The Barclays / PGA TOUR / August 27-30, 2009
 

All set and ready to go for our fourth edition of The Barclays Golf Academy!

The Academy will run from 8 a.m. to close of play each day of The Barclays, a $7.5 million PGA TOUR event and first in the FedExCup Series. www.thebarclaysgolf.com

This year's spectacular venue is Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ, and we are proud to be a part of it. http://www.libertynationalgc.com/ In addition to our five-man professional team helping Barclays clients improve their long game, we're including an Oddessy Putting Lab courtesy of the good folks from Callaway. We'll give about 425 lessons this week and more than 200 putter fittings. So, it's going to be an exciting week.

Should be a good tournament, too!
http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r027/

:laughing9

Well, at least you'll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy yourselves.

Tough Guys and Tough Choices
 

You got it, Daryl. :rolleyes:

Actually, with love in their heart, our professionals call it "Hell Week"! It is an extremely demanding four days, and no one is fit for much anything the few days after. Unfortunately for Jeff and Ted . . .

The Georgia PGA Section Championship -- THE 'major' for its Section professionals -- begins the next Monday morning, as it has in each of the last four years. So, say a prayer for these two LBG stalwarts who depart Newark Sunday night at 8 p.m. and put a tournament tee in the ground Monday morning.

Not exactly the way Tiger prepares for his 'majors'.

Thanks, guys . . . You're the best.

:salut:

Best of Luck Jeff and Ted. And best of luck to all of you at the Barclays.

4-5 days of intense Hardcore TGM teaching; wow, a blast. Then to top it off you get to play a Tournament.

I'm envious.

You can't buy that kind of fun. These are the "Good-old-days". Give it everything. Enjoy.

Tuesday At The Barclays
 

Here are a few photos I took yesterday at Liberty National:

#1 Practice Range and the 'Boys of Summer'. Statue of Liberty view!

#2 Practice Range. From one end to the other, the best golfers in the world.

#3 Stewart Cink / 2009 'Champion Golfer of the Year'.

#4 Brian Gay, Heath Slocum and swing coach Mark Blackburn in the short game area. The laughs are all about caddie Kip Henley trying to throw a golf ball -- left handed -- over the high netting separating the short game area and the practice range.

#5 Kip enjoying the moment.

Re #2. Their divots certainly do travel a fair distance. Is there a relationship between divot travel and handicap? Money earned? Is the money DOWN under the ground, near the base of the plane and low point?

wifi
 

I'm flying! I'm flying!

This in-flight internet is kinda cool. I'm about 20 minutes away from landing in Newark. I was an in-flight, wifi virgin, until today. Being able to do everything I need to do online and in-flight is great!

Wednesday Photo-Op
 

From Wednesday:

#1 Three of our crew, Ed Zilavy, Jeff Hull, and Tim Carver, head of Barclays security (a 15-man staff) with Yoda, in the Barclays pavilion off the 18th green.

#2 Jeff and Ed on the outside deck with the Statue of Liberty in the distance.

#3 A finishing pro-am group on the 18th.

#4 Back at the Westin Jersey City Newport hotel for dinner with the entire crew. Ted Fort and Bill Castner have joined us.

#5 Ted meets his match with Maria, our waitress who cannot understand his request for three desserts. For the sound bite, visualize Mona Lisa Vito from My Cousin Vinny! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-L_bJAJA-E

All this after finishing touches on our Academy set-up and coordination with the Callaway folks and their Odessey Putting Lab.

All systems go for tomorrow. We hit the road at 6:30 a.m.!

:3gears:

Yoda, re photo 4.

One beer between 5 of you after a long hot day?!!!!

I'm not sure I'd fit in! Unless of course a friendly waiter has a tray of Guinness just out of shot!

I hope that beer is Bills'! I know Jeff doesn't really get warmed up until midnight.
Miss you all -have a great week

The photos were great but the you-tube clip really brightened up a crappy morning.

Ted channeling his inner Hunter S. Thompson by ordering 3 desserts at once?

:eyes:


3JACK

In the Ring
 

Here are a few photos from today's The Barclays Golf Academy:

#1 Patrick O'Riordan, The Barclays Tournament Director, and Yoda in the Academy.

#2 Lot's of action!

#3 Yoda 'on the bridge'.

#4 Jeff Hull recording a Client Lesson and giving it careful consideration. The client's taking notes, despite the fact he will be given a CD of the lesson.

#5 The 'goings on' at the Odyssey Putting Lab.

#6 Bill Castner gets ready to film his student.

Go BG!!
 

Nice birdie, birdie start to the 3rd round! T9 currently.

These boys need a lesson Ardglass style. Our second round was ordered as soon as the first ound arrived, if memory serves me correctly.

As an aside, still enjoying the memories of a some good golf,at a challenging and fun course, and great company. Thanks - MP

Way to go Brian!
 

Brian Gay really turned it on in the last round.

Nice T12 finish!:occasion:

Great comeback after the triple yesterday! :salut:

Kevin

Trophy Time
 

So many 'tweetable' moments this week, but so little time.

Here's one from late this afternoon. Don't worry, Heath: I'll return it!

:shock:

The dust of the past three months is settling, and I'll be back.

:salut:

You guys must all be whooped YODA!

I hope you are now able to relax with a beer and fine cigar while remembering all the great work you have done this week.

Travel safe! :salut:

Kevin

To the Lynn Blake Golf Team congratulations on a great week.
Manhattan now has been influenced by G.O.L.F. and hopefully it remains that way for many many years to come!

Also to Mark Blackburn congratulations on your student Heath Slocums win! I had a pleasure meeting Mark at the "Bash at the Beach!" and not only was he a great teacher but an even better guy! He is very deserving of his award of being a Golf Digest Top 20 teacher under the Age of 40.

So as they say across the pond Cheers to Mark and Lynn, Ted, Jeff, and Bill!

Sorting Through the Golf Nut's Catalog.

B-Ray

Very true Michael!

When are you back next?

I'll have a pint waiting for you!

I don't understand why there's only one post cheering up the great victory of Heath Slocum. Isn't he TGM taught by M Blackburn?

I was thinking the same thing....

I did not know that, I was looking up his swing on Youtube because it looked so good and found this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36iqhJYF9uE

Is he still working the the same GSEM?

Family Ties
 

Yes, he is, as featured in Post #5 in this thread. See photo below. Also, in my Tweets (#249-250) http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/thread6617-25.html, where I talk about Heath's strong-armed caddy, D.J.

Mark Blackburn and I texted within minutes of Heath Slocum's great victory. As usual when we are all at the same TOUR stop, we had talked earlier in the week, and the texts verified that Heath was working on the Pre-Shot Routine (3-F-5) and the Right Forearm Takeaway (12-3 / Section 4 #4). [Go here http://lynnblakegolf.com/index.php/V...th-Slocum.html for free Yoda video of Heath and Mark working at the 2008 PODS Championship.]

After the presentation ceremony, I was privileged to be with tournament director Patrick O'Riordan, PGA TOUR player (and runner-up) Padraig Harrington and Barclays CEO and Chairman Bob Diamond. They were delighted to hear that the new champion had been taught the same alignments as those learned the past four days by clients in The Barclays Golf Academy.

:)

Postscript:

Last Wednesday evening, our entire Barclays team met Heath, his wife and 20-month old daughter in the elevator lobby of the Westin Hotel. They were on the 12th floor, and we were on the 17th. He had barely qualified for the FedExCup Series, finishing #124 in a 125-man field. Four nights later, Heath and family entered the hotel, walked across the lobby (to the smattering of applause of those present) and headed straight away to the same elevator. The Champion of the first event, he now ranked #3 in the FedEx standings and was suddenly eligible for next year's Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship and the PGA.

Who was to know what a difference a week would make?

By the oddest of circumstances, Bill Castner (one of our Barclays Academy team) and I happened to come in at about the same time, and we walked with them to the elevator. We entered its close confines, pushed our respective buttons and began the ride to our rooms. Bill and I extended our personal congratulations, and I told Heath that Mark and I had traded 'texts triumphant'. Also, that I had just had my photo taken with his trophy. He chuckled, "That's neat, Mr. Blake." [With Heath, it's always "Mr. Blake". :(] About that time, his daughter squealed, "Look, I found a ticket!" (a valet stub on the floor of the elevator), and she held it aloft. I responded, "Your dad found a ticket today, too: It was worth more than a million dollars, and it came with a great big trophy!"

:laughing9

This was, to date, the biggest day in Heath Slocum's golfing life. It was viewed by tens of thousands on the grounds at Liberty National and tens of millions around the world on television. And there Bill and me were, together at day's end with The Champion Golfer of The Barclays and those most precious to him.

You know guys, you just can't make this stuff up!

:golfcart2:

Another great year at the Barclay's!

And just to rub it in, on Friday night at dinner I do recall saying "I think Slocum's got a great chance, he's my pick"


I really should have called over to Vegas on that one! I had watched him hit a few earlier in the day and he looked like he was really on track.

What a great finish! Not often Tiger has someone hole out on 18 to beat him.

It was a pleasure to take part again for the 4th year, always a good time - and lots of fog lifting for the visitors of the Barclay's Academy.

Now if Ian Baker Finch would have just come down after my invitation Friday! We had Alex Cejka, and Sergio stop in, and Jerry Kelly even dropped in one of the lessons I was giving. Confirming the importance of the finish swivel to the student (this after a nice -5 round on Sunday).

I'm already looking forward to next year back at Ridgewood.

- EdZ

I'm delighted Heath won, another TGM winner, the message will be getting out sooner rather than later!

However...

...damn that would have been a good playoff!!!!!