Joey D: Checking in from New Orleans...
Joey D here. Feeling rather accomplished this morning. Learned how to email pics with my iPhone and finally got checked into my hotel. 81 and balmy out. Life is good here in New Orleans and as you can see from the pic above, preparations are underway for this week's event.The course is in great shape, the field looks good and there's a buzz in the air with the "fifth major" coming up two weeks from now in Jacksonville. This is a nice run - Augusta, Hilton Head, New Orleans, Charlotte and then Jacksonville. I'm out for all five and the PLAYERS will be a great way to wrap up five solid weeks.
I saw Ian Poulter this morning and he was in good spirits on the range. Talked to Charlie Wi for a few. Attitude is still great and he was working with the Vokey folks, tweaking his wedges. Yet to catch up with Jason Dufner, Tom Pernice Jr. or last minute entry, Jason Gore. We'll report back on those guys in the coming days.
Pat Perez is off this week, but will be back for next week's event in North Carolina and Ryuji Imada pulled out of this week's event due to a wrist injury sustained at the Masters. He wants another week of active rest before Quail Hollow and then Sawgrass, the largest purse in all of golf. Smart play by Ryuji, being mentally aware that he shouldn't push it this week as it really is all about the PLAYERS this time of year.
This afternoon we'll start our standard biomechanics preparations for the week. Everyone will get by the trailer either for some stretching or a full session, depending on how they're feeling. From there, the week will be underway.
The Zurich is a great event. You have a great field and a great city. Jazz Fest is going on this week. PGA Tour players doing what they do. Great food. Culturally diverse. You definitely feel the flavor of the city with this event. In most cases, Tour events don't end up in such an energetic place. They're usually much more off the beaten path. The Zurich gets everybody together, mixing it up.
"Commitment" is a word I want to focus on today. I'm looking at my guys in this week's event, the decisions they're making, the overall effort and a commitment to success. Dufner is back this week after a nice T26th finish last week. He's working through some pain, but he's committed to working hard, making cuts and trying to win golf tournaments.
Pernice is back this week after a missed cut and some weekend sessions in the trailer, even though he wasn't playing. Again, the commitment to get biomechanically right where it needs to be and good thing are around the corner.
Tee times will be announced in a bit and I'll check back in later this week from New Orleans. We'll have a new Q&A tomorrow and I'll let you know how my guys are looking for Thursday.
Joey D.
posted by Unknown at
11:02 AM
2 Comments:
C'mon Joey D!! The Player's as the 5th major is a comment that has been thrown around alot in the past couple of years. You must be receiving kick backs from the stiffs in the TPC offices. Yes, it is a very strong field, but it will never be a major. As an example, the Canadian Open is one of the oldest tournaments in the world with far better courses available than the TPC, so why not make that the 5th major? Or anywhere else in the world for that matter, e.g. Asia, Africa, Europe (mainland) etc. How could a major tournament ever use the comical 17th hole as a play-off as it was last year?? I think 3/4 majors is already far too many for US soil. The Tennis definitely have it right, major championships played all over the world on different surfaces. I love being an American, but comments like that just highlight our ignorance to the rest of the world. Dan.
Dan, Joey D didn't exactly make up the term the "fifth major". Fans call it that. Players call it that. Sports media members call it that. Like Joey mentioned, it's a huge purse at Sawgrass and you get a strong field there.
As for Canada, Asia, Africa and Europe... they're not America - where the PGA Tour is headquartered. US Open, Masters and PGA Championship are all on America soil and the British Open -- the birthplace of golf -- is obviously the other major.
Tennis is a different ball of wax. In golf you have the PGA Tour, European Tour, Asian Tour, etc. You can't follow the tennis model... but in an effort to do so, you get the Ryder Cup and World Golf Events. It is what it is, right?
Mike from Orlando
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