Brennans 2005 Year in Review

The beginning of the season got off to a great start on the West Coast Swing.  Mike had spent the winter months working hard on his game with his coach in Palm Springs, and came into the 05 campaign with a rejuvenated game.  The first few weeks he was a little rusty with his short game but he was really hitting the ball well, he had the confidence in his game and we knew that something good was ahead. 

That something good came at Pebble Beach where he played one of the top 5 rounds I have ever seen him play.  For those who have had the privilege of playing or ever walking around Pebble Beach you know how hard it can play when the wind is blowing.  That final round was an absolutely treacherous day, with very strong winds and some periods of rain.  It is unfortunate that we started a few too many strokes behind Phil Mickelson or we would have really been able to put the pressure on him.  For a short moment we had the chance to close the gap to two strokes early in the back nine but looking back we were just too far back to start the day.  Overall it was an incredible round of golf, I would have to say the best ball striking round I have ever witnessed from Mike. 

The last two events of the West Coast were a little disappointing as we got rained out after 36 holes in LA where Mike was defending at the Nissan Open.  Rain delays haunted the Tour for many events and event the WGC Match Play was under water.  However despite the weather challenges, when we left the West Coast I really felt that Mike's game was in good shape gearing up for the majors.
 
Obviously Mike really tries to fine tune his game for the majors but at the same time you have to concentrate and really focus at each tournament at hand, and try not to look ahead to the Masters.  The Masters will probably be Mike's favorite tournament for the rest of his life and this year he battled very hard for his finish. 

I have to say that although Mike didn't have his best game this year at the Masters, he really got the ball around the course. That may sound a little confusing to some but at Augusta National you have to miss the ball on the correct side of the hole.  You can hit a lot of great shots that are close to the hole but if you are on the wrong side of the hole it is hard to make birdies because you have to play very defensively. 

The key at Augusta is to always try and hit the ball at the bottom of the slopes so that you are chipping and putting uphill, and Mike executed this very well.  Having played the course so many times now it is great for Mike, because he has a great understanding for the places to hit the ball and the best places to land the ball to make putts. 
 
As we rolled into the summer, Mike began to suffer from a few nagging injuries and his game really never came into shape like he had hoped.  There were a few good rounds mixed in with some average ones that prevented him from really getting into contention to win. 

I will mention one of the obvious highlights, however.  At the Open Championship at St. Andrew's in July, it was incredibly special to play a practice round with Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, during the final major for Jack. I got a picture on the bridge with Jack as we came up the 18th hole, a moment I will always remember.
 
As we all know the rest of the year was very uneventful by Mike's standards.  We did go over to  the Korean Open in Seoul, and that was very fun. I have been to Seoul once in the mid 90's and must say that the city has come a long way since.  It was amazing to see how clean the city and how well advanced the infrastructure is.  Overall it was a great experience. 

Looking ahead to the 2006 season I am very excited to get things going.  I know that Mike has been taking some time at home and getting his body back in good form.  Lets not forget that we didn't have the most stellar of years in 2002 and he came back with a great 2003 season. World class players just need a little confidence and it can go a long way.

I know that no one is more disappointed than Mike is of his year and I really expect him to come out of the gates in form.  I have heard from several people this year that he is too busy with off course stuff like his wine business and his clothing business, spending less time on the course and practicing.  Mike has surrounded himself with some very good people who operate the businesses off the course and let him do what he likes to do and that is spend time with his family and play golf.  I would say that he worked harder on his game this year than he has in all the time that I have been caddying for him. 

I should also say that Mike isn't big on making excuses for his year, it wasn't one of his better ones.  The bar has been set high by himself and when he doesn't play world class golf people will wonder why not.  There has also been great support for Mike from so many Canadians and we all want him to do well.  Here's to 2006 and let's hope, a few more PGA victories.

I would like to thank all of those who have read my caddy reports over the year. 

I would also like to thank Dynamic Funds™ for sponsoring the caddy report in the Dynamic Advice section on MikeWeir.com and for all of their support of us!

Have a great Holiday Season!

Brennan Little