Man at CA! Luke finished 20th in the CA event at Doral
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I've been working hard on my driving the last few weeks, as I always feel that if I can drive it well around Augusta, it really sets up well for me. I just have to keep working on my fundamentals, keeping my legs a little straighter, with more ‘tip’ that allows me to get the club more ' in and up' and more open at the top. If I can do this, it really helps me to exit the club more to the left, and that way I'm able to hit a slight draw, which is ideal for Augusta.
It’s been a mixed bag so far, but still encouraging - i missed the cut at the Houston open last week but each tournament has given me something different and in those where I've made the weekend i haven't been outside the top 25 and has three top ten finishes in the Buick, the Northern Trust and in the Accenture Match Play.
Some weeks I've putted great, some
weeks, my short game has been good and some weeks I've hit the ball well tee to green. I've been improving each week, but I'm just looking for that week when everything comes together. Hopefully it will be at Augusta.
Talking of the Match Play, I had quite a scare
during my match against Ernie Els. I felt a little twinge in
my wrist with my tee shot at 17. It kept getting more sore as I walked down the fairway. At first I had no idea what I had done, but thankfully, after seeing my surgeon he told me I had just irritated some scar tissue.
The wrist was sore for about 10 days, but improved enough for me to play in the WGC CA Championship at Doral where I finished 20th. It was my body’s way of telling me to make sure I look after my wrist after such a big surgery. So now I really have to manage it a little better by warming it up thoroughly before playing. Then I ice it down after the round or practice. Hopefully the scar tissue will behave!
Of course, Tiger is going to be the one to beat this week. He’s looking really ominous again. Obviously it lessens everyone's chances when he's playing well but it was great to see him charging up the leader-board at Bay Hill and winning in the way only he knows.
In the current economic crisis, its great to have your best player back representing the PGA Tour, increasing TV ratings, and bringing some excitement to the crowds. It's a real boost for the PGA Tour brand. He creates a lot of buzz on the Tour, and helps drive and promote the schedule and we all owe him a lot of gratitude for the job he does creating awareness of golf.
Like me, it took a couple of events for Tiger to get into his stride. No matter how much you practice, and how confident you feel, if
you've not played a competitive event for eight months, it's never easy to get straight back into it. It just goes to show what Tiger’s winning mentality is. I'm sure now he feels like he's back to where he was before his injury, just as I do.
I'm still very happy with my MP-62 irons. They look great and feel solid. My putting is going fine too, and for the most part I've been holing out well. I'm feeling confident going into Augusta, which has become a lot longer and narrower and instead of being a second-shot golf course, you have to have
all aspects of the game firing to do well there now. I would have loved to have played the Masters when it played shorter and wider, just so I would have something to compare it with.
But for now, it goes without saying, there'll be lots of short-game practice and putting on the menu before Thursday’s start at Augusta. I hope I can give you all something to cheer.
