I arrived at TPC Boston around noon and found DJ in the players' and family dining room and joined him for lunch before heading to the range for practice. He wasn't scheduled to play in the pro-Am. After I sat down, I noticed Tiger Woods seated at the table to our immediate left. We were soon joined by Scotty McCarron and the conversation led to Scotty telling us he would be getting a ride with the Blue Angels prior to an air show in Las Vegas in a few weeks. He said he had a pilot's license and had flown a lot but really had no clue as to what to expect in an F-15 jet.
Just as he said that Tiger got up to leave and Scotty stopped him and told him he was flying soon in an F-15 and knew that Tiger had flown in one. He asked if he had any insight and advice to offer. Tiger said he had one big tip. He said that when you climb in the jet, the tech helps strap you in and pulls the seat belts super tight so you basically can't move. Tiger said he felt uncomfortable and loosened them before takeoff. When they took off and did a roll over flying upside down, he said that his helmet was hitting the canopy. He asked the pilot if that was suppose to happen and was told absolutely not. Tiger's advice to Scotty: keep the seat belts tight!
We went to the range and DJ was spot on with his setup and swing. I was especially pleased that his right arm position was exactly as it should be as that has been out of place off and on for some time. He was hitting his irons crisp and solid and straight, and a little higher than normal which I liked as hey were really holding the line extra well. He was also working on hitting cut shots and soft draws.
He then started hitting 3 woods quite well and then moved up to the driver. He hit a few real well and then on squirted right. He hit a few more good ones than another squirter to the right. He looked at me for an answer to which I pointed out that his tees, for all the drives, were tilted down toward the target. That tells me that he is not swinging up enough as the tee should be more straight up, even pulled up out of the ground. I told him the ball may be back a little and to move it left around 1 ball. He did and it worked, hitting it even higher with good penetration, holding the line in a soft cross wind. The proof was his tees were staying more straight up and they were now being pulled out of the ground. That meant he was hitting the ball more on the upswing with the slightly more forward ball position.
With the driver hitting it long and straight with no right, he grabbed the bucket of balls and his 60 degree sand wedge and headed to the short game area where he hit some pitches. I noticed that his wedges looked new and he told me he had them make him a new set with more bounce on his wedges, especially the 60 degree as he felt he was getting too much digging on bunker shots. The wedges worked well on pitch shots, so the next test was into the bunker to try them there. Right from the first swing there was a real improvement. The sound of the club splashing through the sand was different and better and the ball was flying out softer and higher and with much better distance control. He liked what he saw and felt, and it looked and sounded good to me.
Next was an intense putting session, first on the putting green on the range where he putted and talked with Nick Watney and Kevin Stadler in between putts. The green on the range is a little small and was getting crowded so we left and went to the bigger green near the clubhouse to finish his putting session.
We closed the day with me following DJ and Todd back to Boston to the Boston Harbor Hotel where DJ was staying. We were invited to dinner there by his amateur partner that he played with in the Pebble Beach Pro Am earlier this year. Dinner was awesome and we were finished around 9:30 PM as DJ had to get to bed as he was first off 10 tee tomorrow morning at 7:40 AM and having a 45 minute drive to get to the course from Boston.
For me, I had a 50 minute drive back to Dartmouth, MA where I was staying for the week at the home of Bob Morgan, who is one of my college golf team members and also a DK fraternity brother. The good day ended on a tough note in that there was a big traffic jam on RT 93 South due to night time road work. My 50 minute drive was stretched out to an hour and 45 minutes. I also have a 45 minute drive to the course so the 5:45AM alarm will come all too soon. But I promise you, Bob and I will be at TPC Boston in time to catch DJ on the range before he tees off.
The Surge!