October 2003

Wednesday 1st October - Southern Farm Bureau Classic, Annandale Golf Club
A good practice day out here at the Annandale Club. The course is playing well and true. At a par of 72 and playing 7199 yards it will yield some good scores. The tee times are out and I am playing at all the Ones. From tee one at one pm in round one. I'm playing with Robin Freeman and John Senden from down under. I'll be trying to get it going this week. being a "bubble boy" as the media call it isn't too much fun. I hope to see some of you out there. Bye for now, Per

Thursday 2nd October - Southern Farm Bureau Classic, 1st Round 72 (Even)
An even round 72 in the end after a day that I felt like things were really going well. Made one birdie on the front on the par 5 5th hole after hitting my third shot to 8 feet and holing the putt. Kept it going on the back, making birdie up 13, then gave it back with a couple of bogies on the next 2 of 3 holes. Off early tomorrow, so after dinner it's straight to bed. Catch up tomorrow, Per.

Friday 3rd October - Southern Farm Bureau Classic, 2nd Round 70 (-2)
A solid, if not spectacular round today of 70 leaving me the right side of the cut line. I started from the 10th and was off to a good start with birdie on the 12th. However, bogies on 14 and the par 5 18th put my posistion in jeopardy and I was pleased to get it together on my back nine and make 3 birdies on 2, 5 and 7 to shoot 70. I am down the field and in need of a couple of great rounds on the weekend. My game feels good and one of these days soon I am going to shoot a good score. I need to get my putter hot! Catch up after my early start on Saturday. Bye for now, Per...ps There is no TV coverage this week but you can follow the action on TOURCAST on PGATOUR.com. It's free this week and it is really fun! Bye for now, Per

Saturday 4th October - Southern Farm Bureau Classic, 3rd Round 65 (-7)
One of my best rounds of the year and that even included a double at 17! I played really well today and shot 65 to move up 30 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 12th. This gives me a shot at a big cheque, but more importantly, my whole game came together. I was off to the perfect start with birdies on the first three holes. Another 3 followed on the front nine and I was out in 30. I continued the good scoring with birdies on 10 and 14, but hit my one poor tee shot with my 3 wood on 17 into the water and missed a 4 footer for bogey. Still, I kept my head up and made a solid birdie at 18 to recover. I will play with David Frost at 12.50 on Sunday and if I can swing it as well tomorrow then a another good score could be on the cards. After the round I am off for dinner with the TOUR travel guy, Eric and hopefully by the time you read this we will have agreed on where to eat!! Remember, if you want to follow the round you can watch TOURCAST on PGATOUR.com for free this week! Bye for now, Per

Sunday 5th October - Southern Farm Bureau Classic, 4th Round 70 (-2)
After the fireworks on Saturday it was a more subdued day today with a round of 70. I was off to a good start with an early birdie, but dropped a bad shot at the first par 5. I was in the middle of the fairway with about 190 to the pin and hit it in the bunker. I knocked it out to 9 feet and 3 putted...ouch, that hurt! Not a great deal happened after that, but I did manage a couple of birdies later in the round to work myself back up into the top 25 and a better cheque! This moved me up a few spots on the Money List, but I still have a big job ahead in the next four weeks. This week was very encouraging and I can build on some solid golf. Jill and Stella are already in Vegas and I am on the way there now to meet them. The event is a 5 day Wednesday start and my record is not so good in this event - it's time to break that record! Bye for now, Per

Tuesday 7 October - Las Vegas Invitational, Viva Las Vegas!
A busy week on TOUR with 3 courses on the schedule this week. We are enjoying Vegas and at the same time rushing around playing practice rounds before the Wednesday start to the event. It's a 5 day event in which we play all 3 courses - TPC Summerlin, Southern Highlands and TPC at the Canyons before the cut on Friday. Each day we are playing with 3 amateurs and this must be one of the biggest pro-ams ever! Jill and Stella are well and it's great to be all back together again after a few days apart. I am playing first at TPC Summerlin at 08.00 tomorrow. I hope some of you can make it out there. Congratulations to the winner of last months competition, Jeff Tate from Atlanta. A new competition is posted, so have a go! Off to dinner with the family, Bye for now, Per

Wednesday 8 October - Las Vegas Invitational, 1st Round 70 (-2)
A solid, if not spectacular start to the week with a 2 under 70. The TPC Summerlin is a par 72 and is the course played over the weekend. It is not considered the main "scoring course", so my 70 puts me in a good position to move forward in the next 2 days. I was off to a slow start with a bogey on 5 and didn't make my first birdie until the par 5, 9th to get back to level. I had a good run towards the end of the round with birdies on 13, 15 and 16, but gave one back on 17 to be back in 34. Jill, Stella and I are enjoying Vegas. We are staying on the "Strip" and hope to see a couple of shows this week. Catch up after the round on Thursday, Per

Thursday 9 October - Las Vegas Invitational, 2nd Round 75 (+3)
What a day! I just never got going today and a round of 75 is just not good enough around Southern Highlands, where the average score is in the 60s. I had a real mixed bag today with bogeys, doubles, birdies and a few pars! I won't go into details and relive one of my worst rounds of the year, let's just say that 2 doubles on par 3s didn't help the cause! The highlights of the day were twofold. My drive at the last went 410 yards and we stopped at In and Out Burger on the way home! Unless I break 60 tomorrow I will be on the way back to West Palm in the afternoon. I am staying positive and have 3 events left to pull it together. Catch up early in the week, Per

Friday 10 October - Las Vegas Invitational, 3rd Round 67 (-4)
Clearly, a much better round today, but not good enough to make a cut that looked like being -9 or -10 by the time we were headed for the airport. I am now back in West Palm after a long day Friday which started poorly with a bogey on the 2nd at TPC Canyons. I made a couple of birdies on 5 and 6 to be out in 1 under before a nasty double on 10 put me back over par again. At least I can take some encouragement from my finish. I birdied 5 in a row from 13 and came back in 3 under despite that double. I was pleased that I kept on fighting despite the fact that I knew I was missing the cut. Jill and I headed straight to the airport to make our flight back home. I now have 3 events to pull it together and the last 6 holes have given me some encouragement. I'll be back on TOUR next week in Greensboro and I hope some of you can make it out there. Bye for now, Per

Tuesday 14 October - Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, North Carolina
I arrived here yesterday and have played the revised Forest Oaks Country Club course a couple of times now. My game feels good and I know what I need to do! The tee times are out and I have a "late-early". I'm off the 10th tee on Thursday at 1.17 with Tom Gillis and Andrew Magee and then the first tee on Friday at 8.47. I'm looking forward to the week and hope some of you can make it out here, Per

Thursday 16 October - Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, 1st Round 71 (-1)
A real up and down day! I shot 71, which is 1 under par, but it really should have been so much better. Starting from the 10th I was off to a great start with birdies at 12, 13 and 18 to be out in 33. The second is a straight forward par 5 which is actually a reasonable birdie opportunity, but having hit my drive in the trees I was simply looking to make par. I chipped out and had a 3 iron into the green for my third shot. I put a bad swing on this one and hit it out of bounds. So, now I'm in the fairway hitting my 5th shot into the green! I missed the green and didn't get up and down...a snowman! (8) and I was back to level par. Still, I kept my head up and birdied 5 and 7 to getr back under the card before messing up another par 5, the ninth to turn in a 71. This puts me in position for a run at things on Friday - it was a day of 'could have beens'. I'm playing well and know a really good score is close! Thanks for all your notes of encouragement, I really appreciate all of the support. Catch up after my early morning round on Friday, Per

Friday 17 October - Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, 2nd Round 66 (-6)
A great day today and one in which my putter was hot. My score of 66 was one of the best on a tricky day, with some tough pin positions. I was out in 33 with birdies on 4, 5 and 9 and then kept it going well with three birdies in a row from the 11th. Over the tough finish here I made birdie on 16, but gave one back at 18 to be back in 33. This was one of my best rounds of the year and I am in a good position to challenge for the top (although Shigeki Maruyama is going to be tough to catch for all of us). The 66 moved me all the way from 61st position into the top 10 and a later time on Saturday. I am playing with Jay Haas at 1.06pm. Let's hope the putter stays hot on these great new greens which have been redesigned by Davis Love. You can follow the golf on USA network from 3pm on Saturday - See you then, Per

Saturday 18 October - Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, 3rd Round 70 (-2)
After going out in 32 it was a disappointing finish to the day. Things couldn't have started any better than they did. I birdied 1, 2 and 3 to be 3 under through 3. Pars followed until the par 5 9th, where I made another birdie to be out in 4 under and in the top 5. The back nine proved to be a bumpier ride and with an exchange of bogey and birdie on 12 and 14, I was still in shape for a great score. Unfortunately I had a poor finish and bogeys on 15 and 18 brought me back in 38 for a 70 total. I dropped back to tied 11th, but am still only a couple of shots off 3rd place. The top 2 are going to be very hard to catch but another score like Fridays and I will make a good cheque. A lot of people have asked me on line do I think about keeping my card? The answer is that I just have to keep playing well and cards and rankings will take care of themselves. It's the same for you all when you are playing in your match at the weekend. My recommendation is to focus on playing your own game well and the score will take care of itself. You cannot influence how well your opponents play, so don't try. Play your own game. I'm excited for Sunday and once again I am playing with Jay Haas, who is great to play with - he's extremely experienced and very calm, a real gentleman. So, I'm shooting for a good round Sunday and hope to report back late tonight with a solid top 5 or 10. Bye for now, Per

Sunday 19 October - Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, 4th Round 71 (-1)
A frustrating end to a good week with a one under 71 today. I just arrived back in West Palm after hitching a ride with Jesper and Robert Allenby on Jesper's plane ! I never really got going today and the putter was cold which didn't help. I was out in 35, which is one under and despite making 3 birdies on the back nine I shot level par, because I followed each birdie with a bogey. This included one at 18, after a great tee shot on the hard 17th, the par 3 to a few feet. I didn't par 18 all week. I made birdie there on Thursday and then bogey every other day. I have just seen the rankings and my position of tied 18th in this event moved me up 10 spots to 125th position in the Money List. That is the last place position for a full card and I still have some work to do over the next couple of weeks at Disney and Tampa. It has been a good week overall, with an excellent course, a great crowd and terrific organisation by the Chrysler people. My playing week was encouraging and augers well for the next events. Thanks for all the great emails of encouragement this week - it really helps knowing I am supported out there. Catch up later in the week. I'm off to bed! Per

Wednesday 22 October - Funai Classic at Walt Disney World
Jill and Stella arrived here tonight in Orlando and we off out to dinner. Before that let me keep you posted with an update of this week. I drove up on Monday to Champions Gate to spend some time with David Leadbetter. Although I was pleased with last week's result there is room for improvement in my long game and Lead and I worked on that. It felt good as I embarked on my 2 practice rounds ovet the last couple of days on the Magnolia and Palm courses on Walt Disney World. Both are good courses and in good shape. Over the first 2 days here we play with amateurs, so the rough is quite forgiving. The tee times are out and I have an "early-late". I'm off with Brandt Jobe at 7.40am on the Magnolia course's first tee and then 11.50am from the tenth tee of the Palm. I'm feeling good and if I play well I should consolidate my Money List position. First things first - play one shot at a time! Bye for now, Per

Thursday 23 October - Funai Classic at Walt Disney World , 1st Round 74 (+2)
A really bad day today shooting 74 on a day when 69 was the middle of the pack. I'm going to have to go really low around the Palm course on Friday to make the cut. I was off to a terrible start with bogeys on 1 and 2 and then a 6 on the first par 5, the 4th. Another bogey on thge par 5, 8th and I was out in a shocking 40. I did strike back with a great eagle at 10 and a birdie on 18 got me home in 2 under 34 to at least give me a chance on Friday. A poor day and very disappointing after working so hard this week on my game. Tomorrow is another day and let's hope I can get it going. Bye for now, Per

Sunday 26 October - Funai Classic at Walt Disney World, 2nd Round 70 (-2)
I'm back in West Palm with Jill and Stella after a disappointing week. I ended up shooting a 2 under par 70 on Friday to miss the cut by 5! I played better on Friday, but a cut of -5 was always a hard target after my opening round of 74. We stayed in Walt Disney World for an extra day, which gave me the opportunity to work with Lead for a few hours and find a key which will help me drive the ball straighter in the final event. That was the trouble this week! Missing fairways left and right doesn't help set up the birdies and in round one that's how I came unstuck. A friend just called me and told me I have stayed in 125th position going into the final week (that was a surprise). It's a big week coming up in Tampa and I know what I need to do - play well and the Money List will take care of itself. I was asked on the emails this week where I hit the longest measured drive on TOUR this year. It was a 400 yard drive at the Las Vegas Invitational! I think that is the first time I've ever managed that (even though it was downwind and downhill !) I hope to see some of you in Tampa. I'm heading there on Monday night. Bye for now and thanks for all the support, Per

Tuesday 28 October - Chrysler Championship, Westin Innisbrook, Palm Harbor
We arrived safely here in Palm Harbor, near Tampa for a big week. I had a good session with Lead and today I played a few holes with Jesper in preparation for the Chrysler event. The course plays 7295 yards and to a par of 71 and with some rain due it could be playing long this week. The draw is out and I have an "early-late" with Robert Gamez and Mathew Goggin at 7.09am from the first tee and then 11.39am from the tenth tee. We are staying near the course and have a great room with a kitchen which, with Stella is great. We can have some home-cooked meals which is always good for the karma! Thanks for all the notes - keep them coming, Bye for now, Per

Thursday 30 October - Chrysler Championship, 1st Round 74 (+3)
This is a tough course and you have seen that reflected in the scores today. My 74, whilst not great still leaves me only a few shots away from the top 20 and in position to go for it tomorrow afternoon. I made an early birdie on number 3, but gave it back on 7 to be out in level par 36. I started for home poorly with 3 bogeys in 4 holes, but did squeeze a birdie in there on number 11. Another bogey on the par 3 17th and I was home in 38 to shoot 74. The bermuda rough is really tough here and my key tomorrow will be to keep the ball on the fairway. I'm off in the afternoon and am going to go out there and try and stay in the present and shoot a solid score. I'll catch up with you after the round. Off to dinner with Jill and Stella now, Per.

Friday 31 October - Chrysler Championship, 2nd Round 73 (+2)
A 73 today proved two shots too many to make the cut and my fate is now in the hands of others. Needless to say I am extremely disappointed at the outcome of this event. I had some chances on the way out but could only make one of them on the 16th. With the 3 bogeys on 12, 14 and 15, I was out in 37 and my back was to the wall. A birdie on 1 gave me some hope but I just couldn't make a putt and a bogey on 8 put paid to any hopes I might have. I kept on going as I always do and birdied the 9th, my 18th, but it was 2 shots to many and so Jill and Stella and I are off home to West Palm. I will have the chance for reflection over the weekend and post my thoughts early in the week. Catch up later, Per

Next Month
Back to News Archive