Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am / Champions Tour / April 15-18, 2011

Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts -- country music's #1 Group of the Decade www.rascalflatts.com http://www.rascalflatts.com/video/Sp...mayor_dec_2010 -- visited me at Cuscowilla this week. We spent a couple of days preparing for his participation in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

Joe Don carries an 8-handicap, but I watched him swing and immediately set a near-term goal of 4. We set to work early last Tuesday and covered the waterfront.

In today's opening round, teamed with PGA TOUR professional Tom Purtzer and with "inside the ropes" pressure, he shot a Personal Competitive Best score of 75! He cut Tom (-3) by six shots. Their team shot 62 (-9) and is T-3, only one shot off the lead. http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboards/...551/alt-2.html.

Joe Don Rooney and Tom Purtzer today shot 70 (-1) for a two-round total of 132. Tom had a difficult day (77 / +6), and the team fell from T-3 to 17th.

Not that any of this makes any real difference: In the end, it's all about fun and charity.

One more to go tomorrow!

Here's the inside scoop just received in several back-to-back texts from Joe Don Rooney at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

Hey, bud [Ed: Bud, Yoda, Lynn, whatever!] Purtzer & I finished -14 for the tourney....tied for 13th. We both played well today but some of these am's were given so many strokes it made it really tuff to catch em!

Thanks again for all ur knowledge.....I shot 75,80 & 77 respectively.....what an improvement I've made since spending time w u!

Can't wait to work w u again hopefully soon! Holla back if u need anything!

I finished 4th as far as the celeb teams go...proud of that!

Peace on ya brother,

- jdr