“Sound like a plan” I replied and gave him a fist bump. We called it a day. Tomorrow, we have an 11:00 am tee time. Zack is amazing. He is a deep thinker and always seems to come up with great strategies. Everything he told me I know is correct. I had it in my mind that this is the strategy that I should take on a Links Course. But to hear him lay it all out and make a plan. That is gold. I am lucky to have him as my Caddie.
Final Day Scottish Open
Finally I feel that I am back to normal. I no longer feel that I have been off for a month and working my way back. I have the competitive attitude again. As I am playing this round I really feel like I got this Link course figured out. I played the strategy that Zack and I discussed. I was conservative when I had to be and I did not get into any trouble. I was able to attack the good birdie holes and managed to put in a good solid round of five under for the day.
So I shot four under for the tournament. That put me in the top 25. This link course basically took its toll on some of the players. Especially the American players. “You were right. Consistency is the key for the links course," I told Zack. “Bingo” He replied. “If you put together four solid rounds like you did today next week and you will be in the mix."
“Sounds like beer time to me” I replied. “I’m in” Zack said smiling. We got together with some of our friends from America and our new European friends. We met at the same Scottish Bar we went to earlier in the week. It was a hopping place. My gosh these European players know how to party. It was really a fun time. The European players were buying drinks for the Americans and the American players were buying drinks for the European players. Everyone was having a blast. It just made me realize how golf is an international sport. And we were all getting ready for next week at the British Open.
Chapter 15: The British Open
We arrive at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England Monday afternoon. Finally, we are here at the British Open. Or as the British Say “The Open." They do like it when it is called the “British Open." They feel like it should be called “The Open” and some feel strongly about that. This is the oldest of the majors. The Open was first played on October 17th, 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. I am happy and thrilled to be here. This year, The Open is being played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club. A fantastic setting. This is a classic Links course and it will be a challenge. I feel great today. I am excited to be here. Luckily I took it easy last night at that I bar in Scotland. The atmosphere is buzzing here. You really get the feel of a Major Tournament. And what a place! I am really enjoying the international atmosphere. Zack and I go to the range and hit some balls. “I am excited. I wish it was Thursday already," I tell Zack. He just laughs. We hit some balls and mingle with the players. I run into some of my new European friends that I met in Scotland. One is Hanz from Germany that I got to know last week.
“Found any good bars yet” he said smiling. “No not yet, but I think I am going to take it easy this week I said laughing. “Hey dude! Come visit me back home in October. I will take you to the Oktoberfest. It is the biggest party in the world." I will show you how to really party, he told me as he slapped me on my back. “I don’t think I can handle that” I replied. “You guys party too hard too hard for me. “However, I just may take you up on that offer. He just laughed. Zack and I prepared the next few days. Monday we just hit some balls and worked on my short game. Tuesday and Wednesday we had practice rounds and did our normal preparation at range and practice green. I seem to get quite a bit of attention from the media that I am not used to. I had a lot of interviews from media all over the world. I was reminded over and over that no one has one three majors since 1953. I felt that no one expected me to win this thing and that record will not be tied, much less broken. Some of the media asked me about the incident at the US Open. It came out public that Dafford Hilton was trying to protect his grandfather's record and that he has some psychiatric issues. I just gave a canned answer that the incident is over and I hope that Dafford Hilton will OK.
Wednesday we had a good practice round, and I got a good feel for the course now. I really like the links style course. It seems to fall right into my new game. Just make a good swing and not worry about anything else. We finish up everything Wednesday afternoon. My tee time is 11:00 am tomorrow. Zack and I make our plans that we will meet here at 8:00am tomorrow.
I go back to the hotel. As I am walking past the front desk to my room, the front desk clerk calls me. “Mr Galloway?” I stopped. “Yes sir” I replied. The desk clerk is an older distinguished english gentleman, gray headed in his 60’s, and sharply dressed in a suit and tie. “I have something for you” he said. He went to the back of the desk and there was a big wall with wooden cubby holes. He pulled out a paper and brought it to me. “Mr. Galloway, you have a Telegram," he said as handed it to me. “What!?," I replied in a confused tone. “A Telegram? Telegrams still exist? You're kidding me? He of shook his head. “Yeah, believe it or not they still do exist. But they are not used very much now. Back in the day, the Telegram was the golden standard of massaging. But since the fax and especially the Internet, they are not used much anymore. I see one come through here every once in awhile. Mostly from smaller eastern block countries. But this one is from the United States," he told me. I looked at it. And sure enough it is a Telegram from the United States. It is the first one I have ever seen. “Thanks” I replied, and I went up to my room.
I was very curious about this. Who in the world would send me a telegram. I sat down on the bed and I opened it up. It was all official looking. And in the telegram was the message. “Jim. Good Luck with the British Open. I know you have been through a lot recently. Remember, just block out everything for four to six seconds when you address the ball. Tempo, Tempo, Tempo. I wish you well. Signed, Gus." “Gus!” I shouted out loud laughing and falling back on the bed looking at the telegram. “My gosh he really is stuck in the 70’s." I really got tickled and laughed pretty hard for a couple of minutes. It’s so funny everything he does is so 1970’s retro. First a postcard and now a telegram. It was good to hear from him. And then I started thinking about all that he taught me and how he has transformed my game. And he is correct. I do need to just block out everything for a few seconds and swing with good tempo. And of course with a good pendulum swing as he taught me. And generate that “Powerful Centripetal Force” as he called it. It really made me happy to hear from him. But someday he needs to get in the twenty-first century and learn how to send a text or an email.
After that I got settled down and prepared for the big day tomorrow. As a matter of fact. I brought that pendulum gadget he gave me. I still use it when I am hanging around. I got it out and used if for a few minutes. It's weird, but it does help me focus on tempo. And it makes me think all that Gus taught me. So this is a good reinforcement tool I guess. Then I ate a good dinner and went the bed early. My mind was focused on the next day. I am determined to make a run at this tournament.
Thursday morning. This is the first round of the tournament. I get up and have a good breakfast and get ready for my day. Finally it is time to head for the course. As I am walking through the lobby I noticed the same clerk working at the front desk who gave me the telegram last night. Then I had a thought. “Good morning," I greeted him warmly. “Oh good morning Mr. Galloway, how are you today?," he said in a proper English Accent. “Very well, thank you," I replied. “I have a question. You know that telegram that you gave me last night?" “Oh yes, Mr. Galloway” he replied. “Can I send a reply back," I asked. “Oh sure you can he replied." “How do I do that?," I asked. “Just write down what you want your message to be. And who and where do you want it delivered. I will contact the telegram service and they will take care of the rest.”
“Just that easy?," I said smiling “Yep, just that easy,," he replied. “Cool, looks like this low tech is not too bad after all," I said as I was looking for a pen. He gave me a pen and paper. I thought a second, and then I wrote down. “I am winning this o
ne for you Gus. Thanks for all you have done for me. Signed, Jim Galloway,." I gave him the name of the golf and city where Gus worked. “Ok Mr. Galloway. If it was same time zone or close, it would be hand delivered within a couple of hours. But since is night time in the States. This will be delivered in the morning to him," he told me. “Wow, that fast," I replied. “Yep, this is high tech you know," he said with a wink. We both just laughed. “Good luck today on your round at the Links," he said. I thanked him and I headed for the course.
My Tee Time was 11:00 am. I was paired up with my old Foe, the number one ranking in the world Cory McCullough. It was good to see him. Even though we have gone head to head this year, we seemed to develop a friendship. And he respects me as a player. He seems to have no ill will for me after I was able to defeat him at the US Open. I am always amazed being around him. He is so young but handles his fame so well. He is professional and polite and fierce competitor.
We tee off and I notice we have a huge gallery. I believe it because of Cory. But after a few holes, I become to realize that a lot of the gallery is pulling for me. I was hitting the ball well, and I was keeping it in the fairway. After last week at the Scottish Open I am really starting to get feel of the links style course. I concentrated on keeping it in the fairway. I hit my three wood off the tee on several holes. I did notice there seems to be some good opportunities for birdies on this course. I was able to put together a good round of 66. That put me as the first round leader. Shooting a 66 is a great score. However, It did not seem too dramatic for some reason. Three under on each side. I was just consistent. I kept myself out of trouble and I made some birdies. Cory had a good round, he shot a 67.
We got back to the clubhouse and the media buzz is starting. The TV cast is already starting to build this up. I had a couple of interviews on live TV which I am not used to. They ask me questions about my round and emphasize that I am on track to make history. I just played it down and let them know there is a long ways to go on this tournament and all I can do is try my best. Finally things settle down. I do not want to call it a day yet. I feel good and I am determined. I tell Zack, I want to go to the range and hit some balls. I hit a lot of balls and I hit them well. That little voice has been in my head all day during the round and here at practice. But it not the silly happy thrilled voice like in the past. But more of a positive, “That a Boy” type of voice cheering me on with confidence. I really do not understand where this voice is coming from, but I am starting to accept it now. It gives me motivation because hitting good golf shots is so much fun for me now. But as usual because of this voice I just think I am losing my mind. Maybe I need to see a Shrink. But for now, I am just dealing with it. After an hour and a half of hitting balls, I tell Zack to go back to his hotel and get some rest. I told him, I want to chip and putt for a while.
“I can stay” he said. “Get out of here," I replied as I motioned him away. “I will just be here for a few minutes." He grudgingly left. He wanted to stay. But I need him to be rested for tomorrow. He will be here at the crack of dawn to walk the course in the morning. He will map out every pin placement and gather any information needed for tomorrow's round. A professional Caddie is tough work. I am glad I have Zack as a caddie and I am really happy that I have been able to compensate him financially this year. I work on my chipping and putting for a couple of more hours. I am really driven. I feel confident and I know the short game is a big key for this course.
I am not the least bit tired because I am so motivated. But finally I call it a day. I go back to the hotel. I decided to call Emily. We have not talked for a few days. We have a great conversation and we talked for an hour. After we hung up, I was thinking how much I miss her and can’t wait to see her again.
I sit at my hotel window and grab a beer and look at the view and relax. I cannot believe I am here. If anyone would have ever told me at the beginning of the year that I would be here with two majors under my belt and leading the third major of the year, I would have told them they were crazy. But here I am. I have to decide right now, how I am going to approach the next three rounds. “Should I get hyped up?” “Should I be relaxed?" “On my shots should I be aggressive or conservative?" I decide to go for a competitive, confident killer attitude on my thinking. But on my shots, I will play it smart like Zack and I discussed. Not try to get too aggressive with my shots. Just keep it in the fairway. And when I address the ball, really work on what Gus taught me. Block everything out for a few seconds and have good tempo and let my swing do the work. “So that's the Plan” I tell myself. I go to bed and have a good night's sleep. I have those peaceful same old dreams about living in a small town with wife and kids. Only this time they all have British Accents. When I wake up in the morning I laugh about that. “My gosh, I think I will see a shrink when I get back” I tell myself.
I arrive at the course at 9:00am. I have a 12:15 pm tee off time. I meet Zack and he tells me nothing unusual today. We went over the pin placements, on the hole, nothing too dramatic. “Keep me under control today” I tell Zack. I tell him what I decided about last night. Have a killer competitive attitude, but don’t attack the course. I just concentrate on my shots, make smart shots and stay out of trouble and let the chips fall where they may. “Sounds good to me” he replied.
Today was my day. I must have had adrenaline running high today. Even Though I was hitting my three wood off the tee on most holes, I was killing it. And the holes I did hit my driver they were all past 320 yards. But the key was that I was staying in the fairway. A lot of players had problems today, because it was pretty windy, which is typical here. The second round is always a lot of pressure for players because if you do not play well, you can miss the cut. On this course if you try to hard and press your shots then you will get out of the fairway. And on a links course, out of the fairway is a disaster. Zack was able to keep me calmed down, and I really worked on my tempo. I shot five under 67. No one else made a run today besides Cory. He was right behind me with a 68. He was in second place. I lead by two strokes after the second round.
After the round I was starting to get a lot of attentions from the media and other people. I told Zack that I want to get away from this Zoo. We call it a day and go back to my hotel. I am little tired, so I get something to eat and go to bed early.
Day 3 of the British Open. I played the same way I did the first two rounds. I hit the ball very well. However I got some bad breaks. On a links course you are really at the mercy of the landscape. You can hit a terrible shot and get a good bounce, or you can hit a great shot and get some bad bounces. And that happened to me today. I hit some good shots, but I had some bad bounces that caused me some problems. I had some birdies, but I also had some bogeys because of just plain bad luck.
On the 18th hole I hit a perfect drive. I hit my approach just like I wanted. But it went over the green and into the thick fescue grass. I was not able to manage the thick grass had a disastrous chipping and putting exhibition and I doubled the hole. I ended up with a 70 for the round. Cory came in with a 68 so we were tied after three rounds.
After the round I was pretty upset. I looked at Zack “Damn it Zack! I hit shots today and look what happened," I said in a frustrated tone. “Well, that's the nature of golf in general. But on a links course like this, things like this happens," he told me. Then he looked at me. "You're lucky” he said in a matter of a fact tone. “Really?!” I said obviously upset tone.
“Yeah really, he replied. And he continued on. "You were really pissed after that double bogey. It really got in your head because you hit good shots and got bad breaks. If you would have had to play some more holes I don’t think you would have been able to recover emotionally. You could have had some bad holes which would have been a disaster. You were whining all day about bad breaks. Look around. It's been happening to guys all week. A guy gets screwed on a bad bounce and gets mad and starts blaming the course and has a terrible round." Then Zack, got right in my face and looked at me in the eye. “Tomo
rrow is the day. There is going to be more pressure than you can imagine. Whoever is mentally strong will win this thing. Whoever loses their cool is out of the race. What’s it going to be with you tomorrow Jim?," he asked in a stern tone.
I stepped back. I was a little surprised. Not many caddies will do what Zack just did. Get in the player's face and tell it the way it is. But Zack is a different Cat. He knows what he is doing. And I knew that he was absolutely right. “You're right” I said in a agreeing tone. “I appreciate you calling me out on this one. I was letting these bounces get in my head today," I told him. “You're hitting the ball better than you ever have in your life. Stay mentally strong tomorrow and you will do well," he replied in a reassuring tone. “I can’t argue with that with that” I told replied.
“Hey you up for a beer?” I asked. He said he was. “Let’s go, I am buying," I told him. We went to a place close to our hotel and had a couple of beers and had dinner. We did not even talk about golf very much, I think we both needed to clear our minds. I told him all about Emily and how we have really developed a relationship and I can’t wait to see her. He talked about his wife and kids and how he misses them and ready to get back home. It was just a good time to get our minds off the game for a little while. As I was talking to him I was wondering if I should tell him about my weird experiences with the crazy voice in my head that seemed to happen right after I won the masters. And how that crazy voice is so enthusiastic on every golf shot and how it gives me motivation to practice and play. And all the weird dreams I am having. Finally I decide to talk to him about this. I have never said anything to anyone about this.
Golf In A Parallel Universe Page 25