D.J.'s Blog: Catching up with Bob Tway

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MORE D.J.: Week one with Boo | Week two with Brandt | Week three with Micheel | Week four with Tway

LA JOLLA, Calif. --Welcome to the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Club. For the second consecutive week, we have a tournament that uses a multi-course rotation. During the first two rounds, players play on both the North and South courses. Typically, the South Course is the more challenging of the two courses, and it will host the U.S. Open in June.

D.J. Gregory

This week I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with PGA TOUR veteran Bob Tway. His rookie season on TOUR was 1985, so I found it very interesting to discuss the differences in equipment during his 23 years on TOUR. When I asked Bob how equipment changed from his rookie season in 1985 to 2005, he said. "When I was playing -- I am going to date myself here and may sound old -- but, we had wooden drivers and wooden 3-woods and pretty much the golf ball was totally different. We really didn't have much graphite shafts, so the combination of all that, the ball didn't go very far. Dan Pohl led the driving distance back then at 280 yards and I was averaging about 263. Now, guys are over 300 yards so it just changed drastically, and now they keep building more and more longer golf courses, so I've seen a big change in the 20 something years I've been out here."

When asked how he thought he could play in 2008 using his equipment from 1985 Bob said: "Well, I don't know that I would play that much different, to tell you the truth. To be quite honest, the equipment change obviously helps a little bit, but when I learned to play it was pretty much hit the middle of the face with the driver, work the ball both ways. We didn't have a 60-degree wedge back then and that's probably the number one difference. We only had 56 degree wedges so from that standpoint, it would be a little more difficult, but other then that, I would love to go back to the old equipment."

As with the other players I have had the opportunity to spend time with, I found that family is extremely important to Bob. "My main activity is probably watching my kids participate," he told me. "Any time I have a chance I go watch my son play. I don't get to watch my daughter dance as much as I probably should, but I enjoy doing that. Just watching them (my kids) is probably more important and more fun then anything else."

He also said, "I get more thrill out of watching my kids do stuff then me do stuff. I mean if I couldn't play golf anymore and only watch them (my kids) do stuff, that would be fine."

Bob's son Kevin is an accomplished amateur golfer who currently attends Oklahoma State University. I asked Bob whether he is more nervous when he is playing or when he is watching Kevin compete. He said, "No question, watching him. When he was playing the U.S. Junior and won the U.S. Junior, I had never been that nervous about anything in my life. I have never hit a golf shot anywhere close to as nervous as I was watching that last match. I wouldn't have been able to hit a shot, I couldn't have functioned.

"I remember Coach (Mike) Holder was walking around with me and he goes, 'What is wrong?' and I said, 'Coach I can't breathe.' I'm over in the woods trying to catch my breath. I mean, it was unbelievable, I've never felt anything like that in my life. Its funny, watching him in high school and stuff was not that big a deal, but that tournament, I knew what an important thing that was -- not just to say that you won it, but just, you know, you can never take that away. Winning a USGA event is just unbelievable."

I also learned that Bob is very passionate about the game of golf and loves to play and practice. I asked Bob about his 23-year PGA TOUR career and why he has been so consistent through the years. "I think the main reason is just the passion I have for the game," he said. "I enjoy working at it, and I think about it a lot. When I play poorly I get frustrated, but you go home, have a good dinner and a good night's sleep and come back and do it again."

Bob also said, "I think the fact that I just like to work at it is how I've been able to keep a consistent level of play for a long time."

I also enjoyed having the opportunity to meet Barry Williams, who is Bob Tway's caddy. Barry, ironically, at one time lived in Greensboro, N.C., where I also lived for 13 years.

Since Bob missed the 36-hole cut this week at the Buick Invitational, I followed Aaron Baddeley and Boo Weekley during round three and I followed Boo during the final round.

I found that both the North and South courses were decent walks, but not too difficult. These courses have a few hills here and there, but overall, I thought the two courses were relatively flat. Having said that, I still recorded three falls for the week. Two of my three falls this week were caused by my foot catching a tree root.

To learn more about me, please tune in to the GOLF CHANNEL on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3 to watch a two-part feature on me. Thank you again for all of your e-mails and support.

As I end my week here in San Diego, I would like to express my appreciation to Bob Tway for his kindness and generosity for the entire week. I would also like to send a special thank you to Brandt Snedeker and Mandy for their hospitality at dinner on Wednesday night. One final thank you for the week goes out to Boo Weekley for his generosity and hospitality at dinner during the week in Palm Desert.

I'll see everyone next week at the FBR Open in Phoenix where I will be following Jeff Quinney.

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D.J.'s Blog: Shadowing Micheel in the desert

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Welcome to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by George Lopez. This 90-hole event is a very unique and special week on the PGA TOUR where professionals play with amateurs and celebrities for the first four days. This tournament uses a four course rotation; Silver Rock Resort, La Quinta Country Club, PGA West Arnold Palmer Private Course and The Classic Club, which is the host course.

D.J. Gregory

This week, I had the opportunity to spend time with Shaun Micheel. Shaun is the type of person who will do anything for anybody, even if he does not know you. The perfect example of what I mean is this -- when Shaun was playing in a tournament on the T.C. Jordan Tour in New Bern, N.C., he helped save two people from a sinking car. Shaun provided me with a great amount of detail about this situation, and one thing he said that struck me the most was: "It was one of those moments in your life where you make a split-second decision, and you hope it's the right thing to do. It was. It was the only thing to do." To me, this shows that no matter what the situation is, or how challenging the situation could be, Shaun will always lend a helping hand and be there for others.

Shaun is also very involved with charity, and he hosts his own tournament to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation each year. "Leave the world a better place than you found it," he said. I believe this quote really exemplifies the type of person Shaun Micheel is -- a person who is looking out for the better of others. Shaun is also a person who really enjoys spending time with his family. Shaun has a 4-year-old son, and a daughter who will turn 1 in a few weeks. "In the summertime, they come out (on TOUR) just about every week, and it's a joy to have them out there," he said. "Not many things I would skip practice for, but my family's one of them." As you can see, family is very important to Shaun Micheel.

Besides spending time with his family, Shaun enjoys playing the guitar. "I've got six guitars, which is five more than my wife would rather me have. I enjoy it, I really do." Shaun is also good friends with KISS lead guitarist Tommy Thayer (whom I had the opportunity to meet as Tommy followed Shaun during the second round of the tournament). Shaun also has his pilot's license. Asked what his career would be if he were not a professional golfer, he says, "I'd be a pilot. So that's definitely what I'd be, and I enjoy it." Shaun's dad was one of the first pilots for FedEx.

I also found it interesting that Shaun has a great memory when it comes to things that happen on the golf course. When talking about the 72nd hole at the 2003 PGA Championship, Shaun said; "I just remember my caddie, who never talked to the ball, incidentally, and who always knew that was kind of a no-no with me -- he's the one on the video you can hear, "Be right!" Everybody thinks it was me saying that. It was not; it was Bob, and I just remember thinking in that split second, 'I cannot believe he's talking to my ball!' It goes through your mind. I mean people ask me, "What was going through your mind?", and what was going through my mind is that: 'Why is he talking to my golf ball?' As if it's going to answer. But you know how we are in golf. We're not superstitious." The PGA of America sent Shaun a DVD of the 2003 PGA Championship, and Shaun said: "I watch it often. It goes with me everywhere I go, and when I need a pick-me-up, I watch it."

Shaun played in the Celebrity division at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Over the course of four days, Shaun played with comedian Tom Dreesen, baseball legend Yogi Berra, Olympian Toby Dawson, football star Sterling Sharpe and legendary sportscaster Keith Jackson. I found it interesting to see the crowd level that each one of these celebrities attracted.

As for walking the golf courses, I believe the easiest course to walk was La Quinta, and the most difficult course to walk was The Classic Club, which was the host course. The Classic Club course is a long course, but I think the most difficult part of the course was the distance between greens and tees on some holes. Silver Rock Resort had five holes closed to the fans, making it the least "fan friendly" course on the tournament rotation.

I would like to thank Andrea, David, Richard and Ed for their assistance this week. These people were the walking marshals with Shaun Micheel all week. One interesting piece of information I learned this week was that a golf ball travels 5.25 inches in one revolution.

As I close the week at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic hosted by George Lopez, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Shaun Micheel for his kindness and generosity throughout the entire week. I truly appreciate it. I would also like to say thank you to all of the fans who approached me this week to say that I am an inspiration. Special thanks to Tony and Marlene Cucci for their hospitality this week.

I have been asked many times if I will be publishing a book at the end of my journey, and the answer is yes! The book will include all of the information gained during my journey. Thank you to all of those who have sent e-mails, I appreciate your support. Please continue to send your comments and questions.

See you next week at the Buick Invitational in San Diego, where I will be following Bob Tway.

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D.J.'s Blog: Following Snedeker in Oahu

HONOLULU -- What a difference a week makes.

D.J. Gregory

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.

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.

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D.J.'s Blog: Hangin' with Boo in Maui

Hello. My name is D.J. Gregory and I would like to welcome you to my journey.

I am 29 years old and was born with cerebral palsy. Due to my disability, I walk with the aid of a cane. During the 2008 PGA TOUR Regular Season, I will be traveling for 38 weeks and attending 37 events on the schedule. Each week, I 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.

D.J. Gregory

This journey has been a life-long dream of mine and this opportunity would not be possible without the generous support of the PGA TOUR, Southwest Airlines, Ashworth, FootJoy and tournament staff at each venue. I am excited to share my experiences with you and I hope you will check PGATOUR.com often and share in my year-long adventure.

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- The 2008 season began at 10:25 a.m. with an opening ceremony that included a traditional Hawaiian blessing led by Kapalua Resort cultural advisor Clifford Nae'ole. I really thought it was very interesting to see this portion of the Hawaiian culture. Following the blessing, the Star Spangled Banner was played on a ukulele by Sony recording artist Jake Shimabukuro.

I had never heard our national anthem played on a ukulele and I really thought this was cool. After the opening ceremony was over, the honorary starter, Joe Torre, the recently named Los Angeles Dodgers manager, introduced Stephen Ames, who hit the first shot of 2008.

I was very fortunate this week to follow Boo Weekley, who is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Boo has a great sense of humor. He'll give you many great one-liners but even better is the amazing outlook Boo has on life in general. When I asked him if playing for the United States at the Ryder Cup was in his thoughts for the 2008 season, Boo said, "Well, I would like to play, but you know if I don't it, ain't going to hurt my feelings. I just want to play the game of golf -- play it as long as I can -- and get out where I can still enjoy my life, enjoy my son and be able to show him things that my Daddy got to show me.

"You know, that's what it's about for me, is family," he said. "It's kind of hard because I'm a family guy. I like to be home with my family. I like to be fishing and hunting, and they're right there with me when I'm doing it, so you know I miss that and the opportunity to be able to do that."

Boo had a big contingent of family members with him this week in Maui. His mom, Patsy Weekley, provided one of the week's priceless moments when she slipped and fell in the mud on the eighth hole during Saturday's third round.

During my week with Boo, I also realized that he is also a very down-to-earth person. What you see is what you get with him. I asked Boo how he decided where to eat when he's on the road. His response was, "we'll go to Burger King, McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A and maybe every now and then, I'll splurge a little bit and get some fancy food at the Outback or Carrabba's or stuff like that. If it was up to me, we would rent a house every week and we would have cereal for breakfast (and) ham sandwiches, bananas, sardines -- whatever we want to eat. I mean, I ain't got to have all that. I know what it takes to survive."

The Plantation Course is a challenging walk for me because I find it more difficult to walk down the hills rather then up them. When walking downhill, all of my weight is in front of me to balance myself, and sometimes this causes me to actually walk faster then I can move my cane. Understanding this, I am proud to say that I walked this course for four days and had no falls. This course is hilly and spread out. In fact, there are three instances on the front nine where the players take a shuttle from green to tee, including a motor vehicle shuttle between the fifth green and sixth tee. The shuttle took five minutes for the one-mile adventure up and down some very steep hills. I appreciate the tournament volunteers allowing me to get a ride.

The volunteers were extremely friendly and helpful -- particularly our courtesy driver the first day who missed the turn into the hotel as we were deep in conversation. Each day after that, when we saw Tom, the driver, missing the turn became the running joke.

As I close this first blog entry, I would like to express my gratitude to Gary Planos and his entire staff and volunteers for all of their assistance and support this week. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Boo Weekley and his entire family -- The Boo Crew -- for their generosity and graciousness.

Please contact me with questions or comments.