Graceland!

While in Memphis for the Saint Jude's tournament we spent some downtime in Graceland touring Elvis' home. I was in complete awe of Elvis Presley and all he accomplished! Walking through his home was very enchanting. It felt like being in a time capsule. The walls were upolstered, dark wood paneling was throughout the house, and who could forget the funky 70s colors!?! One room in particular was bright yellow, navy and white. Another was complete jungle themed with faux fur and animal carved furniture. Elvis was also a fan of shag green carpet because it was on both the floor and ceiling! Not exactly my style, but I'm sure it was fashionable for the 70s. Here are a few pics from our trip:

The Presley Mansion

Amazing! This room was completely wall to wall gold records.

Elvis Presley's pink Cadi. Although his mother, Gladys never drove he always said it was her car.

Elvis was originally buried beside his mother's grave, but his father, Vernon had both sites moved to the grounds of the Presley home to protect there remains from all the crazy people who can't get enough of Elvis!

David shows the way into one of Elvis' plane. He bought this plane for $250k and spent $800k to change the interior. That was in the late 60s. Imagine what that would equate to today?!

Been Preoccupied...

Hi Folks!



Things have been busy with the Mathis two-some lately and has had me completely preoccupied. Sorry for the no posts!


Quick updates:


San Antonio was no good. David shot 5 over his first day putting himself behind the eight-ball and though Friday's round was much better he needed a low score to make the cut.

Byron Nelson was a much better tourney. David was frustrated with Thursday's round, but put together good rounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Patrick Kelley, David's teacher came out for the week which was a huge help to David.

Unfortunately, David did not get in the next two invitations (Colonial and Memorial). Monday David had the British Open Qualifier in Plano, TX and though he played 2 great rounds he missed getting in by 1 shot! He turned in a -9 and -10 or better got in the event. We flew home Tuesday night (week of Colonial) for the Nationwide Rex Hospital event in Raleigh. How convenient!! David had a great tourney at home and it was fun seeing all the locals supporting the home team :-) David finished 3rd, which was a nice confidence boaster.

Last week was a nice week at home, though David had the urge to join his friend Jay in Vegas. I decided to stay home, since I had a friend coming in town and a booked of Saturday. Plus, I'm a huge fan of stacations! We spend so much time away from home there's something to be said about actually being at home. David flew in from Vegas on Friday night and was out to Memphis on Saturday to prepare for the US Open Qualifier (Monday, Jun 8). David's not in the Open so we well be home again next week. This might turn out to be a blessing since we are moving within a month!

Currently, I am sitting in ATL waiting for my flt to Memphis. I have a dinner date with my hubby as soon as he picks me up from the airport. :-)

Janet will be joining us tomorrow. Aside from good golf, we are excited to experience Graceland! This will surely require another update!

602 Canyon Lake Circle FOR SALE!!!

Big news!! David and I bought a new home this week! We have been looking to move to North Raleigh for a while now. In fact, prior to David's win last year he always said if he won on tour and secured the 10+ years of status at the TPC then we would move to be closer to the club. Well, that didn't happen because we got trigger shy or maybe the right opportunity didn't come along. Regardless, we have been looking but to no avail. Last week, one of the members at the TPC who happens to be a home builder mentioned to David that he had a home with "bells and whistles" in Wake Forest. We never really considered Wake Forest but it's only 5 miles from the TPC so was worth taking a look. David liked, I liked and after several days of deliberation we decided to make an offer. Monday morning David presented the offer in writing and it was accepted! No need to negotiate! Keep in mind we were scheduled to fly to San Antonio, TX Monday afternoon. David went on with that plan, but I stayed home to get our house ready for the market. 3 days of back aching moving, hauling, packing, cleaning and meeting with the realtor and the house is officially FOR SALE. I'm in San Antonio now, but know our house got it's first showing on it's first day of listing. Hope that's a good sign! Fingers crossed....

Quail Hollow... a bit closer to home

We arrived late Sunday night from New Orleans, picked up our bags, were greeted by volunteers for Quail Hollow and given our car for the week. Since we drove our own car from home to Charlotte prior to the tournament, I had a perfect opportunity to go home for a night to catch up on some things. I hardly had time to breath! Rush here, do this, do that and be back in Charlotte before 4pm on Tuesday. I managed though! The Tour Wives Association along with Avon Foundation were charged with a charity function called "Walk the Course Against Domestic Violence." All proceeds benefited local shelters for women of domestic violence and all in all over $65,000 was raised to help these women. My friend and old room mate Holly joined in for the 5 mile walk. We figured it would allow plenty of time to chat and catch up since we hadn't seen each other in several months. We didn't account for how winded we would be in the process! It was great to spend time with Holly.
The tournament went much like others. David got off to a good start Thursday, made the cut, but didn't have one of his better finishes. We were fortunate to have many friends and family come out to join us for the weekend. Thank you all for your encouragement and support!!

Pics from NoLa

Me, Liz, Kelly, Courtney, Ami and Megan at Mardi Gras World


Mardi Gras + Fat Tuesday = the fatten cow


Perfect fit Liz!

Megan and Courtney getting in costume

Kelly and I posing in front of the ugliest float in the warehouse

Mardi Gras World employees 50+ artist who work to design the Mardi Gras floats year round.


Emeril Lagasse gives us a cooking demonstration.

Finally an UPdate

So much for updating weekly! I really let time get away from me since we were in Houston.


Easter and Verizon Heritage:

Just to bring you up to speed David and I spent the week of Easter at home, but what we thought was a week turned into 3 days because we really wanted to be with our family for the weekend. So Friday am we drove to Winston Salem to visit with both Walt and Janet. Saturday morning we drove to the mountains to see all my folks. Saturday night David and I were in charge of dying Easter eggs with our nephew and niece, Cole and Ambria. Easter Sunday started with an early tradition at Watauga Baptist where the men started preparing breakfast for the Sunrise service. David and my brother-in-law, Lee had to go with Dad while the rest of the house (me, mom, my sister, Raychelle and the kids, Cole and Ambria) had another hour of rest before sunrise. I love going home. Life has such a nice relaxed pass which is a rarity in our constant on-the-go life.

Monday we left out early for the Verizon Heritage on Hilton Head Island, SC. We felt for sure David would get in the field (at the time he was 3rd alternate). Some friends of ours had a nice vacation home on Haige Point and invited up to stay with them during the week of the tournament. Of all my travels I don't think I ever stayed on an island that could only be reached by ferry. In fact, everyone drove little golf carts all over the island. I had beautiful morning jogs while I was there too. By Thursday morning, David was 1st alternate. So David got up for the first tee times, he and Mikee caught the ferry from Haige Point to Harbor Town and waited to see if a player was not available for his tee time. Unfortunately, he waited all day to no avail. We decided it best to pack up and head home for the weekend.

That weekend at home was much needed! David got some real good work in with his teacher, Patrick and I finally got to do catch up work at home. Sunday evening we drove to Charlotte to stay the night with Jay and Tessa and then caught a flight Monday morning to New Orleans.

Down in the "THE BIG EASY"

Now that brings up to our ventures in NoLa... I love it there! There is an amazing culture and tons to do. Monday David and I (and Jay since he was our ride to the airport) were up ultra early. We were flying on Airtran which we swore we would never do... and again... we said we will never do it again. First of all, Jay's wife Tessa called to see if I needed that flowered bag left at the door.... um yes. That's my carry on we accidentally forgot to put in the car. I managed a week without a hair dryer, jewelry, sunglasses, purse, and Tour id. Secondly, we get to the counter to check in for our flight and the lady starts whipping out a tape measure for our bags which truly are as standard size as they come. According to her my suitcase measured 62.5" and anything over 62" is "over sized." Give me a break!! Needless to say, our conversations were not pretty because her measurements were totally subjective (my bag was not completely full and have several inches of give). Also, note David has forbidden me to argue with the airline folks because my "quiet and gentle spirit" completely caves... pray for me and patience!

We made it to New Orleans (with no oversize baggage fee I might add) just in time to catch our ride to the golf course. The driver must have sensed my frustrations that morning because he took me straight to the Starbucks drive-thru... thank you very much!! :)

David rushed off to an on site pro-AM while I waited for my friend Kelly to get in from there flight. Kelly and I helped each other load up cars with luggage, and settle in our hotels. With a couple hours to spare, we walked along the river walk and the streets in the French Quarter. My memory from 8+ years ago served me well. I was able to take her to all the hot spots and it was so much fun for me to remember coffee at Cafe de Monde, the haunted mansion (though I couldn't remember where the house was located) and how stinky Bourbon St was.

Tuesday 6 of us girls (me, Kelly, Courtney, Megan, Amy and Liz) meet up to explore New Orleans. We started with a tour of Mardi Gras World, where 80% of the floats and decor is made for each Mardi Gras year. Afterward we hopped a shuttle back to downtown to get famous Muffelettas from the general store in the French Market area. We crossed the street to find park benches along the river front where we ate our Muffelettas, drank from bottles and passed a big bag of sweet potato chips. I guess this is why they call it the BIG EASY. After lunch we shopped around in the French Market, had coffee and beignets from Cafe de Monde and strolled down Bourbon St. What a fun day with the girls!

Wednesday was the day I had been waiting for... lunch with Emeril Lagasse! We met at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans and did a charity activity with some children from St Bernard's Perish (rather than counties, Louisiana has "perishes"). St Bernard was truly left in ruins after Katrina. A non-profit organization worked with the victims to rebuild their homes and our project was the make "welcome home" cards with the children. Most of the kids had disabilities and the the child I was working with, Yvonne was absolutely precious! We would write out a message in the card and she would trace over the letters, glue hearts, and put stickers on the card. She was very good within the lines. And when a photographer came to take our picture together she loved it! She keep on posing for more shots which had us all laughing. These children were also near and dear to Emeril's heart, which is part of the reason he was with us that day. After arts and crafts with the kids Emeril came on the scene to prepare sangrias, gumbo, swordfish over salad and for dessert blueberry cornmeal shortcake... yumm!! Truly an experience I will always remember.

Thursday the tournament started. David was off that afternoon and finished the day at even par. Friday was a totally different day. Finally a little reward for all his efforts! David not only hit in straight, but he made putts from all over the green! 8 birdies and 1 bogey later he turned in a card with -7 which was the second lowest round of the day. 8 under was the course record and truly David could have easily shot -9 to set a new one. What a fun, fun day! Saturday David was paired with Rory Sabbatini. You would not believe how many calls we got from people asking if he was as big of a punk and the media made out. To set the record straight.... yes, he said things about Tiger and was also rude to Ben Crane, but he really was a nice guy and so was his wife. We have nothing bad to say about them. I know the media hounded him and maybe it was partly deserved, but not entirely... there! That's my two cents :)

So to finish up on the tournament... David shot 2 over on Saturday and Sunday.... finished -3 for the tourney.

Other notable mentions from NoLa..... We ate alligator, Boudin, beans, franks and rice (aka... beanie weenies).

Golfer in need of love and prayer

David and I are in Houston for the Shell Houston Open. We flew in early Monday morning (up and out of the house at 4 am). David had to get out to the golf course for a Pro-am event. While he was on the course I was busy exploring a bit of Houston and trying to get us all settled into our hotel. Tuesday was tax day for me and David got a good practice round in. Wednesday, I met up with Kelly (Bettencourt) for a fun day of shopping and a dinner date at Rudy's with my hubby. For those not familiar with Rudy's it's the best Texas BBQ ever! I'm from the Carolina's and I'm ashamed to say it's way better than the pork back home.

We love Rudy's! From left to right: me with Rudy's BBQ sauce; David's pulled pork and sweet tea; Kelly says Welcome to Rudy's!

Thursday started the Shell Houston Open. David was suppose to tee off at 9 that morning, but a terrible storm came through Houston and delayed play by several hours. New tee time was at 1130, but shortly into the round the wind started howling! David miss a 2 foot putt for par because the wind blew it off line... Halfway into hole # 5 the tour officials blew the horn to halt play. Apparently the winds were so fierce (not to mention the greens were already conditioned to play incredibly fast) the course was deemed "unplayable." We hung out in the clubhouse for several hours and then were told round 1 would continue Friday-am. Needless to say, Friday was an early day. Players were to be in position before 8 am, which meant up and at 'em at 5 am! Play conditions were not much better. It was incredibly cold and still a bit breezy. Then, the unthinkable happened... David made an 8 on a par 4! Ouch!! And it escalated... putts not dropping, trouble = more trouble, etc. Every golfer, regardless of skill level knows the story. At the end of the round we went inside the clubhouse for a bite of lunch. On our way to the clubhouse we saw a caravan of SUVs... guess who's comin' to watch golf?!?! Mr. and Mrs. George Bush Sr!! I knew they were aging, but didn't expect to see Mr Bush look so feeble. Tell you what, Barbara Bush is the cutest little lady with the whitest curly hair.

Round two was no better than round one. Good news is his high score does not mean his hurt... just in need of love and prayer. It's definitely frustrating to see your A+ golfer struggle because of an inch. I know God is totally in control. His big picture for David is way better than we could ever imagine! We just need to trust and obey. I swear those are the hardest of God's commandments. No matter the outcome, we're going to strive to glorify God in the good times and bad...

That's all for now... time for some good 'ol Rudy's Texas BBQ and banana pudding (3x this week) with Mikee and the Bettencourt's!

Bye-Bye Rain; Hello Sunshine!

We're in sunny FL folks! Considering 5 of my days at home last week were nothing but rain days, I'm tickled to see the sunshine. The weather here has been wonderful; 70s and 80s.

David and I met back up Tuesday night and we have been all smiles since :) I love how much we miss each other and the happiness we have when we are back in our norm of traveling together. Wednesday, David put in some good work while I attended a wives outing. I was so excited to catch up with my friend Kelly now Bettencourt (Yes, like all tour folks, they are honeymooning at the tournament site)! It has been weeks since we last saw each other and I'm so please my play pal is back out on the road with me!

David says the golf course is "pure." We checked the scores from last year's tourney to learn even par finished top 10. Scores will probably remain single digits, though Furyk posted -6 his first round! David is hitting it exceptionally well. Seems like those changes he started working on last summer are coming to fruition! Now we're waiting for the putts to go in. This has been a struggle for us because putting has been his strength and this season we still in waiting for it to kick in. It will!!! We pray for putts and patience daily!

So, yesterday David finished at Even par. After his round, we left for Chick-fil-a with Mikee and then the boys went back to work on the putting. He's feeling better about it now, but we can always use prayers if you are a prayer warrior!

When work was finished it was time to play. We put on our flops and headed to Clearwater which is about 30 mins from were we are staying. We had a fabulous dinner at Frenchy's ( I highly recommend the clam chowder), saw the beach (briefly because the wind was a bit cool for us) and then enjoyed dessert at the Melting Pot (yum!).

We are currently sitting among the old folks in Panera having coffee, news paper time and catching up with our online work. We love growing old in our ways :)

David tees off at 215. Time to get ready for the day!!

Quick Update on Puerto Rico

This week was a no go. David shot +1 on Thursday, which left him with some work to do on Friday. Completely manageable and he had it when he was -3 (-2 total), but ran into trouble in his last few holes resulting in his first missed cut. He caught a flt to FL last night and since the weather is cold and rainy here he's staying in warm FL to work on his game. The plan for me is the same; I will join him Tuesday night in Tampa. As of yesterday, he is in next week's field by 1. Top 10 in Puerto Rico will determine whether he moves outside the field, but we feel fairly certain he is good for next week. Bay Hill (2 weeks) is out so we will likely be home for a week and then off to Houston. That's our 3 week game plan. I can't tell you what happens next for us. We live life by the seat of our pants!

No Fair!

So I've been home this week while David is in Puerto Rico. In the short amount of time being home David has gotten a big box of clothes (20-30 shirts), 6 pairs of shoes among other things delivered to the door. I want to know when my delivery of shoes and clothes are coming?!!? I use this every time I want to go shopping :-) Granted, his is "work" purpose, but still! That's my case. We get massive packages all the time. I think the UPS guy tries to avoid me because I harass him about bringing a storage shed for all the stuff he keeps dropping at the door. I guess it's not really his fault, but really! Where do you put all of it!?!? It would be interesting for me to go through the house and take an inventory of all the golf bags we have around here.

While I'm missing my hubby, I'm enjoying the comforts of home. I love sleeping in our bed, knowing the house is clean and laundry is done, making coffee the way I like it and watching HGTV! I never watch tv when we're on the road (except for 24 our favorite) so it's exciting to come home a veg out. It has been rainy and cold out ever since I woke up this morning so it's been an HGTV marathon day. I promise to be more productive... tomorrow :)

Here and There

David finished out at the Honda with his best finish thus far; tied for 27. He had such a solid start Thursday and Friday; even got some tv time! Saturday was one of those tougher rounds, but David started to get the right feelings back in his last 6 holes. Sunday, well... he really played better than he scored. That's golf and it happens sometimes, but all the same we are so grateful for every opportunity God gives. We know it's coming!!

This week David is playing in Puerto Rico and I am at home sweet home catching up on life at home. I will join David in Tampa next Tuesday evening. Before I left work and started traveling with David we were sort of use to spending weeks apart. How in the world did we do it!?! The house is so quiet and it's just me to look after. He said it was weird going through the airport without me beside him... While I'm enjoying my comforts here, I'm really looking forward to seeing him in Tampa!

I'll keep y'all updated on his play.

Thank you God for good putts!

David had an awesome round yesterday ;-2 top 10 for round 1. When we checked the PGA Tour website this morning there was a great post on the front page! It's no longer up, but I'm sure I can find it somewhere on the site and post a blurb. How exciting. Thanks God for allowing some putts to fall! Praying for a low round today :-)

Viva Mexico! Playa del Carmen y Cancun

Our recent Tour stop in Mexico was incredible! We finally got to Cancun around 930 that Monday night. I was so please how quickly we got through Immigration and collected our bags (especially after the debacle we experienced in Fort Lauderdale Airport… see previous post). A driver was waiting for us and took us straight to the Fairmont resort (site of the Mayakoba Golf Classic). I found it interesting that every major resort we drove by was on a gated compound... no kidding! At least we didn't have real worries about safety! We checked into our room, ordered room service and called it a night.

Tuesday I decided to be brave and go swimming in a Mayan cave. I tried my best to talk some friends into going with me, but no luck and David had to work. I decided it was worth the experience and went anyways with 2 other couples on Tour. At first, I felt like a complete 5th wheel, but in the end, we had a lot of fun and I was glad I went because I made a few new friends. The cave experience was awesome; aside from looking like a total dork in a wet suit and helmet with a flashlight on my forehead! Good thing for the helmet… I just about knocked myself out when I ran into a piece of stalactite!! The cave exploration took about 2 hours. There were times when we only had 2 feet of space between the surface of the water and the cave ceiling. I even saw bats. Thankfully they didn’t see me…

Wednesday, David and I went swimming with the dolphins (yes, again...). It’s amazing how friendly they are! The neatest trick we did was called the foot push. Basically the dolphins come behind you and push you on top of the water. A bit scary, but a complete thrill!

Thursday the tournament started. I hate to complain in February how hot it was, but it was smoldering in spots on the golf course! I felt guilty wishing for a breeze b/c it makes it tough on the golfers. If you looked at the scores you noticed David had a not so great round on Saturday. We talked it out over fruity tea, a strawberry daiquiri and chips with salsa. Basically, there's no real room for error if you hit a poor shot off the tee. Beside the cart path were tall, thick, jungle like bushes. You pretty much took a lost ball if you missed the fairway. For the record, David is 5-0 in cuts (yay!), but we’re anxiously waiting a top finish…. It’s coming!!

Last note on Mexico…. It’s just not Mexico unless you experience some sort of stomach ailment. David was up at 3 Sunday morning. I felt so bad for him, but considering I had my share of stomach issues the previous week I was glad it was not me with a second-go-round. We shared gross bathroom humor and he actually laughed with me when he started to feel better. The joys of marriage :-)

The Not So Glamorous Side of Traveling

We didn’t get to bed until 12am last night. We spend several hours packing, distributing weight in our bags and boarding up the house. 530 came early this morning, but we made it to the airport without a hitch. Once we arrived in Fort Lauderdale we collected our heavy bags, attempted to go up the escalator and was told we could not (waited a few minutes for the airport lady to disappear and proceeded to do so), divided more weight in the bags (50lbs for 3 bags and an extra heavy carry-on, random golf shoes tucked into odd places), had an argument with the lady at check-in that a golf bag WAS NOT “oversized.” We were fortunate because David presents a good argument; the lady checking in 10 lanes down… not so much. But we all heard her case!
The food in this airport is not the best of selection; basically pizza or donuts. Clearing security was easy except for having to essentially undress and redress, pulling out computers, taking apart our luggage to show it’s just a bag filled with shoes. Did I mention my shoulder hurts on my left side?! Now we are waiting… chatted with a friend, boarded the plane and waiting, waiting… I fell asleep. When I woke up David announced, “We’re here!” I’m thinking, “Wow! That was a fast flight! I slept the entire time. Great! Bring on Cancun!” Then he tells me, just kidding. There’s a problem with the brakes (GREAT!) and they are having them checked out. Now we are waiting…. again. Finished my magazine, deplane. Charge up my phone, cleaned out my inbox, had a small snack, waiting still. We are into hour 10 of our travel and in counting. Eventually we will make it to Cancun. Unfortunately, this is a fairly normal routine for us. Thus, the not so glamorous side of traveling!

Palm Springs, Scottsdale and Las Vegas

Week 2: Palm Springs, CA
Bob Hope Chrystler Classic

We flew a red-eyed flight from Honolulu to LA. We departed from our family in LA, rented a car and drove to Palm Springs. That day was nothing but exhaustion. We did manage to get ourselves checked into our hotel for the week. Tuesday, David got up early to go to the course. I met up with a Kelly (to-be Bettencourt) to attend a luncheon fashion show at the La Quinta Resort (something the tournament organized). The next 5 days were tournament days and long ones at that. This particular event was a pro-am, which pretty much added an extra hour to play. I did meet Russell Crow (one of the ams in the field) and saw Arnold Palmer. The scores were ultra low; winning score was 33 under par. David's scores were 66, 66, 69,65, 72. He finished tied for 34.

Week 3: Scottsdale, AZ and Las Vegas, NV
FBR Open

As soon as the round was over David, Mikee and I loaded up the car to drive to Scottsdale, Arizona for the FBR. David wasn't in the field so the plan was to play the Monday Qualifier. Unfortunately, David's score was not one of the top four to get in the FBR field. He was already committed for a pro-am on Wednesday so we decided to stay a couple extra days. While in Scottsdale, I met up with a few gal pals from the Nationwide Tour: Emily Summerhays, Kelley Guetz, along with their babies- Jack and Henry and Rachel (to-be Todd). We had a great lunch at a little French restaurant and caught up on life. I can't believe how big Jack and Henry are! Too cute. I'm really going to miss my friends on the Nationwide Tour. My hope is to find just as quality of friendships on the PGA Tour. I now have high standards.

As soon as he finished we drove 5 hours to Las Vegas. It was so bizarre driving through canyons and seeing cacti all along the roadside. We drove over the Hoover Dam, which was an incredible site! When we left Scottsdale it was 60 degrees, half way through the road trip we were in Flagstaff where there was snow on the ground and it was 27 degrees. Eventually we ended in Vegas at 52 degrees. We stayed at the Wynn. Most of our time was spent playing black jack at both Wynn and Encore (we're up!). We saw "O" at the Bellagio and I took advantage of the Spa. Not all our time was play in Vegas. David spent several hours each day at the TPC working on his game.

Sony Open in Hawaii

Welcome to the PGA Tour! First up, Hawaii!

David promised his mom when he got his PGA Tour card he would take her to Hawaii. Needless to say, Janet started packing and planning last summer when it was fairly certain David would finish top 25 on the Nationwide Tour. Mom and Dad hadn't been to Hawaii since they once lived there in the late 60's. Zach, David's brother also joined us. The six of us and all our luggage literally required a shuttle bus to take us to the airport. Too bad I didn't take a picture of that!!

We rented a house less than a mile from the Waialae Country Club. By the way, I highly recommend you tour foks traveling with family to rent a house vs hoteling it! Everyone had there own space. David and I took over the master suite with the super-duper steam shower (I really got spoiled). The house also had a pool and a little pool house Mikee, David's caddie stayed in. Yes, that's 7 people!

While David worked, the rest of us did what tourist do best. Everyday was a day of activities. Sunday we all loaded up in the mini and drove north of Honolulu to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. Monday, Mom, Zach and I hiked 700 feet to the top of Diamond Head. The trail was crowded and when we got to the top of the mountain we witnessed a couple getting engaged. So sweet! Tuesday we went to the Pearl Harbor Memorial (Thanks Tammy for suggesting the $5 audio tour), which was very moving. We also went to Punch Bowl Cemetary and Pali's lookout.

OK- interjecting a neat story here... My parents were high school sweethearts. When dad graduated he joined the army and was stationed in Hawaii. Shortly after, he and mom married and mom flew out to join him. They rented a little studio apartment in Honolulu. We punched their former address in the GPS and found it! Mom and Dad knocked on the Landlord's door, and sure enough the apartment was vacant and she invited Mom and Dad to go look inside. How cool! I went in with them. Nothing appeared to change... same wood paneling, old wash sink and yellow stove. The big difference was the price of rent went from $75 a month to $900!

Wednesday- upon my request we went to Waikiki Beach!

Thursday- was the start of the Sony Open (the REAL reason we all went to Hawaii).

David got off to a great start with 2 under par in spite of the huge bands of rain during his round. Friday was an early tee time and again David shot 2 under par; 4 under for the tournament. He was in a great spot for the weekend... making his first cut of the season!

We celebrated Thursday and Friday's rounds by going to a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Unfortunately, it absolutely poured buckets of rain so we were freezing... in Hawaii. None the less, dinner and the show were awesome!

Saturday and Sunday were not the best of David's rounds, but it's the start of the season. He finished tied for 59 and we're happy to go into the next week aiming for a progression!!

Welcome

I toyed with the idea of blogging my tour and travel experiences for a while now. Many of you asked me what life is like on the road and I want to keep you as much in the loop as possible. Bless your heart for trying to keep up with us and our crazy schedule! Hopefully this will help :-)

Our Story and God Moments:

David and I met at church on Superbowl Sunday 2003. After about 3 or 4 months our friendship transpired into something more. September 30 2006 we got married.

Sharing a sweet embrace on our wedding day

I continued to work in Chapel Hill while David played the Nationwide Tour. July 2007 we took a total leap of faith; I left my job to travel full time with David. I had total peace about that decision, however God challenged our faith when David missed 5 cuts in a row. We were in Pennsylvania when he missed the 5th cut. I remember us being in tears as we prayed for God to create opportunities for us to continue traveling together. The very next week was the Nationwide tournament in Rochester, NY and guess who was on the bag... ME!

David reads a putt at Xerox Classic in Rochester, NY

David was so worried because I was lagging some 50 yards behind him in Tuesday's practice round. Do you realize how boring practice rounds are?!? By tournament time I was in high gear. I didn't step on a single ball mark and his clubs were always clean (I'm a clean freak! I knew I had that one covered :-) David was playing great! When he walked off the 18 green each day he kissed me and the whole crowd would awe at us. Sunday morning came and David was going into the day tied for 2nd. How awesome is God?!? He finished the tournament tied for 7th, which was his best finish up to that point. The rest of the season was a steady progression. He finished tied for 2nd that year in Miami and went on to play the Tour Championship in San Diego.
David went into 2008 with full status on the Nationwide Tour. We traveled to New Zealand and Australia together.

At Gunnamata Surf in Australia

In May 2008 David won the BMW Charity Pro-Am. What an exciting time for us!?! I remember how sleepless I was the night before his final round. I was so anxious. I tried praying myself back to sleep, but realized God was preparing my heart for what was to come. That morning when David and I got up I pounced on him saying "winner winner chicken dinner!" ... glad he didn't quote me to the press :-)

David wins the BMW Charity Pro-AM May 2008

A happy moment shared between us.

David finished the season # 14 on the moneylist. Top 25 received their Tour Card. PGA Tour here we come!!!