Barclays Scottish Open / European Tour / July 9-12, 2009
 

Okay, guys, we're getting ready to go here. Unfortunately, for Team BG, not all is good news.

Brian arrived in Scotland early Monday but has played very little golf. His back seized up two days before leaving for Scotland, and the long plane ride over didn't help matters. He played twelve holes at Turnberry on Monday and walked the final six. Tuesday, he worked with PTs in the physio trailer Tuesday at Loch Lomond, then practiced and played nine holes. He was unable to swing properly with his back in its current condition.

Today, he spent more time in physio, and other than hitting a few pitches and putts in the short game area, didn't practice at all. He walked the nine holes he didn't play yesterday. After another visit to the guys in physio, he left the course after lunch.

He tees off #10 with the first group of the day at 7:30 a.m. Here's hoping his back lets go overnight.

[-o<

It certainly didn't sound too good when I spoke to you earlier on tonight. Hopefully the Physio's have managed to work their magic on Brian's back and that he can go out and play some this week.
See you tomorrow!
Alex

Barclays Scottish Open Photos
 

I have quite a number of photos taken Tuesday and Wednesday of tournament week. Here's a kickoff:

#1 Michael Walker, my friend and fellow instructor, with his student, European Tour player Mark Rowland. Mike is one of Europe's finest swing coaches, long a stalwart with Pete Cowan Golf in Manchester, England. Mike spent 2 1/2 days with me at Cuscowilla last October.

#2 Nick Faldo preparing to hit from the practice bunker. Nick is taking a break from his CBS broadcasting duties to compete here and prepare for The Open Championship at Turnberry next week.

#3 and #4 Brian Gay and Yoda at work.

#5 Graeme Storm, Pete Cowan, Lynn Blake and Michael Walker. Pete is Graeme's coach as well as about 25 percent of the last four European Walker Cup teams. He also teaches Henrik Stenson, winner of this year's The Player's Championship.

:golfcart2:

Man I wish I was there to see that tournament. The next one would be good too.
Some day.

Best of luck.

Ob

What a terrible feeling it must be to work so hard to get over there, then get injured and perhaps not get to play in the Open. :crybaby:

I feel for you both, Lynn.

Good luck, cheers to a super quick recovery Brian! :salut:

Kevin

Brian is playing a solid round so far. Level par after 16.
Check out www.europeantour.com for latest updates.
Alex

Brian's finished for the day. Managed to birdie his last hole of the day (9th hole on the course) and has finished with a 1 under par 70.
Well done especially when you are carrying an injury :salut:
What I want to know though is how Yoda got on at the Carrick ;)
Alex

beware the injured golfer!

Aye that was what I was thinking. I was a bit worried as the early starters had cooler conditions to contend with this morning but it was warmed up a bit since 6.30 this morning.
But hey its the first round a long way to go yet, Yoda did say that Loch Lomond is a course that suits Brian's game.
Brian is off at 12.30 (I think tomorrow) so plenty of time for some more physio and rest.
Alex

Good Company
 

Take a look at the last photo in my Post #3 above, especially the fellow on the far left. That's Graeme Storm, who today shot 65 (-6) and is in a four-way tie for second place, one shot off the lead.

:salut:

Hmmm did that really happen??
 

Just like to say thanks Yoda and Mrs Yoda for their company last night at dinner, it was good fun to catch up and chat.
After dinner I drove Yoda and Mrs Yoda back to Cameron House. Yoda then invited me in to meet none other than our Heros Brian Gay and Sir Kip Henley. So ended spending a couple of hours with Brian, SKip (new name for Kip as he is now a Knight (self appointed I may say) :D), Yoda, Mrs Yoda and James (who was staying in the hotel and had played in the Pro Am. He also had a hole in one earlier that day so was everyone's best friend as he bought the drinks :D)
After last night I am now currently incubating the new 5th Accumulator that SKip taught me........ still not sure about Accumulator 5.5 though :laughing9
So really kewl night and its not every day that you get to hang out with a 3 time PGA Tour Winner and walk past all these players that you see on TV every week.
Alex

Lucky man
 

You're a lucky man Alex. I followed Brian for a few holes yesterday I hadnt seen this thread so wasnt aware of the injury. He didnt miss the centre of the fairway with any drive that I saw. He was unlucky on 7 where his approach was all over the pin but ran through the back. I spotted Lynn but when I caught up at the 8th hole (Brians 17th) he had disappeared. Maybe just as well as I may have made him late for dinner talking G.O.L.F.

Brian missed the green and put his ball in the green side bunker on 8. With a very tight pin he played a great shot with what looked like a pause minor stroke with a vertical hinge, a tap in putt for an easy 3 and a birdie at 9 got him back under par.

The scottish weather certainly held up and it was sun screen weather for me. I even saw Yoda take the sleeves out of his rain jacket!

With a later start things should be warmer for Brian and he'll have more time to warm up. I certainly think he could go low.

Good luck to Graeme Storm as well who is from the same part of the country as me. Yodas magic must have rubbed off on him too.

Daz,

You going to be there all 4 days? I am heading down on Sunday and hopefully Yoda and Brian will be around then as well.
Let me know and we can catch up.
Alex

wow, good times!

Scotland's Best Tour Guide
 

Many thanks to Alex for last evening's chauffeured service to downtown Glasgow. We enjoyed his guided tour of the inner city and dinner at one of his favorite Italian eateries. He's now arranging some Carnoustie golf for us during this already memorable trip to Scotland. :salut:

P.S. Last night I asked Alex to do a quick demo of his address alignments for Brian. The Master's somewhat incredulous conclusion? "They're perfect!"

********************************

Here are more photos from Tuesday and Wednesday's BSO practice rounds. Sorry to be so slow getting them up. It just takes a lot of time to do the uploads, and that precious commodity has lately been in short supply. Enjoy!

#1 Oliver Wilson gets interviewed by the local media.

#2 Darren Clarke checks spin rates and launch angles on a variety of new toys.

Arranging Carnoustie as we speak. Will give Prestwick a call later on as well.
Alex

Man! Been outta town for a while . . . that pic of BG at follow-through-ish is BEAUTIFUL . . . beautiful right shoulder alignments . . . no wonder BG = 1BADMAN.

Back Pain
 

I hope Brian gets his back worked out. I saw a video of his swing over there and it looks great. Cool threads as well. Enjoy your time in the UK Lynn and all the best to you both. Kick ass on the field.

Brian adapting well to UK conditions - 36 holes...9 birdies so far...not a bad ratio!

Well positioned at -3!

another 9 birdies over he weekend and -12 on sunday evening will be great start to the Open warm up event...sorry, Scottish Open ;) :laughing9

To Horse!
 

Yesterday could have been real low. I think BG missed only one fairway (by about an inch) and then only because of a severe slope. From there he hit a pitching wedge to about eight feet. He didn't get that one down, and he also missed from about five feet at the last. Several other such golden opportunities got away, as did a couple inside ten feet after too-strong pitches from greenside rough. Such is golf.

Today is Moving Day . . .

Let's move!

:3gears:

-6 for today so far!! Looks like Brian is getting going this weekend. Hopefully he can finish with a few more birdies and be right at the sharp end tomorrow.
Go Brian!!!
Alex

Go BG!!
 

65. Yes!!!!!

Great Day On a Great Day
 

Great day for BG and the sun-kissed fans at Loch Lomond. For us, it was literally a 'walk in the park' and a ball of fun watching some truly great golf. At -9, Brian's in the hunt unless the leaders run away in the late afternoon. Given that the inward nine is the toughest, and that Retief & Co. made only modest headway on the outward, things are shaping up nicely for Our Hero.

Go get'em, Brian!

:golf:

Brian finished at 9 under today and is 5 shots behind the 3rd round leader Gonzalo Castano who finished today at 14 under par.
Bit of a gap but its not impossible.
Going to head down tomorrow to cheer Team LBG on, hopefully tomorrow will be another good day. Brian is teeing off in the 3rd last group at 12.13pm.
Alex

Just back from a long trip to the far reaches of Canada's west coast.......but Go Team Gay! Keep it going for another week or so.

Ob

Just back from Loch Lomond. Spent all day with Mr and Mrs Yoda and followed BG and Skipper all the way round (3rd last group)
Unfortunately our Hero just ran out of gas today and couldn't get the job finished but the heart was there.
The conditions were not as good as the first 3 days with some overnight rain and some drizzle during the day but scoring was not that bad. BG started off with 2 birdies on the front nine (3 and 4) to get it to 11 under and we were all thinking 'here we go' but alas due to his group being put under the clock (due to some missed shots by his playing partners and the subsequent delays with drops etc) our man was put out of his rhythm and came in with bogies on the back nine to finish the week off with a 73.
Some highlights of the day:

1) Yoda asking the main Rules Official of the European Tour John Paramour on the 14th (I think) for an offical ruling about a product called DryHands (Yoda can you confirm that this was the product)
2) Bumped into Adam Hunter (who was working for the BBC) Coach of the last Scottish winner of The Open.
3) Saw Brian Morgan, the famous Scottish Golf Photographer. Can't miss him, he wears a kilt on the final day of the tournaments he goes to.
4) Highlight for me. Kip said hey as he went from the Caddies Area to the first tee.
5) Another for me, BG also said hey as he walked onto the 11th tee (he started to play badly after that......so blame me, sorry!!)
6) Its great to go to a Tournament and park in the Media Center as opposed to car park 2 which is 5 miles down the road!
7) The best one! Got to spend time with Mr and Mrs Yoda for the day.

I am sure that Lynn will post up his own thoughts later (he has been having issues with the internet at the hotel and has not been able to Tweet as much as he would like due to phone issues but stay tuned)
Again, I would like to say thanks to Lynn and Mrs Blake for their company and taking time out to see me.
Lynn is heading down to the Ayrshire coast for this weeks Open Championship and we have plans to play some golf the week after. So all I can say is Go BG for this week! :golf:
Thanks,
Alex

The Tee times for this weeks Open Championship are up.
Brian Gay heads out at 12.25pm on Thursday with Sir Nick Faldo and a previous Guest LBG Star Soren Kjeldsen.
Alex