What a day! I have a feeling I might say that every day I am here but yesterday was a special one. After getting a good warm up in at the new driving range complex we wandered over to the first tee at pebble beach. Whether you have played it 10 times (like I have) or if it's your first time, the adrenaline rush standing on #1 at pebble is just amazing. After struggling with nerves on #1, I came back and parred #2 (missed a 4 foot birdie putt), made bogie on 3 (after driving into the traps), parred #4, missed a 4 footer for par on #5 and hit #6 in regulation. Got a little messy in the middle (holes 8-11...1 bogey, 2 doubles and a triple) and then hit the tough par 3 green on #12 and made a two putt par from 40 feet. Hit a laser 7 iron on #17 and missed the 12 foot birdie putt. Couldn't finish 18 as the sf giants and sf 49ers were playing a "shoot out" event and were occupying the 18the green. So, overall I think I struck the ball really well, a little erratic (by hey I am an 18 handicap) and probably would have scored a 94 if I kept score. More importantly, I would have contributed 4 "points" (-4) to the team if this was a tournament round (i get 1 shot each hole as an 18 handicap), and would have helped with numerous bogies (which equate to "net pars"). For the first time ever I really believe that I can score at pebble. The course is relatively short (note: the greens are the smallest on the tour) and I was really long off the tee. The greens are really slick...there were a few where I tried the same putt 3 times trying to be short of the hole and literally could not stop it. The take away is you HAVE TO be below the hole on several of the greens here.

After the round we went straight to the pairings party. Surprisingly many of the celebs and pros actually show up for it. More surprisingly, the first person I see is Payton manning, not even 48 hours removed from the super bowl. I can't let this Kodak moment get away so Fred and I ask him for a pic (note: he is the nicest, most cordial guy you will ever meet), he obliges, We chat for 30 seconds, shake hands and wish each other well. Payton manning. Wow. After a few beers and speeches they give out the pairings packets. My pro is a 28 year old kid from Alabama (attended UAB). I do my homework on him (including calling my boy and mini touring pro, Ryan Willis) who advises that Will is a really good player that is "crazy streaky". You mean like the time he shot 59 on the web.com tour. 50 f'n 9. Four guys in the history of golf have shot 59 in a PGA event. He also finished 8th in Hawaii this year in the Sony open earning a cool $120,000. If you read his scorecard it looks like a weather map with all the bogies, birdies, eagles and "others". This guys middle name is "streaky". So, the question isn't will we be able to make enough birdies to make the cut, the question is how many will we give back when I make my standard double and triple bogies. I have a feeling we are not only going low, we are going really low. So, the schedule is as follows: thurs is pebble beach course at 10:12am, Friday at spyglass at 9:28am and Saturday at Monterey peninsula at 8:33am. I couldn't ask for a better rotation. If you finish in top 25 (out of 156) you play Sunday at pebble again. I hope to be there.

So last night, Fred and I are eating at the tap room at pebble. In comes a very attractive blond and Fred says "look at her at the bar" (hey, I didn't say this was intellectual conversation...and my apologies to my kids who are reading this, mr buck said that, not dad). Anyway, I can't see who he is referring to until she goes to be seated 2 tables from us. It's Paulina Gretzky (daughter of the "great one", Wayne, and wife of Dustin Johnson, who she is sitting between). Good stuff. Anyway, we finish our Dumol (btw: the Pinot noir is off the hook) and proceed back to the room. My back was scary stiff last night but feels goos now. Off to Monterey in 3 hours for a practice 9 holes. My childhood buddy (Joe D) arrives from his home in Scottsdale and will be THE entourage for now. He is like most new Yorkers - loud enough that he sounds like he is 10 people so the gallery will be loud.

That's all I got!
All I got.