LBG at the U.S. Bank Championship
 

LBG will be well represented this week at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

A special thanks to Brian Gay for arranging tickets for our group on Friday. Thanks also to Lynn for extending the offer to me and then setting it up via Brian. Best of luck to Brian this week at Brown Deer Park.

Brown Deer, which I've played many times, rewards straight driving and a hot putter rather than brute strength. "Bomb and gouge" isn't much of an option there - in fact, your "bomb" will be into the trees and your "gouge" will be a chip back into the fairway. Accuracy will trump distance all week.

What other website or forum arranges things like this for its members? As far as I know...zero. :thumright

The Host With the Most
 

In addition to being an excellent host, Brian Gay is one helluva player: He's just completed his 36th hole of day and a second round 6-under par 64. The round included seven birdies and is currently tied for low of the day. Best of all, he did it to the delight of his LBG gallery...Brian's Bunch! :cheers: :occasion:

His two-round total of 134 is currently T-8. [Yesterday's early finishers are just now teeing off for this late afternoon's round, so that's likely to slip somewhat.]

Have a great weekend, Brian!

Good time had by all
 

I want to thank Matt, Brian and Yoda for getting this together. We had a great time together (6 TGMers), and we survived the heat and humidity!

Thanks again.

TGM Outing
 

While it was not on the scale I originally envisioned - there were several cancellations - I think it was still worthwhile. I had a great time at the tournament where we met up with some others and watched some good golf.

I really enjoyed watching Brian play. He shot a neat 64 yesterday (Friday) and made it look very easy. His address routine is extremely right forearm oriented and any TGMer "in the know" would get a kick out of seeing it. Walks into the ball with the grip in the cup of his right hand, sets up entirely with just that on the club, simply "adds" his left hand, then swings.

If I had to break down the components, the ones that stand out the most are his Top assembly point and what looks like a Snap and Drag load. Flying Wedges are absolutely perfect. His misses (I'll admit to having followed him a lot over the past few days!) appear to be mostly high-and-right off the tee with an occasional "leaker draw" to the left.

Maybe more later on this. No need for me to overanalyze Brian. :D

PGA Tour Player Cameo
 

I was practicing at my local range on Thursday evening around 7pm. Play had been suspended at the tournament due to inclement weather earlier that afternoon. Presumably the practice area was also closed to the players. It was only myself and my AI, Scott Appleby, and we had just began practicing.

Then a rather tall man drives in and walks into the shop. Scott and I look at each other and he asks me, "Was that Jay Delsing?" I nod, saying, "I think so!" He runs in, introduces himself, and then Jay comes out and hit with us for about an hour and a half. Jay is a really nice guy and a self-proclaimed "feel player" with no intricate swing knowledge. He currently works with Jim Hardy and endorses his "one-plane" swing.

Over the course of those ninety minutes we got into some of the Hardy ideas. Jay says that he tries to get his right elbow "behind the seam of his golf shirt" at the top ("not a foot, not four inches, just 'behind'") then keeps it there while turning as fast as he can into the ball. [TGM references: Swinging procedure, Drag loading, Punch elbow position.] Through the ball he attempts to keep his hands in tight to his body and "throws" his right hand and clubface palm-up to the sky. I point out, as he demonstrates this, that he has a very bent left wrist. He says he doesn't worry about that because if he did all he'd do is hit hooks. As an aside, I guarantee he has a flat left wrist at impact. :D

Just a little snippet for everyone. It's things like this that only happen one week a year.