Blog: A blast at Warwick Hills and a season-best finish

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Editor's note: Jimmy Walker, a member of this year's Citi Mentor Program (click here for more), will write a blog for PGATOUR.COM periodically during the 2009 season. In his most recent post, he updates us on the Buick Open, chasing Tiger and what's left for the season.

Badz/PGA TOUR

Jimmy Walker

Aug. 5, 2009

That was a really fun week. Of course it helped that I played one of my best tournaments of the year and finished as high as I did (tie for eighth), but really, the crowd is what's special about that place. Grand Blanc is an absolute blast. What an awesome atmosphere, especially when you get to No. 17. Phoenix and Dallas events are loud, but I don't think those are even as loud as the 17th at Warwick Hills. It's a smaller area than No. 16 in Phoenix, but the sound just stays in there, and it gets crazy. Sure, it can get a little nasty at times, but overall the folks are having a good time, and I think the players don't mind a bit. You can hear that gallery from all over the course. I backed off from several shots because of the noise. It's a special place.

The tournament had that little extra because we were chasing Tiger. There's definitely a unique vibe when you're in the hunt against the best player on the planet. I had a shot at him on Sunday, and that's all you can ask for. The short par 5s did me in, but it was nice to be in contention that late and gunning for a guy like Tiger. My game really came together this week. I just put some new Titleist blades into my bag and hit them pure all week. I'm still not putting it the best, but I had a great week of ball striking, and that really proved enough to score well last week. I'm taking it a round at a time and a tournament at a time as I work toward closing out the season strong. You can't do it all in one shot, so you've got to be patient.

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July 13, 2009

This week put me over the $200,000 mark in season winnings, but what people don't realize is how expensive it is out here. First off, 40 percent goes out the door in taxes. I pay my caddie $1,500 a week plus whatever we win during the week. I think I do a good job surfing sites like Priceline.com for the best hotel prices. For instance, this week we found a nice Crowne Plaza property in Milwaukee for $65 a night. But air travel is tough to cut corners on.

Eating out also gets you. I'd say a typical pro will spend between $75,000 and $100,000 in travel expenses in a season. That's a sizable chunk even for guys who make enough to keep their TOUR card. I've been helped by a great club partner and an awesome corporate relationship with Administaff out of Houston. My agent cold called those guys, and it was just perfect timing. They were looking into sports, and they've been an incredible group for me to work with every year I've been a pro. They've since signed Arnold Palmer and gotten involved with several pro sports teams. I'm lucky to have them.

We finished Sunday with 36 holes at the John Deere. I played well in my second round (64) but I just couldn't get it going on Sunday. It was the first time I had played 36 holes on the final day, but I don't think that affected me too much. I hit the ball well all week, especially off the tee. I just couldn't make the putts on Sunday when I needed them to pull into contention. I'm hoping to get over the hump this week in Milwaukee. There are 132 talented guys out here, so you've got to keep your game sharp to compete. But I'm always shooting for the win.

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June 9, 2009

The Texas stops really did a lot for my confidence. I played the best so far and turned in my highest finishes of the season. I played well in my hometown of San Antonio, which was especially gratifying since so many of my family and friends were there pushing me along.

I really fed off their positive energy. Unfortunately, I didn't make the field for the U.S. Open. I failed to get out of my local qualifier here in San Antonio. I really don't get the rules from the USGA on this one. I've played in two U.S. Opens, including the first one at Bethpage. But I'm on the outside looking in, so I'll live with it.

This week, I'm very optimistic about playing in the St. Jude Classic. It's a tough golf course. Last year, the winner was only 4 under. I really think a top 10 is in the cards. But we'll take it one shot at a time.

After that, I'm taking the family to Park City, Utah, to visit family and relax before I start playing nearly every week. I'm disappointed not to make the U.S. Open field, but I've got a lot of good things going right now and lots of golf ahead of me.

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May 12, 2009

This is going to be a fun week. And, yes, I do look at it (the Texas Open in San Antonio) as a home game. A lot of guys might look at it as extra pressure because they're playing in front of so many friendly faces, but I'm actually looking at it as an opportunity to get really going in the right direction. I played great in this tournament last year, and I'm very comfortable here.

I got out today to really eyeball the greens and see how they're rolling, but I know this place so well that I'm sure nothing will catch me by surprise Thursday when the tournament starts for real. The one thing different is how busy we've been -- hosting my in-laws and other family members who've come into town for the event. But that's great, too. I look forward to seeing everybody follow me out there. I don't think I'll have a huge gallery, but I think it should be pretty solid. My practice has been going well and I can't wait to get going in this tournament and taking some positive momentum into Dallas (for the Byron Nelson) next week.

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March 23, 2009

Things were shaping up to be a pretty good week, and then after I took my first swing with the driver on the range, it was over. I've had a recurring neck injury that flared up, and I had to pull out of the tournament.

When you pull out of a tournament early after making the cut, you get the money for last place, but you don't get to count it on the official money list standings. So, basically, all the work I put in to put myself in position to make a move in the final round goes to waste.

I've already seen my therapist -- they call them manual therapists -- and had one session. It's already feeling better. It's a very intense muscle manipulation massage. They rework the linings of your muscles and make sure the tissues are running the same way. I had it done a long time ago with a lady in Austin, but she's since retired. These guys took over her practice, and they definitely know what they're doing. They could tell that my muscles were out of balance by simply watching me walk across the office with my shirt off. Incredible stuff.

I'm hoping to get back in time for Houston. Last week was a tough course thanks to some deep rough, firm greens and some gusty winds. But I love that place. I'd never skip that event. It's a great course, and they treated us wonderfully. It's also pet friendly, which is good for my dog.

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March 16, 2009

It was a strange week to be sure in Puerto Rico. I didn't finish very well, but after three rounds I was actually second in birdies. Then again, I was last in greens in regulation. Not sure how you can do both, but I did it.

Obviously, I need to be a lot more consistent and play a lot smarter to get into the top 10 instead of at the bottom of the leaderboard.

I did have a hole-in-one Sunday, which was cool. It's my third career ace and the first since high school, so that breaks a 12-year drought. I hit a cut 7-iron into the wind and let it funnel down to the hole. My playing partner and I both hit great-looking shots but we couldn't tell where either ended up. The marshal at the green didn't make a move so we had no idea what just happened. When we arrived at the green, one of the balls was a foot from the cup and we couldn't find the other one. We thought it might have rolled off the side of the green. Then we looked into the cup and found my ball. I asked the marshal why he didn't do anything and he said he'd never seen that before so he didn't know how to react.

I'm second alternate this week so I'm waiting to see if I can bring some of the things I've been working on to the course. I was fifth alternate when the day started and a couple of guys already pulled out. I'm hoping to get into the field and to keep getting better.