Normally I wait until Tuesday or Wednesday before I compose my ramblings about the events of the previous week. Not today. I’m stuck at the airport on Monday. I got up at 6am for a 9am flight to Qatar , which was cancelled due to fog delays , and my rescheduled flight is now 5pm!!! Not a good start to the week. Who said this job was glamorous? Incidentally , Chippie found this highly amusing , as his flight was only delayed an hour or so , and he texted me to express his delight at my misfortune as he boarded his plane , just as mine was cancelled. Oh Aye , hilarious!!

The Abu Dhabi golf course was set up tougher than ever this year. Thick penal rough and tight fairways meant last years winning score of 24 under par wasn’t going to be repeated. Combine this with one of the strongest fields we’ll have all year(Woods , Donald , Kaymer , Westwood , McIlroy & Garcia to name but a few) and you had to be on top form to compete. Once again , Paul showed his liking for golf in the desert , and going into the final round , we were lying in 3^rd position , in the second last match of the day , paired with Rory McIlroy , and Francesco Molinari. The game behind was Robert Rock , Peter Hanson , and Tiger Woods. Being in contention is now becoming a bit of a habit with Chippie. After a top ten finish the previous week in South Africa , we were right in amongst it again , and I must say , Chippie looked the part. In one of my blogs last year , I likened him to Michael Schumacher because of his driving. Now he looked like him……Sponsors logos emblazed across the broad chest of the young Aberdonian , and more badges on the sleeves which covered his big strong arms , not to mention the logos on the collar which lay beneath his strong chiselled jaw…..Anyway , I’m sure you get the picture!!!

The final round got of to a flyer , with Paul making birdie at the first hole. However  on the next hole we got a slice of bad luck which set the tone for the day. His third shot at the par 5 second took one bounce and whacked off the flag , finishing twenty five feet away. Had it missed the flag , it would have been a tap in birdie. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be. Paul played nicely all day , but the putts just wouldn’t drop.With three holes to go we were in second place ,but bogeys at the tough 16^th & 17^th moved us down to a tie for 8^th spot. A slightly disappointing end to what was another excellent week. Again it was great to be in the mix on a Sunday afternoon , but it wasn’t to be this time. I’m sure we’ll have plenty more chances throughout the season if Chippie’s form continues.

The eventual winner , Robert Rock , showed some bottle to hold on for victory in some illustrious company. We played with him in the 3^rd round , and he looked very impressive. I’m sure he will kick on from here.

Meanwhile , I’m still stuck at Abu Dhabi airport , waiting for my flight. As I write this , Chippie has just sent me a text telling me he’s checking into his hotel now. He thinks he’s Aberdeen’s answer to Billy Connolly these days. I think we all know a bit differently…….

After 5 weeks off , which consisted of too much food & not enough gym , we were back on the road again. This time we started the year in South Africa , at the majestic Fancourt links for the Volvo Champions event. This is a new event , in which the field consisted of last years tournament winners , and any tour player under fifty years old who had won more 10 or more European tour events. This amounted to 35 players. With no cut & guaranteed prize money , it was a perfect way to ease our way into the new season. I had put on  a pound or two over the festive period , and the awesome steaks that you get in South Africa did nothing to help my situation. Nine holes each day on Tuesday and Wednesday broke me in gently , but I have to say , after Thursday’s opening round , I was shattered. The weather was roasting. 40 degrees ,  very little wind , and the course was long , with some hefty walks between holes.

Chippie on the other hand , wasn’t quite so ring rusty. He had played a fair bit of golf with his sons Craig and Michael in Dubai while on holiday , and this showed in his play. Thursday was a steady 1 under par 72 , followed by a nice 68 on Friday. The warm weather meant the ball was flying miles through the air , but Saturday was a complete contrast. Overcast , drizzly and windy conditions caused the scores to rocket. The course played completely different. For example , on the third hole on Friday , we hit an eight iron 185 yards to the back of the green , after a three wood from the tee. On Saturday on the same hole , we played a driver from the tee , which left us a five iron from 169 yards(which , incidentally , even though Paul struck it nicely,  ended up short of the green in the water. Not one of my better club selections. Told you I was still a bit ring rusty!!) but it gives you an idea of how the conditions changed. A one over par 74 was not a bad score , and we pretty much held our position. On Sunday it was back to normal. Sun cracking the flags , and a testing breeze , combined with some tight pin positions made it a tricky day. Paul shot another 74 , which left us in a tie with Padraig Harrington for 10^th spot. Not a bad start to the year , and as soon as we finished , it was a quick shower and straight to the airport to catch a short flight to Johannesburg , and then on to Abu Dhabi for the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship. All of a sudden , Christmas seems so long ago……

When I arrived in Dubai from Hong Kong last Monday morning , I was in a good mood. Firstly , I had popped a sleeping tablet for the overnight flight , and had slept for 6 hours. Secondly , and more importantly , I was delighted that we had maintained our place in the top 60 in the Race to Dubai , allowing us to play in the season ending Dubai World Championship. This is one of the goals for most players at the start of the year. There is no cut , and an excellent prize fund.  It’s almost like a reward for performing well during the season , and nobody wants to miss out on being here. Our flight landed in Dubai at 5.30am. After a quick trip to the hotel to dump my luggage , it was straight to the golf course for nine holes , and a day of practice. After a disappointing final round in Hong Kong , Chippie was determined to make amends this week. As we all know , there are no shortcuts in this game , and for three days , Chippie made full use of the excellent facilities at the Jumerah Estates Golf Club. He was so disappointed with his attitude on Sunday in Hong Kong ,  he made a pledge that every time he said he was unlucky this week , he would give me £50. I thought I was onto a sure thing here folks , but the after four exhilarating days in the desert , Master Lawrie didn’t owe me a penny…….

From the opening tee shot on Thursday morning , to the final putt on Sunday afternoon , Paul never took his eye off the job in hand. After three rounds , we stood on 12 under par , and in the final pairing on Sunday  , 2 shots behind the leader , Alvaro Quiros. In the chasing  pack behind us  were no less than Luke Donald , Martin Kaymer , Paul Casey , Sergio Garcia , Louis Oosthuizen , Francesco Molinari ,  Rory McIlroy , and Charl Schwartzel . It just doesn’t get any better than this!!! As a caddy , this is what we do the job for. The buzz of being in contention on Sunday is like no other , and when it’s in one of the biggest tournaments of the year , in amongst such illustrious company , the feeling is multiplied several times over. The stage was set for a fantastic day , and the players didn’t disappoint. After nine holes , and an outward nine of 31 (5 under par) , Paul led by one shot. Between them  , he and Alvaro had shared ten birdies on the front nine. As we sat on the buggy for the short ride to the tenth tee , I remember thinking how this would be making great viewing for all armchair golf fans. The back nine was playing tougher , as the pins were tucked away , and with Alvaro’s birdie at the 14^th , to Paul’s bogey on the 12^th , we were one behind playing the last hole. Realistically , we had to birdie , and hope Quiros made par. Chippie did his part , holing a 12 footer for birdie , but only after Quiros had rolled in a 40 footer for a stunning eagle , and a two shot victory. I can’t tell you what I muttered under my breath as Alvaro’s putt dropped , but I’m sure you can hazard a guess. However every credit to him . His three wood approach to the final green was worthy of a champion , and was a stunning end to the tournament. Paul’s final hole birdie gave him second place on his own from Luke Donald , which was a few quid difference  in prize money , and guaranteed a place in the top 20 of the order of merit. At first it’s difficult not to feel some disappointment , because you always want to win. However when the dust settled , and I sat outside the clubhouse later , enjoying the first of a several beers , I reflected on what was an awesome week. The adrenalin rush of being in contention , the great weather , fantastic support from the crowds , and of course , watching Chippie play some of his best golf of the year. It was a great boost for him , and an important stepping stone for next year. We now  have five well deserved weeks off before the Volvo Champions tournament in South Africa in January. It’s been a year of mixed emotions , from the win in Malaga in March, to the sad death of Paul’s coach Adam Hunter in October. Let’s hope 2012 is full of only happy times and good memories for the future. Merry Christmas folks and a Happy New Year when it comes…

I left the house at 10.30 on Sunday morning for my 1pm flight to Hong Kong.30 hours later I arrived at my hotel. I was absolutely knackered. I had a 9 hour wait in Dubai for my connecting flight , and when I arrived in Hong Kong , our taxi driver took us to the wrong hotel. When we expressed our displeasure , and tried to exit the car , the driver locked the boot with our luggage in it , and called the police.Five minutes later , four policemen with riot shields came running round the corner. This was not going to plan!! After almost an hour of explaining & negotiating  , we were allowed to move on. At the time , this was a total pain in the neck , but it actually prepared me for the week ahead....."The Wrath of Chippie". Sounds like a dodgy B movie doesn't it , and that would be about right!!!

We had 36 holes preparation for a change , which was beneficial , as the course was a bit tougher than in previous years. Paul played nicely the first two days , and apart from a couple of poor holes , we were handily placed for the weekend. On Saturday , after a nice start , Paul struggled for the last 10 or eleven holes , and to shot -1 was a pretty good effort. Heading into Sunday , I was quietly confident of a nice final round , and a decent placing in the tournament. Unfortunately , a slice of bad luck on the first hole put paid to that. Chippie’s approach to the green found the greenside bunker , but the lie was good , and normally this would be a standard up and down. However , there was no sand under the ball , and chippie bladed the ball over the green , resulting in a bogey five. From then on , Chippie whinged his way round the golf course like there was no tomorrow. He has had his moments this year , but this was definitely the crème de la crème. 17 holes of mental self abuse ensued. My ears were ringing , but my training with the riot police kept me strong , and I survived. Paul now tops the rankings for  bad luck (apparently). As I am writing this , my room mate Dominic and I have thought up a new nickname for Paul -  Mario Chippotelli. This is in recognition of Mario Balotelli , the Manchester City player. When he scored against Manchester United a few weeks ago , he lifted his strip to reveal a t-shirt which read “Why Always Me? “ I’m sure you get the idea. This is Dom getting has own back. Dom caddies for Colin Montgomerie , and chippie has christened him CMC (Colin Montgomeries Caddie). What goes around………….

On the Sunday night after the HSBC in Shanghai, I stayed at an airport hotel, before my flight to Singapore the next day. My room was very good, but the restaurant downstairs was the WORST restaurant I have ever been in. There was no menu, but 100 pictures on the wall of the food available, and it wasn’t HD quality, if you know what I mean. Your other choice was to pick a live fish from the numerous tanks next door. These had been hand picked from the local canal, which was filthy. They even had a pike if you wanted!!! Needless to say, I didn’t eat much, and was at the airport 4 hours before my flight the next day, stuffing my face.

When I landed in Singapore, I quickly remembered how hot the place is. It is so humid, you start sweating the second you go outdoors. It is one of those weeks where we try to keep everything as low key as possible. You walk slow, do very little practice, drink zero alcohol and lots of water and rehydration drinks. Preserving energy is paramount. Watching on T.V. gives you no comprehension of the heat.

We didn’t do much on Tuesday, as Paul’s neck was a bit stiff, so used the pro-am as our practice round. On Thursday and Friday we played with Kenneth Ferrie, and Darren Beck. This tournament is played over two courses for the first two rounds. We got off to a steady start on the Serapong course, which is the tougher of the two courses, but a triple bogey 8 on the seventh put us up against it. A five over 76 was the end result, which meant we had to shoot at least 8 under on Friday to make the cut. Unfortunately this wasn’t to be. We played our second round as a two ball, as Kenneth Ferrie pulled out after round 1. Chippie thought he himself struggled in the heat, but he wasn’t a patch on poor Kenny. He started Thursday wearing a pair of light grey trousers, but by the time we finished the round, they looked like something from John Daly’s wardrobe, with two tone being the new look!!

Normally Paul wouldn’t come to Singapore, as the heat doesn’t agree with him, but being in Shanghai the previous week, we decided to give it a go. I don’t think he’ll be back in the near future. My flight home wasn’t until 2am on Sunday morning, so on Friday night, myself and another three caddies went indoor skydiving. This is a big indoor wind tunnel, which simulates freefalling. For a split second , I imagined I was James Bond , speeding towards earth , chasing the villain , and then I lost control , and crashed into the side wall , and had to be rescued by  the instructor!! I think I’ll stick to caddying……..

After a nice two week break, we flew east, to Shanghai in China. It is still technically a communist country, but spend some time in Shanghai, and you would never know.  28 million people live in this sprawling city of skyscrapers and neon lights. Traffic can be so bad; it can take two hours just to get into the city from the outskirts. They have a magnetic train that travels at 400 kilometres per hour!!!!!!! This is probably the safest way to travel, as the driving is nothing short of horrific.  Driving through red lights, overtaking/undertaking, driving with no lights on are just some of the perils that await you. They even make Chippie look like an old Sunday driver, and that is saying something!!

I arrived in Shanghai on Monday evening after a 20 hour journey, from Glasgow via Dubai, and stayed awake as long as possible to beat the jet lag. I managed this fine, and didn’t struggle to sleep for the rest of the week, as my latest alarm call was 6.30, which meant I was knackered every night, and slept great all week. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Paul, as he complained of being wide awake at 4am every morning. Aww!!

The Champions event is mainly for players who have won during the year on the main European, Asian, and PGA tours, and of course, Steve Williams!! . It is a fantastic event. The course is very good, and we were looked after tremendously by HSBC.  Paul’s golf was a little bit of a rollercoaster ride. He struggled a bit with his driving, which has been his strong point of late, which made the course play just that little bit tougher. Every day he felt he had thrown away a couple of shots needlessly, which isn’t like him. I think a little bit of jet lag, and poor weather during our two weeks off (he didn’t get much chance to play), contributed to a week which saw us finish just inside the top 50. Still, it was a very enjoyable week, and one we hope to attend again next year. You can’t get enough of playing in the World Championship events, and they leave you wanting more. One of the highlights of the week was the Caddie of the Year awards on the Friday evening. Free food, free bar, and great entertainment in the form of Andrew Cotter from the BBC, who was MC for the evening. His Colin Montgomerie impersonation is the best I have heard. There was also a guest appearance from the great Steve Williams, who added some controversy to the evening. I’m sure I don’t need to say anymore!!

I arrived in Faro on Sunday night , courtesy of our early tee time in Madrid that morning , so caught the earlier flight. I much prefer flying on the Sunday night if I can. It means Monday can be a proper day off. There were quite a few caddies and players on the same flight , so we had a wee night out to ourselves and used Monday as a recovery day. Sometimes you need a blowout now and again……

Paul, Marian and the boys arrived on Tuesday night , and we played the pro-am on Wednesday  in the company of some expats , who were good fun , and made the day pretty plain sailing. The weather was very hot again(over 30 degrees ) and stayed the same all week. Paul brought one of his other putters with him. An odyssey 2 ball which he had put to good use in the past. It proved to be a good move , as Paul opened with rounds of 69 & 66 , which put us just a few shots off the lead at halfway. Pauls front 9 on Friday was immense. After a bogey at the first , he then birdied seven of the next 8 holes. After nine holes I had visions of something really special , but some lovely putts just didn’t drop on the back nine.

Unfortunately , after the round , Paul received the devastating news that his coach and friend , Adam Hunter,  had passed away after his battle with leukaemia. This put a whole new perspective on the weekend. Saturday was a very emotional day for all involved , and I could tell Paul was trying his absolute best  , despite the obvious emotional turmoil he was feeling. A 3 under 69 , followed by a 68 on Sunday meant we finished in 11^th place. A pretty gutsy effort I reckoned , all considered.

Normally after this tournament , I can’t get home as there are no flights back to Scotland in the evening……..Enter Air Chippie !!!  Paul had chartered a private jet to take Marian & the boys home , and being the ultimate employer that he is , offered me a lift home. It really is the way to travel. Ten minutes after arriving at the airport , you are on the plane , ready to take off. Amazing. We even had our own air stewardess!!! A choice of papers , food  , drinks , desserts , crisps , chocolate , and a tall blonde girl serving you (I wondered how she got the job!!). It was a great experience , and very appreciated on my behalf as it meant I could see my wife Liz a day earlier than usual. Thanks Chippie!!

On the golfing front , it was a pretty good week , with Paul’s putting getting back to standard he expects. Had it not been for a bundle of putts from 10 to 20 feet burning the edge of the hole at the weekend, Tom Lewis might still be waiting for his first win. However , last week will always be remembered for Adam’s passing. He was an immensely popular guy , and the ultimate professional , in both his coaching and playing. He will be sadly missed…….

Madrid is one of my favourite cities in Europe. I call it the European “New York”. The city doesn’t really come alive till after 8pm , when everyone comes out for dinner. Apart from the fantastic tapas bars , there are very few places open for food before this time. This year we stayed out of the city at a new venue called El Encin. Tee to green the course was fine , but the greens were easily the craziest I’ve evrer seen. Huge slopes in the middle of the greens made  things a little bit silly , and combined with windy condiions , it really was a bit of a lottery.

Paul played pretty good  , but had lost a bit of confidence in his putter. So much so , that he bought one from a golf shop in Madrid. He used it on Friday and Saturday , but switched back to the old one for Sunday. It was one of those weeks where nothing much happened for us. It was difficult to get the ball close to the hole , and combined with hitting  a couple of wrong clubs at the weekend , it wasn’t going to be our week. The weather was very warm all week , especially in the afternoon , when the ball starts to go miles because Madrid is quite a bit above sea level. We found this out to cost a couple of times. At one point I was thinking of asking the Royal Mail to sponsor my hat , as we “airmailed” over a couple of greens on Saturday.

The tournament was won by Lee Slattery , which was a very popular win amongst the players and caddies. Lee is a great lad , and his dark good looks mean he gets lots of attention from the ladies. I’m sure he will be inundated with proposals now after his win.

I flew to faro on Sunday night for the Portugal Masters , at the Victoria Course in Vilamoura. I always enjoy the week , as the weather is usually stunning , and the marina in Vilamoura is a fantastic place to wander round at night , with loads of great restaurants , and the odd bar which might entice you in for a glass of wine or two. Time to look out the shades and sunblock…..

The Dunhill links is one of my favourite weeks of the year. Mainly because we stay in the best accommodation of the year. A superb three bedroom luxury apartment overlooking the 18^th green on the old course is our home for the week.Myself  & another four caddies treat ourselves this week , as the long days require nice evening surroundings to unwind.  The format of playing three different courses with an amateur partner has it’s pros and cons. It’s much more relaxed than a normal tour event , thus a bit more fun , especially playing with Paul’s sponsor , Martin Gilbert , from Aberdeen Asset Management. Not afraid to speak his mind , Martin’s one liners kept us going for three days. The downside is that rounds can take up to 6 hours , which makes for a long day. Fortunately this year , the weather gods were kind to us , and we had sunshine up until Friday.

Paul’s play over the week was a little bit déjà vu from the last few tournaments. Excellent ball striking created loads of chances , but Chippie struggled to find his range with the putter. This can often be the case  at the Dunhill , as you have three types of greens to contend with in four rounds. Paul’s frustration reached it’s peak at Kingsbarns. He had his best ball striking day of the year in calm conditions , but his 4 under 68 felt like 78. After the round he dropped me off in St.Andrews on the way to his hotel. I didn’t realise that Paul “Schumacher” Lawrie took out his frustration on motorists after his round. “Get oot ae the way ya stupid  *******  idiot” Paul politely requested , as he overtook one of the local residents who had the temerity to drive on the same road as Chippie. I began to wonder if an airbag was enough protection , and started fumbling around for the ejector seat button.

Saturday at Carnoustie was a pretty tough day , but Paul played lovely. 15 pars and three birdies is no mean feat , and we made the cut , (which fell at a very low 5 under par) with a couple of shots to spare. For the first few holes on Sunday at the Old Course , it was pouring with rain , but the course took it well. Another frustating day on the greens , and we finished in 45^th place , which still earned a decent cheque , but it was a case of what might have been. I was home by 5.30 on Sunday night , which is the great thing about playing in Scotland , and the Chinese takeaway was at the door by 6pm. Lovely. A quick repack of the suitcase , and I fly to Madrid from Edinburgh on Monday morning. Lets hope the putting improves , or somebody could be at the local hospital , having a putter extracted from their person…….

We stayed in Switzerland on Sunday night after the tournament , and on Monday I flew to Amsterdam , while my wife flew back home. The course at Hilversum is one of the best on tour. Normally when we play here , the course is firm and fast. Due to weeks of rain , the course was soft , green and playing very, very long. Wednesday’s pro-am was cut to 9 holes because heavy rain. The forecast wasn’t great , and sure enough , we had a five hour delay on Thursday. We could only play 9 holes before darkness , and had to play 27 holes on Friday. I was absolutely knackered. Physically it was tiring because the ground was so soft. Mentally it was exhausting because Paul decided he was going to be in a grumpy mood all day. From the three putt on our first hole on the Friday morning until we walked off our 27^th hole of the day , Chippy whinged his way through the day. Slow golfers , noisy spectators , bad shots , bad luck , me talking rubbish(apparently) . Nothing escaped the wrath of the” Greetin Scotsman”. He must have exhausted himself as well , because he said he slept for 12 hours solid when he got back to his hotel.

We made the cut with a shot to spare on 1 under par. On Saturday and Sunday , we had a two-tee start , and started earlier than normal , as bad weather was forecast for  both afternoons. Chippy’s mood was much brighter for the weekend , and he signed off with a couple of 68’s , finishing in 16^th place , which was a solid week. Paul hit the crossbar this week , as he could easily have chopped a shot or two off each round. When he played nicely the short game wasn’t on song , and when it was , his ball striking was off. Nevertheless , it was a minor miracle we got the tournament finished , and the greenstaff did a tremendous job getting the course playable. Simon Dyson won the tournament, his second of the year, and his third Dutch Open. Talk about horses for courses!!! We have a couple of weeks off now before the Dunhill Links at St.Andrews. Ahh….. peace and quiet!!!!

Crans Montana. The venue for the Omega European Masters , & quite possibly the most amazing scenery on any golf course anywhere in the world. Every year we come here , I never get bored of the views. My wife Liz joined me last year for the first time , and was instantly hooked. Needless to say , she wasn’t missing out this year. Five of us hired a car for the two hour journey from Geneva airport. Myself, Liz, & another 3 caddies – David ”Magic” Johnstone (Michael Jonzon), Jeffrey ”By the Way” Paul (Gonzalo Fernandez Castano) & Ritchie ”Ballablairos” Blair (Soren Kjeldsen). Three of my best mates on tour , and a tremendous wealth of experience between them. As the nicknames suggest , they are also great characters , and the journey to Crans Montana flew in.

Paul didn’t arrive until Tuesday night , as he was attending his foundation dinner on Monday night , so I walked the course on Tuesday morning , and we spent Wednesday on the range , trying a new driver , and doing some chipping & putting.

Paul played pretty good the whole week , making twelve birdies in the first two rounds alone. Unfortunately , there was a few disaster holes in there as well. The course at Crans is very tricky , and you don’t have to do much wrong to run up some high numbers. As Paul probably mentioned in his daily blog , his putting wasn’t up to scratch. Most of his birdies were from very close range , and it seemed every time he missed a green , he made a bogey or worse. We finished the week in 35^th place , which felt like the worst we could have been. On the positive side , his ball striking was very good , and we’re looking forward to Holland next week. Hilversum Golf Club is the venue for the Dutch Open. It’s a fantastic old fashioned tree-lined golf course. We’ll be looking forward to a good week to set us up for the end of season run in.

My last ramblings were from Royal St.Georges at the Open Championship. We were due to play the Irish Open in Killarney , but Paul’s back injury flared up again. I had arrived in Killarney before Paul pulled out , so I stayed for a couple of days  , just to make sure the Guinness was up to the expected standard. I wasn’t disappointed!!!

Anyway , after five weeks off , we arrived at Gleneagles for the Johnnie Walker Championship. This is one of my favourite weeks , as I stay at home and travel everyday , which is just awesome. Getting to sleep in my own bed when I’m working is a rarity in this job. Paul played lovely in the pro-am , clipping it round in 64.  Unfortunately , this form didn’t continue during the tournament , and Pauls game showed some signs of being a little bit rusty , which is understandable after a five week lay off , with only a few holes under his belt.  We made the cut on the mark at level par , and finished the tournament in 60^th place , which might not sound too great , but to play four rounds was important , and gave us something to build on for the following week. The highlight of the week for Chippy was on Saturday , on the 18^th fairway , when a spectator told me to “P..s Off “ after I politely requested he refrain from creating a disturbance. Master Lawrie found this highly amusing. The offending chap was clearly under the influence of the sponsors product. This was the second time this week Paul had one over on me. We had a £50 bet over who would lose the most weight during the 5 week break. Paul lost 11 lbs , while I lost 9lbs , and the bet. Dinnae worry. I’ll have my revenge!!

 If you ever happen to see him soon , he might not notice you  , as he’ll probably be looking in the nearest mirror , admiring his new slim profile. Apparently when Brad Pitt was in Glasgow shooting scenes for his latest movie ,  Paul was spotted offering his services as a double!! Next week we’re off to the stunning scenery of Switzerland , for the Omega Masters. Till then……

“Ladies & Gentlemen , this is game number 21. On the tee from Scotland , Paul Lawrie”… An enthusiastic applause followed the familiar introduction from the traditional open starter , Ivor Robson. The packed grandstands around the first tee fell deathly silent , as the former Open champion stepped up to the ball. A smooth , full backswing and then BANG. The sound of the clubface meeting the ball echoed around the gallery……….. Unfortunately , Paul had hit the big ball first , resulting in a lovely skied tee shot , taking the days first and probably only divot from the first tee with  a three wood. Thankfully there was a strong wind behind , and the firm fairways meant the ball still managed to travel 270 yards down the fairway. Our Open was underway!!!

The British Open is like no other tournament. The infrastructure is massive , the crowds are awesome and the field is the best in the world. This was my first trip to Royal St. Georges. I had heard it was hard and fast , and was not disappointed. A true links course if ever there was one. Our preparation was 27 holes practice(no pro-am in major championships. Lovely). The highlight being 18 holes in the company of Tom Watson. We were treated to a links golf masterclass  , and at 62 years old , Watson proved himself to be a true legend of the game , finishing in 22^nd place. It was easy to see why he almost won The Open two years ago.

On Thursday Paul struggled with his ball striking , but managed to scramble well for 73(+3). We spent a couple of hours on the range on Thursday night , which solved the problem , and Paul played well for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, the putter didn’t behave itself . Some weeks you can survive with poor putting , but at a major championship there is no hiding place. Combine this with having the worst of the weather every day (honestly, this is true) and we finished in a tie for 66^th place.

Nevertheless , four rounds in a major is no mean feat , and it was still a very enjoyable week. There were several strories of the week. The amateur Tom Lewis, tied for the lead after round one, and Tom Watson’s round of 72 in the worst of the weather on Saturday. However the biggest story was Darren Clarke’s first major victory. He was undoubtedly the best player all week , showing phenomenal shotmaking and determination. With another European major winner , the European Tour goes from strength to strength. We have a week off now before the Irish Open at Killarney , which promises to be another fantastic event , especially with Darren Clarke & Rory Milroy in attendance. Great times for European golf.

All of a sudden, the "Fifth Major" was upon us. That is , if you are Scottish!!! The Scottish Open is one of the best events on tour. The prize money is excellent, the field is high quality , and the venue is stunning. This year was no different as we travelled north to Inverness, where Castle Stuart is situated. It is a modern links design, and I have to say, the course was tremendous. Normally modern courses are a bit tricked up, and as long as can be. Castle Stuart was neither. Combined with breathtaking scenery, it promised to be an awesome week.

Fortunately Paul had recovered from the shoulder injury which had forced him to withdraw from the French Open the week before , and we had the draw of the week for the first two days , playing with Phil Mickelson & Padraig Harrington. On Thursday it took Paul until the back nine to get going , and a lukewarm putter resulted in a one under par 71. What a difference a day makes, and on Friday the putter was red hot. The result -  eight under par 64. Lovely!!! This put us in a great position at what we thought was the half way stage. Unfortunately , play was suspended on Friday afternoon due to bad weather , and after a tremendous down pour on Saturday morning , there was not a ball struck again until Sunday morning. The tournament had to be cut to 54 holes, which was a real shame for the spectators , sponsors and everyone else connected to the tournament. Credit must be given to the greenkeeping staff , who where at the course at 4am on Saturday and Sunday. How they managed to get the course playable I’ll never know, but it was a tremendous effort. We eventually teed off for our third and final round on Sunday afternoon. The weather stayed dry , and the scoring was very good. Paul played nicely , and actually putted better than his score suggested , but the ball just wouldn’t drop. A two under par 70 was the result, and we finished in 25^th position. A steady week , and great preparation for next weeks Open Championship at Royal St.Georges.

Apart from the weather , I reckon Castle Stuart proved to be a resounding success. We are there for the next two years , and hopefully the golfing gods will shine on us next year. Meanwhile , we travel down to Sandwich in Kent for the Open. It’s my first time at St.Georges, and I’m staying in Canterbury, which is supposed to be a great spot. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype……l

After a couple of well earned weeks off , we headed to Munich , for the one of the most prestigious tournaments on the European Tour.  The BMW International Open always attracts a star studded field , and this year was no different. Dustin Johnson , Paul Casey , Retief Goosen , Sergio Garcia , & Martin Kaymer , to name but a few.

I flew from Edinburgh to Munich on Easyjet on Monday. This is a well worn route , and one that I can book well in advance to get the best price. Long live budget airlines(except Ryanair).

We played with Thongchai Jaidee , & our namesake , Peter Lawrie. On Thursday afternoon , the rain started as we prepared to tee off , and didn’t stop until the sevententh hole. This might have put off most players , but not Master Lawrie , who clipped it round in 66 shots , to be lying in 3^rd position overnight. A great start to the week! On Friday morning , Paul felt a twinge between his shoulder blades , which by the end of the day had escalated into something more painfull. We scrambled round in 72 on Friday , and hoped it would be better for the weekend , but  , despite painkillers and physio treatment , the problem remained , and Paul struggled for the rest of the tournament , to finish in 50^th spot. A disappointing end to a week which started so well , but unfortunately you can’t do much about injuries.

The tournament was won by Pablo Larrazabal , who defeated Sergio Garcia in a five hole play off. It wis great to see Sergio returning to something like his old self , and I’m sure he will recover his full form very soon.

I stayed in Munich on Sunday night , and flew to Paris on Monday morning , where I will be staying in Versailles for the week. It is a great town  , with loads of little restaurants and coffee shops where you can sit a watch the world go by. Usually the weather is great , and very hot. Unfortunately the French don’t seem to have grasped the concept of air conditioning , unless you pay over £150 a night for a hotel, so I’ll be sleeping on top of the covers this week. Insomnia here we come…….

After a couple of days at home sulking on the couch after missing the cut at Wentworth, I drove down the M6(again!!!), to Celtic Manor on Monday afternoon. I stayed in the Premier Inn in Newport which is only 5 minutes from the golf course. Cheap and cheerful. Perfect!!!

We play the Wales Open on the 2010 Ryder Cup course , which is a very stern test. The greens are very tricky , and there is lots of water on the course , which means there are potential disasters on almost every hole. We had an very good group for Thursday and Friday , playing with Jeev Milka Singh & Thomas Bjorn(talk about chalk & cheese).  Hopes were high of a return to form , but with hindsight, it was probably one week too many.It was our fifth week in a row. Paul struggled with his ball striking on Thursday  , leaving a mountain to climb to make the cut. Strong winds on Friday added to the task , and we missed by a few shots in the end. Normally after missing the cut , Paul would make Hannibal Lecter seem like a cuddly toy , but I think 5 weeks on the road had taken it’s toll , and there was nothing left in the tank by the time we walked off the 18^th green on Friday. I packed the bag and headed back to the Premier Inn for a few well deserved pints , a good kip , and a Mcdonald’s breakfast , before jumping in the car , and heading off up my favourite motorway again to get home.

We now have two weeks off  before a run of very good tournaments. The BMW International Open in Munich , The French Open , The Scottish Open , and of course , The Open at Royal St.Georges. The break has come at a perfect time in the schedule. Paul has his own 54 hole Tartan Tour event at Deeside from 15^th to 17^th of June , and I’ll have the lovely stress free , unharassed experience of moving house. By the time Munich comes around , I’ll be running to the airport to get back to work…

The week was kick started by the “Ole Seve”  pro-am for the Seve Ballesteros Foundation Charity on Monday , followed by the official BMW pro-am on Wednesday. We don’t usually do two pro-ams in a week(thankfully) , but they are a very important part of the tour. Without them we wouldn’t have sponsors , and therefore wouldn’t have any tournaments.

The alterations made to Wentworth over the last couple of years have been very controversial , and I’m of the opinion that they are too severe. It was a classic course which didn’t need much altering to keep up with the modern game. The result is a course which is bordering on unfair. Unfortunately , we couldn’t use that as an excuse for missing the cut!!.

Paul played nicely on Thursday , and except for taking an eight on the twelfth hole , we had no complaints. On Friday we were going along nicely at the turn , two under for the day , and one over for the tournament , but a run of bogeys from the 10^th to 13^th saw us move outside the cut mark , leaving us needing an eagle at the last to make it to the weekend. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be , and we missed our first cut since Dubai in February. Missing cuts is gutting at the best of times , but at Wentworth it’s worse. On a positive note , we are playing Wales next , which allows us to get back into things straight away , and hopefully  make amends. I drove home on Saturday morning to get a couple of welcome days at home , and I’ll drive back down on Monday to Wales. Luke Donald proved he is worthy of the world number one tag with his second victory of the year. His first round 64 in windy conditions was worthy of victory alone , and I reckon he could be number one for some time.

Carlsberg don’t do golf tournaments , but if they did, it would probably be something like this!!! From the minute we arrived at our hotel on the Monday , until we left on the Sunday, we were lifted and laid , and pretty much spoiled rotten. Volvo did a fantastic job looking after the caddies. They put us up in a lovely hotel for the week , covered our food and drinks bill (some were larger than others), and organized our flights to and from the tournament. Simply awesome! My wife Liz joined me for the week (she could suss out a freebie from miles away), and we stayed in beautiful two bedroom suite.

The golf course is called Finca Cortesin , and is one of the hilliest I have ever been on. So hilly , that during the tournament, we had nine buggy rides , either in between holes , or from tee to fairway. If we had been made to walk it , it would have been a caddies nightmare. The format of 8 groups of 3 players meant that we had to play both our first round matches in one day. On the Friday morning we played Ian Poulter , whose matchplay record is fantastic. Paul struggled a little bit on the front nine , to be two down at the turn. However he played lovely on the back nine , and gained a half point , and was very unlucky not to win the game. In the afternoon we played Francesco Molinari. Another tough match against a guy who basically doesn’t hit a shot offline. We were defeated 3 & 2. It seemed that every time Paul hit a good approach shot inside Molinari , he holed his putt first , meaning we were always under the cosh. Thus we were knocked out of the tournament. It was a bit of a disadvantage having to play 2 rounds in one day , while the others in our group played over two days. Poulter eventually won the tournament. Almost every match he played in he was in danger of being closed out , and probably should have lost on at least two or three occasions. It is a testament to his self belief and his will to win that he managed to get results when a defeat looked inevitable.

My wife and I stayed on for the weekend , and on Sunday I flew to London for the flagship BMW PGA Championship , where we hope to continue our run of good form.

We flew from Barcelona on Sunday night after the Spanish Open to Mallorca , where we stayed in the holiday resort of Cala Millor , which is about fifteen minutes from the golf course. Usually this tournament is in late October , when it is a bit of a ghost town. This year was much busier with tourists (albeit mostly German pensioners) , which gave the place a very relaxing holiday atmosphere. In fact, it was so relaxing , that a certain former Open champion was spotted cycling down the main street on a rented bike , bumping into benches , and frightening the life out of the blue rinse brigade. No prizes for guessing who, but it was a sight to behold. We spent most nights in the Sportsman’s bar across from our hotel , which served up fantastic traditional british food , and looked after all the caddies and players very well.

The course at Pula Golf Club has improved tremendously over the last few years , mainly down to some very good design changes by Jose Maria Olazabal , and was in excellent condition. We spent the first two rounds in the company of Colin Montgomerie ,  who was in very good form socially , but unfortunately Monty’s golf didn’t match up to his patter , and he was heading home early after struggling for two days.

Paul played nicely on Thursday for a  two under 68, then struggled on Friday, but made some great par saves to be round in 69, Saturday was a frustrating day , with shots from the rough doing the exact opposite from what we thought , resulting in a 72.Chippie was not a happy camper when he finished , and he stormed off to find solace in a 3 euro a day pushbike!!! As it turned out,  we only dropped four spots , as the course was firming up and becoming very tricky. This was also the case on Sunday. Winds gusting to 30mph made scoring so difficult , that only 3 players broke par. Paul played pretty solidly , and birdied two of the last four holes for a level par 70 , which moved us up to a tie for 5^th spot, and another good week. Darren Clarke won by three shots from Chris Wood , who had a four shot lead going into the last round. He is a very good player , who has time on his side , and will win very soon I’m sure.

We’re off to Spain now for the Volvo World Matchplay , where a very strong field will fight it out for a very handsome prize fund. Lets get those boxing gloves on….

After five weeks off , I was raring to get going again. The weather back home had been pretty good(even in Glasgow) , and I had fully celebrated Paul’s victory in Malaga. Now , having watched loads off golf on t.v. , it was time to get back on tour , and hopefully pick up where we left off. Fortunately , Paul had played a lot of golf on his weeks off , and apart from an uncharacteristic double bogey , bogey finish to the first round , there was no signs of rustiness , and we finished the week in 5^th position , courtesy of a 5 under par final round , which was the second lowest of the day.

The tournament was won by Thomas Aitken , who has been knocking on the door for a couple of years now , and he led from start to finish , which was very impressive. The course we played was a new design by Greg Norman , and was excellent. The emphasis was very much on driving the ball well , with some very strategic bunkering , giving most holes a risk/reward element , and was in fantastic condition. I believe we are returning to the same venue next year , which is great news.

Unfortunately the week was deeply saddened by the passing of Seve Ballesteros in the early hours of Saturday morning. It is a huge loss to the game not only in Europe , but around the world. When I was growing up , Seve was the pioneer for European golf. He conquered America , and led the way for the great success of European golfers from the mid 80’s until now. He also made the Ryder Cup the huge event it is today. Nobody will ever forget his heroics on the golf course , playing the game with his heart on his sleeve , and displaying his awesome talent and imagination. As many people have said , quite simply genius. Hopefully the young players of today , and indeed the future , realise that the vast sums of prize money on offer today , are very much down to Seve. May he rest in peace…….

What a difference a week makes!! When we landed in Malaga from Sicily , after a journey that consisted of two taxis , two bus journeys , and two flights , the only thing on my mind was dinner and sleep. Six days later and Paul had won again on the European Tour for the first time in almost nine years. Amazing!!

I had mentioned last week , that I had a slight hint of expectation going into The Andalucian Open , but I didn’t want to tempt fate too much. I had a pretty good idea that it was going to be a decent week , but you can never tell how good.

Five holes into our opening round on Thursday I had my answer. Four birdies in a row from the Eleventh (our 2^nd hole) , and we were in contention straight away , and never left the frame throughout the tournament. Paul’s quality ball striking from the previous week had carried on into this week , and much better putting surfaces allowed him to take advantage of his good play. During the first three rounds we only had one bogey  , and carried a one shot lead going into the final day. Sunday didn’t start as planned , as we had three bogeys in the first five holes. A swirling , gusting wind was causing havoc  with the field. By the time we reached the turn , Paul’s game had settled , and he repeated the feat of Thursday morning. Four birdies in five holes from the tenth took him from two behind to two ahead. It was a devastating run of holes , which literally blew the competition away. From then on  , Paul went onto automatic pilot , and closed out the tournament , leaving himself with the luxury of a two shot lead playing the 18^th hole. After a lovely greenside bunker shot to four feet , he said to me “I bet even  you would fancy your chances to two putt from there.” I replied , “Even my Mum could do that”( Incidentally , my Mum is a very handy eleven handicap) Sorry Mum!!!

Two putts duly ensued and the title was secured. BINGO!!! This win opens up a couple of extra opportunities for the rest of the year. It qualifies Paul for the Volvo World Matchplay at Finca Cortesin , here in Malaga in May , and  hopefully gets us into the HSBC World Event in China in November. It is also a huge step towards the Dubai World Championships at the end of the year. It’s a strange feeling at the end of a tournament when you win. By the time you get to the locker room ,  it’s empty , as everyone else has gone , and you go from a massive high  , to a sudden quietness. A really weird feeling  , let me tell you!!

Our original schedule was to go to Asia for one or two events , but the addition of the World Matchplay has altered this , so it’s now five weeks off to prepare for what will be a very busy season. Looks like myself and the couch are going to be very good friends over the next few weeks……

It’s always a little bit of an adventure when the European Tour visits a new destination, and the prospect of going to Sicily was no different. Unfortunately, on this occasion, there wasn’t much to write home about!!! We flew via Gatwick to the south east of Sicily, followed by two hours on a bus, then a taxi, to reach our hotel. 12 hours door to door.  We would be quicker going to Dubai!!! There isn’t much to do in Sicily, except eat pasta, pizza, and watch BBC World news on the television, so the week dragged in, with everyone dreaming of steak and chips the following week in Spain!!!

Paul had one of those weeks when he struck the ball very nicely, but, despite rolling the ball well on the somewhat bumpy greens, the putts just wouldn’t drop. We were lying around 20^th place on two under par, going into the weekend, but a host of putts that burned the edge of the hole meant we finished just outside the top forty. I lost count of the number of times I said “good try” or “unlucky” to Paul after another one slipped by the hole. “Patience is my middle name this week”” he said, midway through the third round. Two holes later, after another one crept pass the edge of the hole, the patience flew out the window, along with the putter into the golf bag. “Patience my ****!!!” steamed Paul.  On this occasion, silence was golden on my part, with no words needed.

Although it was a disappointing week on the greens , it was encouraging that Paul struck the ball so nicely , especially after a five week break  Thus we head to Malaga with a little bit of expectation , and a huge craving for a cooked breakfast , a cup of tea , and a Scottish newspaper. The simple things in life eh………

When I wrote last week that I’ve got previous for booking rubbish accommodation I wasn’t joking & I excelled myself at the Andalucia Masters. I booked an apartment which was OK but there’s something really depressing about parts of the Costa Del Sol out of season & the place I stayed at was, well depressing! Anyway that got the week off to a good start. Valderamma, although not my favourite course, was in great condition. So it’s a ridiculously tough test of golf on a course in good nick, which is nice! Paul scored pretty well on Thursday, +1, & on Friday after a perfect tee shot on 8 was level par for the tournament. Then what followed could be classed as a golfing horror show! +9 for the rest of the round was horrible, I woke up in a cold sweat Saturday morning!

Flights home were a fortune because of school half term but I managed to get a flight back to East Midlands airport Saturday lunch time which was great. If I hadn’t managed to get that flight I think I may well be stuck there. So in a nutshell it wasn’t a great tournament but the previous 3 weeks made the trip worthwhile.

I’m not working for Paul next year so this will probably be my last blog, HURRAH I hear you cry, but I hope it’s given you an insight into a caddies life on tour. I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings, you know who you are - I was at school with most of you. I would also like to thank my wife for proof reading every entry & correcting my many, many mistakes (she wrote that). It’s been an interesting & enjoyable 7 years with Paul but the truth is our working relationship has run its course. I wish both of us the very best for the future.

Just off down the Jobcentre….

All the best,

Andy.

I think I wrote last year that I’m not a fan of courses with trees in the middle of fairways. Although the course was in good condition & the greens excellent, that view still stands & we’re off to Valderrama next week !

Paul played some of his best golf of the year on Thursday & was leading the tournament. The rest of the week he played solid & on Sunday, with a few holes to go, it looked like a top 5 or 10 finish was on the cards. The golfing gods had other ideas & he dropped 4 shots in the last 4 holes to finish 30^th, shame !

The Oceanic Victoria course in Vilamoura is a decent test of golf but the greens have been in better condition in previous years. Paul’s back swinging the club really well again & hit the ball great all week.  Hopefully this will continue to the end of the season. I stayed on a sports complex not far from the course, which was nice but there wasn’t much to do in the evenings.

I’m away for three weeks & had made plans with Ferret to drive from Faro to Valencia, which is the best part of 10hrs, at the national speed limit! But his golfer withdrew from next week so Ferret went home. Saturday evening my travel plans were up in the air & I explored a few different options flying home & back out, flying Faro to Madrid then driving then after much deliberation I got a lift from Faro to Seville airport, Monday morning, hired a car & drove. It was a pleasant enough drive but a long day. I gave an Aussie caddy Drummo a lift, the company was welcome but why do all Australians nick names finish with an O ?

I’ve rented the same house in St Andrews for years but unfortunately this year I wasn’t as organised as I should have been & the house had already been rented out. Rather than try to find another place in St A’s I decided to stay in Dundee, for a change. I’m not sure what I was thinking about really. The hotel was OK but the place isn’t a patch on St Andrews, rookie error!

I drove to Scotland early Monday morning & listened to the Ryder cup singles on the radio, it was a great way of passing the time & huge congratulations must go to team Europe, great win.

Paul was a bit out of sorts physically & did very well to make the cut, in what were tough conditions. He saved his best golf for Sunday, scoring -3 in the wind which moved him up 25 places. So although the week was a bit of a battle it turned out well in the end. The tournament is a pro-am format & Paul played with Martin Gilbert, one of his many sponsors, he played well & finished in the prizes. He also played with three rugby greats, Gavin Hastings, Sean Fitzpatrick & Hugo Porta, Three nice guys who helped make a long week enjoyable.

Got home late Sunday night, had a busy but enjoyable day at home with the family then off early Tuesday morning to Portugal & Spain for 3 weeks.

Hilversum is a lovely golf course which played pretty tough because of the weather. Paul drove the ball OK but really struggled with his iron play &, although he putted nicely, we were always on the back foot trying to make the cut. He found his game with a few holes to go but we missed by a couple of shots.

Paul’s season was going pretty well up until Loch Lomond but since then the games been a bit of a struggle & we are fast running out of tournaments if we are going to qualify for the end of year bonanza in Dubai but that’s not to say that we  won’t give it our best shot in the few tournaments left.

I stayed in a great hotel just outside of Hilversum which had a lovely bar come restaurant across the road. Me & a couple of my mates walked over & nearly choked on the smoke as we went in, “I thought smoking was banned in bars In Holland” I said to the lady that ran the place & she said “It is! “ with a smile on her face.

I’m a fan of budget airlines, they’re great as long as you stick to the rules. Flying home from Amsterdam I was one kg over my baggage allowance & the fuss that followed was a nonsense. Now, if I was a man of principle, I’d boycott the airline but I’m not. They’re cheap & convenient so I’ll just be a kg more careful the next time I fly with them, or SHALL I ?

Paul didn’t play in the pro-am on Wednesday which meant we had no practice round. To be fair, this had very little impact on how the week went but, from a caddy viewpoint, you can gain a lot of useful information from the practice round, especially when the course is at altitude. However, this was not the reason that team Lawrie lost the art of scoring. For 27 holes Paul could easily have been -5 but he was a comfortable +3 &, to his credit, he played the last 9 holes well holing a few putts. So although missing the cut is (nearly) always disappointing, playing good golf at the end of the round gives you something positive to take into next week! Or that’s what all the books say!

I’m not a huge fan of the course, although Crans is a beautiful, albeit ridiculously expensive, place.

The only course I like where you can’t speak to the ball until it’s stopped rolling is Augusta & this isn’t Augusta.! In my opinion Crans was a pleasant members course that was badly redesigned a few years ago, but there’s always going to be one happy golfer at the end of the week.

The course was in really good condition this year & the weather was decent for most of the week, which makes a pleasant change from previous years but having said that the wind on Sunday was really strong, that & a couple of wrong clubs from yours truly made what could have been a decent week into a bit of a disappointing one. Paul hit the ball well again but continues to be frustrated on the greens!

Driving back this evening was a bit like groundhog day. Two years ago I was driving home listening to Faldo’s Ryder Cup picks & being a little disappointed with them & rightly so. This time I think Monty’s got it spot on with Paddy, Luke & Edoardo, we’ll see. However what’s more concerning to me at the moment is what’s happening at the Villa. Since the departure of Martin O’Neil (me lord) & James Milner they’ve been leaking goals for fun. The Villa v Everton game was on the radio & it sounded like Everton were much the better team, although Villa won 1-0, Everton must feel like they were mugged!!!

Killarney isn’t the easiest place to get to, I flew to Dublin & hired a car, it was about a 4hr drive & I only took one wrong turn, which was quite pleasing! I’d caddied here in the early 90’s &, other than Faldo beating Wayne Westner in a play-off, I couldn’t remember anything about the place, (could that be old age ?). I had a walk around the course early Tuesday & formed the opinion that if the weather was good the scoring would be really low & I’m not too proud to admit that I was wrong. Killarney is a lovely course, in good condition & its surrounds could rival Loch Lomond.

Paul played great all week, Thursday he had a good day on the greens & shot an easy -5, the rest of the week he putted well & if there was a prize for lip outs I think he would’ve won it!

I had a really good time & Killarney is a great spot to spend a week - the Guinness was magnificent-, allegedly!!

I rented an apartment with my mate Squirrel, 300yds from the 1^st tee, great digs, great location & a great expense, getting ripped off is par for the course at The Open. I met Paul Tuesday morning & we put in a good day of practise, then played early Wednesday morning, which is the thing to do, if you tee off too late you can be on the course for hours, especially at a course like St A’s. Paul had been drawn to play with Padraig, ,Lee Trevino & Tony Jacklin in a 4 hole ‘past champions’ challenge Wednesday afternoon but the weather took a turn for the worst & it was cancelled, which was a shame. I spent 2 hrs Wednesday evening looking for Thursdays pin positions. Trying to find tiny yellow dots on the biggest greens you’ve ever seen can be quite laborious & made even more frustrating when I got out to the furthest part of the course to be told by an R&A official that the yellow dots were not in fact Thursdays pins, brilliant, so I went for a pint !

4 o’clock alarm call Thursday for a 6.30 tee time, 1^st off-lovely! Good score -3. The wind on Friday afternoon was ridiculous. I’m pretty sure if this was a European tour event, play would have been called off for the day. However, it wasn’t, play was suspended for an hour & when we resumed I don’t think the wind had eased at all! Team Lawrie had a bad day & we missed the cut. You hope over the course of a season luck evens itself out, just a shame that it was The Open when we got unlucky with the draw.

On Friday there were some Royal Marines on the range who had been pretty seriously injured in action. I went & had a chat, these guys don’t do self pity. Paul came over & it turned out one of the guys had been at a ‘Help the Heroes’ function in Aberdeen which Paul had attended. He mentioned he had bid for one of the auction items. Paul said words to the effect of, “ how did you afford that?” To which one of the guys, who had lost a couple of limbs & was in a wheelchair, replied, “It cost me an arm & a leg!” which made everyone laugh! Puts Fridays 82 in to perspective.

The bad winter destroyed a few of the greens at Loch Lomond & as a consequence they were pretty poor, which was a shame because the rest of the course was in great nick! Paul hit the ball well but had very little joy with his putting. It’s horrible when your man’s got a tap in & the ball shoots off at right angles but it was the same for everyone. Paul missed the cut & I was in two minds whether to drive home for the weekend & drive back up to St A’s on Monday.  I went back to my B+B in Helensburgh to pack, sat on the bed & fell asleep. When I woke up there wasn’t much point in driving back & as it happened Paul sent me a text Saturday morning to say he was going to The Open a day earlier than we had arranged, so I’m glad I fell asleep, & everything worked out OK!

I drove to St A’s on Sunday morning & it was a pleasant drive along the A91 until I got to Kinross & discovered that was where T in the park, (music festival) was held. The nice friendly police officer who was blocking the road informed me I’d missed the detour signs a few miles back. So I turned around & true to form got lost, which to be fair I expected & I didn’t feel quite as stupid as when it took me 10mins to find my way out of the car rental car park in Milan a few weeks ago.

I got chatting to a young lad at a bar in Helensburgh, who was in the army & just happened to be from Lichfield, small world!

It’s nice to be back at work after missing the Wales Open with a back problem, my 1^st week off through injury in 25years. The BMW in Munich is a tournament that Paul hasn’t had a great deal of success in, certainly in the 7 years I’ve worked for him I can’t remember him making the cut. So, making the cut was a bonus & to go into Sunday with a chance of winning was a great effort. He played fantastic for 54 holes. Sunday was a different story & it was pretty clear early on that it was going to be a tough day, a 17^th finish was a bit disappointing but a big improvement on previous efforts. A big part of the game is learning to deal with disappointment, as a caddy this is something that I think I’m good at, although maybe not so good at when I played!! The only thing that could tip me over the edge would be putting on an England shirt after we had finished, sitting in the clubhouse amongst a couple of hundred Germans & see England humiliated , I felt such an idiot after Germanys 3^rd goal I decided it was time to change my shirt & go to the airport. BRILLIANT absolutely BRILLIANT ! Premiership footballers over hyped & over paid. I’ll be OK in the morning!

The course in Madrid was in good condition but it’s design is not really my cup of tea! It’s a very tough walk made tougher by the fact you’re at altitude, perhaps I’m just getting old ! Paul hit the ball much better than at the PGA but didn’t have as much joy on the greens, we (he) made the cut & played nicely until the last 9 holes on Sunday, which was a bit of struggle & a surprise, because he’s been playing good for a while now.

I stayed close to the players hotel, not far from the Bernabeu Stadium & had a really good week, the weather was beautiful so most evenings were spent sat outside at one of the many Tapas Bars, not a bad life really.

Saturday morning I was walking to the players hotel, the roads were quiet, when I heard this car accelerating hard I looked back & the car swerve from the middle lane towards me, I just managed to jump onto the pavement in time, before it sped off. If this was someone’s idea of fun, I wasn’t laughing, Muppet!

They’ve made some pretty major changes to Wentworth, I arrived Monday to have a good look. Some of the changes were pretty good but in my humble opinion the 8^th, 12^th & 16^th greens are too severe & need changing & the par 5 18^th is so severe the only way you would try to hit the green in 2 was if money wasn’t an issue, you were missing the cut & the score didn’t matter or you were just stupid!! However next year with a few alterations I think it might be great.

The weather was glorious all week, Paul’s ball striking was OK, although it’s been a bit of a struggle recently, however his short game was WORLD CLASS & a tied 6^th, in The PGA was a top result, great effort Chippie! I got home just after 8pm & have a Monday flight from Liverpool to Madrid, it’s a busy few weeks & has so far been rewarding, which is nice. I love Cinderella stories & Simon Khan (Shaka) winning was brilliant & career changing, he’s 1 of the tours nice guys!

The week got off to an extremely wet start, on Wednesday I walked the course in the pouring rain & I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if the tournament had been cancelled. However on Thursday the weather started to improve & although the fairways were soaked the greens were in remarkably good shape. Paul’s ball striking wasn’t at its best but he’s putting much better, which is encouraging. (Finished 32^nd?)

I’ve been to Turin a few times & if I’m honest I can think of plenty of Italian cities I would rather visit. I made an effort to do some sightseeing, I went to see Juventus Alpi stadium & when I arrived it was a building site, I eventually found their new Olimpico stadium & it was shut, so that was a wasted afternoon. I did manage to get to see the Turin shroud though!

Sunday morning I woke up to the news that Milan airports were shut because of the volcanic ash cloud. I think this thing is following me & Paul around! When we finished on Sunday Turin Airport had re-opened, Paul had a private jet going back to Aberdeen & offered me & Ferret a lift, rather than hang around seeing what was going to happen in Milan, we jumped at the opportunity to get back to the UK. I hired a car in Aberdeen & drove the 7hrs home eventually getting to bed at 3am. Shattered but happy!!!

It’s great to be back in Europe, the Shanghai Shambles is a distant memory. I flew into Malaga, hired a car & drove the 2 ½ hrs to Seville, the roads are good & pretty quiet, until you get to the city, then like most cities it’s chaos. I stayed in a good hotel, the course was in lovely condition & the weather was magnificent. (I managed to get a few hrs by the pool, it’s not a bad life really!)

Paul’s been hitting the ball extremely well for a long time but struggling with his putting, this week things turned around, he didn’t hit the ball quite as well but putted beautifully, he finished a very encouraging 6^th.

I drove Paul & Julian back to Malaga Sunday evening, we have a Monday morning flight to Milan, although he’d never admit to it I think Paul quite enjoyed caddie travel, but I think it should be kept to the occasional guest appearance!

China crisis

Tuesday 20^th April.

Spent some of the morning at the airport checking on the flight situation, not very good. Played golf with Paul, at Shanghai Links, great golf course.( my 1^st round of golf in 11 years). Not too many people have the chance to play with an Open champion & it was fun. Paul hit the ball great, me I hit some really good shots, some pretty good shots, some not so good & some absolute RUBBISH ! It helped pass the day.

Wednesday 21^st April.

I had a call from my travel agent, he said that he had “ managed to book me on an Air France flight Thursday night at 11.35“, I do hope I get on it, My best mate phoned at 2.30am to see what I was up to,(I was sleeping Paul.) I woke up to a text off Sarah, UK airports are open, hallelujah.

Played golf with Paul again today at Tomson GC, we were here for the China Open in 2006, hit the ball poorly but delighted with my attitude & my course management was BRILLIANT ! Fast running out of clean clothes, pity the poor person that has to sit next to me on the plane, It’s lashing down outside.

Thursday 22^nd April

I feel a bit like Tom Hanks in ’The Terminal‘, I’ve spent a big part of the day wandering round trying to find out what’s happening &, for most of the morning, not much. There were a lot of the Ferrari team on my flight out & they were sat at the airport this morning hoping to be on Air France @ 10.40am but the flight didn’t go, they looked as fed up as I feel.

Went for a ride into town on the Maglev, 30 km in 7 mins, it seemed like something to do & killed a bit of time but not much because it’s so bloody quick!

Managed to find an English speaking chap from KLM who informed me that the Air France flights going to happen this evening. So happy, will be even happier when I’m on the plane.

Friday 23^rd April.

I’m home & what was all the fuss about? The truth is if I hadn’t got on this flight I could have been stuck in Shanghai for at least another week. I think Air France were pretty poor at keeping passengers informed with what was going on & I’m extremely grateful to Mike @Traveleads, my travel agent, who was on the ball & got me home. However my wife was having a menopausal weekend, should’ve stayed in China. Happy- days, never mind, off to Seville on Monday, we get on great on the phone.

What a nightmare this week’s turning into, it’s a shocker! The start of the week was fine, good flight, good hotel & course. Then the week started to go pear shaped. Paul hit the ball magnificently but had a very poor week on the greens, he missed the cut by 1 shot, this we can handle. What I’m finding really hard to handle is the fact I’m stuck in China, because of this volcano in Iceland & have no clue when I’m going to get home. China, although it’s a long way is fine for a week, however if I was going to be stranded somewhere China wouldn’t be the place I would choose. I’m feeling fed up & missing home but it’ll be something to tell the grandkids about when I’m retired. HELP!!!! I see the Royal Navy has been scrambled to pick stranded passages up in Europe, any chance of them stopping in Shanghai on the way?

I’ve had that long off recently that I forgot briefly what I do for a living! I’m a caddy.

Anyway it was nice to get back to work & although the course in Spain wasn’t the best, the greens were fine & the caddies got very well looked after. In the current economic climate the players & caddies should be grateful to players like Miguel Jimenez, who put a lot of time, effort & money into giving players somewhere to play. It was a fun week.

Paul has started working again with his mind coach Jamil & I have to say his attitude was great & his golf game was excellent. It’s a bit like the chicken & the egg, what comes first a good golf game or a good attitude, I think I know!

Paul’s playing in Shanghai in a couple of weeks so I’ve got a busy few days trying to sort out flights, accommodation & visas. With the form he showed last week I have to admit to being pretty optimistic about China.

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!