DJ had a 12:10 tee time and I got to the course in time to meet him as he was having a late breakfast. I just sat and we had some small talk, then I slid the conversation over to how I was pleased with his setup and swing changes we have been working on this week. I eventually ended with a pep talk about his playing well and re-enforcing his pre-swing and in-swing thoughts.
With the pep talk over, we headed for the putting green where DJ will did his chalk line 30 in a row drill and some long lag putting. He was rolling the ball well and making putts so I just reminded him that the course owed him a bushel full of putts and to go collect them.
At the range he decided to go to the lower level and we passed Briny Baird who was warming up near us. After a few minutes DJ, who lives in Mt Pleasant, SC, and Briny, who lives in South Florida, started talking about fishing in between shots.
DJ was swinging well and hitting it well. He mentioned that yesterday he felt the two pulled drivers he hit on the back nine were because he was reaching for the ball. I concurred that reaching can cause the pulls and he focused on standing taller, which would have his arms hanging more down and thus a little closer. I used that back and forth swing talk to lead into re-enforcing the previous day's setup keys of the wide knees and maintaining the outward pressure, and the swing key of finishing with his hands close to his head. For good measure, and not leave anything out, I threw in to work hard on making quality practice swings with good level knee action and firm arm and hands to the finish. With that done we headed up to hit a few pitches and greenside bunker shots and the headed off to the parking lot to catch the shuttle to the 1st tee.
Number 1 was down wind. Being around 400 yards, DJ hit a 3 iron perfectly down the right center to start the round. A pulled wedge that rolled off the green, a pretty good chip that rolled 4 ' 5 feet by and missed putt making bogey. That was not the start he was looking for. He played the rest of the front nine pretty well, but a poor tee shot on the par 3 eighth hole into the right front bunker, led to a bogey and with a par on nine made the turn at +1.
He hit it close for makeable birdies on 10, 11, 12 and 13 but burned the hole on each putt that didn't drop. The score boards started showing the cut was at -1 and being at +1 he needed to make 2 birdies. He got his first one at 15, hitting it to 2 feet 2 inches. On the par 3 sixteenth hole he had around 20 feet and lipped it out. That one would have been nice as he would be on the cut mark with 2 birdie holes left in 17 being a 3 wood, wedge and 18 a reachable par 5.
He hit a perfect 3 wood right to the edge of the fairway for a perfect line to the front left pin. He came up short, hit a chip that teased the hole but ran 6 feet 6inches past as the scoreboard noted. I was sweating bullets as I am sure he was, considering all the lip outs he had all day as he stood over the putt. He hit a good one that doped in dead center. Oh what a relief what was seeing that ball drop out of sight! I can promise you that after 20 + years following DJ, watching your child play golf is more pressure than playing yourself.
DJ hit a perfect drive on 18 down the left center clearing the bunkers in the center of the fairway. He had around 230 to 235 yards to the middle by the marker on the cart path were we were standing. The pin was back right and he chose an iron (Todd later told me it was a 3 iron) and hit a high cut to pin high left of the flag at around 15 feet for eagle. He hit a good putt that tickled the hole again and scooted by around 1 foot and with a tap in and a 2 under back side made the cut. After the round as I was waiting with Ted, a junior golfer from my hometown of Acushnet who plays out of Allendale CC, so DJ could sign his hat and he threw in the days glove with his autograph. Scott Piercy's caddy came over to me and said that he and Scott were certain he would make the eagle putt as he had so many lip outs all day.
DJ hung in tough despite all the lip outs and that birdie on 18 was big as he still is alive in the FedEx cup race. A good weekend can make him enough FedEx points to climb to 70 or lower and head to Chicago for the 3rd playoff in the BMW and stay alive to make it to the tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.
After autographs, we headed straight to the putting green. After watching DJ roll a bunch into the hole smooth as silk, I mentioned that I watched intently and felt that his 3 quick swish putting strokes before each putt was not good as they never ever were anything close to the stroke he made right after them. The three swishes were short, fast and continuous which never were close to the stroke he would make. I said I felt they were worthless as well as detrimental. He said OK and they were out of routine. Todd threw in maybe he needed to stop focusing on lining up the line on the ball and just put the ball down with white only on the top. I liked that and said without the line on the ball he could just concentrate on the feel and the flow of the stroke and his aiming spot. We got another OK from DJ on the no using the line.
So, tomorrow we have no 3 quick swish practice putting strokes and aiming the line. Hopefully this will free up his stroke and open up the hole tomorrow. Going low would be great.
DJ is 3rd off number 1 tee tomorrow morning at 7:50 AM so I will be up at 5AM to get there for 7AM to meet him on the putting green and go over his new putting routine and one swing point I hinted at today.
The Surge!