Day: March 20, 2019

18 things about defending Vaslpar champ Paul Casey18 things about defending Vaslpar champ Paul Casey

March 20, 2019March 20, 2019| 17:00

On paper, John McLaren knows that he and his boss, Paul Casey, probably couldn’t be more different. “Paul is very creative and artsy and left brain,â€� the veteran caddie explains. “I studied math and chemistry and geology so I’m the analytical type.â€� Together, though, the two disparate halves have come together and made a whole. A player who is focused on returning to the kind of form that once allowed him to reach No. 3 in the world. A player who ended a nine-year PGA TOUR victory drought last year at the Valspar Championship. That win — which came in Casey’s 151st start since that victory at the 2009 Shell Houston Open – wasn’t easy, either. He started the final round tied for 11th and fired a 65 that included a career-low 21 putts. He then had to anxiously wait about 90 minutes to see if his score would hold up. “It was really one of the highlights of my career in caddying,â€� McLaren says. “I was delighted for him and for myself and for (instructor) Peter Kostis, as well.â€� Since the two teamed up in January of 2016, Casey has finished in the top 30 of the FedExCup each year. In addition to last year’s victory at the Copperhead Course, Casey has 22 more top-10 finishes, including six top-threes, two of which have come in just seven starts this season. McLaren says the right- and left-brain configuration may be the key to the duo’s success. “It kind of covers one,â€� he says. “Paul is quite a volatile character. I’m a very logical, very calm person. I suppose. So that combination, I guess it could backfire, but between us it seems to fit nicely.â€� McLaren says mutual respect is also key in their partnership. “When I look at the long term, Phil Mickelson with Bones; Phil thought as much of Jim as Jim did of Phil,â€� he says. “And I know Paul and I — we’ve got each other’s back equally.â€� McLaren, who is known for the colorful socks he wears – in fact, his alter ego, Johnny Long Socks, even has its own Instagram account, started his life in golf as a pro, playing on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, as well as in Australia, during the early 1990s with limited success. A friend asked McLaren to caddy for him one summer. After their second stint together, this time for a year, McLaren says he “lost my desire to play.â€� So, he decided to concentrate on caddying, working for, among others Scott Dunlap and Duffy Waldorf. Prior to signing on with Casey, McLaren caddied for Luke Donald for six years, during which time the Englishman was ranked as high as No. 1 in the world. But the relationship reached a low point in 2015, and McLauren decided to leave Donald. “I think we’d probably run our course,â€� he says. Once people found out that McLaren was available, he began to get feelers from various players. McLaren had several tryouts, so to speak, the first with Francesco Molinari, who offered him the job — starting immediately. At that point, though, McLaren had already agreed to caddy for Kevin Chappell for two weeks and another for Casey. “I just said I’m a man of my word and I won’t do that without at least fulfilling them,â€� McLaren told Molinari. “So, I couldn’t join him straightaway.â€� Chappell offered McLaren a job, as well. But he still had to fulfill the commitment to Casey, so the two got together at the 2015 Hero World Challenge and finished fifth. Again, another job offer — but McLaren didn’t accept until the two sat down in London for a heart-to-heart. “My interview with Paul was goal-orientated really,â€� said the left brain of the duo. “I said why haven’t you achieved what I think you should have done? What are your goals, getting them all out and they were reasonably lofty.” “And then I was, I was like, oh, they’re fantastic, but what have you done to even consider making them come true?â€� The more the two talked, the more the analytical McLaren was interested. He’s a big proponent of David Alred’s performance-based coaching style, working with him when he caddied for Luke Donald, and McLaren felt like he could help Casey. He made suggestions, and the pro was all in. “Paul’s ball-striking is just naturally so impressive,â€� McLaren says. “So, when you’ve got that in a player, you look at all the other things and just see the other things as great opportunities, you know.” “When you come from a player like Luke, he was as good a pitcher and chipper and putter as you’ll ever see. You think, well, if I can blend some of that to a great hitter, I’m going to have a great player.â€� The on-course results speak for themselves. Casey ranks 16th in the FedExCup with a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – where he and his partner, Don Colleran, EVP and CSO of FedEx won the team title – and third at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. Off the golf course, the two men have found a variety of common interests. For one, both are wine aficionados: McLaren saying he learned a lot from Waldorf in that regard. “The ability of someone to grow fruit and turn it into wine, I think is amazing,â€� he says. Casey and McLaren also share a love of cycling. In fact, two years ago when McLaren turned 50, Casey took his caddy on a Tour de France-type of trip, complete with a team of riders, into the Dolomites, a mountain range in northeast Italy. The ride lasted a week and covered about 500 kilometers, or more than 300 miles. That wasn’t the biggest challenge, though. “It was more the ups and downs to be honest,â€� McLaren says. “We did about, I want to say, 35,000 feet of climbing during the week.â€� Carrying a 50-pound golf bag over four or five miles each day now must seem like a breeze. 18 things on Paul Casey Few people know a PGA TOUR pro better than his caddie. So here are 18 things John McLaren thinks you don’t know about his boss, Paul Casey. 1. Paul met his wife Polly at charity function during the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They were set up by Formula One legend Eddie Jordan. 2. He loves fast, exotic cars and he is an extremely proficient driver with many hours on the track. 3. Paul used to bite his fingernails until he saw himself in an interview on TV and he’s never done it since. 4. He’s an avid cyclist, enjoying both mountain and road biking. 5. He went to Hampton Wick Boys School, which is near Hampton Court Palace, one of the homes of Henry VIII. 6. He has a passion for watches. 7. He has two kids named Lex and Astaria. Lex is 4 and he’s just starting to get interested in golf. 8. Paul loves coffee. He even travels with his own coffee machine. When he’s at home, he grinds his own coffee beans and measures it all out meticulously. He’s actually going for a barista course pretty soon. He just loves it. 9. He has a brother who lives in New York and works in finance. 10. Paul went to Arizona State University where he won three Pac-12 titles in a row. 11. He won back-to-back English Amateur titles, too. 12. He has 17 professional victories around the world, including two on the PGA TOUR.   13. He was a supporter of the Wimbledon football club. But his dad used to dress him up in Tottenham Hotspur football club colors, which really incensed Paul. 14. Paul’s favorite meal is chicken tikka masala. 15. He has a couple of nicknames. One is Space Man – that goes back to his English days with Justin Rose. I think he used to call him Spacey Casey. The other is Popeye because of his forearms. 16. He prefers mountains to beaches. 17. Peter Kostis, the CBS announcer, is and has been his only instructor.   18. Paul has been to the moon — all you have to do is ask Bryson DeChambeau.

Click here to read the full article…

Read MoreRead More

Five things to know about Akshay BhatiaFive things to know about Akshay Bhatia

March 20, 2019March 20, 2019| 16:00

Akshay Bhatia is making his PGA TOUR debut at this week’s Valspar Championship. You may want to keep tabs on him – he’s 17 years old and has the golf world buzzing as the next big thing. Bhatia, playing on a sponsor exemption, is paired with Chase Wright and Kramer Hickok, with the threesome teeing off in the last group of the day off the 10th tee Thursday at 2:31 p.m. ET. This won’t be the last TOUR event you’ll see him at this year. Bhatia, a tall, thin lefthander from Wake Forest, North Carolina, already has a spot at The RSM Classic next fall, thanks to his recent win at the Jones Cup Invitational. He’s currently ranked eighth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Here’s five things you should know about him. 1. He plans to turn pro soon. Bhatia, who doesn’t turn 18 until Jan. 2, 2020, is hoping to participate in the Walker Cup in early September at Royal Liverpool. If he does so, he would be the first high schooler to ever play for the U.S. team at that amateur event. Winning the Jones Cup last month was a big step in earning that honor. After the Walker Cup, Bhatia will turn pro instead of opting to remain an amateur and play in college. “That’s definitely a goal of mine to make the team and to represent the United States once again,� said Bhatia, who three months ago was one of the 16 amateurs included in a U.S. Walker Cup practice session. “After that, I think I have a pretty good game plan as far as turning pro and my scheduling going forward.� 2. School, quite frankly, doesn’t suit him. Bhatia was in eighth grade – which, mind you, wasn’t that long ago – when he had a discussion with his dad Sonny, who noticed that Akshay simply wanted to concentrate on playing golf, practicing golf, competing in golf events, etc. “You know what – let’s just not go to college. Let’s not do it,� Sonny told his son. Akshay quickly agreed with the move. “I’m an 8th grader,� he said. “Of course, I’m going to say no to school.� “I have never liked school,� Akshay explained. “I’ve never been very smart going in, sitting in a classroom – and I have the worst attention span when it comes to it. I just love being outside. I love playing golf and I love competing.� That doesn’t mean he wasn’t tempted. He visited a couple of colleges, and spoke to a few college coaches, including at Oklahoma State. He said if he had gone to college, it would’ve been either in Stillwater, Oklahoma, or in Palo Alto, California at Stanford. “I’m not saying college is a bad thing, because so many great players have come out strong. Playing four years at college and trying to win a national champion is probably one of the best feelings and one of the greatest things.� It just wasn’t for him. 3. Akshay’s interest in golf started with his older sister. Rhea Bhatia is about four years older than Akshay, who was a child when he first saw his sister swinging a club. “He wanted to play really badly at first but was too young,� Sonny told the Raleigh News and Observer, the family’s hometown newspaper in North Carolina. “I said, ‘Watch your sister and your time will come.’ They’ve both been playing golf ever since. Both love golf.� Rhea, the 2015 4A Regional champion as a high schooler, played two years on the women’s team at Queens University of Charlotte. 4. He first gained national attention in 2017. That’s when, as a 15-year-old, he won the Boys Junior PGA Championship – and set several records in doing so at the Country Club of St. Albans. Akshay took control of the tournament with a second-round 61, then finished at 22 under for a three-stroke victory. His winning score was five strokes better than Pat Perez’ previous mark. During that week, Akshay made 24 birdies, as well as two eagles, and suffered just six bogeys. More important, he realized he was pretty good at this game. “I told my dad prior to the tournament, ‘I’ve just never played good enough to win a big event… I don’t think I’m ready to be good enough,� Akshay recalled. “That week, it changed my whole outlook on my game.� 5. He’s enjoyed plenty of cool golf moments. There was the 63 he shot at famed Pinehurst No. 2, when it was playing at 6,300 yards during a U.S. Kids World Golf Championship event. Oh, and he also aced the par-3 17th at that course, which has hosted three U.S. Opens, a Ryder Cup and a PGA Championship. In 2014, he participated in the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals at Augusta National, the weekend before the start of the Masters. He was among 88 juniors who advanced their way to the finals, and his family was there to enjoy the moment. “So humbling and such a great experience,� dad Sonny told the News and Observer. He’s had lunch with Jack Nicklaus at a Walker Cup event – and heard Nicklaus say, “You know, when I went to college, I didn’t learn much.� Said Akshay: “Which is funny, because you know, arguably the best player in the golf.� At the recent Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship, Akshay shot a tournament-record 10 under at TPC Myrtle Beach en route to winning the event. Afterward, Akshay said Johnson “is a mentor of mine. It was an amazing week.� Then during a practice round this week at the Copperhead Course, Akshay played with Jon Rahm. “I have a friend that is good friends with him, so he hooked me up with the invitation to play with Jon,� Akshay explained. “… I just asked him some stuff about what his experiences was when he was playing in his first PGA TOUR event and just got to know him a little bit. Hopefully in the future, I’ll be talking to him more.� Earlier this week, Akshay ran into DJ again and they had a short chat. “It’s cool because I’m slowly building relationships out here and for the future,� he said. “It’s going to be great just to lean on them a little bit.�

Click here to read the full article…

Read MoreRead More