Mark’s Kaddy Korner

The Augustine blackjack dealers chased me from the tables about 4:00 a.m. and as I was driving back to my buddy Todd’s place the sky was gurgling above the mountains between Palm Springs and L. A. The clouds were swirling, lightning flashing and the L. A. area was experiencing the worst torrential downpour in a half century. Jimin hadn’t texted about Monday practice time, ahh, maybe a caddy holiday was on the horizon. I forgot, I’m working for a young Korean, there’s no such thing as a day off. She texted me at 7:30, wanting me there at 10 but I negotiated for 11, enough time for the two hour drive from the desert.

Sorry about last week folks, there was nothing to write about and I didn’t want to bore you any more than I probably already do. It was a whirlwind getting out to Newport Beach for my favorite tournament on tour. We left Bonita Springs Thursday afternoon drove straight through to Woodstock, IL regrouped, repacked and all that other travel related crap and caught a flight out of Milwaukee to Los Angeles Saturday night. It’s impossible to do all this without the help of friends and April, my buddy Dan Suminski in Milwaukee helped out tremendously. You may not see folks for awhile but it always seems like they’re there when you need them. Thanks guys and gals.

Founder’s Tournament – Phoenix

The desert trip wasn’t firmed up until Saturday evening in Newport Beach and I never talked with my new boss until I set foot on the JW Marriot Desert Ridge Resort putting green Monday morning. Texting is all the Asian contingent relies on; talking on the phone is almost extinct. While I was earning my weekly percentage at the Palm Springs blackjack tables Sunday night Jimin was texting me my Monday morning schedule. She wasn’t playing but wanted me to work for her friend J. Y. something or other. We went nine holes and I still haven’t seen the cash yet for my efforts.

Golf is not a game of perfect neither is life. Tiger is going through struggles on the course like he has in his life; the two are significantly intertwined. Anytime you see a golfer searching on the course you may also find him dealing with personal issues away from the game. A professional athlete has the ability to compartmentalize his life, block out interferences once on the playing field and compete at the highest level. Tiger’s personal issues were of such magnitude, now he’s making drastic changes in his golf game, he’s forgotten about the little things, or doesn’t have time for them. His short game and putting are suffering; he was the best at both for a long while.