The Official 'Double P' Blog

Hey Everyone. Double P here. A quick note before I head to the gym.

I had to pull out of the Barclays Classic this week, unfortunately. I was -2 after six holes and the doubled #7 and bogeyed #8 before calling it a day.

Amazingly enough, the elbow isn't really the problem right now. The pain has shifted to my forearm. I had it checked out after I got home and I'm being told it all stems from a back issue. I basically need to work out harder to strenghen my back and that will eliminate the pain from my elbow and forearm.

Seven weeks rest might've helped the pain subside in the elbow, but over that time I lost a lot of strength, not being able to work out. Combine that with the changes Owen and I have made to my swing (getting flatter up top, working muscles I don't normally use, etc.) - and I've been overcompensating. To get back out on Tour, expecting to just get after it with a two month layoff - things just didn't go as planned. I guess I got back out there too early.

It got me thinking to MLB and how those guys do it. The get injured, go on the DL, do their physical therapy and when they're ready for a comeback they go a few rounds in the AA or AAA and slowly work their way back to the big leagues. It doesn't work that way for us golf guys.

In my case I went from NO competitive golf for two months - right into The Memorial, the US Open qualifier, a Tuesday practice round this week and then the opening round of the Barclays Classic. It was something like 7 or 8 rounds of golf in a ten day span -- including practice rounds played for the Open qualifier.

I'm back in Scottsdale through June and I'm basically going to move into Athlete's Performance and workout relentlessly between now and the Cialis Western Open. If I am in top shape by then, I will head to Chicago and hope for another solid weekend there (Editor's Note: PP shot 74-66-67-70 for a t-5th finish at Cialis in 2005.)

If not, then we'll have to talk with the Tour officials and get a better understanding about medical redshirts and what that does for my status in 2007. Hoping to get back for Cialis, but there's also something to be said for sitting out the rest of this season, working out like a madman and coming back with a vengance in 2007.

I'll keep everyone in the loop. Thanks for all the emails to both my site and MySpace.com page. It's all very appreciated.


Double P