Two down, one to go – races, that is – here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brickyard 400 was run last Sunday, with Jimmie Johnson winning for the second time in a row and third time overall. Jimmie was at the course Friday, July 24 to accept his ring for last year’s victory and to also announce the Jimmie Foundation golf outing to be played at a later date.
Boo Weekley showed up on Friday to check out the action at the Brickyard and got in a little golf that afternoon. Boo is exactly what you see. He is very friendly, courteous and just a lot of fun to meet and be around. He went over to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. and picked up a few items for a charity auction he is doing later this year. He picked a door and spoiler from the 88 car. Also from the Tour, our good friend Jim Gallagher Jr. and his son Thomas and friend Jake came to the race. It is always good to see Jim. Jim represented the Brickyard on Tour for a number of years and has always been a good friend to the IMS and Brickyard. Jim and the boys got in a little ball-hocking in the creek before the race and walked away with some nice golf balls. Our blogger from the Nationwide Tour, Craig Bowden, also came to the track to watch the race.
Speaking of the Gallagher’s, Jim’s sister, LPGA tour player Jackie Gallagher Smith, is here this week. Local company Allison Transmissions is entertaining some customers this week and decided to tie in some golf with their visit. Jackie, myself and the rest of the professional staff have been doing two clinics a day for their customers, then taking them out on the course for a round of golf. The clinics concluded Friday.
The U.S. Senior Open started Thursday at Crooked Stick, and the leaderboard is full of stars. Greg Norman got off to a good start and was tied for the lead with Joey Sindelar at 6-under par. This is going to turn out to be a very exciting tournament with plenty of birdies to be had, but Crooked Stick will jump up and bite you very quickly. Fuzzy Zoeller is playing, and fellow Hoosiers Randy Nichols and Scott Morris shot 75 and 76 in the first round, respectively. Randy was at 1-under when the Stick got him on No. 14 and No. 16 with double-bogeys.
As far as predictions, I think it is wide open. Weather right now has not been a factor as Thursday the rain stayed south, and the winds have been somewhat light. Scoring conditions should be ideal with good weather scheduled for the weekend.
Last Friday, I participated in the Meridian Hills Shootout and got to see the renovations that took place over the past year. I must admit: The course definitely got harder. During the shootout, I partnered with Pat Welch of Woodland Country Club, and we finished fifth. My putter was not very good as the first six holes are alternate shot.
Coming up here at the Brickyard next week are the Challenge Cup matches where the top amateurs in the state take on the top professionals. It is 36 holes and is contended very much like the Ryder Cup, with the morning being best-ball matches and the afternoon being singles matches. I am happy to report that I will participate. I was hoping to play in the senior division, but unfortunately I am in the regular division, so I have to say hello to those back tees once again.
I need to give a shout-out to my good friend and fellow professional Will Hutter. Will was the professional at Wolf Run and Sea Island and is now at the Governors Towne Club in Atlanta. Will had to have some surgery to remove a kidney on Tuesday of this week. Will is recovering nicely, and his results are very favorable. I want him to know that just because he is short a kidney, he is not getting any shots, no matter how much he whines!
Remember, the Brickyard is in awesome shape and tee times can be made daily through our Web site.
Until next week, keep practicing, and remember fairways and greens lead to lower scores.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing
It’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard week here, and the course has been busy.
Fuzzy Zoeller was here Tuesday, July 21 for the Bob and Tom Fuzzy Navel Open golf tournament benefiting Riley’s Children Hospital in Indianapolis. As always, Fuzzy was very entertaining in his clinic, and then he was even more personable as he went around and played a hole with each group. Needless to say, they raised quite a bit of money that day for Riley.
It looks like Boo Weekley will be attending the race this weekend with a friend of ours, John Cunningham, who works for Bingham EST here in Indy. Along with Boo, our good friend Jim Gallagher Jr. and his son will be here this weekend to catch the race. Jim is a huge NASCAR fan.
Lots of activities going on Friday at the course, with hit a floating green on Hole No. 8 sponsored by Chevy. It is open to all fans and starts at 9 a.m. Those who hit a shot on the green qualify for the High Noon Shootout, with a chance at winning a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox. Check out the Web site for more details.
Let’s talk about major golf now. What a heartbreak for Tom Watson last weekend in his playoff loss to Stewart Cink in the British Open. Cink has been on the verge of winning a major for a long time, and it was nice to see him win.
But I do have to admit that we hold a special spot here for Watson, seeing how he made his Senior Tour debut here at the Brickyard in 1999. He actually shared the lead after round one with a 66. That year, we had the Richard Petty Driving Experience come in and let the players drive a stock car around the track, and Tom got the Rookie of the Year award for his time in the car.
After Allstate 400 at the Brickyard is over this weekend, major championship golf arrives in Indy for the U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club in nearby Carmel. If you don’t have tickets, yet you need to get some and watch the best senior players in the world take on Crooked Stick from July 27-Aug. 2.
The first round of the tournament begins Thursday July 30, with the final round Sunday, Aug. 2. Some of the best times to go might be the practice rounds, where you get up close a little easier and the players are much more relaxed.
I want to wish fellow Hoosiers Scott Morris and Randy Nichols good luck during the tournament. Scott qualified here at the Brickyard on June 30, and Randy qualified through his play in the 2008 U.S. Senior Amateur. Randy was a semifinalist at Shady Oaks in Dallas last year. Both are great guys to play with, and I have enjoyed the pleasure of competing against both.
The field for this year’s Senior Open is very strong, with all the big names entered. I am sure Watson will be among the fan favorites, as he always is, along with Fuzzy and Greg Norman. It should be a great tournament, so don’t miss the chance to see these great players up close at Crooked Stick.
As for our playing here, I tee it up Monday with my assistant Jeff Williams in the Indiana PGA Pro-Assistants tournament at the Legends in Franklin, Ind. It is 36 holes, with a best ball in the morning and Pinehurst alternate shot in the afternoon. We hope to build on our top 10 finish of last year.
Until next week, check out all the racing action here at the Brickyard and book a tee time next week here at Brickyard Crossing and play one of the finest conditioned courses in the area.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing
It is finally official: I am a Senior!
I survived the birthday party weekend and teed it up early Monday morning, July 13 in the Monticello Open. My first round as a 50-year-old proved to be quite interesting. I played well with the exception of three par 3’s. I played the 9th, 12th and 15th holes, all par 3’s, 7-over par and only shot 4-over par. I am not going into details about those holes, but it was ugly.
Next up is the Senior Pro-Am here at the Brickyard beginning Thursday, July 16, and I am teaming up with Skip Runnels. It is a scratch, best-ball tournament and concludes Friday, July 17.
Now onto the big tournament, The British Open. The Open, as it is called, is being played this year at Turnberry in Scotland. Everyone is saying the course is moderately easy and that Tiger has the edge. Some kind of stat says that every time that the Open has been there that the No. 1 ranked player has won.
You need to remember that strange things happen at The Open. Things to look for are the possible re-emergence of David Duval. He is a former Open winner and is coming off a U.S. Open performance that has him full of confidence. Or how about Todd Hamilton a few years ago?
But let’s not forget that the European Tour is full of talent with some new young guns and the veterans who know how to negotiate The Open courses and pressure. This one should be enjoyable to watch, as most the players not all that familiar with the course.
My picks for this Open are going to be some of the young Euros such as Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer. Can Padraig win a third Open? Of course, the best bet is Tiger.
Phil Mickelson is stopping his consecutive streak of majors in order to be with him wife and now his mother, who are both fighting breast cancer.
Next week NASCAR comes to town for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, and Brickyard Crossing will be busy with events. The week starts out with the Bob and Tom Fuzzy Navel Open. Fuzzy Zoeller will be here to help raise money for Riley’s Children Hospital. That event is followed by the Business at the Brickyard golf day. This is a partnership between the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and the Brickyard to introduce golf as a business tool.
Then there are open tee times Thursday, July 23, the last day before the cars start running on Friday.
Check out our Web site for all the action coming up here at the Brickyard.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing
The 2009 Indiana State Open ended Friday, July 10 with a fantastic round of 63 by Aaron Monson to claim the title.
First let’s recap Round Three, which ended Thursday after some morning rain and some real nifty pin placements. The course bit back after the first two rounds in which there were a lot of players under par. The tees got shoved back and course was a little softer, so it was playing longer. A lot of the players were talking how tough the finishing holes were playing. So the course got some respect back after the birdie fest the first two days.
At the end of the third round, it looked like it was just going to be a two-horse race between Chris Baker and Erich Johnston after Andy Winings fell back with score of 74. Johnston was leading Baker by one shot, at 13-under par. Monson was at 6-under.
Round Four began Friday with warm, humid temperatures. Monson go hot early and stayed hot as he shot a bogey-free 63. He birdied holes 1, 3, 8, 9 ,10, 12, 14, 15 and 16. He then two-putted from a different county on No. 18 to shoot 15-under for the tournament and then wait for the last group, with Johnston needing a birdie to tie. Johnston just missed his birdie attempt, and Monson won the 2009 Indiana State Open as an amateur. He just missed the course record of 62 set by Mike McCullough in 1999 during the Comfort Classic senior tour event.
Now that the tournament is over, the course is going to be setup similar to the Open championship this weekend. So book a tee time and come out and play the Open setup.
I want to welcome Allison Fouch to the blog team. Allison is a very talented LPGA player, and everyone should enjoy her blogs from the U.S. Women’s Open.
As for me, I have a birthday party to attend on Saturday – my own. So the next time I blog, it will be my first as senior. Hopefully my AARP card arrives, and I can get some discounts.
Fairways and greens to everyone, and my only birthday wish is for one-putt greens.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing
The first two rounds of the Indiana Open are in the books, and it has been a birdie fest here at the Brickyard, to say the least.
With the course being in excellent shape and little wind, the Brickyard was defensively from the young guns. These young guys bomb it over 300 yards consistently, and with fairways running fast, the par 5’s were short and the long par 4’s manageable.
As for my score, it all came to down to putting. I shot a pair of 75’s for a 150 total, missing the cut by two shots. Of course, I three-putted 17 and 18 to miss the cut, but I hit the ball well and just made a couple of mistakes that cost me from playing the last two days.
As the third round began Thursday morning, rain moved in and finally tapered off around noon. The tees have been pushed way back, and the pins are tucked nicely, so the scores could go up.
The leaders after the first two rounds were Chris Baker, Hooters Tour winner this year, and Andy Winings. Andy is the son of BG Winings, who is the golf professional at the Trophy Club in Lebanon, Ind. BG and I were college teammates at Ball State and have been playing together for the last 20 years, and every once in a while he takes me fishing.
Both Chris and Andy have turned professional since completing college, and I am sure they will be going to Tour School. There are quite a few good players chasing them, and it should be quite a shootout coming down the stretch on Friday.
We really need to give praise to our superintendent, Jeff Stuart. He has the course in championship condition, just like when we had the Champions Tour. So thank you to Jeff and all of his staff for providing such great playing conditions.
Remember that the course is open for play after the Indiana Open field has teed off, and the tournament layout also will be available over the weekend to test your skills.
Since this is my last event as a “regular” professional versus a senior, I can only say “goodbye to the back tees” on a regular basis. I am going to work on my putting, as it really let me down this week.
Until tomorrow afternoon, I will report back on the finish as I am headed out to watch the leaders play the back nine.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing
It just wasn’t meant to be.
Senior Open qualifying was last Tuesday, July 2, and it was my debut as a senior. On Sunday and Monday before the qualifier, I went to Lake Forest, Ill., to play in the Chicago Children’s Memorial Hospital Pro-Am. I have played in this event for about five years or so, and it is one of the largest fundraisers for the hospital, raising more than a million dollars from this event.
I thought it would be a good idea to get some competitive golf in before the qualifier. I played Sunday and Monday and played pretty well.
Three of us – George Arvanitis of the Country Club of Indianapolis, Jason LePage of Broadmoor Country Club and myself – flew up to Chicago and back through O’Hare Airport.
We all checked our golf bags at O’Hare, tipped the skycap and headed in to get on our flight back to Indy. We left on time and got to Indy by 10:15 p.m. and went to the baggage claim area and waited for our clubs.
Well, of course, the only set of clubs not to make it was mine. I explained the situation to the baggage rep for United, and he said that the clubs were still in Chicago and should be on the next flight at midnight. I told him to call me, and I would come back and pick them up.
Of course, no phone call. On Tuesday morning, I am calling the baggage number with my claim number, and the clubs had still not been located. Plan B was now in effect because I know now that my clubs are gone.
I started putting together a set of some clubs that I may have used most recently maybe five years ago. I didn’t have the driver that I had been using most of the year or the putter I had been using with a lot of confidence.
Bottom line: I just didn’t have any confidence in the set of clubs I put together. To say the least, I was very frustrated.
I ended up shooting 78 and missing a playoff by six shots. There were two players tied at 71 for medalist honors, Scott Morris and Steve Rogers, and two players tied for the last spot at 72. The two players in a playoff for the last spot were Russ Cochran and Quinn Griffing. Russ got the last spot when he birdied the first playoff hole and Quinn made a par.
Congratulations to Scott, who is a professional out at Ironwood here in Indy, and Steve, who played his college golf at Indiana University. Russ is from the Champions Tour, and Quinn is from Fort Wayne, Ind.
The frustration showed in my first few holes as I bogeyed numbers 2 and 4 and did not hit an iron shot till hole No. 7. I settled down and realized that my original thought of having to shoot 68 or 69 was way too low. The wind was blowing, and the pace of play was really slow, so I figured I needed to shoot even par to have a chance.
I three-putted the ninth hole to shoot 3-over on the front nine and still felt like I had a chance. I made a bad par on 10 as I drove it about 10 feet from the green and did not get it up and down for a birdie, which would have got me started.
I made pars on 11 and 12 and then hit a terrible shot on the par-3 13th and made a triple-bogey. From there I knew it was over and made pars the rest of the way out to shoot 78.
It was just one of those days where nothing positive happened to get my round going, and my confidence was ruined by playing without my usual clubs.
That day is over, and now we turn our attention to the Indiana State Open being played here at the Brickyard starting Tuesday, July 7 through Friday, July 10. This might be the strongest field ever with a lot of college players and also players who just turned pro after completing college.
Some notables considered older guys also are here, such as four-time champion Jeff Cook, Bill Schumaker, Denny Ford, Todd Smith and myself. Although I will not be 50 until Saturday, July 11, I am now one of the old guys.
I hope to be blogging daily and reporting on the action. The golf course is in excellent shape, and we had some rain on the Fourth of July to soften up the course and make it play longer. But more importantly, the rough will be long and lush. I think the scores will be low, and it will probably take 10-under to win the tournament, if not better.
Other staff members here at the Brickyard that are playing in the Open are Jeff Williams, my assistant professional, and Sam Foley, business development manager.
Good luck to all this week. The course will be open to the public Thursday and Friday after Open play, so book a tee time and see how you fare on a tournament course.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing