REVIEW
After going all the way over to California it was very disappointing to end up missing the cut. Going over there I was very positive and looking forward to playing. Everything was good about the week – the weather was great and the condition of the courses was probably the best I have seen them. The problem for me was that I didn’t get the reward from the first two days that I should have. I played nicely on Thursday and Friday but a couple of mistakes cost me. On Saturday I didn’t play as well and Spyglass played tough, so it was always a tough task to make the cut.
After the first two days I should have been a lot better than level par. Whilst I putted well in terms of holing out for par and rolling the ball at the hole, I missed a few chances both days for birdies that would have made a big difference. For instance I very easily could have been 4 under after 6 holes on Friday around Pebble but instead I was only 2 under. At 4 under you have a cushion if anything happened and you are also pushing to get into contention. But after bogeys on the 9th and 10th, I was back to level par and a bit deflated. However the real killer on Friday was a double bogey on the 16th from the middle of the fairway. I missed the green left with my approach and then took two chips to get it onto the green. In the end I shot 1 over par for the day when I really should have been shooting 4 or 5 under par.
Saturday was a tougher day in terms of wind and also we were on the toughest course in terms of set-up. I didn’t play as good as I did the first two days and really wasn’t able to make anything happen. I was battling along at 1 under par for the week going into my back nine, but I just wasn’t in good enough form to find a 3 under par for the back nine. I ended up missing by a few in the end; I was disappointed but I knew that I had left it behind me on Thursday and Friday.
I’m off now for two weeks and my next tournament is the Honda Classic. Overall I know that my game is in good shape so I am not worried. I’ll continue to work on my putting as I can see that this is where I will see the most benefit.
Talk soon,
Padraig.
Spyglass Hill brought no comfort to Padraig as he failed to make it to Sundays final round after shooting a 74. He got off to s steady start but four dropped shots in five holes around the turn did the damage. He did rally with two late closing birdies but it was too little too late as the cut fell at three under par. In the team event, they finished at five under par with a whopping 19 under par making the final round!
A second round of one over par 73 around Pebble Beach leaves Padraig with work to do if he is to make it to the final round Sunday. The cut for this event falls with just one round to go and is looking like being three or four under par. Padraig at present is at one over par. His third round is on Spyglass Hill which he will be hoping for a low round. In the team event, Gerry only improved the second round score by one so they are somewhat off the blistering pace being set with 19 under par leading going into the third round!
Padraig opened his account at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with a one under par round of 70 on the Monterey Peninsula. He mixed three birdies with two bogies, both dropped shots coming on par 3’s which will be disappointing for Padraig. He next plays Pebble Beach, and with an early start will be hoping for a low round! In the team event, he shot a very respectable five under par round with his partner, Gerry McManus!
Padraig plays this week at one of his favorite tournaments of the year, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It is as usual, both a team event as well as a stokes tournament for Padraig. It is played over three courses, Spyglass Hills, Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach with the forth and final round also being played at Pebble Beach. Padraig is a past winner of the pro-am event with JP McManus but plays with his brother Gerry this week as JP has retired!
Tee times!
Thursday: 9.17am ~ Monterey Peninsula
Friday: 8.33am ~ Pebble Beach
Saturday: 10.01am ~ Spyglass Hill
With Rafa Cabrera Bello, Gerry McManus and Dermot Desmond
PREVIEW
I’m in one of my favourite places this week, Pebble Beach, for the AT&T Pro-am. I arrived in here on Monday night as I was at the Super Bowl in Miami with Paddy on Sunday. It was his first one and my second; it was a brilliant experience but unfortunately the 49ers lost – we were cheering for them as we have a lot of friends living in the Bay Area.
This week I am playing with Gerry McManus; JP has retired from this tournament so Gerry and myself have partnered up to see if we can get our names on the winners wall. It makes such a difference to be playing with someone you know as everyone is at ease straight away. Along with playing with Gerry, we are playing opposite Rafa Cabrerra Bello and Dermot Desmond.
Seeing as I got here late I haven’t played any of the courses in full. I played 8 holes at Pebble on Tuesday, then 5 holes at Spyglass and 14 holes at Monterey Penisula on Wednesday. I played more holes at Monterey as that’s where we are starting on Thursday – I wanted to get a good feel for that course so as to give me the best chance of getting off to a good start.
On both days I spent a bit of time on the range hitting wedges. My wedges were going a long way in the Middle East as I was hitting them too hard, so I want to get myself back to hitting them within myself as I flight them so much better when I do. With this in mind I have committed to hitting more in practice to get it right. I have also put in a new 58 degree wedge and so wanted to do some work with it. It is replacing my 60 degree, so this week I will carry a pitching wedge, a 52 degree, a 58 degree and a 64 degree wedge.
I’ve played a few holes on each course and I have to say that they are in the best condition I have ever seen them. The greens are firm and the fairways are running which, for Pebble, makes it play tough.
The forecast is good for us, with no rain. It is not to be overly warm but that’s not an issue. I’m all set and raring to go. I play at 9.17am on Thursday morning at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
Talk soon,
Padraig.