THE TOUR Championship / PGA TOUR / September 24-27, 2009

[Yoda]

Congrats to Brian Gay for achieving entry to the elite 'final 30' -- -- in the FedExCup Playoffs and THE TOUR Championship.

http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tourname...gay/index.html

Big payday coming up for all the players . . . some more than others.

See you at East Lake!

[Burner]

Congrats to Brian Gay for achieving entry to the elite 'final 30' -- -- in the FedExCup Playoffs and THE TOUR Championship.

http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tourname...gay/index.html

Big payday coming up for all the players . . . some more than others.

See you at East Lake!

He's watchin' the sun come up and countin' his money,
Or else in a dim cafe he's ordering wine,
Then suddenly there he is, and we wanna be where he is,
And this must be the start of something
This could be the heart of something
This could be the start of something big.

Go get 'em Brian (and Yoda, of course).

[alex_chung]

Good Luck Brian, Kip and Lynn!! Go get 'em boys!
Alex

[Yoda]

Despite the torrential rains and flood conditions in Atlanta the past few days, East Lake No. 1 -- home course of the fabled Bobby Jones -- is fit and ready for play. http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tourname...rse/index.html

So is our hero, Brian Gay, who goes at 12:45 in a limited field of thirty of the best golfers in the world.

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/r060/tee-times.html

The course is a tough Par 70 playing at more than 7,300 very wet yards. "Crazy long", as first-time qualifier Mark Leishman put it.

So, once again, length is its own reward, and BG's got his work cut out for him.

Not to worry . . . It's what he does.

[Yoda]

BG today shot 72 (+2) and is T-21. Nothing bad, i.e., no 'big' holes, but nothing real good, either. Just five bogies against three birdies.

As mentioned on the TOUR's website http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tourname...nd1/index.html and, no doubt, TV (I haven't been able to watch any of the coverage), the greens are extremely firm. I had heard of the new SubAir system that had been installed in 2005 to keep the greens firm, but I had no idea how effective it was.

All week, from under my teaching canopy in nearby Marietta, I had been watching balls splash into the rain-soaked range. Fifteen inches of rain had flooded the metro Atlanta area, closed major interstates and, sadly, taken nine lives. So, imagine my surprise as I stood by the 214-yard, par 3 second green and watched BG's and Kevin Na's tee shots bounce onto the middle of the green -- zero pitch marks -- and then roll to the back pin.



A mere two days ago, there's no way I would have believed that possible.

[Yoda]

On rounds of 72-72-76, BG is now at 220 (+10) and, in the limited field of 30, is well back in the pack (actually, 30th, but only one shot out of a tie for 29th).

We've got the field where we want it.

Time to let'em have it!

[Yoda]

BG finished with 72 (292 / +12). His T-28 for the tournament earned $122,250. For the season-long FedExCup points race, he ranked #21 and earned Bonus Money of $220,000.

More than most make in a week!