Brice Garnett - Golfer, PGA Tour

 

Travel, practice, and play.

 

This is a very simplified version of Brice Garnett’s busy life on the pro golf tour. Recently, Brice took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about his busy schedule. It’s crystal clear that Brice has mastered the art of preparation. Whether it is the next tournament, the next hole, or the next shot, Brice is always preparing for what is ahead of him.

 

Seldom are there days off on the pro tour, so the weekly schedule gets filled to the brim. Tournaments usually begin on Thursdays, but Brice arrives at the course long before his scheduled tee time.

 

“Usually I will use Monday’s as my travel day and arrive to the course by mid-day. If I need any equipment changes, I will do that as well. Depending on the course, I will try to play nine holes Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday is the official pro-am day, where certain players are required to play, so I will play all 18 holes and get a better feel for how the course is going to play.” If everything goes according to plan, Brice will play 36 holes in three days before the tournament even begins!

 

“Thursday and Friday are generally long days. By the time my rounds are finished and if I practice any after, then it’s usually dinner and bed! The weekends are shorter days as over half the field is cut and rounds will generally be over by 12-4 pm.” A week like that would exhaust most people, but Brice does it all over again on the next Monday.

 

Brice’s preparation goes far deeper than just getting to the course early in the week and playing practice rounds. He studies each hole individually and carefully analyzes each shot to insure that his round is a success. Most importantly, he takes advantage of the information that is provided to him.

 

“Each course has a detailed yardage book that has so many numbers it’s almost confusing! My caddy and I will check some numbers during practice rounds to make sure we don’t make a crucial yardage mistake. We generally chart the greens and how putts will break.”

 

With the knowledge that something can be learned from history, Brice benefits from referencing his past shots. “I have notes from previous years of what clubs I hit and wind direction.”

 

Brice didn’t just wake up one day and become a professional golfer. He has been preparing for pro golf his entire life. Brice laid the groundwork for his professional career in his teenage years and at college.

 

“Junior golf and high school was all about experiences and learning my game. Missouri Western was where I really started to work hard on different aspects of my game. Not until my junior year did I think about life after college. Golf was always a dream, but college golf taught me how to manage my game, compete, win tournaments and gave me the confidence to try it at the next level.”

 

If golf after college was a dream, then last year Brice was living a dream within a dream. Confidence in himself and years of hard work helped Brice qualify for the 2012 U.S. Open, a PGA Tour major championship.

 

“The U.S. Open was nothing like I have experienced before in golf. It was such a cool atmosphere, and everything I dreamed about growing up. The Olympic Club is a very difficult golf course and beat me up pretty good!”

 

Brice may have had a rough time at the Olympic Club, but he says that he found extra incentives to make it to the next level of pro golf.

 

“The players are so well taken care of from the courtesy cars to gifts everyday in the locker. It is definitely motivation to work harder and experience that every week on the PGA Tour. Even though I didn’t play my best, I was able to gain confidence playing with the best in the world on golf’s biggest scale.”

 

With a few years in the pros under his belt, Brice is now helping the next generation of golfers prepare for their own successes. Last summer, Brice held his first Junior Golf Clinic at Daviess County Country Club to school young golfers on the fundamentals of the game. He even dropped in on golf practice this spring to give the boys some pointers.

 

“There is some good young talent at the course! It’s fun to see the young guys playing golf all day, reminds me of all my buddies back in the 1990s! I’m just glad I can give back and offer what knowledge I have about the game.”

 

“The support has been amazing throughout my whole life and golfing career,” Brice said of the unending encouragement that comes from his hometown of Gallatin. “I often think about how blessed I am to have come from such a small community.”

 

The small community facet of Brice’s life is why this article has referred to him as “Brice” instead of “Garnett”. Brice is on a first name basis with the entire city of Gallatin and the surrounding areas. It’s the same as when someone is talking about Tiger or LeBron. You don’t have to hear their last name to know who is being discussed. When someone asks, “How did Brice do this weekend?” everyone knows who they are talking about.

 

Brice may not have the nationwide influence of Tiger or LeBron, but neither does Gallatin, so there lays the foundation for the mutual support between the local golfer that made it big and the place he calls home. “Lots of guys out here come from big cities and fancy country clubs, but I wouldn’t trade my hometown or my country club for anything! I think it has helped me stay grounded, and not lose focus on my goals in life or golf.”

 

Renowned coach Bob Knight was an advocate for proper preparation and often preached about its importance. Coach Knight once said, “The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare.” Brice definitely has the will to prepare and he has had it his whole life.