Mazatlan

Well I have arrived safe and sound in Mazatlan Mexico. Since I arrived Monday evening I have had one 18 hole practice round and managed to get about 6 holes in this morning before the Pro - Am started at 8:30 am. The course is an interesting design, somewhat open on the front side and pretty tight on the back. The entire course is surrounded (in pretty close proximity) by Out of Bounds which demands a very strategic game plan to make it through the course effectively. On two occasions I played a 3 iron off the tee on par 5's and then a 3 wood (or 3 iron) to set up the hole. My thought behind it is, if I can eliminate the penalty strokes all together I should gain at least 2 strokes on the field easily. The other thing I have been focusing hard on is which way the grain is facing in certain locations on the green. These greens are very grainy much more than what i would be used to, even in the southern states. Same is true with into or away from grain, they will be fast or slower and also may pull side to side if going across it. I have marked as much as I could down in my course book to help from the fairway navigate to a down grain putt for different pin locations on the knowledge that the down grain putts will be faster but will also hold it's path or line to the hole much better which hopefully means I make more putts. I feel good this week though, my ball striking is looking good and my wedge game has improved. I'm hitting the tee ball very well as usual and as an added bonus I will be paired with my good friend Barry O'Neill for the first two days which hopefully will bring us both luck with a lower sense of urgency and pressure. We will be able to play golf the way we usually do everyday in Houston, light hearted and always very competitive. It's definitely a great way to start off the season (when making a cut is crucial) and you're playing with the one guy who would be able to alleviate any negative pressure you may be feeling. I look forward to this first week on tour. I'm going to relax the rest of the afternoon, maybe have a swim and maybe even listen to a few waves crash in on shore. I'll be in touch with more results but you can follow at www.cantour.com

JS