Turning Stone New York

In the picture, Nick Flanagan and I are standing next to an exact replica of the New York Stock exchange bull. The bull is in between the first and tenth tees at Isleworth Golf Club in Orlando a. Isleworth is home to many of the world's top players including Tiger Woods, Stuart Appleby and Nick Ohern. Nick practiced and played at Isleworth on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with Nick Ohern and Stuart Appleby after spending a few weeks back in Australia after his third Nationwide win earnt him his full playing rights on the PGA Tour. We hit some balls and putted each day before heading out and playing a few holes. Nick's game is obviously in great order and he is looking forward to playing for some serious cash. The purse this week is US 6 million which is about 12 times what they play for each week on the Nationwide Tour. Nick will play probably 5 events in the fall finish and it will be all extra experience and a money bonus as his exempt status cannot go backwards for next year. If he plays well, he can even improve his playing opportunities early next year by getting into some of the limited field events like the Players Championship. He looked very comfortable practicing and playing with Apples and Nick and with now nearly 4 years experience as a pro I am confident he will play very well.

The Tour Championship

I am at the Tour Championship at East Lakes in Atlanta. I have been working with KJ Choi getting him ready for the Fedex Cup final. KJ is swinging very well now after and an indifferent last couple weeks due to some lower back pain. He has been closing his feet stance and his back swing shoulder turn was getting to flat, causing a lift at the top and to steep a down swing. This was totally due to trying to protect his back at a subconscious level in his backswing. Now his back has freed up, he has comfortably gone back to a square stance and the steeper backswing shoulder turn that we have worked on the last 12 months. I head to Orlando for the weekend to work with Nick Flanagan for two days before his first PGA Tour event since his 3 win promotion from the Nationwide Tour. The event is at Turning Stone in New York next week. Nick will practice with Stuart Appleby and Nick Ohern at Isleworth. We will do some technique work, but I don't expect there will be any major issues. Then we will work on some target work and skills testing with some head to head competition against the guys on the course and range. This will sharpen all the guys up for next week and help get Apples more in a Matchplay mode as he gets ready for The Presidents Cup in Montreal in two weeks.

The BMW Championship Cog Hill Chicago

Both Stuart Appleby and KJ Choi shot 3 under par 68's in the first round of the BMW ( formerly Western Open ) in Chicago today. For Apples it was a good turn around of form, particularly with his putting which has been horrible the last two weeks in Westchester and Boston. Apples had 26 putts today, which was 11 less than his 2nd round last week. We went back to some very simple basics of reading the putt from all sides, aiming down the assessed line and then committing to good speed down that line. Stuart's reading has not been good lately, but his stroke has been excellent. That can be frustrating when you know that you are rolling the ball well, but there not going in. On the practice green he has been using just one ball and reading putts and going through his routine on each putt the same as he would out on the course. KJ is playing wth Tiger the first two rounds and continues his good form. He pulled out after feeling a twinge in his back during the first round last week and went home for a few days rest. KJ is in great position to win the Fedex Cup, he is currently in 4th position, and a strong finish this week will set him up in a good position to contend for the 10 million dollar prize next week in Atlanta. Apples is currently in 36th place in the rankings and only the top 30 go through to the Tour Championship. He will need a top 5 finish this week to make it through. If he keeps putting like today, I think he will do it.