, August 9, 2010
This is the 4th edition of Bruce from the CaddyShack. We arrived at Whistling Straits yesterday and signed in to get our credentials. We are doing something new this year. Instead of staying in a hotel, Ryan and Stacy rented a home for the week. It is actually cheaper, because there will be 7 of us staying here. Hotels were very expensive. Whistling Straits is in a very rural area so there aren't many hotels. In 2004, Tiger Woods stayed in this same house. They have 3 pictures on the wall of Tiger that he signed. PGA Tour member, Ben Crane and his family are living in the house next door. The house arrangement is working really good with 15 month old Carsen here, and we can really relax in the evening.
With this being Ryan's fourth time at the PGA Championship, the excitement and hype is not as overwhelming. Also, playing another Pete Dye designed course, we are seeing a lot of the same looks that we did at French Lick, where he qualified for the PGA. Pete Dye courses can give a very intimidating look off the tee. Ryan had a good practice round today. He played with 2 other club professionals and Rich Beem. Rich has been healing from back surgery and won't be playing competitively for another two weeks. Thursday and Friday he will be commentating on TV. He played today just to practice and get a good look at the course. We had a caddie that works at Whistling Staits walk with us today to give Ryan shot lines on the course. He really helped, so I think he will go again tomorrow.
The weather was warm and humid today. The course isn't particularly hard to walk, but being a links style you walk through rough to get to the fairway. The course was built to walk. There are no golf carts at anytime, so there aren't any paved cartpaths. The paths we walk on remind me of walking on a cow path in a pasture, so they are uneven and narrow. Everybody walks single file until we reach the fairway. Lake Michigan can be seen from most of the holes, so it is very scenic. There are no homes at all near the course.
Ryan is with Taylormade this year, so they provide each of their players with a staff bag designed for the PGA Championship. It was at his locker after todays round, so we will be using it the rest of the tournament. I even scored some new rain gear, since mine is designed for cold weather rain. If I had to wear it down here, it would be like putting on a sauna suit. The only catch is that if it is nicer than Ryan's, he will take it and I will use his old ones. I just hope we won't need rain gear.
Time to kick back and relax. We will be leaving at 6:15 in the morning so we can eat breakfast at the course, and then Ryan has a photo shoot around 7:00 on the range.
Bruce from the caddyshack
With this being Ryan's fourth time at the PGA Championship, the excitement and hype is not as overwhelming. Also, playing another Pete Dye designed course, we are seeing a lot of the same looks that we did at French Lick, where he qualified for the PGA. Pete Dye courses can give a very intimidating look off the tee. Ryan had a good practice round today. He played with 2 other club professionals and Rich Beem. Rich has been healing from back surgery and won't be playing competitively for another two weeks. Thursday and Friday he will be commentating on TV. He played today just to practice and get a good look at the course. We had a caddie that works at Whistling Staits walk with us today to give Ryan shot lines on the course. He really helped, so I think he will go again tomorrow.
The weather was warm and humid today. The course isn't particularly hard to walk, but being a links style you walk through rough to get to the fairway. The course was built to walk. There are no golf carts at anytime, so there aren't any paved cartpaths. The paths we walk on remind me of walking on a cow path in a pasture, so they are uneven and narrow. Everybody walks single file until we reach the fairway. Lake Michigan can be seen from most of the holes, so it is very scenic. There are no homes at all near the course.
Ryan is with Taylormade this year, so they provide each of their players with a staff bag designed for the PGA Championship. It was at his locker after todays round, so we will be using it the rest of the tournament. I even scored some new rain gear, since mine is designed for cold weather rain. If I had to wear it down here, it would be like putting on a sauna suit. The only catch is that if it is nicer than Ryan's, he will take it and I will use his old ones. I just hope we won't need rain gear.
Time to kick back and relax. We will be leaving at 6:15 in the morning so we can eat breakfast at the course, and then Ryan has a photo shoot around 7:00 on the range.
Bruce from the caddyshack
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Final thoughts from the 91st PGA Champtionship
Looking back over the last three PGA Championships, this year definitely rates #2. This year rivals Southern Hills as far as the golf course layout and the facilities. The caddyshack this year was the best of the 3 years. Southern Hills treated the caddies very poor with no space and pathetic food. A professional caddy has a real grind week in and week out, and they are a close knit group. I have a lot of respect for them. In October, Hazeltine is demolishing the clubhouse and rebuilding, and then in July 0f 2010, they are re-sodding the greens, digging the fairways down 2 ft and bringing in new dirt and then reseeding. It will be ready for Memorial Day 2011. After 40 years they say the soil is too compact!
I think Ryan will come away from this week having had a great experience. I know he really wanted to make the cut and play all four days. He is really looking forward to the trip to Scotland and the PGA cup. He is also planning on going to second stage of q-school in November. We will see what the future holds.
Bruce--Leaving the caddy shack at Hazeltine
I think Ryan will come away from this week having had a great experience. I know he really wanted to make the cut and play all four days. He is really looking forward to the trip to Scotland and the PGA cup. He is also planning on going to second stage of q-school in November. We will see what the future holds.
Bruce--Leaving the caddy shack at Hazeltine
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