Brennans Caddy Report-WGC MatchPlay Championships

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Finishing 39th last week at the Nissan Open is not what we would call a great week.  We took some positives out of the event though, as Mike started to show some good signs with his game on the weekend.  He started striking the ball much better and only his short game prevented him from a couple of really good rounds on Sat and Sun.  The weather forecast called for a soggy rainy weekend and it turned out to be perfectly sunny.  After the round on Sunday we got in the car and made our way down the I-5 for the 2 hour drive to Carlsbad, California, which is just north of San Diego for the WGC World Match Play Championship.
 
I have to say the best news that I heard all week is that there is not going to be any rain this week in Carlsbad! The last four years the golf course here has been under water, almost to the point of being unplayable.  Even this year, there has been very little rain in the area and the course is still wet and very soft.  La Costa resort sits between large hills and there is a giant run-off area for all the water, but it still has a very tough time staying dry.  In my time here at the MatchPlay, this is by far the driest La Costa has been and it's in the best shape I've seen it. 
 


The course is not what I would call a great tour course, however it is a fun match play course.  It always plays really long due to the wet conditions this time of year so there are a lot of long irons into par 4's.  The greens are usually very soft to the point where you can throw the ball right to the hole and it will stop on a dime.  This year though, the ball will actually release a bit and will make the chipping and putting a little more difficult.  There is not a lot of slope on the greens but the slope that is there will have a greater effect now that the ball will roll out a bit more.
 
There have been no changes to the course from last year, except for one thing.  On number 6 a front tee will be used instead of the usual one.  The hole is a dogleg left that has a river crossing it at 300 yards, and at the old tee box we would hit a 3 wood then a wedge in to the green.  This year with the forward tee you will see a lot of guys hitting driver at the green and flying it over the water.  I think the change makes for a lot of excitement for everyone.  The fans always seem to love seeing guys hitting the driver on greens.  It also provides a different option for the players and since match play requires more strategy, there should be lots of lead changes on this hole as there is some risk-reward involved! 

Other than that one change, it is the same course.  The 8th hole is a 600-yard par 5 with water guarding the right side of the hole that will add some excitement for the fans.  The hole is just so long and usually plays into the wind that I don't even think the long hitters will get home in two on this one.

Hole #9 is a great par 4 at 460 yards that also plays into the wind.  On Tuesday in our practice round, Mike hit driver, 5 wood, to show you how long it is playing!  This is one green that has some slope to it, requiring you to keep the ball under the hole as the green is pitched hard from back to front.  Most guys will take a par on this hole and move on quickly!
 
In my opinion, the best hole on the back nine is the 16th, a 185-yard par 3 that has water guarding the front left of the green.  The wind tends to swirl around this green, so it can play very tricky at times!  The finishing hole, number 18 is a 580-yard par 5.  There is a small creek guarding the front of the green and will force you to get up and down to possibly win the match. 
 

This will be the last year the Match Play Championship is played at La Costa.  It will move to Tucson, Arizona next year which is one of my favorite places in the US.  When I graduated from college I spent a year in Tucson and loved it.  Much like Phoenix but smaller, and not quite as warm.  I am looking forward to going back there to see how the place looks 10 years later.   
 
The Match Play Championship this week concludes the West Coast Swing for the TOUR and what I would say was a good stretch of golf for Mike.  Hopefully this week is a good one for us as well.  Our first round opponent is Stewart Cink.  I get asked all the time how we like playing this guy or that guy, but the bottom line is you have to play your best to see what happens.

Match play is a lot about momentum, and if you achieve it early it can really help you out.  If you get down early you tend to force things and that can lead to some mistakes.  If you play solid golf by hitting lots of greens and fairways and you can keep the right amount of pressure on your opponent.  I love playing match play as it is very exciting right from the first hole, and it is great we get to do this once or twice a year.  Lets hope that this is our year! 

I'll catch up with you all again in a few weeks when we tee it up again at the Bay Hill Invitational in Florida. 

Until then, take care, and thanks for reading.

Brennan Little

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