AT&T Classic Diary -- Inside the Ropes With Jeff Hull
 

Here's a special treat for LBG members: A daily 'player's eye' view of a major PGA TOUR event. http://attclassic.com/default.aspx

Jeff Hull earned his berth into this year's AT&T Classic (May 12-18 ) by winning the 2007 Georgia PGA Player of the Year. He is playing the tournament course (TPC Sugarloaf just outside Atlanta) as I write and will begin posting his observations and experiences tonight.

This is going to be great. Thanks, Jeff, and good luck next week!

:salut:

Friday Practice Round
 

I just got back from a practice round at TPC Sugarloaf today. WOW! I had the whole course to myself, nobody playing just me, my caddy, and about 200 maintenance workers diligently working on the course.

This was the first day that the course was closed to any play except for tournament participants. Since most of the field is down at Sawgrass I had the place to myself. It was really nice to warm up casually, hit a few chips and putts, then head over to the first hole and play away.

Because the facility was basically closed we stopped after 9 holes and went to Subway for lunch. There was no way we could make it another 9 holes without food. Because nobody was out there we just parked in the lot, got the bag out and went to the 10th tee like we had just finished number 9.

Chris Asbell is going to caddy for me in the tournament but today I had Augie, a 19 year old aspiring golfer who works for Chris at Georgia Golf Center. I hope this will be a great learning opportunity for Augie because throughout the day we talked about how I prepare for a tournament and what I am looking for in a practice round. I showed him how I look at greens and how I try to take a fairly conservative approach to playing. We had a great time and I look forward to playing again on Saturday.

For those who have not seen Sugarloaf on TV it is a big golf course. I think it is the longest course to walk on tour and very hilly. It was nice to get out and see the place close to tournament conditions. I hit the ball very solidly from tee to green and was very pleased with where my game is today. I will be working hard prior to the tournament on short game and putting just in case I miss a green :laughing9.

I am really excited about this opportunity and will be happy to answer questions along the way. Hopefully Lynn and I will be able to put some pictures or video up as well.

Jeff

Gnome's Gnats
 

I'll be there tomorrow. http://www.tpcatsugarloaf.com/

Not carrying the bag (thank goodness) . . . but close!

Video, anyone?

:eyes:

Jeff,

Will you make any changes in your set make-up

Yes, I will be adding a 22 degree hybrid to replace my 4 iron. There are a couple of holes where the extra height would be a benefit.

Since I have a caddy I will also be installing a beer tap :occasion:!

Driving and drinking
 

Let me know if your group needs a rules official, a marker, sign bearer...will work for beer!

Now you're talking!:occasion:

The Final Four (At Sugarloaf)
 

We had the Power Aid tap working today, courtesy of ol' Yoda bringing it in -- on ice -- from the local convenience store.

I caught up with Jeff Hull & Co. (read also: caddie Augie) on the 14th green at Sugarloaf. We then 'jee'd and hawed' all the way home -- from the 15th teebox to the 18th green. Lots of fun and a ton of tournament player insights.

And it's all on tape. :eyes:

A 45-minute LBG 'Playing Lessons With the Pros'. You're gonna luv it!

Bagger will have the tape Tuesday. Hopefully, you will have it that evening.

Stay tuned!

V. exciting stuff! Good luck "Team Gnome"!!:golf: Course looks great !!

Go Golfgnome, Go Golfgnome, Go!

Report From the AT&T Front
 

I shot a full hour of video today and have some great footage with Jeff Hull and Chris Asbell, PGA Professional/JH caddie; also, Brian Beatty, Adams Golf TOUR representative; and Jay Williamson, PGA TOUR player. The wind was howling, so I hope the noise isn't unbearable.

I got both tapes off late this afternoon. Unfortunately, with three to play, we ran into the final Pro-Am group, and I missed the last FedEx pickup from tournament headquarters. Not to worry, Bagger will have everything Wednesday, and we'll have video up that evening.

Jeff will play a practice round early tomorrow morning. He's played the course only in the afternoon, and he wanted to get some morning time in. We're meeting for a 7 a.m. breakfast and then it's out to play.

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be working with Brian Gay and will get some good footage of that experience as well. Brian is having his best year ever with Y-T-D earnings of $1,049,613 (37th on TOUR). The guys at Mizuno will be on hand, and we'll do launch monitor tests similar to those we did last year. That video is in our LBG Gallery.

Sorry for any perceived braggin', but I'm just so proud of these guys I can't help myself!

:golfcart2:

Monday On Tour
 

As Lynn stated, I spent today at TPC Sugarloaf. I told him I would be there about 11:30 or 12:00 but anxiety got the better of me and I showed up at 10:00. It was very windy and somewhat cold early on but I still managed to get some really good practice in.

Because the wind was blowing so hard in my face I was able to work on rhythm. The wind can really help you practice when it is directly in your face. I spent a good deal of time around the putting green and boy are the greens quick. My baseline 6 foot stroke was sending the ball at least twice as far. Even though they are fast they are very true so just get it on line and they will go in.

Lynn, Chris and I enjoyed a nice lunch in the players lounge and even spent the last part of the meal with Jay Williamson. It was at this time that Jay realized he needed a good pair of eyes (which Lynn was more than happy to provide). As I was practicing I could see Lynn and Jay working on Top alignments (my guess). Alignments are alignments! Normally I would be on top of both of them watching, but this week I am more concerned with my own game.

After some great range work (coming soon to LBG video), we went out to play 9 holes. The wind was still blowing pretty good, but it was very enjoyable. I hit some really good shots on the course but lost my focus on #7 when we caught up with the pro-am groups and were joined by TOUR player Richard S. Johnson and his "entourage".

I can't wait for tomorrow when the real fun begins. Most of the players will be there and all of the manufacturers will have their product on display to try. I want to play in the morning so I will know how the course plays then since I mostly played in the afternoon.

I am feeling confident in my ability and I am excited about the opportunity in front of me. The course is to my liking and I feel I can put up a good number. Just like any other event, a solid game plan and proper execution will be the key. I will let you know how tomorrow goes.

Jeff

Wow, what a cool experience. Something most dream about. Good luck!!

Good luck Jeff!
 

Jeff,

Thanks for taking the time to post your experience here...this will be a real treat for all of us.

Good luck out there. Feel free to "shock the world"!

- Trig

Tuesday and Wednesday
 

Sorry that I did not post last night, I got home late and after my son's school awards show I was tired.

Tuesday and Wednesday is really when everything happens out here. Tuesday is the only day here with no Pro-Am scheduled and most practicing is done. All of the Manufacturers are lined up and players are testing out the latest equipment and making any necessary changes.

I played the front 9 solo but was with Chris and Augie. I played pretty well and felt very good about my game. On the back 9 I was joined by Y.E. Yang.

After a great lunch we went back to the range to work out a few things that I felt were out of synch. I have a tendency to create to much right wrist bend on the takeaway and I can get steep and shut which disrupts my rhythm. I usually do not like to look at my swing this close to an event but Lynn and Steve Ferguson had their system set up so I decided to take a peek.

My thoughts were confirmed and it was an easy fix from there. I have to maintain a much firmer right wrist from takeaway to the top. I feel a definite RFT and "fanning". I know it is actually turning and cocking of the left wrist but it is MY FEEL. Anyway I started hitting it much better and was ready for some more practice on Wednesday.

Wednesday is Pro-Am day so no other rounds may be played. All of those players not in the Pro-Am are diligently working on their games, as was I. I had several great sessions today, working on all aspects of the game in a very relaxed manner. I am confident in my ball striking and my short game feels very solid as well.

This has been a dream week for me and I could definitely get used to this lifestyle, as could my wife. she got to do a "spa day" today with some of the other Tour wives and she really had a great time. The food here is outstanding and the players are really not wanting for anything. These are the best players in the world and are treated as such. They all have worked very hard to be where they are and are deserving of the "spoils".

I will post a summary to the week but now I must get ready for the 1st round. My family is coming in from out of town tonight and will be on hand along with some other friends from around town. As always you can follow the round on pgatour.com.

Before the round I have to thank Chris, Augie, and Lynn for all of their help and encouragement this week. Golf is an individual sport but you must have a team to be successful. I have a great team with me so now it is up to me to do my part. I can't wait for the challenge and all of the fun we will have.

Have a great time Jeff,you deserve it -and you can do it.
Play to win-you can:golf:

Great read, Jeff. Thanks for giving us new perspective with your posts. With everything going on for you right now (which must be nearly overwhelming), your time is valuable and we appreciate that you've shared some of it with us.

Golfgnome and I are ready. We had a great session today. Really fine tuned the feel he needs. It will be nice to step up on the first tee and focus on fairways and greens. Anything feels funny, we know what the feel and look should be to get back on track.

Jeff said his goal is to try and lead the field in GIR this week. If he can do that it will be a fun 4 days. The weather forecast for Thursday does not look very good right now. Thursday could be a trying day for patience. May not start on time, could have a couple of stop and wait periods. But if you have to sit and around and wait, who better to pass the time with, Golfgnome and Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey, one of our playing competitors.

And Yoda Makes Three
 

Me, too!

:toothy1:

Jeff,
Best of Luck and have fun out there!

Too cool Jeff, looking forward to living vicariously through you the rest of the week. Go get 'em :rambo: :rambo: :rambo: :boxing:

Well Wishing
 

Play well Jeff. One shot at a time!

May 10 Practice Round
 

I've loaded the first tape of Jeff Hull in the Gallery. It is a privilege putting these up...this footage is incredible and there is a lot more waiting in the wings. I hope everyone fully appreciates this behind the ropes view of a Major PGA Tournament. Jeff and Lynn are very generous in sharing this with our membership. I'm so excited about this material I've pretty much dropped everything at work to put these together.

In the first May 10 tape, you can walk with Jeff and Chris on holes 15 through 18 at Sugarloaf as he tests the course.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...1/JH_ATT15.wmv
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...1/JH_ATT16.wmv
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...1/JH_ATT18.wmv

These files are smaller to better accomodate streaming, so stretch your media player window for better viewing.

The videos can be found in the Free Videos section of the Gallery. Look for them under "2008 ATT Classic with Jeff Hull".

Enjoy - There is a lot more to come later this evening. In the mean time, GO JEFF!!!

Great video....thanks to the LBG Production Team for these jewels:)

And More...May 12
 

Almost live from Sugarloaf, here is some of the May 12 action.

Lynn Blake interviews Adams Golf representative Brian Beatty on Hybrid's.
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...H_ATTAdams.wmv

Lynn chats it up with Jay Williamson on a windy practice tee.
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...Williamson.wmv

Jeff works with Chris on his putting stroke in preparation for the super quick Sugarloaf greens.
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...ATTPutting.wmv

and there's more coming...:happy3:

And two to go
 

A Course Management clip
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...JH_ATTMgmt.wmv

and some great footage of Jeff working on alignments at the practice tee.
http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...H_ATTRange.wmv

Whew!

Thanks Jeff, Chris, Lynn and company for bringing us into the game.

Day One - In the Rough
 

Rough conditions out there today. Watching on TV I saw Greg Norman hit a sweet little greenside pitch only to be swallowed by a huge puddle of standing water on the green.

Yoda called me a few minutes ago from the 15th hole and said its unbelievable out there. Dark and raining hard. He was watching Jeff stick his approach shot to 4 feet.

Jeffy . . . you is my golf hero! Looks like it was TERRIBLE out there.

Pulling hard dude!

This is a great site! Thanks so much for sharing.

Y'all rock!

Go get 'em Jeff . . . BRING MY PUTTA!!!

Thanks for posting all of this GREAT content for all of us to enjoy... for FREE!

Very, very cool of you guys to do this.

And Jeff, best of luck tomorrow morning!

From the AT&T Front
 

Sorry for last night's Sounds of Silence, but both Jeff and I were exhausted after yesterday's round in the wind and rain and, ultimately, dark. There's lots to talk about, and we'll write tonight. Actually, given the terrific stresses of late, let's cut Jeff some slack and let him write tomorrow night (Saturday). And maybe me, too!

Meanwhile, Bagger's done great work getting the videos up (and more are coming tonight). If your Internet service is like mine, you'll need to first save each video to your computer -- right click and use the 'Save Target As' function. Then, replay the saved file. This works a whole lot better than streaming.

Bravo Jeff, Bravo:clap:

You came in prepared, you were mentally ready. You belong out there. You were handed some of the worst conditions ever seen at a TOUR event and grinded it out. The last two days were all about luck and timing but Mother Nature and the Tournament Board didn't give you either one.

No one is born a Champion, they are self made. Adversity doesn't stop them, it shapes them. I see a Champion coming up on the world stage - Its you Bro. You Da Man.

Video from May 13
 

The FedX truck came early today and delivered these little gems.

Here's a clip of Neal Lancaster chatting with Lynn and teeing it up for a practice round.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...TLancaster.wmv

Another of the Zach Johnson team with the Practice Green all to themselves

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...ATTJohnson.wmv

Later this evening I'll post a 30 minute video of Lynn walking a busy Practice Tee line featuring Jeff Hull, Brian Gay and others.

Thanks Lynn & Jeff
 

Jeff, thanks for letting us inside the ropes to see what it's like to prepare for a PGA tour event. You did a great job, especially considering the tough conditions and circumstances on Thursday. Looking forward to seeing you back out at a Tour event again!

I'd be interested in your thoughts on how this compared to your Nationwide Tour experience. Differences in course difficulty / setup? was your prep about the same?

Again, thanks.

Lynn, thanks for thinking of the LBG.com crowd and bringing the camera along; this is really great stuff.

Big thanks for the Z Johnson video! Being from IA he's obviously my favorite. Well, and of course Mr. Tiger.

Inside Inside the Ropes
 

Great stuff Lynn...you sir are the best...we appreciate the extra effort you give to share the experience with us.:)

Traveling Troupe
 

Thanks, Hector. And thanks also to the players and caddies who participated, especially Jeff and Chris.

These videos capture the way it really is on TOUR. Enjoy, everybody . . . It doesn't get any closer than this!

:)

Round 1
 

Chris and I got to the course about 10:30 for a 1:30 start. We had a nice breakfast and really took our time getting ready for the day. It was really nice outside, nice temperature and no wind. We knew there would eventually be some storms move in but we were hopeful that it would be later in the evening.

My warm-up went very well and I was really "on" every aspect of my game. I was as prepared as I could be. About 30 minutes before tee time it started to rain, nothing heavy just a light rain. The radar was showing a pretty big storm moving in from the west so we all figured to play some golf then get called off the course. I was prepared for this so no big deal.

I will never forget being announced on the first tee: "Now on the tee from Watkinsville, California....excuse me, Georgia, the current Georgia PGA Player of the Year, Jeff Hull." I have teed off in big events before but never announced like this and really never with so many of my friends and family around. I stayed with my routine and hit a pretty good tee shot up the right side. As I walked off the tee box I said to Chris that the tee shot was certainly different. He laughed and said lets go.

Without going into detail on every shot, I was striking it well. Through the first 4 holes I had 3 birdie putts inside of 15 feet. Unfortunately I was 1 over par because I 3 putted from about 12 feet on number 2 because it was really fast. I barely touched this downhiller and it went about 5 feet past and I missed it.

On number 5 the rain really started to come down hard and a 450 yard uphill par 4 was dead into rain and wind. I hit a pretty good 5 iron into the green but it came up a couple of feet short and plugged in the bank. I asked for an official and while we were waiting they suspended play. We all figured that this was probably the end of the day because it was really bad and the greens were collecting water.

After about 45 minutes there was a break in the rain and they resumed play. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!

By the time we got to number 7 it was really coming down and the wind was picking up its intensity. When we got to number 9 there was a group in the fairway waiting to play. It turns out they were looking for a ball because they could not get their tee shot over the tall grass because of the conditions. The 9th hole has a forced carry of 240 yards. Normally this is no big deal, but when there is a 10-20 mph wind and rain in your face it makes it a little more difficult.

While we waited we called for an official because the tee box had become saturated with wated. We figured they had to suspend play because of unplayable conditions. We waited 45 miutes on the 9th tee and all they did was make a poor attempt to squeegy(?) the tee box. We fianlly finished our front 9 in a speedy 3 hours and 45 minutes in a downpour.

The back 9 did not get any better. In fact I hit a 5 iron into the 10th hole on my 3rd shot that came up short. Normally it is a gap wedge or even a lob wedge. Chris and I were totally drenched and this was not much fun.

At this point every fairway was casual water. The only place to get relief was in the rough on a slope, not very appealing. We were running out of dry towels, energy and patience!

Finally at sometime after 7:15, 6 hours into our round, they called play for the day while we were standing on the 16th tee. In my opinion, and that of every player out there, we played 10 holes more than we should have. We should have stopped play after the first weather delay. What was really frustrating is that when we got to the clubhouse there was not one official around to tell me when we needed to be in position in the morning. I had to find out second hand.

At this point I was 5 over par and not playing that poorly. By the time I got back to my room, showered, went to dinner (I had not eaten since 10:30), dried off my equipment and went to bed it was about 11:00 and we had to get up at 5:30 to be on the course at 7:30. This was not the experience that I had hoped for.

This is a summary of the first day. To be continued.......

Day 2 (round 1 and 2)
 

After a poor nights sleep, Chris and I got the course at 6:15 to find out the my second round time was to start at 9:00, only about 30 minutes after we completed round 1. I thought we would actually start around 10:00 but I was wrong. I got a quick bagel and fruit, some coffee (not enough) and began to prepare for the day.

At 7:30 we were on the 16th tee to finish our round. I hit a great 7 iron to within 10 feet and made birdie! I hit a really good 5 iron into 17 to about 20 feet and almost made it. After a good drive on 18 I made the worst of all mistakes, I layed up in the _______ water! After a drop I hit a gap wedge about 20 feet and curled the putt around the hole for a bogey 6. I was not happy. I feel like if I could have made birdie on 18 and gotten back to 3 over I would be able to post 69 or better and make the cut. That mental error really hurt.

Needless to say I was not much fun to be around between rounds. I took out my frustration on the range and pounded a few balls. While I did this I actually found some much needed pivot lag and I really started to crush it.

It was time for round 2 to begin and once again I was announced as the Georgia PGA PLayer of the Year. That is so cool!! The weather was perfect and there was a noticeably larger gallery. We started today on number 10 and I hit my 3rd to within 6 feet and missed it. DAMN! After par on 11 I hit another shot to about 8 feet and missed it as well. I finally made a birdie on 13 with a 4 footer.

I was now back on 16 tee where last night ended and today actually began. The hole was cut in the right corner just over the bunker and it was 162 downhill into a stiff breeze (check out the video of number 16 to see what it looks like). I ripped an 8 iron to 20 feet and made it for birdie. This is the Dave and Busters hole so there was already a gallery forming and I got a nice roar from the crowd! I had got it back to 3 over for the tournament and easily could have been even or 1 over.

On 17 I made one the only bad swings of the day, and it was actually more mental thean physical. I needed to play to the right side of the green and let the slope bring it to the hole but I pulled it a bit, the wind got it and it ended up in the bunker left of the hole and short sided. I hit a pretty good bunker shot and just missed the putt (a common theme for the day).

I successfully layed up on 18 and hit a decent wedge to about 15 feet. Once again I just missed that one. I ended up with a 1-under par 35 and really felt it should have been 3 or 4 better.

At this point the wind was starting to pick up and was really swirling. On number 1 I had 195 to the hole into the wind to a tucked hole location. Chris and I decided to hit 5 iron right of the hole to the center of the green. I hit a bullet that flew about 205 to the edge af the back fringe and stayed there. I was now faced with about a 40 foot severely downhill putt that breaks about 12 feet....3 putt bogey....DAMN! I had about 12-15 feet for birdie on#2 and missed. On number 3 I lost a little focus while my fellow competitor took about 5 minutes to hit a pitch shot. I had about 35 feet downhill, left it short and missed the nest one...bogey.

I went ahead and broke strategy on #4 and went for the green in 2. I had about 280 to the hole downwind with a slope near the green to help me. I hit it pin high just right of the green and manged to make a birdie.

After a poor tee shot on number 5 I was left with about 205 to an impossible hole location into the wind. I hit a 4 hybrid and the wind took it into the greenside bunker long and left of the hole. I actually hit one of the better bunker shots of my life (carried it 20 yards from a downslope to a green that breaks about 20 feet and runs down past the hole into a creek) to about 10 feet and once again just missed the putt.

By this point I was still grinding but knew that I was going to miss the cut. Because of all the friends and family that came out to support me I was going to try and finish strong. I made 2 good saves on 7 and 9 and once again almost birdied the 240 yard par 3 8th with another putt that just missed. I finished with a 74 that easily could have been 68.

I will post again with a summary of the event and details of the after round beerfest!

One more
 

One more video with Lynn, Jeff, Chris, Brian and others on a busy May 13 Practice Tee.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...JH_ATTLine.wmv

All 11 Video Clips (3 hours in total) are located in the Gallery under Free Videos - 2008 ATT Classic with Jeff Hull.
Although I shrunk these down as best I could without losing too much quality, they still tend to stop and buffer if you stream them from the website. The best way to view these is to download them to your computer (right click - save as) and then watch them. Remember to stretch your media player window for better viewing.

A Few Observations
 

First Of All......thankyou To All Who Made Us Feel Like We Were All Inside The Ropes With Jeff......the Video......baggers Work.......all Involved Great Job.......

Jeff......your "diary" Was So Real......i Felt Like "i Hit The 280 Pin High" Great Work.....

Im Sure You Can Find Things You Could Have Done Better.......and You Will Work On Those.......but, You Did It....you Played In Unimaginable Conditions.......and Did Your Best.......a Putt. Here Or There Here Or There And Things Might Have Been Different......but To Me.......you Are A "real Pro" You Fought The Elements, You Had To Wait For A Partner To Hit A 5 Minute Pitch................and You Succeeded..........to Some Making The Cut....is Success......or Even Winning.....to Me Its Doing.......and You Did It......i Hope You Have More Opps To Play......good Luck Jeff.......and Thankyou For Making This A First For All Of Us..

Down The Middle
Hjack