Bill Castner Experience at the BARCLAYS
Did anyone get a chance to come see THE BARCLAYS, the PGA Tour event and first leg of the Fed-Ex Cup Playoffs, played at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ from August 21-24th.
For me, the BARCLAYS was special as I was selected as one of four instructors to teach at the BARCLAY’S GOLF ACADEMY. The Academy, where five golf professionals gave lessons throughout the four-day event, was organized and managed by Lynn Blake of Lynn Blake Golf
It was a great experience for me, giving 108 lessons to special guests and invitees of the Barclays Corporation.
The BARCLAYS, and its predecessor tournaments, have been among the most prestigious and richest events on the PGA TOUR. One could notice the air of excitement throughout the four-days as most of the best PGA players in the world vied for better positions in the Fed-Ex Cup standings. Only the top 120 advanced to the second round, the following week at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.
The BARCLAYS GOLF ACADEMY occupied 2,100- square feet and featured four teaching bays. The facility was constructed contiguous to The Barclays Hospitality Pavilion overlooking the 18th Green. Lessons were given each day from early morning until the close of play. The Academy featured individual and group instruction, club fitting and outdoor clinics exclusively for BARCLAYS private clients and guests.
Lynn Blake Golf, assembled a blue-ribbon team of exceptional instructors for the event. As pictured, the instructors were:
- Lynn Blake, Founder and Director of Instruction, Lynn Blake Golf, LLC
- Bill Castner, PGA, Master Professional, New Jersey PGA
- Ted Fort, PGA, Teacher of the Year, Georgia PGA / 2006
- Jeff Hull, PGA, Player of the Year, Georgia PGA, 2007 Georgia Open Champion
- Rob Noel, PGA, Teacher of the Year, Gulf States PGA / 1993 and 2000
Between all of us, we gave an estimated 400 individual lessons and eight outdoor clinics during the four days. Clients received a personalized Golf Stroke Analysis CD as a permanent record of their experience.
Ridgewood was a fantastic host club – Byron Nelson was an assistant professional at the club in the mid-1930s, and several major professional golf events have been played there. A.W.Tillinghast designed the golf course. The tournament was played on a composite of 18- holes from among the 27-hole facility.
And just in case you missed the exciting end, Vijay Singh won The Barclays for a record fourth time. He matched Sergio Garcia’s long birdie putt on the first playoff and birdied the second playoff hole to win the tournament. Singh, who won the Bridgestone three weeks ago at Firestone Country Club in Colorado, earned 11,000 FedExCup points to take the lead with 109,500 points in the Fed-Ex Cup standings - 5,125 points ahead of Garcia in second-place.
It was very exciting and great to be there – hopefully our readers will come to watch the tournament next August. Next year’s tournament will be played at the new Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City.
