Inside the ropes at the PGA Tour event in Tampa this weekend

[Paul_Stewart]

Thanks to some media contacts out here, I was able to spend the Saturday at the Valspar event, a truly amazing experience. Was not able to yell out anything near the 18th tee as by that point, I was walking round with one of the main USPGA officials!

Walked the morning with Retief Goosen and got a great interview/feature with him afterwards. Then camped out by the par-5 11th green to watch how different players tackled a really difficult hole location. Patrick "F-bomb" Reed was particularly amusing.

Something you notice from being this close is just how meticulous players are over their preparation. Nothing is left to chance from yardages to looking at putts from all angles. Some of the real big hitters like Shawn Stefani and Jason Koprak are good to watch but they are all over the place at times.

Had Ian Poulter show me his Ferrari as he drove in and talked with Tim Barter about him doing five straight weeks out in Florida for Sky (he's moving out here this year). And it was in the 80s all day, some change from the recent British weather.

So for being out for a week to work with the Buccaneers, having a friend on the PR staff at the Valspar really paid off!

 

[MendieGK]

Thanks to some media contacts out here, I was able to spend the Saturday at the Valspar event, a truly amazing experience. Was not able to yell out anything near the 18th tee as by that point, I was walking round with one of the main USPGA officials!

Walked the morning with Retief Goosen and got a great interview/feature with him afterwards. Then camped out by the par-5 11th green to watch how different players tackled a really difficult hole location. Patrick "F-bomb" Reed was particularly amusing.

Something you notice from being this close is just how meticulous players are over their preparation. Nothing is left to chance from yardages to looking at putts from all angles. Some of the real big hitters like Shawn Stefani and Jason Koprak are good to watch but they are all over the place at times.

Had Ian Poulter show me his Ferrari as he drove in and talked with Tim Barter about him doing five straight weeks out in Florida for Sky (he's moving out here this year). And it was in the 80s all day, some change from the recent British weather.

So for being out for a week to work with the Buccaneers, having a friend on the PR staff at the Valspar really paid off!

I'm more interested in what you were doing with the Bucs', That team is in a mess!

 

[Paul_Stewart]

Ha! I do a ton of history work with them and am writing/producing a series of player highlight and archive films. Also may be doing a book on the franchise. Marcus Mariota will be at the complex today and will get to meet him off the record but it's a non-official media visit.

 

[MendieGK]

Ha! I do a ton of history work with them and am writing/producing a series of player highlight and archive films. Also may be doing a book on the franchise. Marcus Mariota will be at the complex today and will get to meet him off the record but it's a non-official media visit.

I cant see them taking him. However, Keeping Vincent Jackson alonside Evans will give them any QB at good shot at being competitive.

My friend was at the Baltimore game last year, he's a huge Bucs fan so that was painful for him!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Fantastic experience. That sort of thing would be great to watch in a 1hr special. A real behind the scenes running of a tournament. Very jealous.

 

[Tongo]

Thanks to some media contacts out here, I was able to spend the Saturday at the Valspar event, a truly amazing experience. Was not able to yell out anything near the 18th tee as by that point, I was walking round with one of the main USPGA officials!

Walked the morning with Retief Goosen and got a great interview/feature with him afterwards. Then camped out by the par-5 11th green to watch how different players tackled a really difficult hole location. Patrick "F-bomb" Reed was particularly amusing.

Something you notice from being this close is just how meticulous players are over their preparation. Nothing is left to chance from yardages to looking at putts from all angles. Some of the real big hitters like Shawn Stefani and Jason Koprak are good to watch but they are all over the place at times.

Had Ian Poulter show me his Ferrari as he drove in and talked with Tim Barter about him doing five straight weeks out in Florida for Sky (he's moving out here this year). And it was in the 80s all day, some change from the recent British weather.

So for being out for a week to work with the Buccaneers, having a friend on the PR staff at the Valspar really paid off!

Good stuff sir! Did Retief have much to say?

I agree about the prep thing. I remember watching the Masters on the red button a couple of years ago and they showed Poulter playing the 14th. Rather than go somewhere else in between shots they just stuck with Poulter so that you got a really good insight into how players go about playing the hole, the interaction with the caddie, checking yardages etc. Was a real insight.

 

[Paul_Stewart]

Retief had a really bad day shooting +7. He'd seen me going round the whole morning so knew I wanted to get something at the end and I'd spoken to his caddie to sew the seed. It will mainly be a piece about what club golfers can learn from the pros. He admitted he'd mentally given up during the round (I'd spotted the shot and the moment) and was then working on things for the next event. Really top guy who controls his emotions superbly. Even after he fatted a wedge from 110 on the 6th!

 

[pokerjoke]

That's a shame mate if only I knew you were there I would have come over and said hello.
I was on the otherside of the fairway with Jordan Speiths parents,i was lucky
enough to go to the Ryder cup as a guest of The European tour doing some Pr for
Titleist.
Sitting there having breakfast with Micheal Jordan when Jordan Speith walks in
and asks if he could join us,and a long story short he invites me over to the Valspar
championship as his guest.
I met his parents during the Ryder cup and they were so nice.
He asked me if I could bring over some Provs with a Manchester Utd logo stamped
on them and he used them to win the tournament.
I also met Poults and Lee Westwood at the tournament and on the Friday I went out with
Poults as part of the Titleist group and went back to the house Poults was staying in
and actually sat in the Ferrari but he wouldn't let me drive it.
However he let Beckham and Romeo,but I did get to spend a little time with Victoria
and had a little chat about the Spice girls and by all accounts she did sing on all the records.
Any way off to the airport now after a cracking week.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

That's a shame mate if only I knew you were there I would have come over and said hello.
I was on the otherside of the fairway with Jordan Speiths parents,i was lucky
enough to go to the Ryder cup as a guest of The European tour doing some Pr for
Titleist.
Sitting there having breakfast with Micheal Jordan when Jordan Speith walks in
and asks if he could join us,and a long story short he invites me over to the Valspar
championship as his guest.
I met his parents during the Ryder cup and they were so nice.
He asked me if I could bring over some Provs with a Manchester Utd logo stamped
on them and he used them to win the tournament.
I also met Poults and Lee Westwood at the tournament and on the Friday I went out with
Poults as part of the Titleist group and went back to the house Poults was staying in
and actually sat in the Ferrari but he wouldn't let me drive it.
However he let Beckham and Romeo,but I did get to spend a little time with Victoria
and had a little chat about the Spice girls and by all accounts she did sing on all the records.
Any way off to the airport now after a cracking week.

Seriously? Way better story than the OP😃 (sorry)

 

[Paul_Stewart]

Yeah OK you win. But I did just meet future top NFL draft pick QB Marcus Mariota!

 

[tsped83]

Yeah OK you win. But I did just meet future top NFL draft pick QB Marcus Mariota!

He isn't going no.1 though, no way

 

[Paul_Stewart]

Correct ;-)

 

[JohnnyDee]

Thanks to some media contacts out here, I was able to spend the Saturday at the Valspar event, a truly amazing experience. Was not able to yell out anything near the 18th tee as by that point, I was walking round with one of the main USPGA officials!

And I'd been listening out for "Alas poor Yorick! WOOO YEAH!" 👀👀

 

[chrisd]

It's all a different world than I live in!

Great write ups guys

 

[quinn]

That's a shame mate if only I knew you were there I would have come over and said hello.
I was on the otherside of the fairway with Jordan Speiths parents,i was lucky
enough to go to the Ryder cup as a guest of The European tour doing some Pr for
Titleist.
Sitting there having breakfast with Micheal Jordan when Jordan Speith walks in
and asks if he could join us,and a long story short he invites me over to the Valspar
championship as his guest.
I met his parents during the Ryder cup and they were so nice.
He asked me if I could bring over some Provs with a Manchester Utd logo stamped
on them and he used them to win the tournament.
I also met Poults and Lee Westwood at the tournament and on the Friday I went out with
Poults as part of the Titleist group and went back to the house Poults was staying in
and actually sat in the Ferrari but he wouldn't let me drive it.
However he let Beckham and Romeo,but I did get to spend a little time with Victoria
and had a little chat about the Spice girls and by all accounts she did sing on all the records.
Any way off to the airport now after a cracking week.

Don't suppose you have any contacts at bay hill, I'm over there next week for 3 weeks, would love to play it, been told you can't get on unless you stay there, even then your not guaranteed to play, best way is from an invite from a member, 😉