-Sunday morning, I made it to TPC Potmoac (along with friends Brendan and Jack) just after KJ's tee time, and our crew caught up with him on the 10th fairway.
A lifetime Red Sox fan, KJ immediately appreciated Brendan's Boston hat, and smiled and tipped his cap in appreciation.
When considering the fact that we made it out to the course on a cold, rainy Sunday morning, the appreciation morphed into mild confusion.
"Why are you guys here?," KJ asked.
-Considering the weather, KJ's question was well-deserved. The rain alternated with mist, and the cold temperatures made matters even worse. With heat approaching 80 just a day or two prior, the sudden change was a shock to the system.
Luckily, the rain subsided after a few holes. Otherwise, who knows if we would have made it through the entire 18. After all, it was an NFL Sunday.
-After KJ hit a brilliant approach to inside 5 feet on the 15th, leading to a birdie, KJ caught up with me to make sure I made a note of it for my blog. I told him that I would, indeed.
"Best shot I ever hit," KJ said.
-After a break, we caught back up with KJ on the 3rd hole (his 12th), where he was hovering at 2-over on the event and 7-over on the week. Well outside the top 25 on the leaderboard, KJ was not exactly making a significant impact with his play. With only seven holes to play, the status of his week was essentially stamped as mediocre.
Which led him to the following question.
"Why are you guys still here?," KJ again asked. "Don't you have anything better to do? Isn't there a bar open somewhere?"
I told him that indeed, we would probably be going to a bar after his round, to watch some football.
"Good," he said. "Maybe I'll come with you."
-After KJ completed his round, my friends and I had lunch with his caddy Smiley.
Smiley said that he will be caddying for KJ's longtime friend Fran Quinn at second stage of Q-School next month, as KJ will be having another friend caddying for the week.
KJ will take his chances at Hombre Golf Club in Panama City, assuming he fails to make a significant surge in the last two weeks that would allow him to circumvent second stage.
Smiley recounted a story from Friday, when he went to the bathroom by the 4th tee after handing KJ his driver and a ball. The 4th is a demanding par-4, with water down the left side of the fairway and a narrow green.
When Smiley returned, KJ had already teed off. Smiley was greeted with a look of disgust, which he interpreted as meaning that KJ had driven his ball into the water. Immediately, Smiley reached to the bag for another ball.
But then, KJ intervened.
"I'm just kidding, Smiles," KJ said. "We're right in the middle of the fairway."
-On the 14th green Sunday, while looking through his clubs, KJ suddenly looked at Smiley and gave a nod over to me.
"Better get ready, Kev," he said, joking that I would be called in to caddy soon enough.
Other notes from the tournament proper...
-It wasn't a good Sunday for Fargo, ND. In an occurrence that may have never happened before, the final group included two golfers from the North Dakota city, Monday qualifier Josh Persons and Tour player Tom Hoge.
Starting the day occupying the top two spots on the leaderboard at 8-under and 7-under repsectively, Persons and Hoge looked poised to do battle on Sunday afternoon.
It wasn't meant to be. Persons struggled to a 77, Hoge turned in a 76, and both finished T8.
-For plenty of other players, Sunday was also quite misfortunate. There were many scores well over par on the leaderboard, including Fabian Gomez's 81 and Jason Gore's 80.
It was a sharp decline this week for Gore, who confidently opened with a 63 and stated that he felt surprised whenever he missed a putt.
Sunday, Gore took 32 putts. Coupled with 12 missed greens, it was a recipe for disaster. Gore finished near the bottom of the leaderboard at T57.
-For others, it was not as bad. Soon-to-be PGA Tour rookie Paul Haley posted a 2-under 68, moving from 51st to 25th. Haley was seen in a good mood walking off the 16th green Sunday, smiling and wearing a winter hat.
-For David Lingmerth, it was just perfect. The Swede came away with a remarkable Sunday 66, on a day when only 11 players managed to score under par.
Lingmerth finished at 8-under, and left Washington with the victory.
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