The building site that is Dubai has ground to a halt. Work has stopped, I guess because of the current economic downturn, so the likelihood is that it’s going to be a building site for a few years to come! Having said that I had a really enjoyable week. The caddy association got a hotel deal near the Mall of the Emirates, which was excellent value & makes a pleasant change from paying too much for average digs! The course, like previous years, was in lovely condition & like Qatar Paul’s scores in no way reflected how he hit the ball. I think it’s fair to say that scoring has been his (our!) problem on this trip, he missed the cut by a couple of shots. On Thursday, in very tough conditions, Paul was -2 with 2 holes to play, his tee shot on 8 (our 17^th) was his only loose tee shot & it wasn’t that bad really & ended up in a bush. He had to take a penalty drop, which resulted in a double bogie. (a bit unlucky!) & then on 9, our 18^th, after a really good tee shot on a very tough hole, Paul played what looked like a good 2^nd shot, a 5 Iron from 190yds. The only place you can’t miss the green is left because there’s WATER there, so your poor shot should be right, then at least you’ve got a chance of chipping & putting for a par. Well this 5 Iron missed the green right, hit the hospitality pavilion which was quite close to the green, (too close some might say!) & ricocheted back across the green into the water.(that’s not a bit unlucky, that’s really really unlucky!!) I’d love to know who said “ you make your own luck” OK, but how?!

Andy Forsyth feeling a bit unlucky in Lichfield.

I think I wrote last year that coming to Qatar was a bit like Groundhog Day, same hotels, restaurants… etc. Well, welcome to Groundhog Day the Squeakual! Although I did find a different laundrette to do my washing this year. A lot of the caddies stay with expats to save on accommodation, which is pretty expensive, but I’m not big into small talk & when I’ve finished work for the day I’m more than happy to go back my hotel & do nothing for a few hours & I suspect this could be considered rude if you’re staying with a family so I’ve never done it.

Paul played with the green keeper in the pro-am, a really nice Australian guy who had got the course in lovely condition. However he is not responsible for the course set up, the tour are & in my opinion they didn’t get it quite right. The rough was very severe & while that’s OK off the fairway, around the greens it takes a lot of the skill away from players with good short games, hit it & hope, that’s not the way forward! Paul missed the cut by 1 shot unfortunately, he had a triple bogey 6 on the 3^rd on Thursday for +3 which was a decent score in tough conditions & on Friday got off to a poor start +3 through 5 then played some lovely golf over the remaining holes & had a 6’ putt on 18 to make the cut only to see the ball roll agonisingly over the edge of the hole. So we put the weekend to good use & did some really good practise which will hopefully pay dividends in Dubai.

I’ve seen the pictures but didn’t witness it, on Friday the caddy bus was on the way back from the course to the hotel & a guy pulled up along side with a cheetah in his passenger seat. (Is that legal?) I fancy that but figure they’d cost a fortune to keep & what with a hamster too!

The flight from Jo’burg to Abu Dhabi was mobbed & the 8 ½ hr flying time was just about bearable. I enjoy Abu Dhabi, the weather was great, the course is a good test of golf & was in top condition.

Paul played good Thursday & Friday & made the cut comfortably on -8. He hit the ball even better over the weekend but didn’t score anywhere near as well! 27^th was a decent week. The pleasing thing for me is the way he’s swinging & hitting it. He’s been putting in a decent amount of quality practice & it showed.

On Monday Paul played in a charity pro-am at the Creek Golf Club in Dubai. He asked me if I would caddy & I was more than happy to. However I had a flight Sunday evening on a budget airline from Dubai to Doha & had to change my departure to Monday evening, simple, if you know what you’re doing with a computer! I’d booked Ferret (Julian) on the same flight as me Sunday evening & we had the same reservation number. I somehow managed to cancel his reservation at the same time I changed mine, as if by magic. The upshot was it put me in a bad mood for the evening & I had to buy him a new more expensive ticket. It’s the sort of thing I’ll laugh about in a few months… year’s time.

I’ve had a lovely few weeks at home, doing family things, going to the gym, watching the Villa and catching up with friends. It’s good to get away from golf for a few weeks, recharge the batteries & come out for the new season with the bit between your teeth & it’s great to get away from the cold weather!

The Royal Jo’burg & Kensington G.C. has two extremely good courses, East & West, the East is the tougher of the two & Paul played lovely around there on Thursday, shooting -3 which was a very good score. Friday was a different story around the West, he didn’t feel at all happy with his swing & shot +2 & missed the cut by a couple of shots. Saturday morning Paul went up to the course & had a good few hours practice, ironed out a couple of problems & left hitting the ball great!

On Tuesday I went to a barbeque in Soweto & stopped off on the way to look at the stadium that’s being built for the Football World Cup, it’s pretty impressive but there still looked like a lot of work to be done, 145 days & counting, good luck!

What an interesting week. I don’t like flying from Heathrow, it’s a bit of a zoo but from a price point of view Virgin Atlantic to Hong Kong, from Term 3, was the best deal I could find. I made a point of getting to the departure gate (gate 20)in plenty of time, I don’t like rushing! The gate wasn’t that busy & people were already boarding the plane, I thought “that’s early!“ 5 mins later there was an announcement, “would the remaining few passengers flying with Virgin to Nairobi, please like to board.” I’d managed to get through into the wrong gate, 21, by mistake, how embarrassing!   When I arrived in Hong Kong I had a text off Paul to say that he was having problems with his back. I went to the course & prepared like most weeks. But on Tuesday it was pretty evident that he’d got problems & was struggling to play. On Wednesday he pulled out of the pro-am & eventually after some physiotherapy he withdrew from the tournament. This best deal flight I had booked couldn’t be changed before Saturday, so my options were A, Spend the rest of the week sight seeing. B, Bite the bullet & buy a new ticket. Then Paul came up with option C, he said “He would buy me a new ticket home”. Guess which option I went for? Option C (BA into terminal 5, very impressed) Paul’s a really decent bloke & I hope he gets well soon!   The day before I flew to Hong Kong I’d started to have a bit of toothache & by Wednesday morning I was in quite a lot of pain. As Paul had pulled out of the pro-am I thought I would find a dentist & get the tooth removed. The dentist was in this tiny room by one of the many busy markets.(Another place I would never find again.) He, the dentist, had a pretty good understanding of English, but not great, but much better than my understanding of Chinese! There was however a bit of a language barrier, I understood abscess & root canal, then I lost my bottle & asked if I could just have something for the pain. The tablets worked great & I’ve arranged to see my own dentist when I get home on Friday. (Chicken)

Me, Julian & another mate Stan, drove for 3hrs Sunday evening & stopped at a motorway hostel 1hr east of Cordoba. The place was pretty basic but excellent value. I would happily stay there again but I’m pretty sure with my sense of direction I’d never find it! (Ferret)Julian would, his sense of direction is better than my sat-nav. It took me another 5 ½ hrs on Monday to get to Benicassim, which was quicker than I expected. The roads were very quiet & the drive enjoyable, we chatted & enjoyed the scenery, it made a pleasant change from airports & aeroplanes.   The tournament had an end of year feel about it for me. Paul made the cut & played OK but his short game continues to be a source of frustration & his attitude reflected this. On Sunday he played his best golf & shot -4 & could easily have been 4 shots better. On reflection I think this has been the story of his season. Paul has hit the ball better than at anytime since I’ve worked for him, but because of his frustrating time on & around the green he has been unable to get the most out of his game. However there is no reason this can’t change in Hong Kong in a couple of weeks time! ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE.

It took me & my mate Julian (Ferret) 7hrs to drive from Madrid to Portugal. We arrived at 11pm Portuguese time, which is the same time as the UK but 1hr behind Spanish time-how very confusing!, so it was actually midnight Spanish time! I’d booked an apartment online & read a few reviews about it. They were all pretty positive but all mentioned that the apartment was difficult to find & they were right. The local police sent us in the wrong direction, a couple of the hotels that we stopped at had never heard of the apartments & then by sheer luck we asked a chap at another hotel & his mom was one of the cleaners at the place , what are the chances? He got in the car with us & directed us to where we needed to be , we were so grateful & as a nice gesture I drove him back to his work.( All heart me!)   The course is a good design but in my opinion, was in much better condition last year. I’ve mentioned a lot recently about Paul’s putting, well he changed his putter after the pro-am on Wednesday & on Thursday he had 29 putts, his best putting round for a few months. Now imagine mine & Craig’s, (Paul’s 14 year old son) surprise on Friday when Paul changed to another putter! He had a rotten time on the greens, 34 putts I think. We (He) missed the cut by a couple of shots, but yet again his ball striking was magnificent. His playing partner, Michael Campbell, commented how well he thought Paul was swinging & hitting the ball, but not getting the most out of his game. A fair reflection I think, but he’s been trying hard to remedy the situation. It’s just a shame that next week could be Paul’s last tournament for the season.   I had an easy weekend, the weather was beautiful & Villa beat Chelsea 2-1, happy days! On Sunday me & Ferret are driving to Benicassim for next week’s event. (There’s a box of chocolates for the first person who can work out what time I left Madrid?)

I like Madrid but then again I like most big cities. For years we used to stay in a pension on the Grand Via, run by an old lady, who would treat you like a long lost relative when you arrived but then not speak to you the rest of the week, but we always had a good time. Last year she retired & we arrived not knowing this, the place had shot up in price & had lost most of its character. So this year I decided to venture off to another part of the city & got really lucky with a great hotel, where I would happily stay again. The tour apologized for the condition of the Centro Nacional de Golf course, which was a late replacement, after the original venue, Puerta de Hierro withdrew. Fortunately the greens were in good condition, we got extremely well looked after & the weather was magnificent. Paul hit the ball very well again but his putting & short game continued to be a source of frustration! & that’s enough about Paul’s PUTTING!!!!!! I’ve rented a car for two weeks with my mate Julian (The Ferret) & after play on Sunday I went to Madrid airport to pick the car up, drive back to the course to pick Julian up, who was off late. The idea being that it would save us time. However my sense of direction isn’t the best, I’ve been known to get lost driving home from Birmingham airport. The 10min drive back from Madrid airport to the course took me considerably longer, but on the up side I got to see parts of the city I’d never seen before & I suspect will never see again!

It’s hard to feel too much sympathy for guys that play a sport they love for a living & if they’re good enough it affords them a millionaire lifestyle! (& I make my living on the back of their talent.) In the greater scheme of things it’s a game & many millions of people do extremely important jobs for very little reward! However in pro golfing terms I understand the frustration players experience, what I’m trying to say is that, at the moment if Paul didn’t have bad luck he would have no luck at all! Yet again his golf game tee to green was world class & unfortunately he is continuing to have a rotten time on the greens. I’ve never seen him hit it better than he has these last few weeks & you come away from the tournament thinking if he had putted just a bit better he could have won. He’s not a bad putter , he’s a good putter who’s having a tough time, he’s hitting good putts that aren’t going in, if that makes any sense & if it doesn’t it’s because I got home really late last night & I’m tired!  Disappointed to miss the cut, but enjoyed the week & love St Andrews.   On Monday evening, when I arrived at St Andrews, I went to a pub, a place we have used for years, to watch a football match on telly, there were 20 or so students having a poetry recital in the bar. Now I understand that St Andrews has a wonderful tradition as a University town but I thought they were rotten. It was all a bit beyond me, give me the volume up on the football any day, them kids should be in a classroom, not a pub! Grumpy old man signing off until next week.

I flew with Brussels Airways from Birmingham to Vienna via Brussels. I had a 40min connection time & I naively thought the plane I was going to get on to would be close to the one I got off. I got off the plane & on to a bus, which took us to immigration. Once I had cleared immigration I had 25mins to get to departure gate A70. With 15min before take off I arrived at another passport check & then had to have my bags scanned again. 5mins before lift off & I’m legging it to the departure gate, shoe laces undone, belt in hand & I’m starting to lather up like a race horse. The gate was empty when I arrived, all the passengers had boarded the plane & the very polite girl from Brussels Airways said “Mr Forsyth we’ve been waiting for you” . Well I got here as fast as I could but it’s taken me 30mins. She was pretty sympathetic before telling me I was actually boarding the plane I’d just got off. Brilliant!   Paul’s statistics for this week showed that he was 2nd in greens in regulation & 58^th in putts per round. So in layman’s terms, only Soren Hansen hit more greens for the week but everybody else in the field had fewer putts. Paul couldn’t have hit it better, tee to green he was great & two of his bogeys were off good shots with the wrong club but 3 putts fewer a day & you’re going close to winning & that’s been the case for a few weeks now.   To sum up. The Fontana Course is great & was in magnificent condition. Paul hit the ball great but had a torrid time on the greens & if you’re going to fly via Brussels wear trainers because you need to be nimble on your feet!    Paul’s got a new book coming out soon called “ THE UNLUCKIEST GOLFERS GUIDE TO BETTER GOLF” Chapter 3’s ”HOW TO SHOOT 68 IN A BAD MOOD” Only joking Chippie but I bet it would be a good read?

I flew into Düsseldorf from Birmingham & hired a car for the week, simple. The car was booked to be picked up at 5pm & I arrived early at 4.20pm. I wanted to return the car on Sunday at 5pm. Zis vas not possible it had to be returned by 4.50pm. Now I really like Germany & German people, so out of principle I went & had a coffee & went back 15mins later, so I could return the car at my desired time & not incur a days hire for being 10mins late. As it turned out Paul was off late on Sunday & I didn’t get to the airport until 6pm so my 15min stand was pointless, I think I need to grow up!   Paul played magnificently for the first three days & was well in contention, having had no good fortune on the greens at all & I mean at all! So on Sunday I’m thinking Paul’s luck has to change & he will go close to winning. This wasn’t to be the case, Paul tried like a bear, didn’t play as well as the previous 3 days & had no joy on the greens! It’s no fun going backwards on Sundays but all things considered it was still a good week & we go to Austria next week expecting him to play well again!   Everything about the week was good , the golf, the course, the condition of it & the way the caddies were treated were all very good, lots of positives but the two things that gave me the most pleasure on Sunday : 1, Filling the hire car up with petrol in Cologne & driving the 30 miles to Düsseldorf airport without the petrol gauge moving off full & 2, Finding out at the airport that Villa have the bragging rights in Birmingham after a 1-0 win against the Blues , pretty good week really! But my wife thinks I “sweat the small stuff”, but I just think she’s being petty….

Paul carried his ball striking from last week into Gleneagles, he played lovely golf to finish 3^rd. Sometimes to win you need a little bit of good fortune, getting a lie in the rough off a poor tee shot or the right bounce at the right time, the difference can be that fine. However it was a great tournament & it was nice to be in contention, you can only take positives out of weeks like this, Paul!(Well played) On Wednesday I bumped into a lad I played rugby with growing up, who now lives at Gleneagles. I hadn’t seen him for 30 years & didn’t have chance to say goodbye. Sorry about that Angus, perhaps we’ll catch up next year? I gave Wobbly (the caddy) a lift home, he’s good company & helped pass the time on the drive back. I listened to the end of the Villa - Fulham match 2-0 The Villains COME ON!! What a great week!

I stayed in Zandvoort, a beach resort 30mins from Schipol Airport & only a 15min walk from the course. Last year the weather was poor, the place was pretty deserted & my accommodation was rubbish. So this year I made a concerted effort to find somewhere decent to stay, I found a lovely apartment & the weather was lovely, both of these helped make it an enjoyable week. The beach was mobbed most days! Paul played lovely this week. His work with Bob seems to be paying off & he struck the ball great. If his short game had been up to his usual standard I think he would’ve gone close to winning. Let’s hope he can carry this form on to next week, Gleneagles is a course he’s played well at in the past.

What a fantastic venue Turnberry is, picturesque, brutally tough & in great condition. Paul played well on Thursday, struggled on Friday, did well to make the cut, but really struggled on Saturday. After he’d played he asked, Sam’s dad, Bob Torrance, one of life’s characters, to have a look at his swing, he has a great reputation as a coach, but I love just listening to his stories , he’s such a funny man. Sunday was a different story, Paul played some lovely golf, holing a 4 Iron on the par 5 7^th for an albatross & shot a very respectable 68, to move up 20 places & finish 45^th. I stayed with a couple of mates, who work on the PGA Tour in America, I don’t get to see them that often, so it was great to catch up. I got away from the course by 1pm & listened to the golf on the radio, on the drive home. Well done to Stewart Cink, but like most people, I’d have loved to see Tom Watson make history. It wasn’t to be but what a great tournament!

I arrived home from Paris on Sunday at around 9pm. I quickly packed for two weeks away, got my head down for a few hours, and then drove up to Scotland at 5am, Monday morning, to be at the Carrick for Paul’s pro-am. It was a very enjoyable day, well supported & had a better field than a lot of tour events! Other than Sunday, when it showered, the weather at Loch Lomond was beautiful and there are not many prettier places. Paul’s golf was a bit of a mixed bag. He played well on Thursday, not so good on Friday but scored OK & made the cut. Hit it awful on Saturday but produced one of the best short game displays I’ve ever seen to shoot -3 & on Sunday he hit the ball much better but couldn’t hole a putt. He finished a respectable 25^th, which was a fine effort. After play on Sunday I drove down to Turnberry for The Open next week, it should be exciting!(Last week in Paris there was a market near where I was staying & a guy selling berets? I’ve always fancied a beret & for €3.50 I thought ‘cheap, I’ll get my son one as well’. Imagine my horror when he said that will be €70 please. I’d misread the price tag & my pride made me buy them, I doubt I’ll ever wear it but my son’s wearing his to school! Mon dieu!)

The weather was great this week, almost too hot on occasions. Never happy! The powers that be decided to lengthen the 4^th & 14^th holes, I’m not sure it was necessary but it doesn’t take anything away from Paris National being a great course, definitely one of the best. I think it would be fair to say Paul has felt a little out of sorts with his game recently so -4 on Thursday was a really good score & was the best he has putted for a while. Friday was a different story, we got off to the worst possible start +3 through 2, it was then a tough day & I was happy just to make the cut. The weekend was frustrating, both Saturday & Sunday Paul got himself into decent position only to find the water on one of the last 4 holes to take the shine off the round, but what a last 4 holes they’re so tough, you can’t relax for a second. To sum up, the weather was beautiful, the course is great, Versailles is a top place to stay & Paul’s’ putting was the best it’s been all year & with a couple of massive weeks coming up that’s got to be a good sign !

In the 5years I’ve worked for Paul I can’t remember having ever made the cut in Munich & this year was no exception. It was a little disappointing but you can only try your best & neither of us could ever be accused of not trying. (Well there was that time in….. Only joking) I stayed in Erding which is a town full of character & famous for its beer. Although I’ve never had a very successful week here I always enjoy coming to Munich & usually have a good time. Fingers crossed for next year, we can make this cut!!! Off to Paris next week then two weeks in Scotland for Loch Lomond & The Open.

Since last year they’ve introduced a few new tees on The Celtic Manor course & the par 4 14^th is now a brute of a hole, one that you would be happy to play in par for the week. Celtic Manor has been a great support to the tour in recent years, we are always made very welcome & the tournament is well supported. The course was in good condition & is an OK design but I think we play better courses, each to there own.   Paul had an off day on Thursday +8 which was made worse by a sore foot that has been bothering him for a while & thought it best to withdraw so he could get the problem sorted out. In my opinion that was the right call. It’s been a busy but successful 6 weeks, however in hindsight I think Wales was a week too many & we both could benefit from a couple of weeks off.   I really hope Celtic Manor enjoy good weather for the week of The Ryder Cup not like the weather they had to endure over the weekend!

The London Club in my opinion is a decent course that will only improve in time. The wind blew from N/E most of the week, which is by far the toughest wind & the scoring reflected that. Team Lawrie did well to make the cut after hitting the tee shot on our 35^th hole, the par5 8^th, into the semi rough WE managed to lay up behind a tree & made a bogey 6, a rookie error, if you’re going to lay up lay up! A poor mistake but we made the cut & had a chance to make amends over the weekend - we didn’t but it wasn’t through lack of trying!

After the tournament they plan to dig the greens up at Wentworth which is ironic as, in my opinion, they're in the best condition they've been in for a few years.

Paul played well most of the week but bent his putter out of sheer frustration on Friday which is never a good thing to do. One of the first rules of golf - never break your driver or putter!

The weather was great, the crowds were good & I was brilliant - worth every penny!

Paul was in a pretty bad mood for most of Sunday until he found out that Aberdeen had beaten Hibs to qualify for the Europa Cup next season - I wish he'd found this out at the start of the round! All in all a decent week with lots of positives. Looking forward to the London Club next week, Pauls' game is really close & these are good weeks to be playing well.

An old school friend texted me Saturday evening for tickets for Sunday - good to see you but a bit more notice next time please Haydn!!

My flight was delayed by 1 ½ hrs Monday evening & I spent a good hour trying to find the house I had rented with a mate near Baltray, eventually getting to bed just after midnight. So my plan of getting there at a reasonable time, chilling out & having a pint of Guinness went out the window!

I walked the course early Tuesday then met Paul mid morning, he hit balls then went & played 9 holes. Baltray is a lovely links course & was in top condition.

On Thursday & Friday Paul played great, he got himself way up the leader board & holed in 1 on the 17^th his 35^th hole to win a car (hurray!) At the weekend the weather turned awful, Paul wasn’t happy with his swing & the scoring reflected this.

Sunday after play I had 1 ¾ hrs to get to Dublin airport, drop my hire car off & check in for my flight. Thanks to the guy at the check in desk & the fact the incoming flight was delayed I just made it. Needless to say my stress levels were through the roof! By caddying standards this was a really tough week, a bit like having a proper job!

Back in the 80’s flying to tournaments was a luxury for caddies - trains, cars or even thumbing lifts were the preferred ways of travelling. Going from France to Spain you would have to change trains at Portbou & this would often mean sleeping rough on the station platform, good fun at the time. So getting an overnight sleeper from Gerona to Turin last Sunday was like going back in time & although we didn’t have to change trains we went through Portbou. Some of the older caddies occasionally wind the young guys up by saying “You’re not a European Tour Caddy unless you’ve slept on Portbou Station.”

I stayed in a little town near the golf course, ½ hr from Turin & close to the snow-capped Italian Alps, lovely! The course was very good &, like last week, was in nice condition. Paul didn’t play too well on Thursday but could’ve shot better than +5. On Friday he played well & birdied 4 of the last 5 holes for +1. This looked like the cut for a while but it wasn’t to be & we missed by 1. Disappointing but Paul gave it his best.

I left East Midlands airport at 6:30am on Monday & flew directly into Gerona airport, which is only a 10 minute drive from the PGA Catalunya Golf Club. I have been here before, 10 years ago, but don't remember being too impressed with it. Well, what a difference a few years has made! I think the course is great now, a tough walk but a very good design & in lovely condition, I was very impressed.

I did most of my preparation on Monday afternoon so on Tuesday I took the opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing. I went to the old part of Gerona which was lovely - put it on your list of places to visit! I have been before & really liked it then. If we play here next year I'll stay in Gerona instead of Lloret de Mar which is where I stayed this week, cheap - but not my cup of tea!

Paul played great for 2 days, -4 made the cut comfortably. Saturday was another story & he (we?) shot 80. Very occasionally you have days when absolutely nothing goes right, that was one of those days! To Paul’s' credit his attitude was brilliant & on Sunday normal service was resumed, he shot -5 & played some wonderful golf.

I'm catching the train this evening from Gerona to Turin & will let you know next week what that was like.

It was a pleasant 5hr drive from Seville to Cascais in Portugal. Cascais is a lovely old town close to some beautiful beaches & Sintra nature reserve. The course is a decent test of golf & with no wind & good greens the scoring would be low, however the wind blew all week & I’ve seen the greens in better condition.

Paul played some fantastic golf, he was striking the ball really well & although he finished 7th I suspect he thinks he should have won & won by a few! After play on Sunday Paul informed me that he was changing his schedule & would not be going to China & Korea next week. I have to admit to not being too disappointed. The places are fine but I wasn’t much looking forward to the flights. So we now go to Gerona & Turin in a few weeks time, which I’m really looking forward to.

It's great to have a long break but I always look forward to coming back to work, although I miss my family very much. I flew into Faro & then drove the 2 hours from Portugal to Seville. Travelling from the Midlands I thought this was the best route, I try to avoid flying from London whenever possible.

The course in Seville was a fair test of golf & in nice condition. Paul played better than his score suggested (+4 for 2 days) I think he was a little rusty? We missed the cut by a few shots but went up to the course on Saturday & had a good practice session.

Put Seville on your ' Cities to Visit ' list, it's a great place to spend a few days, heaps of character & plenty of tapas bars. On Sunday I drove from Seville to Cascais near Lisbon for next weeks tournament, a course Paul has previously played well at. Come on!!

I seem to write ' Paul hit the ball great & missed his fair share of putts' too often. So this week, although that was the case, I'm not going to mention it!

However, Paul is playing some lovely golf! Some weeks are like Groundhog Day (or should that say week?!) & Qatar is one of them. I stayed in the same hotel I've stayed in every year, Monday morning I dropped my laundry off at the same launderette & ate in most of the same restaurants - but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the week, I did! Paul played with 3 really nice blokes in the pro-am, made the cut & took me & a friend out to a great steakhouse on Saturday night! On Sunday Paul played with a young lad called Danny Willett. He's a nice lad & a tip for a star of the future. Unfortunately, my record with tips isn't great but this lad has got heaps of talent. On to Dubai next week & I will be ready to go home after that. A month away from home is more than enough & I'm pretty sure Paul feels the same. It would be great to go home on the back of a big week!

I had a good week in Abu Dhabi. Paul is hitting the ball really well. He made the cut on the mark, -1, and shot -11 over the weekend to finish -12 which was 20th place, steady away! For the start of the season his game is in really good shape which is extremely encouraging.

When I packed to come away on this trip I didn't bring my waterproof trousers. A week in Bangkok and three in the Middle East - what are the chances of rain? On Thursday morning we had a hail storm. I got soaked and play was suspended for one and a half hours.

Accommodation was a bit of a problem for the caddies this week. The hotel I stayed in wasn't very good and I had to pay £170 a night for the privilege, very poor!

I've had a great 6 weeks at home so getting ready to go away again is always a bit of a wrench! However, one day back at work and it's like you've never been away! I like to arrive at tournaments the day before Paul so that I can get a good look at the course, especially when it's new like Amata Spring and what a pleasant surprise - the course was excellent and in superb condition.

Paul was paired with Soren Hansen in the fourball and foursomes and they complemented each other well, getting all one & a half of Europe’s points on Friday and Saturday. Going in to Sunday Europe had to win 7 of the 8 singles matches to retain the trophy, unfortunately this was too much to ask and although Europe won the day, Asia won the trophy (10 - 6). Highlights - we got extremely well looked after, Olazabal did an excellent job as captain, Soren was a pleasure to be paired with and Paul was Europe’s leading point scorer. He played great in the singles on Sunday, winning his match 3 & 2. The Monday I arrived the owner of the course invited a few of us out for a meal at one of his many restaurants, it was a lovely night and the food was magnificent.

Lowlight - losing the trophy, but a great week all the same!

Looking back over the last 2 years I can see that Pauls ball striking has definitely improved. During 2007 Paul made a few swing changes &, by the end of that season, we were starting to see some big improvements, consistency being the biggest. Going in to 2008, it was a case of carrying on from where he left off, being patient & hoping for an improvement in his putting. For most of the season Paul hit the ball well but was frustrated by his short game, and although everyone likes to hit the ball well, it all comes down to putting.

Pauls patience paid off in the autumn when he finished second in Portugal, this result turned his season around. One of the highlights of the season for me was when Paul holed his last shot to the last hole at Valderrama, an 8 iron from 160 yards, to shoot under par for the first time ever on that course. On a more personal note, I had a really enjoyable year with some great experiences - travelling with the boys on the overnight train from Beijing to Shanghai & being in Austria during the Euro Football Championships were just a couple of these.

I've had a hectic few weeks at home getting ready for Christmas etc & will soon be looking forward to flying out to Bangkok for the Royal Trophy, a Europe versus Asia 'Ryder Cup' style event. Here's to a successful season in 2009! Seasons Greetings!
Andy.

These were 2 weeks that I wasn't expecting to work, both really good courses and two great cities to visit. However, I think it's fair to say that the humidity got the better of Paul in Singapore & his golf was a little below par (no pun intended). After missing the cut on Friday, Paul & I drove in to the city & I persuaded Paul to have a Singapore Sling in the Raffles hotel, which is a bit of an expensive tradition, especially when you don't finish your drink Paul!

We changed our flights so that we could get to Hong Kong early. This was a good idea & Paul worked really hard last week, this paid off & he played much better golf. I've been suffering with a sore back for a few weeks so when I got to Hong Kong I decided to get a massage. I found a great place near the hotel & it was fantastic! My back is much improved.

I've now got 6 weeks off to spend with family & friends & I'm really looking forward to some time at home. I'll post my review of the season in a few weeks time. My jet lag has got the better of me so for next few days I'll be half-man / half-mattress, off for a lie down!

If the player you work for makes Valderrama, you've generally had a good year. I'm not a huge fan of the course - too many trees in the middle of fairways & bunkers, but it's always in great condition & along with Volvo the sponsors, they've been great supporters of the Tour. Unfortunately, I think they were both let down by the poor decision making of the officials. The week turned into a bit of a shambles. On Friday morning we played in terrible conditions for 3 hours before play was suspended. After completing the round Saturday morning we sat around for 4 hours in glorious conditions when we should have been straight back out playing the 3rd round.

More bad weather Saturday afternoon & play was again suspended. Sundays forecast was stormy showers, the storms didn't arrive & we were lucky to be able to play our remaining 24 holes & complete the tournament.

I suppose it's easy to be critical but it's not a matter of life or death, it's a golf tournament & it should be kept in perspective! In all the years Pauls' played at Valderrama he's never broken par, so the highlight of the week for me was when he holed his 2nd shot on the last hole - an 8 iron from 158 yards to shoot -1, hurray!!

I've now got a week off to recharge my batteries & cook my wife’s tea before 2 weeks in Asia & the end of the season.

I flew in to Valencia & drove an hour north to Benecassim, which is a small, seaside town 15 minutes from the course. Benecassim is somewhere I've never been but is a great place to spend a few days, traditional Spanish atmosphere & plenty of good restaurants.

I'm not a fan of golf courses with trees in the middle of the fairway &, although the course was OK, it had too many trees in the wrong places. Yet again Paul hit the ball magnificently, he created loads of birdie chances but struggled on the greens. However, overall, I'm feeling really positive about his game & his confidence.

On Sunday evening I flew home for the night as I've been away for 3 weeks & really wanted to touch base with the family. It's a quick turnaround as Monday afternoon I fly to Malaga for the Volvo Masters at Valderrama-hence a slightly shorter than normal article!!

Without doubt this is the best Paul has played since I've been working for him. He hit the ball great, putted lovely & birdied the last hole to take 2nd place outright, fantastic! Paul’s been hitting the ball well for a while & was due a good finish. It's been a long time coming but this week has turned a frustrating season in to a good one. He has moved up 60 Order of Merit places which guarantees him a start in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama. After signing his card Paul went back to the range to hit shots on the off chance that he would get in to a play-off, but to Alvaro Quiros's credit he finished with 2 birdies & won by 3 shots. He is a star in the making, a nice lad & he hits the ball a country mile, well done.

I was late leaving the course on Sunday & had to drive 2 hours from Faro to Seville where I stayed the night before catching an early morning flight to Valencia for next weeks tournament. It's been a busy few weeks but no complaints! I'm a happy man, well done Chippie!

I really like Madrid & think it's a great city to spend a week. I only wish that over the years I had made more of an effort to learn the language, still, never too late.

I stayed in the middle of the city which was only a 15 minute bus ride to the course, depending on traffic! The Club de Campo course was fine &, in my opinion, a big improvement on the course we played last year.

Paul hit the ball great but again was really frustrated on the greens, which seems to be the story of his season (so far). Minus 4 on Sunday was a nice way to finish the week although I suspect Paul thinks that he should have scored a lot lower given the chances that he created.

When we finished I packed the bag & drove the 7 hours from Madrid to Portugal. The roads were surprisingly quiet & getting there Sunday evening means I can have Monday to kick back & relax. ADIOS!