John Deere Classic / PGA TOUR
 

In the field this week are:

Joel Edwards
Brian Gay
Greg Kraft
Neal Lancaster
Ian Leggatt
Grant Waite
Jay Williamson
Robin Freeman (alternate)

I'm headed up to Moline, Illinois, to join them tomorrow morning and will be back home on Friday.

Good luck everybody!

:salut:

Opening Day
 

Congratulations to Neal Lancaster for posting a -7 on opening day! He is currently on top of the leader board and it looks like it will stick now that the wind is coming up.

Yoda called me a few minutes ago from the 9th Tee as he was following Brian Gay around the track. Neal had just left the media room and was still pumped up on the round when he called Lynn.

Neal said he 'plugged' Lynn during his Golf Channel interview and to look for it in the press. Lynn spent a couple of hours with Neal late yesterday afternoon working on a number of little things, primarily his address alignments and start up. Looks like its paid off.

Keeping our fingers crossed for a great showing for everyone this week!

Lynn has some great stories coming our way.

Wow! Seven under right after a LB tuneup! Something clicked!!! Lynn must be using smoke and mirrors...NOT! It's physics and geometry. I'm sure there will be some good stories out of this one, can't wait to hear what Lynn did to help.

Pat

Great stuff. Sounds like a great round by Neal. Well done guys!
Alex

Tivos Anyone?
 

Would be cool to capture Neals interview tonight. Not sure how much cutting they will do, but if by chance he mentions the stuff he worked on it would be great to post it up.

Anybody got a Tivo?

Just caught TGC's coverage and Lancaster's interview. Indeed Neal mentioned Lynn Blake and his help on the range as key to him hitting the driver.

Great job Lynn and Neal,

CG

These days, it seems like just about all these thoroughbreds play better after fine tuning their game with Yoda. But if one day everybody knows this stuff, isn't it going to be harder to make money on Tour?

Excellent! Great playing Neal.

Very very cool. Orlando, here we come!

And not to threadjack, but...
 

John Riegger is also cashing in on his strategy to get his card back via the Nationwide tour. T-6 after the first round. Way to go, John! :happy3:

What is it gonna be on Golf Channel Golf Central? I got my dvd dealie set up to record it.

Cell on the 9th tee?
 

Aren't phones banned from tourney's or was he using Telepathy?

Could be. He was on the turn when he called me.

You try'in to bust me Wolfman???:laughing9

Rise of the Machines
 

Brian is shredding Deere Run today. He is -8 on the day with one to play. Looks like it is going to be big LBG weekend!

Brian Gay 8-under through 17! WOW!!!
 

I just saw that Brian was at 8 under par for the day at The John Deere Classic. I guess he and Yoda did some good work yesterday after the round.

Keep up the great play Brian!

9 birdies on the day for Brian. Very impressive!

9 Birdies today...9 !!!...Birdies!
Half the course! Wow! :happy3:

:salut:

9/18 = 1/2. Yup. :)

Is that so cool or what?

And on Friday the 13th. :confused1

Way to go Brian!! A great score today.
Alex

BG . . . booooooom!!!!!

How about LBG Squad rockin' the leaderboards every single week now. The doors fixin' to get busted down big time.

Go get 'em BG JR and Neil!!! The freeks come out at night . . . and Yellow Freeks are pullin' for y'all!!!

Stories
 

Mr. Green Guy,

How bout them stories?

Plane Trip, Range Time, Around the Track, Phone Calls?

Top 10 Threesome
 

Well, it's not every day an instructor has two players -- Neal Lancaster (4) and Brian Gay (T10) -- in the Top 10 of a PGA TOUR event (the John Deere Classic) going into the weekend. And another -- John Riegger (T6 at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational) -- making his own statement on the Nationwide Tour.

Good luck guys!

Deja Vu All Over Again
 

Brian Gay made nine birdies in yesterday's brilliant 63. With birdies on two of the first four holes this afternoon, he's picked up where he left off and is currently T6.

Meanwhile, Neal Lancaster has just birdied the second hole and is T2.

The Club
 

Brian,

Congratulations on making the sub-64 club!

http://www.pgatour.com/2007/r/04/12/...nds/index.html

Great round today. Best wishes tomorrow!

Great stuff. They list compiler need a hint on the spelling. Hope they'll get a lot of practice as they sum up Day 4. Best of luck tomorrow.

On the Radio
 

Here's a post-round interview (:51) with Brian Gay from the PGA TOUR website and XM radio.

http://www.pgatour.com/video/link/?/...7/14/xm.gay.xm

The stats this week for B.G. are strong as train smoke. Only missing 3 greens in two days . . . One more day like that and a victory lap maybe? B.G. if you win how about a little sprinkler dance to one up Rich Beem's fonky white boy moves? Go B.G. Go Neal!!!
Yellow Freekz . . . all together . . . PUUUUUUUUUULL!!!!!!

Neal Lancaster -- At The Top
 

Here are a couple of photos I took of Neal Lancaster's Top position at the Nationwide Tour's Athens Regional Foundation Classic last April. No wonder he has long been considered one of the best ball strikers on tour! :salut:

Neal puts a tremendous load on the clubshaft with his Start Down move and needs to be really solid to handle the stresses he creates. Here we were doing a little work on Extensor Action -- a 'pushing' pressure of the heel of the right hand against the left hand thumb that stretches the left arm and solidifies the right arm -- to eliminate any unwanted 'wobble' that could creep in.

I heard "I get to read the book"
 

After the bunker shot of B. Gay on 17 hole, I heard 3 times from TV commenter: "I get to read the book" Anyone confirm?

i was wondering if there is a certain point in the swing to really concentrate or exagerate the extensor action. I mean, i can intentionnaly have it before takeaway but at transition and at beginning of the down, should there be an emphasis on not losing it?

Just wondering if at top i should still feel the push on the thumb? How did you go about it with Neal? was it a from his setup kinda deal or just at a certain point in his swing?

Early Sunday Action.
 

After a rough start, Jay Williamson has it back to even par for -4 for the tournament after 11 holes, and Greg Kraft is flying under the radar, and has it to -9 for the tournament after 9 holes. :happy3:

Great looking backswing pictures there Yoda. Good playing from all the guys this week. Any of the LBG stable coming over for next week?
Alex