I do like our picture, Rich (readers see his avatar), but in all candor, I do not believe that a jury of our peers would come to the same conclusion!
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"The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're okay, then it's you."
Brian Gay had another great week at the Buick (August 3-6 in Grand Blanc, Michgan). He finished at 16-under 262 (T-15 in a field of 156 of the world's best players!) and won $76,800. Best of all, he delivered his finest performance in the third round -- statistically his weakest -- a sparkling 7-under 65.
Just got around to checking a few stats this weekend and came across this little goodie:
For the year 2006, Brian Gay is currently ranked T-6th -- as in 1-2-3-4-5-6 -- in Scoring Average (Actual) on the PGA TOUR. His per-round average of 70.22 puts him only 0.64 strokes more per round (less than 2/3 of a stroke) than the category leader, Tiger Woods (69.58 ). Last year, he ranked 112th in the same statistic, proof-positive that those who embrace the principles of TGM -- at any level -- can enjoy immediate improvement and continuous progress.
Brian plays a lot of golf. This year, his record of 77 competitive rounds and 5,407 actual strokes is 13 rounds and 931 strokes more than that of the next leading competitor, Jim Furyk (in 4th place at 69.94 strokes per round). Brian has played 41 more rounds than Tiger (36) and has had 2,902 more strokes (versus Tiger's 2,505).
So, Brian's is a solid stat -- not a fluke born of a few rounds and a hot streak -- one that few people would believe possible from a journeyman professional of eight years who has yet to win a PGA TOUR event.
For your comparison, here are a few other names from the list (Major Champions in bold), their Scoring Average (Actual) and their current ranking:
Vijay Singh (70.27, 9)
Adam Scott (70.39, 12) David Toms (70.45, 14)
Luke Donald (70.51, T-17)
Rory Sabbatini (70.68, T-29)
Kenny Perry (70.73, 34)
Camilo Villegas (70.87, 47) Retief Goosen (70.95, T-62)
Padraig Harrington (70.95, T-62)
John Riegger (70.95, T-62) Ernie Els (71.05, T-74) Geoff Ogilvy (71.24, T-99)
Chris DiMarco (71.48, 124) Davis Love III (71.55, 130)
J.B. Holmes (71.64, 143) Ben Curtis (71.55, T-144) Fred Couples (71.77, T-154)
Sergio Garcia (71.88, T-163) John Daly (72.92, T-197)
Pretty sporty company in the rear-view mirror, don't you think?
So, while the Golf World may be surprised to see Brian lifting crystal on a coming Sunday afternoon, we at LBG will not be. He's earned his spurs and waited his turn...
Brian Gay just completed his second round at the PGA TOUR's Reno-Tahoe Open with a sparkling 6-under par 66 that included 9 birdies! Coupled with his even-par 72 first round, he is at 138 going into the weekend, currently tied for 11th (in a starting field of 156).
The event is being telecast from the Montreux Golf and Country Club, Reno, Nevada, all four days (August 24-27) from 10:30 p.m. - 1 a.m ET on The Golf Channel.
Congratulations to Brian Gay from his LBG gallery. His brilliant 5-under-par final round 67 gave him a 72-66-72-67=277, a T-21 finish and a check for $28,162.50.
Only time separates Brian from the Sunday that will be his.
Brian Gay paid another visit to The Swamp this past Monday and Tuesday on his way this week to the PGA TOUR's $5.5 million Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts.
[Don't be restricted to these thumbnails! Click on them. Then go to View in your Task Bar (then...Full Screen) and really get down!]
Monday night involved some fun mirror and balance training down in my 'War Room.' Never one to take the easy way, Brian promptly proceeded to turn the Bosu Ball upside down. "Makes it harder," said he, as he jumped into place with both feet. Yoda's Warning: Do not try that little move at home! In the 4th photo, look in the mirror, and check out that On Plane Right Forearm at Impact Fix. That's what Brian is doing. [Reference TGM 9-2-2 #2 below...any questions?]
The next morning we headed to Swamp Central -- the Marietta Golf Center -- where we worked on a number of things, but wound up concentrating on three: Ball Location, the Turned Shoulder Plane, and Maximum Trigger Delay of the #3 Accumulator. In Photos #6-7, take a look at his Address with the Driver. The Ball is located just inside the Left Shoulder (and hence, just prior to Low Point). His Right Forearm is perfectly On Plane -- reference TGM 9-2-1 #2 below...again, any questions? -- and the Ball position is geometrically correct in relation to the Clubface: slightly 'toward the toe' of the soled Club (2-J-1) and 'on center' for Impact. Prior to his TGM training, Brian's Right Elbow was much straighter, and his Right Forearm pointed inside the Plane Line. In Photo #8, take a look at his Right Arm Extension and his Flat Left Wrist. In short, a perfect display of the Flying Wedges into the Finish. And in #9 -- also taken in 'real time' and not posed -- note how perfectly the Clubshaft is parallel to the Plane Line when it is parallel to the ground (1-L-#6).
Photos #10-11 show Brian and 'ol Yoda in a working mode. We were oblivious to all things extraneous. As in that great Paul Newman 'pool shark' movie, The Hustler, we were in our own world...the world of the artist: "The hand, the stick and the eye."
In Photos #12-13, we did some work in The Explanar teaching device. Most of our Plane work had already been done, but when Brian mentioned that he had seen a Plane Board device set up at last week's Reno-Tahoe Open and that he had not been able to get over to it, I hauled out the Explanar.
Until then, it had been simply my own gentle assist to lift his Hands a bit that helped him up 'just a smidgeon' to a true Turned Shoulder Plane. We used video to reinforce the difference between 'Feel' and 'Real.' And then, suddenly, this...
"No way I'm that high," he said.
"Not yet," said I. "But you've been on your way there for the past six months, and with your new 'quiet Shoulders' and 'Right Forearm Pick-Up'" -- which he is practicing in Photo #5 -- "it won't be long now!"
Since I've known him, Brian has always had great Impact and Follow-Through Extension alignments. And now, when I look at his Address Position and the alignments it embodies, and then the new and improved Top we are working toward -- as evidenced in these last three photos...Hands and Right Shoulder perfectly aligned -- I find myself wondering before his Start Up...
"How can this guy miss a shot?"
It is the same feeling I got as a teenager standing behind Hogan.
In the 4th photo, look in the mirror, and check out that On Plane Right Forearm at Impact Fix. That's what Brian is doing. [Reference TGM 9-2-2 #2 below...any questions?] 
Hybrid Mode
