Brennans Caddy Report-Shell Houston Open
Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:15:27
Presented by Dynamic Fundsâ¢
Our last start was
at the Masters a few weeks back where we finished tied for
11th. I have to say that I thought Mike played really well
throughout the whole week, and really continued his very solid and
consistent play that has carried him through the season so
far.
Unfortunately, the bottom line at Augusta was that Mike
just didn't drop enough putts to be there on the final hole
Sunday. He was in control of his game all week and really
managed the course as well as can be expected around Augusta
National. Overall it was a good week and one that he can take
a lot of good things out of.
This week Mike is playing in Houston for the first time since I
started caddying for him, at the Shell Houston Open. I did
come down here as a last minute fill-in to caddy for Ben Crane a
few years ago. One of the great things about playing
here in Texas is that it's so close to home for me and not
having to go through the hassle of airports for a week is
nice. It's great to be able to just throw a few things in my
truck and drive down to Houston from Dallas, which is a 3.5 hour
drive.
I came down to Houston on Monday and spent the night with one of my
good childhood friends from St.Thomas, Ontario who moved down to
Houston about 5 years ago. It makes the week much more
enjoyable when you have some good friends around to spend the
evenings with.
The first thing to mention about Houston has to be the heat we are
having, there has been record tempratures around 100 F the
last few days, and its only April!! We expect the summers in
Texas to be very hot but what we don't like is temperatures around
100 F as early as April!! I was joking with Mike today as he
came in from Salt Lake City where there is snow on the ground to
blazing temperatures here in Texas!
The golf course this week is the Redstone Golf Club in Humble,
Texas, which is on the outskirts of Houston. It is a 36 hole
facility that has hosted the Shell Houston Open for the last three
or four years. The past few years the tournament has been
played on the Members course, and this year its the first time we
are playing the Tournament Course.
The Tournament
Course is a brand new course that was co-designed by David Toms and
that has only been open for less than a year. The golf course
itself is a nice course and is in great shape, the problem is that
it is a little boring as far as any holes standing out.
Although the last few courses we have played have been BayHill,
TPC, and Augusta so I guess any course after those ones would
naturally be tough to follow. They fairways at Redstone are very wide and open that the trees really don't come into play at all. I realize that most courses are not designed with a PGA Tour event first on their mind, as is the case with this course. The public can play and enjoy this course without losing balls all day long. I just think that they could have done a little bit more to make the course a little more challenging for the Tour players. Having said that it is still a good course and would be a lot of fun for the average person to play.
The distance is going to be the first thing that jumps out at you at Redstone. There are a couple of crazy long par 5's and some really long par 4's. With all the heat this week the ball will be running on the fairways so it will make the course play a little bit shorter. The greens are not the fastest greens but they are in terrific shape and I really think that you will see a lot of putts being made. There tends to be a lot of grain on the Bermuda grass greens down here but these greens are perfect!
On the front nine, the 5th hole is a 480 par 4 that is a good demanding hole. There is water down the left hand side that forces you to hit a really good tee shot. There is no bailing out to the right as another hazard guards that side. Once you hit a good tee shot you still have to manage a long second shot into a well guarded green. The 5th hole is probably the most difficult hole on the front nine.
The back nine starts on number ten with a short par four. 10 has two different tee off areas that can make the hole play 390 or 340 yards. From the shorter distance it may be possible for some to drive it on the green, definitely making this a birdie hole. 12 is another short par 4 that where there will also be a chance for guys to drive the green. There is water to the right side of the green that protects it a bit but look for someone to make eagle on this hole sometime this week.
13 and 15 are two long par 5's that are basically three shot holes depending on the wind, they are both quite wide open so it will come down to the wedge game for most. 14 and 16 are par 3's that are 4, 5,or 6 iron shots to rather large greens that have some pretty good slopes. It will be important to hit in on the proper side of the hole to have a good chance at making birdies on these holes.
18 may be the best hole on the course, with water down the left side and a huge trap on the right side of the fairway. The golfers will obviously play away from the water therefore the right side will get a lot of action. For those who try and cut a little to much off on the water they will have to hit again from the tee box. Look for some excitement coming down the stretch with this finishing hole.
Overall this week is a little more laid back then a lot of the others on tour. The first major is behind us and now there is a month before everyone starts gearing up for the U.S. Open. The course is a good challenge but look for some really low scores if the wind doesn't blow this week.
My prediction for winning score is 20 under par.
Thanks for reading,
Brennan Little
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