Arnold Palmer Invitational

Right now I am enjoying this Sunday back at home, with the exciting final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on TV in the background. We FINALLY had HD installed, and WOW, does it makes a world of difference! I know...totally behind on that one. :-)

Parker on the other hand is back out at the golf course in Scottsdale getting a round in with some of his friends, before he heads to the practice range with his coach this week.

Unfortunately, it was a disappointing end to the week, missing the cut at the Bay Hill just by a shot. It was one of those courses that you had to hit it in the fairway and hit greens, otherwise you were penalized. But even though we weren't there on the weekend, it was a special week for both of us. I had the opportunity to visit the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. We were given the tour of the absolutely amazing facility by the head doctor himself. I know that it was also really special for Parker to be a part of such a prestigious tournament.

(they even assigned your name to a parking spot here!) Another special part of the week was when Arnold Palmer came to say hello during Parker's Monday Pro Am.

On Friday afternoon we watched the cut line closely (with many people thinking it might go to +3), and as it turned out, Parker missed the cut only by one player. So that night we laid low, found a great little Indian Restaurant not to far from our hotel and enjoyed some quality time together... and somehow a quiet night with great food seemed to lift our spirits!

We also changed our flight from Sunday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Changing flights is something that you just have to deal with out on tour, sometimes you are changing it to accommodate a later tee time, sometimes you are changing it because of a missed cut, and occasionally you get it just right! It is just all part of the travel that we are getting very used to. Thankfully the PGA Tour has an amazing travel agency that is always available (even when you have to call them from the golf course!)

We had Saturday to pack and had a little extra time to spare so we decided to go play miniature golf. Funny enough, Parker and I had never played miniature golf together!!! Not even when we were dating, how ironic! I was pretty proud of myself because I actually held my own. And even beat Parker on one hole! I think it might be all of the "watching" I do! On the score card, I also had a hole in one, but it really shouldn't have counted as a 1, because it actually went in the "yellow" hole, and I was definitely aiming for the "red" hole ;-). We had a great time and I think it helped Parker to relax and have some fun after a long demanding week of golf!




Now we are looking forward to our upcoming travel to New Orleans and Houston, two of our favorite tour spots from last year!
-Kristy

Buenos Dias Amigos!

We just arrived home from Mexico and we are already missing that amazingly blue water, those fish tacos, and our friends in Playa Del Carmen. This was one of our favorite weeks of the year during Parker's rookie season, and we had a amazing time again this year. It's definitely not a bad place to be as an alternative to Tucson (if you are not "yet" in the top 60 in the world). In Mexico, the Tour does a great job of making different activities available during the tournament week so you can really make the most of your trip and appreciate where you are! (sometimes with all of the travel it is easy to just go back and forth to the golf course, and not even know what city you are in?). But not this week...this week we were definitely making the effort to enjoy everything Playa Del Carmen had to offer.


At the beginning of the week we had the opportunity to visit an underground river called "Rio Secreto" or "Secret River." Not knowing exactly what to expect, we took a wild ride in a 4x4 jeep out to the middle of the jungle to the entrance to the river. We went on an hour&1/2 walk and swim through this underground cave. The most unique part of the excursion was when we were about mid way through the cave and our guide asked us all to turn our headlights (on our helmets) off. There was absolutely no difference with your eyes open or shut, and all you could hear were the sounds of the water dripping from the various geological formations surrounding you. It was incredible.


The next day Parker played in the Pro Am and I had the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. This was an amazing experience and something that I have always wanted to do. What surprised me the most was how strong they were. When I looked at the dorsal fin I was almost afraid to grab on to it, but as you can see, I had to hold on like crazy because they swim so fast and are so powerful.

The rest of the week was filled with enjoying our time with our family friends that we stayed with, jumping in the water everyday, and eating amazing food. Our friends have had a home in Playa Del Carmen for 16 years now so they know every local restaurant possible. I think that is what we love the most, finding those hole in the wall places that we would never find without a "local" guiding us. We ate the best shrimp tacos, guacamole, and arrachera all week long. We enjoyed happy hour every night and cribbage games after sunset.


The only downside to the trip was getting "Tourista" or "Montezuma's Revenge." Whatever you want to call it, it was no fun :-(. Ironically, I am the careful one out of the bunch. I am the only one to brush my teeth with bottled water, and I am always conscious of what I am eating, but what can you do? I couldn't seem to pin point what caused it either, I even ate at the golf course that day? I am just glad that Parker steered clear of it. Plus the only thing I missed was a few days of golf...and to be honest, I watch a lot of golf all year long. ;-)

All in All it was an amazing trip! We are excited about being at home for a week and then heading out to Florida for the next few.
Hasta Luego!
-Kristy

West Coast Swing

I was hoping to get the chance to write after the Sony, then after Torrey Pines, and now I am realizing that 3 tournaments have already gone by in a blink of an eye. To sum it up, it has been a very busy, yet extremely fun filled last month.

The Sony Open had to have been one of our most memorable tournament weeks thus far. We had a great support group of family who came from the mainland and local friends & family who came out to cheer on Parker. Thanks to Waikoloa, we all sported the "Go Parker" Waikoloa hats for the week. After coming close the cut line, Parker battled through the weekend and finished T10 at the first tournament of the year. Not only did he have a great finish, but I have never seen him play in front of such a big crowd. Between his local following and the Shigeki Maruyama fans, hole to hole, that was the most people Parker has ever played in front of.

The "Beers for Birdies" Group at The Sony Open

Parker unfortunately has been battling a flu/cold for a while now and had to take off the Bob Hope. The turn around from Sony to the 5 day tournament in Palm Desert was going to be too much to handle. So instead we had a nice week at home and he prepared for The Buick in San Diego.

San Diego was also a special week. We had a large group of family and friends from Southern California come down to support him. We got to stay at my sister's house which was very nearby the golf course. Parker played great finishing at T29, even though I know that he had a lot on his mind that week. His dad had suffered a stroke the weekend before up in Northern California. After being with his Dad and knowing that he was going to make a full recovery, Parker was able to remain in the tournament. Thanks to the support of all of his family he was able to play.

From San Diego we headed back home to Phoenix. It would have taken a top ten at the Buick for Parker to get into the FBR. Either way we were going to be at home, which is always nice. The FBR week in Phoenix was crazy... because it was also the week of the Super Bowl. Since Parker wasn't playing this week, he actually had the opportunity to go! He and one of his best friends got to watch the game from amazing 50 yard line seats. One of my best girlfriends also came into town for the Super Bowl. Her husband and a friend went to the game and all of the wives enjoyed an very nice and relaxing afternoon watching it at home. We got to be in sweats, had some great Super Bowl food, all from the comfort of our living room couches. The guys called us about once a quarter telling us how amazing the whole experience was!



The next day after the Super Bowl, we got on a plane to go to Pebble Beach. One of the great things about the AT&T Tournament is getting to stay with our friends Genny & Dan at their beautiful home on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. We always have such a great time with them. Even though we are not from the area, we consider this tournament to be one of our home tournaments. We have spent a lot of great time at Pebble and it happens to be close enough for the Southern California friends and family and close enough for the Northern California friends and family to all come and watch! We had close to 75 people out there! Parker and his partner Jim Rohr gave us quiet a show. After the second day of play they were leading in the team scores! Jim chipped in and dropped some long putts for birdie. Even making a few natural birdies for eagle! In the end Jim and Parker ended up placing 3rd in the team scores, and Parker played great on Sunday to sneak up to T14th! One of the other highlights of the week was getting to meet one of my favorites... comedian/actor, Kevin James (who was just as great in person as he is in his show). The most special part of the week for us was having Chris, Parker's Dad a part of all of the festivities. He walked the golf course each day (including part of the wed. practice round) and amazed us all with his strength and positive energy.



Now that the West Coast Swing is winding down we wanted to thank everyone who made the effort to be at these tournaments with us! It is our favorite time of the year! Now we are enjoying a bit of down time at home and look forward to our upcoming trip to Mexico for the Mayakoba Classic!

Kristy

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I can't believe that the 2008 season has come around already. With the intense fall finish and Q-school, our "off season" consisted of only few weeks in December. But even though it was short, Parker and I definitley made the most of it. We took a week and went on an nice get away, with no cell phones, no computers, and most of all no golf clubs! It was great for the mind, body, and soul to relax and enjoy our surroundings and each other.

Once we got home, for me it was Christmas central... getting situated for the holidays. For Parker, he got back into a practice routine to prepare for the 2008 season. He had consistent workouts with his coach and trainer in Arizona. Then we spent the holidays with family and friends. It was a nice little break from golf and just what we needed.

On New Year's Eve we took a flight to Hawaii to bring in the New Year with the McLachlins. As we approached Oahu, the island looked almost like a rock concert... there were flashes everywhere and spectacular fireworks. It was such an amazing view from the plane. I was almost positive we had missed the New Year's count down but Parker assured me, that Hawaii likes to celebrate big... and that I would know when it was midnight! Of course he was right...just as we were about to touch down, all of Waikiki exploded with fireworks and we landed at 12:00 on the dot! It was a great way to see the New Year's celebration.

Parker is enjoying being back at home, frequenting his favorite spots...the Outrigger and Andy's Sandwiches. We are looking forward to new adventures, new challenges, and new opportunities this year and we are especially excited about kicking off the 2008 PGA Tour Season in his home town.

Hope to see you out at the Sony!
-Kristy

Looking forward to 2008!

YEAH!!! He did it. It is about 1 something in the morning right now and I am running totally on adrenaline to stay awake and pick Parker up from the airport at 2am! I wanted to thank everyone for their e-mails, text messages, and phone calls this week. We truly appreciate all of the support. I know that all of your positive thoughts were with him throughout the tournament. We couldn't be more excited about looking at his 2008 schedule with Full PGA Tour Status!

I could finally breathe for the first time in a week when I got the first text message today the he did it! I hadn't looked at the scores on the internet or TV so I could remain calm and neutral each time I talked to Parker on the phone. We decided that I was going to stay home this year and Parker was going to go and just be in his "game time" mode! And it worked. Each time we chatted on the phone there was very little golf talk...more about Christmas shopping, Christmas cards, etc... I knew his approach to Q-School from being with him for the last 2 years and I wanted to stay as consistent to that as possible on my end. I know that I could have looked at the scores today, but my nerves were racing and I thought that I would just rather know when it was all done! Each day I got the vibes from him that he was playing well, so going into the last day I knew he had a great chance. I am just so proud of him for finishing strong and securing full status for next year. I really feel that his game is so ready to take on the PGA Tour again in January.

Thank you all for all of your support and encouragement this year. It has been a crazy journey and we are so thankful for the opportunity to do it all again! Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday Season!
Kristy

2007 Commonly Asked Questions

This being my first year out on tour, I have been asked some very original and unique questions by curious spectators. Now that the 2007 Season has ended I thought it might be fun to share some of the more frequently asked questions with all of you. As you will see, some might be more appropriately answered by Parker... but since I am the one outside the ropes, they get the answers from my perspective :-). Here are some that I thought you might enjoy.
-Kristy

What was your favorite tournament?

We have definitely had a few favorite tournaments of the year, but if I had to pick one, I would say Turning Stone. It was a great event and the tournament thought of everything to make our stay so enjoyable. Plus Parker had his best finish there! :-)

Does Parker usually hit the ball that low?

Normally I would not be able to answer this one, but since I have been asked this question a few times throughout the year... I am going to go ahead and say "Yes!"

How far does he hit the ball?

Honestly... I wouldn't be much help here either. I am not so sure about yardages...I tend to focus more on ... is it in the fairway :-)

Do you travel with him full time?

Yes, this year is my first year traveling with Parker. It has been so great to be on the road together. The alternative is not seeing each other very much, so we chose to do it now because we felt like this was a great time in our lives to take advantage of this opportunity.

Do you hang out with the other wives, are they nice?

Yes, all of the wives/significant others have been so amazingly welcoming and supportive. Usually a group of us will get together early in the week to do something fun in the area. I am also a member of the PGA Tour Wives Association - it is a not-for-profit organization that fundraises to give back to the community that is hosting the tournament. You can look out for our projects on the golf course too... like the "Chip In for Recycling" initiative.

Have you met Tiger's wife?

No I have not meet Tiger's wife. There have only been a few tournaments where Parker and Tiger have been in the same field, and I would imagine she tries to lay low with all of the craziness that surrounds him.

What was your favorite city that you visited?

We absolutely loved our time in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. It was such a special week. We stayed with family friends and really got experience the city from a local's perspective.

Where does Parker practice?

All over the USA! But when we are at home, he mainly practices at TPC Scottsdale.

Do you guys have a jet?

Um... no, not quite yet. Parker and I travel on commercial airlines... in coach...trying our hardest to not sit by the bathroom or in front of the exit row where the seats don't recline! We usually frequent Southwest or US Airways because they have the most flights out of Phoenix. We are always looking for the cheapest direct flight that we can find!

Is that Parker's regular caddy?

Parker's regular caddy is Rusty Uresti (Omar Uresti's brother). Everyone calls him "Hoss." He has also had a few other great caddies this year including Cubby (who used to caddy for Davis Love).

Can I caddy for him?

Sure! But that bag is even heavier than it looks!

Who does Parker hang out with on tour?

Parker hangs out with lots of the guys from his rookie class as well as some of the guys who have been on tour before like Matt Kutchar, Rich Barcelo, and Notah Begay. I know that Parker also tries to get out and play practice rounds with as many different guys as possible so that he can continue to learn from some of the more seasoned players.

So how close was that alligator...?

We have heard this one a lot lately, those of you who saw it on TV know what I am talking about. The funny thing is, Parker didn't even look to see what was behind him! Thankfully it was just a little creative editing from the Golf Channel.

The Florida Finish

Parker and I just arrived home in Scottsdale last night. We are so excited to be back and reflect on our adventures on the 2007 PGA Tour. As you may have seen, Parker finished 137 on this year's money list. Most of you might think that he missed getting his card by just a few, and well that may be true, another way to see it is that he finished inside the top 150 which means he is still a member of the PGA Tour next year and he is exempt to the 3rd Stage of Q-School where if successful, he can improve his status for 2008. It sounds complicated, but in summary, we are so thrilled with his accomplishments in his rookie season and by many pro's standards, finishing in the top 150 your first year is something to be very proud of.

It was great to finish off the season on a high note in Florida. After a series of missed cuts, Parker went by himself to the Ginn sur Mer Classic. We felt that it was probably best for him to get out there with no distractions and just focus on his game. He was just playing too well to continue to miss chances to compete on the weekend. Everything seemed to click and our theory proved to be correct - that week Parker played great and finished T-12 to move up the money list and give himself a little bit of cushion inside that top 150 money list number.

The next week I flew out to Orlando to meet him for the last tournament of the year. Growing up in California I had been with my family to Disneyland, but had never had the opportunity to see what Disney World was all about. I was shocked! It is practically its own city! Parker wasn't much for going to the parks that week...the crowds, lines, and roller coasters were not exactly how he wanted to prepare for the tournament. But early in the week I did get to go to Magic Kingdom (equivalent to Disneyland in CA ) with some of my girlfriends on tour. On Wednesday Parker and I made our way to another park, Epcot, for dinner. We walked around and visited all of the countries and ended up in Japan where we had a amazing teppanyaki meal!

At Epcot, Walt Disney World

This week was unique because it was a pro am format. Parker had the chance to play with MacKinzie Kline (15 yrs old) and Kelly Allen (14 yrs old)...definitely look out for both of these names in the future on the LPGA and PGA Tours!

Parker also had the chance to play with Tad Fujikawa as his professional pairing. It was a great opportunity for both of them, since they hadn't really had the chance to spend too much time together, though being from the same island. What fascinated me the most was that they played right behind Daniel Chopra who was the champion from the previous week's PGA tournament. Yet no one seemed to be watching him... all of the cameras and spectators were intrigued by the 16 year old from Hawaii who had just turned pro earlier this year. Everyone seemed to want to catch a glimpse of this 5'1'' kid who grabbed the golf worlds attention when he made the cut at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. I had the opportunity to walk with his management team and his family who were all such incredible people. It made me think, what would i have done in his situation, do you jump on the opportunity while the media is on your side, or do you take the more traditional approach and progress through the ranks of amateur and professional golf - mastering each level? I have to think that it must be hard to go home after a round and have to work on your algebra homework? I don't know that the guys on tour would be able to juggle both? But I guess when he turned pro he knew that his competition wouldn't have to spend any of their time working on school work. Well, I still don't know what I would have done in his shoes, but what I do know is that right now he is loved everywhere he goes, and I just hope that his golf comes together where he is at a level that he can be competitive on tour. Until then I am confident that he is surrounded by a great group of people, and that is definitely a solid foundation for future successes.

With Parker's T-26 finish at Disney I can't express enough how proud of him I am. You are only a rookie once, and I know that we will look back on this year with amazing memories. I realize that all of the drama is surrounding the 125 number, but the truth for us is that we both consider his rookie season a great success - it was learning year to say the least, together we learned how to live on the road, adjust to knew cities week to week, manage being at "work" together, and balancing the intensity of golf as well as the enjoyment of the travel. It was truly an adventure. I know that on the golf end, Parker considers this year as a huge learning year as well and is looking forward to tackling the tour again with a little more experience under his belt in 2008.

Now it is a little R&R before he gets into those clubs again. (I think that they are still in the travel bag right now). :-)

Kristy

4 Week Stretch

I feel like after these last 4 weeks there is quite a bit to sum up. It has been an adventure to say the least. After leaving on such a high note from New York, we seem to be riding the wave of golf right now. But through it all we are loving every second of this journey.

Our time at the Viking Classic in Jackson, Mississippi was very special to us. We stayed at the home where one of our best friend's grew up. It was in a beautiful neighborhood and we received nothing but the best southern hospitality from his family & friends. We are so thankful to have spent time in Andrew's hometown. Also that week, the tournament treated the wives to a trip to Greenwood to tour the Viking Headquarters! I wished that parker could have seen all of the amazing BBQ & kitchen equipment. Another highlight was seeing Paula Deen's (from the Food Network) sons do a cooking demonstration at the course - i think that women is hilarious - she fries everything! I skipped watching a few holes to try the lamb & grits that they demonstrated -it was awesome.

Riverwalk

The Alamo

The next week brought us to San Antonio where off the golf course we enjoyed the sites of the San Antonio Riverwalk and the Alamo. I probably got the most exercise on this course than any other course this year! There were steep hills and the course spread over such a vast area. The highlight of this trip was the annual caddy dinner that is hosted by Parker's caddy's family every year. The Uresti family made an incredible fajita and enchilada meal that fed hundreds on the driving range!

Parker & Caddy, Rusty Uresti

The following week we started to make our way further west. We arrived in Las Vegas and decided to break up the trip a bit by staying down on the Las Vegas strip Sunday - Tuesday and the moving out to the golf course in Summerilin Wed - the weekend. Parker taught me how to play blackjack at the tables and we even hit up the casino war table and walked away winners. One of the best parts of this week was the Beach Boys concert at the Mandalay Bay. Parker's Dad was there to enjoy it with us and loved every second. Even though golfing on the weekend didn't work out we were so thankful to have spent time with all of our family and friends that made the trip out.


Parker & His Dad at the Concert


Last week we were finally HOME! It was such a treat to have a tournament in our backyard (that makes 2 this year!) The second we got back we unpacked our suitcases and were determined to live out of our closet for the week. We had dinner at home every night... which we loved after 4 weeks on the road. After just missing the cut we decided to bring our spirits up and enjoy some music in old town Scottsdale where Josh Kelley was performing. We are huge fans and listen to his music all of the time when we are home.

The last 4 weeks took us from the south... back out west... and now it is all the way out to Florida for the last two. I am excited for Parker to get back out the road with 2 events left to make his move. Even though on paper he has missed the last few cuts, in my opinion he has been playing amazing golf and it will all come together before we know it.

Turning Stone

Well, as many of you may have seen, last week was a pretty good week for "team parker." For the first two days I was a bit rusty after the 3 week layoff. I made a lot of birdies... and a lot of bogeys, but on Saturday I found something in my swing and it sparked me to make 7 birdies and no bogeys - the low round of the day. Although at the end of the day I was still 6 shots behind the leader, I was only 2 shots behind 2nd and in great position to have my best PGA Tour finish ever. I know that a lot of you sympathized with me when I lost the 7 shot lead in West Virgina in my last competitive outing, but in retrospect that 77 on sunday in the Nationwide Tour event really helped me to keep it together and shoot under par this sunday in contention. It was a great experience to be playing in the second to last group on sunday in a PGA Tour event. It is one of those feelings as a competitor that you wish you could have on a weekly basis and hopefully I will be able to have this feeling a few more times in the next 6 events. I am here in Mississippi now getting ready for the Viking Classic. I am still intending to play the last 6 events...unless I can get a victory before the year is out!
-Parker







Overlooking Lake Oneida, NY




I know that Parker and I will definitely consider New York as one of our favorite tournaments of the year. Not only because of his great finish but the whole week was so special. The Turning Stone Resort was beautiful, the weather couldn't have been better, and everyone was going out of their way to make this inaugural event something that all of the players would remember.

After a solid first 2 days I knew that parker was getting back into his groove. On Saturday he started the round with a few quick birdies which was so much fun to watch. He and his playing partner were hitting solid shots one after another and then the putts just started dropping. To be honest, I didn't even look at the score board. I just knew that he was making birdies.... so that had to be a good thing. It is just so easy to get so caught up in the score ...where that would put him on the money list...etc. So i just decided not to look. That night I knew that he must have been up toward the top of the leaderboard when he said that he was teeing of at 1:45! We ended up watching 3 different movies to get our minds off things. That next day I continued to keep my eyes off the board. Actually I didn't even realize until the 3rd hole that we were the second to last group! He played great, making critical putts for par and keeping his focus the entire round with the growing crowds and tv cameras present. It was so great to watch him birdie the last hole and finally look up at the leaderboard seeing his name in the top 5!
-Kristy

Back on the Road

I just arrived in Syracuse joining Parker at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, NY. It is beautiful up here, a nice cool change of temperature too!

Although I am sure that it would have been fun to experience the first year of the fedex playoffs, we had such a great couple weeks off and enjoyed some much needed r&r to get ready for this "Fall Finish." We had a wonderful vacation with my family on the Big Island of Hawaii and had a chance to see Parker's family too! Parker was able to practice out at the Waikoloa courses and kept his competitive edge with some intense matches on the tennis court.

We are looking forward to our upcoming 7 week adventure, especially the Las Vegas and Scottsdale events where we hope to connect with lots of family & friends.

Here are some of our favorite sunset moments from our trip...
-Kristy