:: April 09
::12 april 2009
"So, after finishing 20th at the Masters, and tying with Sandy Lyle and my old friend Poults [Ian Poulter] I'm off home to Orlando to see Kate, my wife, Leo, our son, and Margi, my sister who has flown in. I'm looking forward to a cuddle from and with Leo.
I have a week off now and as I play three tournaments in a row starting next week I am determined to make the most of my time at home with the family. As I have said before, I have made a promise to myself and to Kate that when I am on tour I am tour and when I am at home I will be there for her and for Leo. So there won't be much golf this week.
Twentieth was not my best finish at Augusta but not my worst either. I was fifth in 2007, 22nd in 2004, 36th last year and 39th in 2003. I have always made the cut at the Masters. I felt I did well to stay patient this week, not to lose the plot. But I also left far too many putts short and I had five double bogeys, which is not very good.
I feel that this week I demonstrated how when my back is against a wall I play better. I am a grinder. I don't give up. My first round was not great, a 74, and I did okay to recover from that and make the cut, which was important to me. My last two rounds were both 71. I am not excited about my golf but nor am I disappointed.
I did enough this week to make me think that I am getting better. When I look back on the week as I fly home tonight or as I go about my business in Orlando this week, I shall be proud of myself. Proud that I did not give up. Proud that I can play well.
I still can't manage any chords on a guitar, though. My hands, though big, really don't seem to open to their full size very easily. I am intrigued by the instrument and I think I would like to learn a little more about it. It was good having Nick [Bradley, his coach] around this week to watch him play it and to listen to him playing the drums. I am not sure when I am going to see him next. Probably at a tournament. We certainly have not fixed a date yet.
Jim Loehr, the sports performance specialist, was in the house with us this week. As it happens he is a neighbour of mine in Orlando. He usually works with tennis players but the principles he applies with them and to them can also be applied to golf. I will need to assess what we talked about, and so will he for that matter.
At the moment I am looking forward to coming to Britain to compete in the BMW PGA Championship. I am in the top 20 in the Race to Dubai so I am doing all right on that front. I need to play a bit better over here and assuming I do, as I am sure I will, I will be at Wentworth next month."
::1 april 2009
"Hi guys,
I hope you are all enjoying my new look website. We have had some great feedback - thanks.
I realise that the blog is important, so I will do my best to keep you updated as much as possible.
I'll start in Miami from where I gave you my first video update prior to the start of the event. The CA Championship is a World Golf Championship and therefore quite important for me to play well in as it counts for both the Race to Dubai and the Fedex Cup. The week ended up a in a respectable tie for 20th after a first round 73 put me way back in the pack. I was -10 for the last 3 rounds and felt I got better each day which was good for the confidence.
Straight after the CA Championship I headed home to Orlando for a fun event called the Tavistock Cup which is a contest between two Tavistock Group properties, Lake Nona and Isleworth which are across town from one another and home to an amazing amount of world class players. Isleworth have had the upper hand the previous 5 encounters but a Lake Nona win and home soil has tightened up the rivalry. The event is played in a jovial spirit but with endless prizes for long drives and holes in one etc the competition remains fierce. I managed to be unbeaten in my 3 matches and by holing a 35ft birdie putt on 18, managed to get a piece of the individual pie too! I always play well sleeping in my own bed!
On that note, after the rest of the week off it was time to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, and see if my own bed would treat me well again. Bay Hill always plays as one of the toughest courses of the year and has a really hard finish. I fell victim to 17 and 18 in the first round finishing triple bogey, bogey for a 5 over 75. This made my job of making the cut on Friday a tough one! But I dug deep and rallied to a 67 to make it comfortably. Again a poor finish hurt me on Saturday as I bogied 4 of the last 6 holes.
This time it was a slew of 3 putts that cost me. A solid 70 on Sunday put me in 30th place on +5 and with only -2 finishing 3rd I could look back at a classic case of what might have been as I had 6 3-putts and a triple during the week.
All in all I feel some momentum building and I'm beginning to make plenty of birdies which is a good sign so if I can tighten the game a little bit I should be in good shape heading into Augusta. This week I'm in Houston trying to build that momentum!
Update you after that....
Justin "
