Greetings to all from Kohler in Wisconsin, right on the edge of the extremely massive and blue Lake Michigan.

It is now Tuesday afternoon over here and I
have been at the golf course since pretty early this morning. After that
exciting finish at Firestone on Sunday afternoon, Monday was very much a
classic travel day to get to the next tournament. An afternoon flight to
Milwaukee did give me a perfect chance to get the necessary laundry done and
ironed (guest laundry and not dry cleaned that is) before jumping in the car to
take the 75 minute drive to Cleveland airport. John Paramor and I were
travelling together and so it made for good company throughout our trip.

The flight from Cleveland was only just over 1
½ hours but we were warned that thunderstorms were hitting Milwaukee and that
it could be a bumpy arrival. No real dramas in that regard but we could see the
effects of heavy showers as we approached the airport.

Whistling Straits is actually well north of
Milwaukee, heading up towards the home of the Green Bay Packers, which some of
you that follow NFL would be familiar with. This was another 75 minute car ride
but our driver, Owen was a golf fanatic and kept us entertained with stories of
the region and how the Kohler family had developed the golf courses in the
area.

We just made it in time before the PGA of
America office closed at 6.00pm and collected our accreditation etc before
heading to the hotel.

After checking in and unpacking it was just
about time for some dinner before having an early night to prepare for my first
visit to the course.

I was awake bright and early this morning
after a pretty settled 6 or 7 hours sleep. 5.00am may seem early but getting up
then allowed me to facetime my wife and daughter back in Melbourne and catch up
with the news from the home front.

I jumped on the 7.00am shuttle bus and
arrived at the course around 7.20am. I have been fortunate enough to work at
two previous PGA Championships and so it was great to meet the Championship
team again this year. Drafts of the Competitor’s Information (Local Rules) and
a hole by hole of all the things to be found from a Rules perspective, were
ready for us to pick up and review during the course inspection. By reviewing
these as you go round you can provide the Committee with valuable feedback on
things they may have missed or other possible suggestions.

I grabbed a quick breakfast and then set out
on my own to walk the course. I am always on the lookout for guys that I know
so that I can say hi and bring them up to speed with things on our own Tour. On
the first hole was Danny Lee, Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter.I know Danny well
from my days in New Zealand and was pleased to walk the fairway with him and
catch up. Danny has a dry sense of humour and I can see why he is popular with
his fellow players. The Long Drive Contest was set up on the second so I stayed
to watch them hit. A junior programme was based near this tee and it was great
to see Rory take time out to go over and speak with them and have photos taken.

This year I am stationed on holes 5 and 8 and
so, while I was taking note of each hole as I walked, I spend quite a bit more
time reviewing those two beasts in particular.

They really did get a pounding with heavy
rain yesterday and surprisingly the fairways are still a bit wet. Drives are
creating pitch marks on the fairways and this may actually help players by
stopping the balls from running off, as was the case last week.

I headed across to the back nine and was
delighted to meet up with Mick Brennen who used to play on our Tour and then
went to caddy for both Won Joon Lee and Steve Bowditch in the US. Mick has just
picked up the bag of James Hahn (of Gangnam Style fame!!) and this is his first
gig with him. Great to see him out there and I hope the new arrangement goes
well.

When I got to hole 18 I noticed that the
dreaded bunker that cost Dustin Johnson the title in 2010 was no longer exposed
as a massive grandstand is now parked over the top of it down the right side.

Talking of bunkers, even the course staff
don’t really know how many there are out there but it is estimated between 1100
and 1500. Apparently the winters are so severe here in Kohler that by the time
it comes round to the playing season again, some bunkers will have relocated
themselves and some new ones will have appeared!

Don’t worry though, you can’t escape the
Notice to Competitors regarding all sandy areas being bunker and that Stones in
Bunkers are Movable Obstructions, they are plastered everywhere. Even a call of
nature leaves you staring at the notice above the urinal in the locker room!

I like to think that I keep myself pretty fit
but my legs were starting to feel it after my walk today. Rory looks fine after
his injury and hopefully he won’t be hampered by it this week.

Whistling Straits has been called a "Links"
style venue but it is only that in a superficial way. The multitudes of sandy
areas can let your eyes deceive you into thinking they are sand dunes but that
is as close as it gets.

Just as I was heading for the shuttle late
this afternoon I saw Cam Smith who had just finished a round. I didn’t have
time to say more than hi but hopefully I will see him and Sam his caddie out
there tomorrow.

We have a 7.30am rules meeting tomorrow
before heading back out to the course for another walk and talk.

Weather is looking pretty good initially but
we could see some electricity come Friday.

Cheers until tomorrow.