tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74940037738142700952009-06-23T23:23:19.374-04:00Adventures on the PGA TourCaseynoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-86111810536382602092009-06-23T08:27:00.004-04:002009-06-23T09:47:28.999-04:00

This was a truly exciting U.S. Open! What a diverse group of guys in the thick of things right at the end. The triumphant and much-deserving Glover (solid person, too), the usual suspects Tiger and Phil, the resurgent Duval (who probably played the best all week, in my opinion), the steady Fisher, and the complete surprise Barnes.Ricky Barnes finally earned his 2009 PGA TOUR card after paying

Caseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-57350543570427578532009-05-06T19:36:00.003-04:002009-05-06T20:09:01.666-04:00

My handicap fluctuates each year between 4 and 6, and even though I am a decent ball-striker, my short game continually holds me back. I like to blame this glaring weak spot on my absolute lack of practice. The only way to improve your chipping and putting is to work at it, and my "improvement" routine is non-existant...so I guess I can't really expect too much. After any round of golf I play

Caseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-81681971043613114452009-03-25T18:12:00.005-04:002009-03-25T18:49:32.112-04:00

It's amazing to me how quickly these TOUR pros can go from ice cold to red hot, not only with their play, but with their confidence.  Brett Quigley, who has just come off of consecutive runner-up finishes, is a prime example.  Brett had a bumpy start this year, missing three of his first four cuts, and his attitude was in the toilet.At the end of February, I was working the scoring tent at the

Caseynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-48197464639556539172009-03-07T09:57:00.003-05:002009-03-07T10:23:48.195-05:00

I was on the road for two more TOUR events in February.  People often ask me what is my favorite tournament of the year.  The Heritage on Hilton Head Island is always my #1, but I admit that when the weather's nice, the AT&T at Pebble Beach is hard to beat.  With clear skies and a sparkling sun, the golf-lover's vibe on 17-Mile Drive is intoxicating.  Unfortunately, this year one of the best

Caseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-55299245217424978082009-02-20T09:18:00.005-05:002009-02-20T10:40:40.246-05:00

In the last couple of months, I've worked as a Scoring Official at a few of the West Coast Swing events.  At the Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs, Pat Perez was able to finally rise above the TOUR's rank and file by capturing his first title (he needs to send Steve Stricker a "Thank You" card immediately). Golf legend Arnold Palmer was hosting this year's 50th Anniversary event, and as always, I

Caseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-85717730848829520252009-02-18T16:55:00.006-05:002009-02-21T10:50:54.702-05:00

Casey Jones Golf exhibited at the PGA Merchandise Show last month in Orlando. We really gained some traction in the “golf gifts” sector, as dozens of club professionals and golf directors showed genuine interest in our unique product line. We even sold some display samples right off the wall, including a special “Ms. 59” scoresheet I did for Annika’s historic accomplishment in 2001. Our “booth

Caseynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-36723788660821514452009-01-07T08:52:00.003-05:002009-01-07T09:27:29.775-05:00

I'm sorry for the extended absence. I've been thoroughly enjoying the holidays, and I hope all of my readers had a nice break and are excited for the new year.The PGA TOUR season is just one day away, and I'm expecting some fireworks. Tiger's long-awaited return will keep everyone on the edge of their seats, and I'm predicting the guy comes back stronger than ever in 2009. I leave in a couple

Caseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-69509617110052740762008-11-17T13:34:00.009-05:002008-11-19T16:06:16.246-05:00

I spent last week on the scoreboard at Callaway Gardens, one of the second stage locations for the PGA TOUR's Q-School. Seventy-eight players were vying for the top twenty spots (plus ties) to advance to next month's grueling six-day final stage at PGA West in California. It's surprising how many well-known pros have to endure the second stage after they have fallen on hard times. At Callaway

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-7696794264795624092008-10-22T11:27:00.004-04:002008-10-22T12:14:15.617-04:00

Last week I was handling the calligraphy scoreboard at the Nationwide Tour's Chattanooga Classic presented by Black Creek. Arjun Atwal from India took home the winner's check after he birdied the first playoff hole (setting the new course record with a 60 on Friday also helped). The runner-up was Webb Simpson, an All-American from Wake Forest who turned pro back in June. Keep an eye on this

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-28322145712513508232008-10-09T14:49:00.003-04:002008-10-09T15:22:58.461-04:00

While out on the PGA TOUR, I've heard many a player's name pronounced incorrectly on the first tee. These innocent blunders by the volunteer announcers actually provide some of the more comical moments from my life on the road.Watching 2008 rookie Dustin Johnson win his first TOUR event last week at the Turning Stone Resort Championship reminded me of a harmless goof from earlier this year.

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-6085886183930407592008-09-30T13:39:00.006-04:002008-10-01T17:45:53.722-04:00

The race for the FedEx Cup is finally over, having culminated in an exciting sudden death finish at THE TOUR Championship at East Lake. I worked the scoring area last week in Atlanta, and as far as work goes, it doesn't get any better for me...ten minutes from my house, a small field and late tee times every day. Compared to the 60+ hours a week I'm used to working, this tournament felt like a

Caseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-34015252483262588312008-09-19T14:41:00.007-04:002008-09-19T20:06:48.278-04:00

Day One of the 2008 Ryder Cup is in the books, and I must admit how surprised I am about the United States' 5.5 to 2.5 lead. A while ago, I spoke with Paul Azinger immediately after he was selected as team captain, and I asked him if he had any new strategies to motivate the troops."These guys don't need a bunch of rah, rah, rah," he told me. "If they aren't excited about winning, there's

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-32801170729161765452008-09-03T09:17:00.006-04:002008-09-03T19:18:44.260-04:00

Okay, I stand corrected. Maybe Vijay wasn't kidding when he told me last week that "he is the best"! Winning back-to-back FedEx Cup Playoff events is beyond impressive, and his flawless putting has been mind-boggling. Have you heard about Singh's new attitude toward putting? After months (years) of sketchy results on the greens, he recently started convincing himself that he's the "Best

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-64827026251996359822008-08-30T09:57:00.002-04:002008-08-30T10:03:02.242-04:00

Last week I was in the scoring trailer at The Barclays in New Jersey. Here are some random musings from the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs:What are the odds that Sergio and Vijay both make long putts on the first extra hole to extend the sudden death playoff? I’ll bet my house against that one happening again. I saw Vijay in the parking lot after his victory and he said to me, “I told

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-41127467372066689892008-08-13T14:51:00.005-04:002008-08-14T19:38:58.990-04:00

Padraig Harrington is the new man to beat! He flips on the turbo-boosters when he needs to, and the Irishman fills the current Tiger-shaped void as someone who actually goes out and snatches the championship away from the other contenders.Sergio played valiantly for the week, but a couple of key errors coming down the stretch cost him (why do you flirt with the water on #16?). Don't feel too

Caseynoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-13554935399058211682008-08-05T13:33:00.004-04:002008-08-05T14:30:30.575-04:00

I've had a lot of my friends asking me about Michelle Wie after her recent scorecard debacle on the LPGA Tour. I decided to hold off until now, as I was actually sitting in the scoring trailer with Michelle last week at the PGA TOUR's Legends Reno-Tahoe Open.Michelle was playing in her eighth PGA TOUR event, and after an opening 1-over par 73, everyone was abuzz about her making the cut. She

Caseynoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-26385809835798211442008-07-21T08:39:00.005-04:002008-07-21T10:50:33.752-04:00

Paddy does it again! I thought it was anyone's game as they made the turn on Sunday, but Harrington righted the ship and played crazy-good on those last few holes. I had a weird feeling that the Irishman might make it two in a row, bum wrist and all. If Greg Norman had won, it would've made one of the greatest golf movies of all time...a 53-year old legend comes out of retirement to redeem his

Caseynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-36670620070717025532008-07-14T07:59:00.004-04:002008-07-18T09:57:46.863-04:00

The week of the British Open has arrived, and Padraig Harrington will do his best to defend his title. Padraig is a great guy, and even though I'm also a big fan of Sergio Garcia, I was glad to see Harrington come out on top after last year's Open playoff. I created a scoresheet for Padraig to commemorate his major victory, and presented it to him at last year's TOUR Championship in Atlanta (

Caseynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-91071161133508206272008-07-07T21:28:00.004-04:002008-07-07T21:47:16.388-04:00

Anthony Kim is showing the world that he is for real. With two wins in his last five starts, he is the first American under 25-years old to win twice in the same year since…Tiger Woods.One of my first impressions of AK came at last year’s Nissan Open (now the Northern Trust Open) at Riviera Country Club in California. He showed up to start his third round on the tenth tee wearing one black shoe

Caseynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-50494618352651763952008-06-29T20:32:00.007-04:002008-06-30T18:44:40.294-04:00

As most of you golf fans know, Stewart Cink won last week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut, closing with a solid 67 to win by one. Stewart and I are pretty good friends, not just through our interaction out on TOUR, but also because he is also a Georgia Tech grad and Atlanta resident.Back in November, Stewart invited me and my wife to join him for a casual round at TPC Sugarloaf, his home

Caseynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-13830248730796507192008-06-23T17:03:00.001-04:002008-06-23T17:13:56.527-04:00

I sat in on some interviews at the U.S. Open, and heard some interesting things. Concerning Phil’s quadruple bogey on the par five thirteenth…all of the pros were raving about the stellar conditions of the kikuyu fairways, and how the stiff, bristly blades were shaved down tight and provided perfect lies for spinning the ball off the short grass. Phil claimed that his second and third chips to

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-64991282108885521582008-06-18T16:56:00.000-04:002008-06-22T17:01:22.055-04:00

I just returned home from the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. The USGA hired me to handle the scoreboard graphics inside the media center. The media center at a major championship is impressive. It is usually a gigantic temporary structure (think mega-tent) decked out with a large dining hall, a photographers’ lounge, an interview room, and of course the workspace area. It’s located on site, this

Caseynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-29365644627268092742008-06-04T08:09:00.001-04:002008-06-04T08:13:37.294-04:00

Since most people only see Tiger Woods when he is either A) playing in a tournament, B) doing an interview, or C) in a commercial, they often ask me “What is he really like, you know, behind closed doors?” I’ve had the good fortune of dealing with Tiger on a number of occasions during my job on the TOUR, and my answer to this question is…he’s really a normal guy! I’m not trying to sound cliche,

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-37428036039229669122008-05-29T13:20:00.006-04:002008-06-22T17:09:09.511-04:00

One of the biggest perks about working for the PGA TOUR travel staff is being invited to certain social functions hosted by the different tournaments each week. One that really stands out in my mind from this year was a mid-week party for all of the amateur players in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Dozens of local restaurants set up tables of their finest cuisine in a Palm Springs resort

Caseynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494003773814270095.post-81611854509661183462008-05-20T10:00:00.006-04:002008-06-25T08:56:45.740-04:00

Hello, and welcome to the newest blog on the golf scene. My name is Casey Jones, and I live in Decatur, Georgia, a little city just on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta. For the last ten years, I’ve been deeply involved in the world of professional golf, first as a scoreboard calligrapher (right about now, you’re probably saying, “A what???”), and more recently as a full-fledged Scoring

Caseynoreply@blogger.com0