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February 2002
Sunday February 3 - West Palm Beach
We had a terrific weekend here in the sunshine. Nick and I
had a great game out at the Medalist. We played with another
friend of mine, Greg, and I took on their better ball (plus
I gave them a few shots!) Nick made birdie at the last to
tie, which was annoying! The bragging rights, if not the stakes,
are high in these games! Jill headed back to Sweden on Saturday
to visit friends and family so I will be out at a couple of
events on my own. I have had many questions his week. Here
are a few of them. Someone wanted to know Jill's handicap
and if she has beaten me. Well, she doesn't have a handicap
and she hasn't beaten me yet. But with some practice she could
be really good! Rusty from Maryland enquired about the Callaway
blue and red balls. Last week I used the new HX Red ball,
which I highly recommend. The big difference between the red
and blue in both HX and CTU is that the blue ball is a little
softer than the red. I actually make my decision during the
week of the tournament once I have played the course in practice.
It's not unknown for me to switch between rounds. Tonight,
I am off to California and San Diego for the Buick Invitational.
I'll catch up with you from there. Thanks for all the questions
- keep them coming, Per.
Monday February 4 - Buick Invitational, Torrey Pines
I'm here in beautiful La Jolla, near San Diego. It is one
of the most picturesque spots in America. We are playing the
two courses at Torrey Pines this week, the South and yes,
The North. I remember them from last year and that will certainly
help me out this week. I missed the cut on the mark last year
and am determined to make up for that and continue my good
run of form. The North is the shorter of the two courses at
6874 yards and the South plays just over 7000 yards. Both
are par 72s with par fives to finish. Do you remember last
years finish with Phil taking the title with a double bogey
at the third extra hole against Frank Lickliter and Davis.
It seemed like no one wanted to win it! And yet to get to
that point they were all 19 under par for the week. Play offs
can be strange sometimes. The competition winner for January
was David Sheman from Canada - well done David. You can read
the answers on the competition page. There is also a new set
of questions for February. I'll speak to you all later, I'm
off to dinner, Per
Wednesday February 6 - Buick Invitational, Torrey Pines
I had a great afternoon out at Callaway on Monday testing
drivers and some other of their new products. You have to
try the new C4 composite driver - it is awesome! The tee times
are out and I am off the 10th tee of the North Course on Thursday.
Friday, I am off the 1st on the South Course. My playing partners
on both days will be Joey Sindelar and Mike Sposa. Let's hope
the weather stays as good as it has been since I arrived here
in California! Catch up after the round, Per
Thursday February 7 - Buick Invitational, 1st Round, Torrey
Pines North, 71 (-1)
My round today was a bit up-and-down. Minus one on the North
course is not as good as I was hoping for since it's the easier
of the two we play here in San Diego. A birdie on my 18th
(the 9th) put me under the card with a 71 after a few bogies
and matching number of birdies. On Friday it's over to the
other course. The South course has been redesigned by Rees
Jones and is much tougher than in previous years. My game
feels ok so I just have to go out on Friday and play hard!
I forgot to mention that on Wednesday I was playing in the
Pro-Am with some great partners. We had a terrific time and
it was one of the most enjoyable pro ams I have played in.
I played with a future PGA Tour player, Corey! He is turning
16 in a few days but he really hits the ball well. I even
got out-driven a few times. Back to the gym to keep up with
these young guns! Watch out for Corey! Off out to dinner with
a couple of the guys now. Speak with you after round two.
I have a slightly later tee time at around 9.30am, Per
Friday February 8 - Buick Invitational, 2nd Round, Torrey
Pines South 74 (+2)
One of those days today. After an awful start around the South
course it took me until the 9th to make my first birdie. Unfortunately,
by that point after bogies on 3, 5, 6, and 7 I was behind
the 8 ball! Out in 39 and back in a respectable 35 around
this hard golf course was a couple short of making the cut.
I will now stay on the West coast and head up to Los Angeles
tomorrow for the Nissan Open. I love Riviera and am looking
forward to it. I have particularly good memories of the 11th
there. In the 1995 PGA Championship I made my one and only
double eagle or albatross as we call it in Europe. I'm feeling
good and actually playing well it just wasn't my week. Catch
up with you from sunny LA, Per
Monday February 11 - Nissan Open, Riviera, Los Angeles
I always enjoy coming back to marvelous Riviera. It's such
a cool place and the clubhouse and golf course are a joy.
As I said the other day I have happy memories of a fun week
here in 1995 at the USPGA Championship. I was out on the course
today which is playing well and playing tough. The original
George Thomas design has been restored by Tom Fazio and a
couple of hundred yards added to it's length. The famous high
tee of the opening par five fills me with awe as I am about
to tee off and look down over the course. Hopefully I feel
the same coming up the hill of the 18th! Robert Allenby is
defending after his great playoff victory last year. I'm staying
close to the course and am ready to have a great week. It's
going to be fun watching the Olympic hockey this week. Watch
out for Sweden - we have a real chance! catch up with you
all later and thanks for helping the site get off to such
a great start this year. Bye for now, Per
Tuesday February 12 - Nissan Open, Riviera, Los Angeles
This is a great week! Riviera is such a nice golf course and
the changes have made it even better. The greens this year
are the best I have ever seen them. Believe it or not, today,
in the practice round, I hit the flag on the par 5, 11th hole
with my second shot. It didn't end up in the hole this time
- it finished up about 6 feet from the hole!!! (remember -
albatross, 1995 USPGA, CNN Play of the Day - how many times
can I mention that this week!) This week's hotel is probably
the best of the year. The W Los Angeles!…Fantastic. They have
really succeeded. All the small details that you rarely see
at other hotels are executed so well. You really have to stay
here to find out for yourselves - you will also sleep in one
of the most comfortable beds ever. This hotel is very hip
and the way they decorate it will make your own house jealous!
My game feels a little better than last week and I'm looking
forward to a good days of practice on Wednesday. Catch up
later. I'll post the tee times later, Bye for now, Per
Wednesday February 13 - Nissan Open, Riviera, Los Angeles
The tee times have been announced and I am playing "late,
early" as we call it on tour. That is a late start time on
Thursday and then an early tee time on Friday. I'm off the
10th tee at 1129am with Pat Bates from Florida and Greg Chalmers,
The lefty from Australia. On Friday I will be up really early
to make my 709am tee time off the 1st tee. Catch up later,
Per
Wednesday February 13 - Nissan Open, Riviera, Los Angeles
I worked out this morning with my trainer Joey and then practiced
at the golf course. It's always busy on Wednesdays because
of all the people involved with the Pro-Am. My game feels
good, the greens are good, but the weather is supposed to
cool down a bit the next few days. It's time to bring out
my functional clothing from my clothes-sponsor Peak Performance.
Their clothes are perfect in this weather. I was so happy
when I saw my tee-times for the first 2 days. Late on Thursday
and early on Friday. This means I can watch the first hockey
game in the Winter Olympics between Sweden and Canada!! Just
can't miss that! I really have to congratulate Nissan for
their latest model,'Altima'. I have it as a courtesy car this
week and I am amazed how nice it is to drive. L.A is a very
cool city. Very trendy and hip. Seems like there's always
things to do here. You just have to deal with traffic (a lot!!)
Catch you later, Per
Thursday February 14 - Nissan Open, 1st Round, 70 (-1)
It was a frustrating day and my score of 70 was probably the
worst score I could sign for having hit all of the fairways
and 89% of the greens. My putter was not working today and
so hopefully I have a few putts owed to me for the next few
days here at Riviera. I started from the 10th and was out
in an uneventful 37 with a single bogey at the 14th. I came
back in 33 with a two putt birdie on the opening par 5 and
then a single putt (wow!) birdie on the 7th. My good friend,
Jesper is leading which is exciting. He and I are about to
head out for dinner before a very early start on Friday morning
(and then back in time for the hockey!) Speak to you after
the round and remember if you want to watch the scores live
go to PGATOUR.com. Bye for now, Per
Friday February 15 - Nissan Open, 2nd Round, 68 (-3)
A good move up the leaderboard today (from 42nd to 16th) with
a solid 68. I played nicely and with only one bogey on the
card was encouraged for the weekend. I started from the first
today and got it out in 2 under after birdies on 3 and 7.
Another followed on the par 5 11th and I made up for the bogey
with a birdie on the final par 5, the 17th. After play I warmed
down and then headed to the TV room to watch the big Olympics
game, Sweden v Canada. What a game and what a result for the
Swedes. We won 5-2 with the great Mats Sundin doing a fantstic
job. The team couldn't have had a better start, particularly
as the Canadians were probably the favourites for the tournament.
I knew that early tee time would be a bonus on Friday! If
you are coming to the course this weekend, look out for my
new Callaway hat! Speak to you this weekend. We're off to
celebrate the Swedes victory!, Per
Saturday February 16 - Nissan Open, 3rd Round, 68 (-3)
Another solid, if slightly disappointing day with a second
consecutive 68. This moved me into a tie for 10th spot at
7 under. I really played very well again, but still left a
few out there. Let's hope they come back to me on Sunday.
Particularly annoying was the three putt on the 17th, after
hitting the green in two and setting myself up for a birdie.
I got it going well on the back nine after turning in level
par with three birdies in a row on 11, 12 and 13. I exchanged
birdie and bogey on 15 and 16 to come back in 3 under. I have
a great group on Sunday at 915am. I am playing with one of
my good friends on TOUR, Fred Funk and also the British Open
champion, David Duval. It should be a fun day and I hope to
improve on the 68 and make a move. I had a question asking
if it is easier to play in 2002 with the luxury of choosing
events rather than playing each week. It sure is and you will
see through the year that I will take more weeks off than
in 2001, so that I have some time at home to recharge my batteries.
It may not look it sometimes but it can be mentally exhausting
out here week to week. A big hockey game on Sunday with another
Swedish victory important so that we get the best of the draw
in the quarters! I'll be watching! Bye for now, Per
Sunday February 17 - Nissan Open, 4th Round, 66(-5)
A great finish to a very enjoyable week in LA. Once again
I played well and finally a couple of putts dropped. We started
as a three ball, but is was apparent from the beginning that
David Duval was not feeling too good and after three holes
he had to retire through ill health. That left Fred Funk and
I out there as a 2 ball amongst the 3 balls. I made a slow,
but solid start and after 9 holes was 2 under. Things continued
that way until 16, where I made a birdie 2. I then hit 17
in two with a couple of big hits and unlike yesterday managed
to 2 putt for birdie. I made it three in a row with a birdie
on the hard 18th to move up to tied 6th. My game feels great
and I'm looking forward to challenging for a title down the
stretch this year. My scoring improved throughout the week
and to close with 66 around Riviera is very satisfying. The
cheque has moved me back into the top 30 (28th). After the
game I had a couple of hours to pack up from the great W Hotel
and head to the airport for the red eye back to West Palm
Beach. I now have a week off to relax! I had a question from
Chris in England asking about automatic qualification for
the 2002 US Open. The best way this season is top 10 on the
Money List through May 26th, or to win an event. I don't worry
about these kind of categories - like most Pros, I play. If
I continue playing the way I am qualification for events takes
care of themselves. It sure feels great to have made this
start to the season and encourages me for even better results
through the year. Thanks for all the emails of support this
week. I appreciate them. Catch up with you from the Florida
sunshine, Per
Wednesday February 20 - West Palm Beach
We have had a busy few days here in West Palm catching up
on house related activities and enjoying the sunshine! I will
be back on the road next week at the Genuity. The good news
is I can stay at home and simply drive over to Doral each
day. It's a huge $4.7 million purse - a good week to keep
up my good form. A couple of questons from readers to answer.
Someone was asking about my favourite hockey team (apart from
Sweden!). I'm a regular fan of Colorado Avalanche, particularly
when Peter Forsberg is fit and playing. I also follow Toronto
and Florida. Another question came up about the ball I am
using. Last week it was the new Callaway HX red, which I really
like. It is a little softer than the CTU and gives great feel
around the greens. Thanks for all the congratulations emails
for the start of the season. I'll update you later in the
week - meanwhile enjoy the Matchplay and lets hope Sweden
keep it going at the Olympics. Bye for now, Per
Monday February 25 - West Palm Beach
The week off between events goes so quickly. I can't believe
I an packing my golf bag again to go to the Genuity Championship.
The great news about the next couple of events is that I can
stay at home and drive to and from each day. This week at
Doral is about 2 hours away and it's a straight forward drive.
The last couple of days I have been practicing and playing
at Medalist and my game continues to feel good. We had a terrific
party at our house the other night which went on very late
into the next day! Other than that, Jill and I have been furniture
hunting and enjoying the Florida weather. I am now on a four
week roll taking in all of the so called Florida Swing. I'll
keep you posted each day with the news. I hoping to consolidate
on my good start to the year and move back up the Order of
Merit. Not playing the Accenture World Matchplay gives many
of the others a head start and I need to keep playing well
to earn my spot in the upcoming World Golf Championships.
Catch up with you from Miami, Per
Tuesday February 26 - Genuity Championship, Doral, Miami
We really are fortunate to play these great golf courses.
Originally designed by Dick Wilson, the 'Blue Monster' as
it is affectionately known has undergone renovation over the
last few years. Ray Floyd and Jim Mclean have done a superb
job in restoring the course and at the same time added some
features and length. Joe Durant is the defending champion
around the par 72, 7125 yard course. I played a practice round
today with Jesper before heading to the range and the course
is in great shape. It's great to be able to drive here from
home and once I find out the tee times I may decide to stay
nearby and save myself the drive on either Wednesday or Thursday
night. It depends on when my early time is. I have had so
many emails about the Swedish ice hockey team. Please, no
more it is too depressing. How could we lose to Belarus? And
to make matters worse, Canada goes on to win! I'm looking
forward to another good week. I'll post the tee times later.
Bye for now, Per
Wednesday February 27 - Genuity Championship, Doral, Miami
I stayed at home in West Palm today. The pro-am was on at
Doral and so there was no opportunity for me to play on the
Blue Monster course. My time was well spent on the range at
Medalist, which is only a few miles from my house, rather
than driving down to Miami to hit the same balls on the range.
It's going to be another cold night in Florida with the temperature
down to almost freezing! I'm glad I have a late start time
on Thursday! I play with Paul Gow and Tim Petrovic at 1.01pm
from the 10th tee. On Friday we all tee off from the first
and 0831am, so hopefully it will have warmed up by then. Even
with a 1 pm tee time Jill and I need to leave home at 9.00am
as it's a 1,5 hour ride from West Palm to the course. I will
stay in Miami Thursday night as planned so that I can drive
for 10 minutes rather than 90 minutes. Jill has a friend over
from Sweden this week, Yvonne, so I'm sure they will be having
a good time. Let's hope the weather gets warmer. Yvonne can
see this cold weather in Sweden! Catch up after the round,
Bye for now, Per
Thursday February 28 - Genuity Championship, 1st Round,
69 (-3)
We left the house at 9.00 to drive to Doral for my 1pm tee
time. The weather in Jupiter was nice and sunny, but by the
time we got to Doral it was freezing and the sun was gone!
I was due to start from the 10th tee at 1pm but there was
a short delay (I guess for frost) and it was very slow on
the front nine. My game was a bit up and down, but with birdies
on 14 and 16 I was out in 2 under. I hit a few bad drives
and my putting and bunker play saved me on a couple of occasions.
I had a steady back nine and after a bogey at the par 3 fourth
hit back with birdies on 5 and 9 to shoot 69. This puts me
in the top 30 and only a few back. Tomorrow, I need to try
and make better use of the par 5s (as one of our regular correspondents
pointed out!) After the round I had a massage from Joey, my
trainer and then hit the room service menu, leaving Jill and
Yvonne to have fun down on wonderful South Beach. With an
early tee time on Friday I needed an early night. I'll report
back after the round, Per
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