AT&T Classic / Atlanta

Spent the morning in The Swamp working with new friends Tom Dyer, PGA, Director of Golf at Old Marsh Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida, and his assistant, C.J. Perry. http://www.oldmarshgolf.com/

After lunch, we trucked out to spend the afternoon with Brian Gay at the AT&T Classic in Atlanta. Also spent some time with Andy Plummer discussing his recent article in Golf Digest. More later in the appropriate thread.

Here's to Brian playing well this week, but first, a walk down memory lane with another friend in the field...

Larry Nelson.

http://www.pgatour.com/2007/r/05/14/...att/index.html



Photos [After clicking, be sure to 'expand to regular size' for that 'be there' experience]:

#1 In The Swamp, Tom Dyer 'absorbing.' Note that little 'yellow book' beside him.

#2 Tom Dyer 'applying.' Note the beautiful alignments of the Left Arm and Right Forearm 'Flying Wedges' at the Finish. Compare to Brian Gay (and Ben Hogan) in #11 below.

#3 At the AT&T Classic, Brian Gay setting up.

#4 Brian 'tweaking' clubs with Mizuno & TaylorMade folk in a launch monitor testing session.

#5 Brian using dowels to demonstrate On Plane alignments to Mizuno's Jeff Cook and Gary Pierce. Also note Centered Head.

#6 More of the same. Note he is using the tee boundary as the Plane Line!

#7 Kip Henley, Brian's caddie, 5-time Tennessee PGA Player of the Year and winner of The Golf Channel's Big Break II, doing his version!

#8 Activity down the line with Grant Waite and Andy Plummer. Same prayer book -- The Golfing Machine -- different denominations.

#9 Brian at Address.

#10 Brian in Start Up. "The Stationary Post (Players Head) can Turn (Pivot), but it doesn't Sway or Bob" [1-L-#2].

#11 Brian at the Finish. Can you say, "Hogan at Merion," boys and girls? I knew you could! http://www.historicgolf.com/page_photo.cfm?photoid=7603

#12 PGA TOUR player Brian Gay. Man on a mission.

Brian Gay tees off at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning at the AT&T Classic in Atlanta. That means we're at the course, then on the practice tee and putting green no later than 6:00 a.m. And that means working under those banks of floodlights that you never see on TV. It's the PGA TOUR version of 'Midnight Hour,' and no one is exempt.

This early time demands a wake-up call at 5 a.m. Not so bad for me, but Our Hero teed off this afternoon in the pro-am at 1:50 p.m. and didn't finish until after 8 p.m. This situation is called 'late-early,' and it's not a good thing. The glamour fades fast under such circumstances, but hey, that's life on the PGA TOUR.

The last time I was with a player off so early was with 1998 British Open runner-up Brian Watts at the 2005 Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan. We were up and out of the hotel by 5:15 to make it to the course, grab a quick breakfast in the Caddie Central trailer and then head to the practice tee.

And just who was beside us on the tee that day?

Tiger Woods.

As I said...

No one is exempt.

I have added the promised photos to my Post #1 above. Enjoy!