Brennan's Blog - BMW Championship

Cog Hill has undergone a large renovation and boy have then added some length!  On top of that the course is playing very soft which makes it that much longer.  There have also been significant changes to the greens.  They have kept most of their same contours, but the slopes are more severe on most.  Rees Jones did the re-design and did a pretty good job I must say - much better than what he did at Oakland Hills where I think he did a poor job and wrecked the golf course.

The fairway bunkers here are deep but don't have the severe lips that Rees likes to have.  If you do hit into them at least you have an option of trying to get the ball forward towards the green and you don't have to pitch the ball out.  The layout of the course is very similar and has the same feel except for the yardage. 

Par 3's are the biggest change to the course as they are all long irons or rescues.  What happened to the short par three where you could take advantage of it?  On these holes you are happy to make par and move on.  The Par 5's are also very long but that is where you have to make your birdies.  You can get the ball close to the green in two and then from there get the ball up and down so you really need to take advantage of them. 

It seems to be the same with all re-designs where yardage is the key; you must have 500 yard par 4's and 600 yard par 5's.  This actually plays into Mikes hand because when the long hitters can't get home in two on par 5's it becomes a wedge game which is good for us.

Sitting in 27th on the FedEx Cup list we need a good week to get into the TOUR Championship which would be great.  Anytime you play in that event you know you have had a great year.  Winning for most of the guys is what they are out here for but getting into the final FedEx tournament proves that you have had a very good year.

It is amazing how fast the year has gone and really we only have a few events left.  It will be great to get home and relax after a long stretch this summer.  I'm Looking forward to the Presidents cup as I think it will be a great event and it' always a good time.  It is not often that we get to play in team events and hopefully this time we can come away with a win!  Congrats to Ryo and Adam for making the team as selections! Can u imagine be 17 years old and playing at the level he is, it is unheard of.  With several wins this year I think he will be a great addition.  I am also glad that Adam got selected.  I know he has struggled lately, but he is a great player and maybe this will get him rolling.

Chicago is a great town and I love coming back here, although I just wish we were here when hockey season was in.  I am looking forward to camp starting next week and to see what the Stars can do this year.  This happens to be a great time for sports with NFL, College football, and NHL all getting starting, and its great timing as golf season is winding down!

Very excited about this week and really look forward to having a great week. I am not sure what we need to finish to get into the TOUR Championship but I know we can take care of business with a good week!

As always, thanks for the support
Brennan