Wednesday Practice Round

On Wednesday, the grounds of the TPC are open to the public for free for the practice round. Players can choose to arrive at the course anytime after seven, go to the driving range, or putting green, or go out and play a round on the course. The randomness of the day means that some, all, or none of the 100 players in the tournament may need the services of player shuttles to and from holes. It can be incredibly boring or like today, fairly busy.

Players all have an established practice routine. Some begin with warm-ups on the practice green next to the clubhouse. Most start on the driving range before putting. On the range most players start with short irons and work up to the driver under the tutelage of their caddie or swing coach. Representatives of the various equipment companies hang out on the range to work with their customers or gain new ones. Some players practice only clubs that are giving them trouble rather than work through all of them and a few just crank the driver to loosen up.

Practice on the course is also an established routine. Some like Padraig Harrington go out with just a caddy and a coach or equipment person. Others go out in groups and I was  "shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" Yes, we heard talk of playing for a thousand dollars a whole. An old caddie lounging in our tent noted that a thousand dollars a hole was nothing compared to the champions tour where bets might be in the tens of thousands of dollars a hole. Players usually play one ball into the green and then hit up to a half a dozen approach shots from various areas within yards of the whole followed by some flop shots and numerous puts. Here's some news gleaned from a day at the course.

At the Barclay's tournament last week V. J. Singh hit into Rory Sabatini twice while he was practicing. sabatini was heard to say there'd be pay back if V. J. ever got in front of him during practice. This was exactly the case today, but when we picked up the two groups this afternoon everything seemed quite peaceful.

As friends know V. J. and I have a "relationship." He has a reputation for being difficult,  and rookie drivers are terrified by scary V. J.  stories. Unlike most golfers who are content to hop into any cart, V. J. keeps getting into mine. After four years that's fine with me as I admire his practice ethic and his golfing achievements. He generally remembers to thank me for the ride these days as well. Today he was in the cart with the representative of the company that makes his putter-Scott Cameron, I believe. The company rep was trying to get VJ to try a new putter, a long shafted mallet head. It is the only example in the country and its unique feature is having 80% of its weight at the rear of the mallet. This should give the long putter an even more pendulum like action.

Padraig Harrington was not very communicative in the parking lot this morning, but seemed much looser this afternoon. His game has been coming around in the last few weeks, and maybe he has figured out the TPC course.

PGA winner Keegan Bradley fulfilled a lifelong goal last night by throwing out the first pitch at the Sox-Yankees game. He asked his cart mates how he did, and everyone told him he looked fine. Meanwhile in another cart his caddie revealed he practiced his pitch for two days and tired out his arm. How'd he do-"A high soft one, but he managed to get it over the plate."

Many people think Anthony Kim can be a great golfer, but that he lacks focus. Cart drivers wait expectantly to see who Anthony's girlfriend will be. Another new one this year, a very, very pretty blonde for us this is Anthony's third girlfriend in three years, but apparently we have missed a few in between. By the way, drivers play a game called "Girlfriend or Wife?" Folk wisdom has it that if a lady is wearing comfortable shoes as she follows her man around the course, she's a wife. She's a girlfriend if the shoes are trendy and sexy. Only Anthony brought a girlfriend today.

The talk of the tournament so far has been the woman who has been following Keven Na around. The duo is known in driver circles as Na and Ma because Kevin has his mother with him. A tiny Asian woman with little English, Kevin introduced her to one driver with "She can ride with me. She's my mother. She likes me most of the time." Apparently mothers are the same all over the world.

As many know golf clothes can range from the casually fashionable like our excellent uniforms to the truly bizarre like the coach who had pants with alternating large squares of white, yellow and lime green. There was nothing more bizarre, however, than the two bankers who showed up today in black suits. Strange how something that wouldn't have gotten a second glance on a Boston street stood out so much in Norton. One "suit" was an American member of the Deutsche Bank, the other was a Japanese gentleman who must have been either incredibly wealthy or incredibly powerful since a Japanese golfer on being introduced to him bowed six times.


Everyone had their favorite golfer of the day. Steve Stricker and his caddie stood out for me, but another was particularly charmed by Ben Crane and Mark Wilson who shook her hand after she almost ejected their caddies from the cart with a particularly fast get away. We all became fans of Kyle Stanley, the last golfer on the course. We stood and watched him hit several spectacular practice putts and sink a difficult down him flop shot that drew our applause. He then came over and shook everyone's hands, thanking us for waiting for him long after everyone except greenskeepers had gone home.  He one four new fans with his pleasantness. He's 29th in FedEx points so if his short game is as good as it was today, he should move on to the playoff finals.