D.J.'s Blog: A weekend with Brandt

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HONOLULU -- What a difference a week makes.

I can understand why PGA TOUR players and caddies say that Waialae Country Club is one of the easiest courses on TOUR to walk. This course is extremely flat and the holes are very close together. For example, from the 13th fairway you can watch the approach to the green and watch the players putt out and then walk a short distance to the right and you will be at the 14th fairway where you can watch tee shots and the approach on the 14th hole. However, even with the flat terrain here at Waialae, I still recorded two falls for the week.

D.J. Gregory

I had the privilege of following Brandt Snedeker this week, and this was awesome. I was truly impressed with the person that Snedeker is. He's an easy-going person and will do anything that you ask him to do.

With Brandt, what you see is what you get.

"One thing I would like golf fans to know about me is that I'm exactly what you see on the golf course is the exact same kind of person I am," he said. "I never want to give people a false impression about myself and say that I'm out giving a fake smile That's not who I really am, I love living life, I love having fun, I've got the best job in the world and I want to make sure people see that when I play golf."

After spending a few days with Brandt, I really got a chance to see that he is the same person on and off the golf course. I was particularly impressed with him on Friday after what could be characterized as a disappointing second round, he made sure to sign every autograph and say hello to all of the fans.

Brandt recently got engaged and this week, I had the opportunity to walk around the course with his fiancé Mandy, and she was able to give me some insight on what it's like to be related to or be a significant other to a PGA TOUR player.

When I asked Mandy about what she likes best about traveling on the PGA TOUR and with Brandt, Mandy simply stated: "Being able to see Brandt on a daily basis instead of once every three weeks."

I also found it very interesting that Brandt seems to be a superstitious person both on and off the golf course.

"Yeah, I always mark my ball with a quarter head sides up and of course the quarter has to be from the '60's," he said. "Besides that, I always wear blue on Sunday, I don't know why I just kind of like wearing blue. Blue is my color I guess."

I found out that Brandt has superstitions when he wins, as well.

"It's so weird, when you start playing good, you think it's what you had (to eat)," he said. "At San Diego last year when I played good, I didn't have dinner the night before I went out played, so I always made sure I ate a late lunch and didn't eat dinner all week. I remember on the Nationwide we had Dairy Queen every night one week that I won, and one week it was we went out and had a glass of wine every night. You think it's the most random stuff, but you don't want to switch it up."

I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I was able to spend with Brandt this week. I truly appreciate how generous and accommodating he was during the entire week.

Brandt finished the first two rounds at even par, made the cut, but unfortunately with the new cut rule on the PGA TOUR for 2008, he did not make the cut for the final two rounds. Since Brandt did not qualify to play over the weekend, I chose to follow Fred Funk during the final two rounds.

The memorable moment of the week was during the second round on the ninth hole when Snedeker hit his tee shot far right into the water and he went in after it. After the round, I asked Snedeker to describe his adventure;

"I hit it right into some sludge I guess is the best way to put it," he said. "It was about calf deep and was able to get a club on it and get it back into play and stunk the rest of the day from whatever that mud was, I think there was some sewage in there (laughter) and everything else and it's been smelling bad, but I was able to save a shot."

As I close this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, I would like to express my appreciation to all of the fans who approached me this week and said some very kind words. I would also like to express my appreciation to Robert Havrilak, who is a fan who approached me on Sunday and said he saw me on The Golf Channel on Saturday night and I inspired him to come out to the golf tournament on Sunday and walk the golf course.

I would also like to say thank you to Preston Lentz and his wife Mary Ann for their generosity this week. Finally, I want express my deep appreciation and say thank you to Brandt Snedeker and his fiancé Mandy for their generosity and kindness throughout the entire week. These two people are class acts and I truly appreciate it. Thank you to everyone who has sent me e-mails this week, I truly appreciate your encouragement and support.

Please continue to send me your questions and comments. See you next week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

D.J. Gregory is 29 years old and was born with cerebral palsy. Due to his disability, he walks with the aid of a cane. During the 2008 PGA TOUR Regular Season, He will be traveling for 38 weeks and attending 37 events on the schedule. Each week,he will choose one professional to follow and I will chronicle my experiences while walking the course with him during each round of competition. Along the way, I will also have the opportunity to speak with fans and volunteers.