Brennans Caddy Report-Bank of America Colonial

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:15:22

Presented by Dynamic Fundsâ¢

Although Mike didn't play last week I did get the week off from golf but unfortunately it was anything but a week off. I got called to jury duty and spent the entire week in the court room in what was a very interesting experience. I had been called to appear on Monday morning and was really hoping that I would not get picked and sent home right away. After a day of jury selection I had been selected to sit on a 12 person jury in an aggravated sexual assault case. I don't think it is necessary to fill you in on all the details but it was an experience that I will not soon forget. Those who have served on juries know what I am talking about and the rest you will know sometime down the road. It was something that really opened my eyes to the workings of the legal system and looking back a very good experience.

With the jury duty taking up the entire week I was unable to play golf last week and it showed on Monday in our annual caddy golf outing. Each year the caddies have a golf outing and several of the players come out and play role reversal by caddying for their caddy. In our group we had Heath Slocum who was out reading putts and helping us pick clubs. It is a fun day for all and a good relaxed day for everyone. My score of 78 was not very good and was 7 strokes off the winning score of 71. I did happen to make a few bucks on a skin, which was the highlight of the day!

This weeks event is the Bank of America Colonial which is played in Fort Worth, TX about an hour drive from my house. It is always nice when you can sleep in your own bed when you work so I am making the commute each day, which may seem long, but is better than staying in a hotel. It is always good to be able to see some familiar faces in the crowd.

Mike showed up on Monday and put some practice time in at the course. Adam Oates who is a friend of ours is acting as a caddy assistant this week so it has been kind of nice. He wanted to come into town for a few days and hang out so he was put on caddy duty through Wednesday. Tuesday we played nine holes with Harrison Fraser, and Mike spent quite a bit of time working on his game. He hit a bunch of balls and then went and worked on his chipping and putting. Having Mike Wilson in town for a few days is good for Mike to fine tune his game. Wednesday is the mandatory pro-am day whereby all the big sponsors get to play with the tour players.

The course this week is one of Mike's favorites on Tour. It is one in which distance is really not a factor at all. It is very important to be able to shape the ball both ways, meaning draws and fades, not only off the tee but into the greens. There are not many short tree lined golf courses left like this on tour so it is really enjoyable to get to play here. The course sets up very well for Mike as he is very good at hitting different shots and using his imagination. I am very surprised that he has not played better here over the years as I would think this would be an event that he would be in contention year after year. I think that this would be a good time to get a win in 2006 and what better place than here!

The course itself is in great shape once again this year. The rough is not that much of a factor but there are spots where it can cause some troubles for the players. The greens are in great shape and I would expect to see a lot of putts made this week.

One of the unique things about Colonial Country Club is the proximity of the holes. You can get to any hole on the front nine within a few minute walk. It isn't very often at a tour event that you can get anywhere on the course in a short period of time. From the first tee you can see five or six holes on the front nine. The front nine is known for the horseshoe which is numbers three through five. Three is a big dogleg left that is a very difficult tee shot. There is a trap that is 260 yards to carry on the corner of the dogleg and with the fairway bending left so much, it is an example where you have to work the ball from right to left hard. If you can get your drive in the fairway the hole becomes much easier. Four is a 245 yard par 3 that can play anywhere from long iron to 3 wood or even driver! Number five is probably the toughest hole on the course as it is a dogleg right with a hazard running down the right side of the fairway. The driving range is on the left side and is out of bounds. There is no bail out area so you had better tough it out and hit a good tee shot. Other than those three holes the rest of the course is just a real shotmakers course like I mentioned before. You are forced to use all of your clubs in the bag and to hit all kinds of shots.

I really look forward to this week not only because it is close to home but because I know how well this course suits Mikes game. I look for us to have a good week and who knows maybe even get the first win of the year.

On a lighter note I would like to congratulate the London Knights on another great year. I was very disappointed to see my Dallas Stars, Ottawa Senators, and Knights all get eliminated! I guess I am going to have to root for the Oilers as they are the lone remaining Canadian team!!

Thanks for reading,
Brennan Little

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