Breathe!

I did it! I was under the gun going into the final round, and I certainly took a long time to make my move, but with two birdies in my last three holes, I solidified my spot in the Second Stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School.

After a solid opening six holes in which I never made a birdie but didn't ever have to work for any pars, I made a bogey on the tough par-3 7th hole. It would be my only dropped shot of the day. I bounced back with a birdie at the 8th to return to even par, and made par on the next seven holes in a row to stand at even par for the day and six under for the event with just three holes remaining. I didn't know whether the qualifying score would be seven or eight under par, but I knew that six under had little to no chance. I was definitely nervous, but I just told myself to keep believing and commit to a plan on every shot. I got away with a tee shot that leaked too far right on the par-5 16th and was able to hit a good shot onto the green in two and two-putted from some 80 feet for a birdie. On the par-3 17th, I hit a great shot about 15 feet below the hole and rolled in another birdie. Two solid shots and a nice two-putt on the last hole left me with a final round score of two-under-par 70 and a four-round total of eight under par. I ended up tied for 15th, advancing to second stage with a one-shot cushion.

I'm so excited with the way that I was able to keep my cool and continue to execute down the stretch these last couple days. I was definitely battling nerves, but I never stopped believing in myself or having confidence that I could pull off the shots that I needed. My execution was far from perfect, but I never made any huge mistakes the last two days, and I was able to get the job done. What a big step for me!

I'll get back on here in a day or two with more information about what lies ahead. For now, all I know for sure is that I have made it to the Second Stage of Q-school, and I am good enough to make it all the way through. I love playing golf and competing, and I just can't wait to do both some more!

Thank you for your support, and keep it here for more about what comes next!

Round 3

I played hard in the third round. I never really found any kind of comfort zone at all, but I kept moving on and believing in myself. I hit very few good shots, but never hit any horrendous ones either and finished the round with just one bogey offset by two birdies for a one-under-par round of 71. While this was certainly not a great score, it allowed me to hold my position in the field on a day when the scoring average was nearly a full shot higher than it had been the first two rounds.

I don't know why everything seemed so difficult for me in the third round, but at the end of the day, I'm very proud of the fact that I was able to shoot under par given the way I felt. My chipping was really good, and, though I missed a few very make-able birdie putts, my putter was solid all day. I feel like I'm very close to firing on all cylinders, and I really think I can find that loving feel in the final round.

I'm sitting in a large tie for 17th place right now at six under par for the event. I'm right on the number to qualify as of right now, so that means that I just need a good, solid final round. If I can stay relaxed and continue to enjoy myself, I know that I will play well. Therefore, my strategy is going to be the same tomorrow as it has been all week: lots of smiles and a firm commitment to believe in myself and trust my routine on every shot. I'm going to have a good day! Check back right here to hear all about it!

Great Golf, Pretty Good Score in Round 2

There are so many great things that I will take and build off of from today's second round at the First Stage of Q-school. Though I was definitely a little jittery early, I made a conscious decision to be confident and played beautifully. I was really nervous the first few holes, but didn't let that stop me from making a couple of early birdies on my way to being seven-under-par through 12 holes. Unfortunately, I really struggled my way into the clubhouse, bogeying three of the last five holes to finish my round with just a four-under-par 68. That score and my struggles the last five holes are disappointing, but neither of these change the fact that I played some awesome golf and looked really sharp for a long time today. I'm very excited moving forward.

From the my 4th hole through my 13th today, I executed darn near flawlessly. In that stretch, I birdied six holes, and never had to work for my par on any of the others. It sure makes golf fun when it is that stress-free. In the closing five holes, my execution really did not drop off that dramatically, I just made a few dumb mistakes again. I hit a beautiful wedge with too much spin on one hole and watched it yank back off of the green into a some nasty rough after landing just feet short of where I had planned it. Then, in a lack of concentration, I again suffered consecutive three-putt bogeys on my 16th and 17th holes. It sure was frustrating to give those shots back, but I know that I will not let that happen anymore.

It was an up-and-down day today, but the up definitely outweighed the down, and I'm ready go clean up my mistakes and play sharp golf in the final two rounds. I tee it up at 9:55 tomorrow on the first tee, and I'll be ready to play well. I'm going to keep having fun and believing in myself. Check back here for some good news!

Erratic First Round

My golf game was bi-polar today in the opening round of the First Stage of Q-school. I had stretches where I looked brilliant and others where I looked like I couldn't find it. I made five bogeys, but offset them with four birdies and an eagle for a one-under-par round of 71.

Mistakes really hurt me today on a day when the field scored very well, but I'm right in the middle of the pack and by no means in any trouble. I think I ended the day tied for 34th, but it's too early in the week to even care about that. The top 21 players and ties will advance at the end of the week.

My mistakes today were mostly off of the tee and on the greens. I three-putted my last two greens of the day from inside of 30 feet, and had two other occasions where I failed to get down in two from close to the hole just off of the green. My comfort over the putter wasn't there today, but I really am confident in my putting right now. I was very sloppy with a few drives today as well, but I just need to trust myself a little more off of the tee and make more committed swings. I can do that!

I tee it up a 9:33 tomorrow morning on the 10th hole, and I'll be ready to play well. The game plan is still the same: smile from the first tee to the last and believe in my game. I'm going to do it! Check back here for a good round 2 report!

Ready

I had one last good practice round today. My game feels great, and I am very comfortable on the course. I tee it up tomorrow at 10:39 on the first hole, and I can guarantee that I will have a smile on my face. I have worked hard to prepare for this, so I am just going to relax and enjoy it!

The Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens is awesome right now. Some very light rains have softened the fairways and greens slightly, but the course is still playing fairly firm everywhere. I know that the greens will have good speed to them, but they are absolutely perfect for making putts. Some afternoon winds are forecasted tomorrow, but I don't believe it will be anything too extreme. I know my way around this course, and I'm prepared for anything that comes my way.

I'll still be smiling at the end of my round tomorrow and for the rest of the week as well. Check right here for updates after each round, and follow the results at: http://pgatq.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgatq10/event/pgatq1017/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

Great Day of Practice

I had a really good day of practice today at Callaway Gardens in preparation for the First Stage of Q-school, which starts on Wednesday. After getting a nice workout in during a morning rainstorm, I was one of the first players out to the course. I hit just enough balls to feel loose and headed for the first tee where I met up with an old friend of mine whom I haven't seen in years. We played a practice round together, and my game just sort of clicked. I was driving it as well as I can remember driving it lately and my iron play was pretty good as well. On top of that, my short game and putting both felt good. I've always felt comfortable around this course, and a solid performance like my one today just helps me feel even better going into the competition.

I shot seven-under-par during my practice round today. I've heard from a lot of people that it's not a good idea to keep score during a practice round, but I think it helps me. Otherwise, I end up just going through the motions and not really focusing on any of my shots. I especially like to go through my normal routine on the greens, and keeping my score in my head helps keep me motivated to read all of my putts and commit to a plan before I hit them. I really got a lot out of my practice round today because I played each shot the way I would have if it had been in the competition. And I had a lot of fun, which has not always been the case for me in practice rounds.

In the evening, I went back to the course and carried my shag bag out onto a little wedge range that seldom if ever sees any action at Callaway Gardens. I had the area all to myself, and I hit wedge shots from all different distances, angles, and lies to the target greens that are cut out in the range. I am trying hard to dial in my distances on those between yardage wedge shots where I have to either hit something a little harder than full or take a lot off of something. The thing that makes Callaway different than most of the courses I have played this year is the fact that anytime I am hitting a soft or partial wedge shot, I have to put a lot of effort into ensuring the ball will still land softly on the firm bermuda greens. I put a lot of effort into hitting high, soft 3/4 wedges this evening, and I really feel good about my ability to do that.

It was a very productive day today. I feel good about all aspects of my game, and I feel that I am growing more and more familiar with the course everyday. I'm still smiling and having fun, and I know that that will continue as the week progresses. I've got one more day of practice tomorrow, and then the competition starts Wednesday. Keep it here for progress reports!

Q-school Time!

Sorry for the long silence since my last post. I have been at Callaway Gardens balancing preparation for this week's First Stage of PGA Tour Q-school with some time enjoying the friends that I have made down here. I have definitely grown very comfortable with both the Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens and the small town of Pine Mountain, Georgia, which is it's home. I have practiced and played here every day since arriving last Tuesday, but have also spent some time hanging out with my great host family, the Sykoras, and exploring the hiking trails at Franklin Roosevelt State Park. It has been a really good week, and it has me feeling ready to go.

Q-school week officially kicks off on Monday. Practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday will lead into the 72-hole competition Wednesday through Saturday. The field will consist of 78 players vying for something like 20-23 spots in the Second Stage. I played well at First Stage last year, and I've gotten better and smarter since then, so I'm hopeful that I can just stay relaxed, enjoy the week, and execute well. I know that I'm going to do the first two, and I'm pretty sure that I will do the third as well.

My practice in the past week has actually not been my sharpest of the year. I've had some funky inconsistencies in my ball-striking that I haven't really liked, so I made a slight little adjustment to my backswing over the weekend. I have a tendency to the let the club swing back a little bit outside the target line but have never really worried about that in the past. However, I think it might have been getting a little extreme and causing me to have to make some manipulations elsewhere in my swing in order to get back into a good position. I did some drills on the range to promote a better takeaway, and I like the results. I still haven't hit the ball consistently well on the driving range, but I hit a ton of really good-looking shots on the course over the weekend. I'm still very confident in my ability and really trust that this minor change will only help me this week.

My short game practice has been very good. Callaway Gardens has bermuda grass everywhere, and that means a lot of different types of lies around the greens. There are very tight lies in spots and very thick lies in others as well as very grainy spots in rough and also spots where the rough is just thin and wispy. Many of the lies are unpredictable, which makes bermuda a tough grass, but I have spent a lot of time this week around the greens practicing from all types of lies. I feel good about my short game.

I'm also putting the ball well, and really feeling comfortable on the bermuda putting surfaces here. The extra week of practice has definitely been nice in that regard, but I'm hitting my putts very solidly, and I feel like I can put a true roll on the ball on any surface right now.

I'm excited. It hasn't been my greatest week of practice, but I feel like I've worked on all the right things to maximize my performance this week. I know it is going to be a good week because I'm in a place that I love doing something that I love, and I know that I'm going to do it well! Keep it here for another practice report before I tee it up for the first time in Q-school 2010 on Wednesday.

Back at Callaway Gardens

After having a great day of practice Monday at home in East TN, I made the trip down to Callaway Gardens on Tuesday. I got here in plenty of time to have a nice little practice session and then go out and walk nine holes. It's really cool to be practicing on the tournament site more than a week in advance of the event. With that said, I have to be really careful not to get trapped into over-thinking things. While proper preparation will definitely set me up to be successful next week when I play in the First Stage of Q-school here, I'm going to be sure to enjoy this week prior to the tournament rather than obsessing over every square inch of the golf course. I am very comfortable on this course, and I know that fairways, greens, and one-putts are always good. I'm just going to spend the next week playing the course and becoming more comfortable on and around the greens. Also, the facilities here are really nice, so there will be no shortage of practice time. I'm really going to have fun this week, and I will ensure that I'm ready to have even more fun next week when Q-school starts. Keep it here for practice reports and info about the course throughout the week.

Good Weekend

I was "uncle Pete" for a couple days after wrapping up last week's Tarheel Tour event at Callaway Gardens, and that sure was fun. After the tournament ended on Thursday, I spent Friday and most of the day on Saturday in Cartersville, Georgia, hanging out with my sisters and my nephew and nieces. I did go play golf on Saturday morning, but my two days there were more or less just about relaxing and enjoying some time with family. It was a great time!

Saturday evening I made the trip back home, and I got back to work yesterday. (I call it work, but it's still just "play" for me.) I had a really good day of practice in which I worked on a little bit of everything. I definitely need to spend some really good time working on medium to long range wedge shots. I just never felt sharp in that "gotta-hit-it-close" range last week. I know that I am one of the best wedge players out there, so I just need to make sure I re-sharpen my feel and have that aspect of my game ready to go next week. I feel really comfortable with my ball-striking right now, and I'm really putting well, so I'll just be working to groove those areas of my game in the coming week. I really worked hard on my chipping and pitching yesterday and feel like I'm pretty sharp around the greens. My feel for lower, bump-and-run type shots is really developing quickly and easily, and I have already seen some great results using those shots in the tournament last week. I feel like every aspect of my game is pretty good right now.

I'm going to have a really good day of practice today. I'll probably spend a little time on all of the practice areas this morning and then head out on the course with three balls in my pocket to play this afternoon. At some point today, I'm going to take my shag-bag full of balls and hit wedges into a trash can from all different yardages. It's going to be a productive day!

Tomorrow I will head back to Callaway Gardens to continue practicing and preparing on the tournament course (and more specifically, the tournament greens). I really got comfortable on the bermuda putting surfaces last week, but some extra time to get more fully adjusted to them can only help. So I will continue to have good practice sessions there on-site at Callaway, and I know that I will be even more ready to go when Q-school starts for me next week than I am right now. I feel good about things now, and I know that this coming week will only solidify my confidence.

Keep it here for some practice reports from Callaway Gardens. It's going to be a good week!

Poor Final Round but Still Excited Moving Forward

I struggled in today's final round at Callaway Gardens. My ball-striking was just not quite there. I missed a lot of fairways, and never hit a short iron anywhere near my target. I putted well enough to survive and shot even-par 72 in some blustery conditions, but the course was giving up some good scores, and I fell back a little bit in the field. I ended up tied for 16th place. I'm definitely bummed because I wanted and expected to contend for the victory, but I'm very pleased with the way that I stayed positive and battled out a respectable score in each round. My game wasn't super sharp the last couple days, but with the right attitude, I feel like I can scrape out good scores no matter how I'm playing.

I'm really confident about my game right now. I believe that I have the ability to compete at any level. It's a cool feeling!

So now it's time to move forward. I'm going to enjoy a day of family time tomorrow hanging out with my two older sisters and my nieces and nephew in Cartersville, Georgia. My sis Laura is took a day off of work and flew down here to hang out for the weekend, so this is a special chance to be with both sisters at once. I may celebrate the occasion with a full day off from golf tomorrow, but I'd say I'll have some withdrawals and sneak out to some course for a little practice at some point. Saturday I'm going to play at the Cartersville Country Club in the morning and then head home to beautiful Dandridge, TN, for a couple days just to regroup and practice at my home tracks. Then I'll head back down to Callaway Gardens early next week and have five or six good days of practice there before Q-school starts.

I'm excited about how my game has developed in the past year, and I'm particularly excited about the way my mindset about both my game and my career has improved. This is a cool time of year. I'm going to use the next couple of weeks to really sharpen my game, and I can't wait to tee it up again at Callaway Gardens in First Stage! Keep it here for practice and preparation reports between now and then!

So Close to Good in Round 2

I had a day of ups and downs in round 2 on the Mountain View course at Callaway Gardens. For the first seven holes, some sketchy ball-striking was kept in check by a really hot putter. I did three-putt the par-3 seventh hole to make my second bogey of the day, but I also rolled in three really good birdie putts during that stretch. In the middle of the round on holes 8-14, I had it inside of ten feet for birdie on every hole, but disappointingly only converted three of the putts. Unfortunately neither the ball-striking nor the putting was great in the closing four holes, and I played them in one over par to finish my second round with a three-under-par 69. That is not a bad score at all, but I definitely was playing well enough in the middle of the round to shoot something much lower and be in prime position with just one round remaining in the tournament.

As it stands now, I am in a large tie for 12th place at seven under par. The leaders at at 11 under, so I am only four shots back, but there a lot of people around the top of the board. I definitely feel like I have a chance to win tomorrow, but I am going to be very certain that my goals tomorrow are centered around committing to a game plan and my routine on every shot rather than thinking of the overall outcome. I may try to be slightly more aggressive with some shots tomorrow, but for the most part I will be trying to follow my weeklong strategy of choosing smart targets and letting my putter carry me to a great round.

I tee it up at 8:50 tomorrow morning. It's supposed to be a very windy day, so maybe it will get interesting. I'm going to stay in the present and trust my routine on every shot, so if I execute well and get hot with the putter like I know that I can, it might be a special day! Check back here to see how it goes!

Solid Start

My execution was surprisingly erratic today in round one, but my game plan was good and my short game bailed me out a few times as I fought my way to a bogey-free, four-under-par round of 66 on the Lake View course at Callaway Gardens. I played from the rough too many times and had to scramble very well around the greens on a few holes, but I had to make only one putt outside of five feet to save par and actually gave away two make-able putts in the closing three holes that could have made my score better. All-in-all, I'm happy with my score, thrilled with my commitment to my game plan, and only slightly disappointed in my execution.

I've got to tell one story from today's round that really showed me the power of being positive. The 9th hole is the first of just two par-5 holes on the Lake View course. Both are reachable, so I definitely wanted to take advantage of them. The fairway on the 9th must be 50 yards wide, but I hit a wild hook off of the tee and watched helplessly as it hit the cart path and bounced into a lake so far left that it's not really in play on the tee shot. I never really even acknowledged the horribleness of the shot, but rather just walked down there to see what would be my best option for a drop. Because the hole doglegs to the left around the lake, I could keep the point where the ball crossed the hazard between me and the hole and walk backwards far enough to take my drop away from the thick trees that line the lake. I thought my way through the drop and made a smart decision and proceeded to hit a nice six iron up the fairway to 90 yards, hit a really sharp wedge shot to ten feet behind a tough pin tucked against a front bunker, and roll in the putt to save my par. To most guys, a par on that hole was a huge disappointment, but to me, it felt every bit as sweet as a birdie and kept my round moving forward. I'm so glad I didn't gripe and moan about the tee shot and let it get me down. I just try to smile and keep going, and that has made a lot of difference.

I have not looked at scores, so I really don't know how I stand. I know that I definitely played the easier of the two courses today, but I doubt it was easier by very much. Tomorrow when I move to the Mountain View course, I am going to keep a very similar game plan. Mountain View allows me to hit driver on almost every non-par-3 hole, and that is what I plan to do. I'm going to drive it in the fairway, and continue to be fairly conservative with the tough hole locations. The course will offer a steady diet of wedges and short irons into the greens, so if I execute well, even my conservative game plan should leave me with a lot of very make-able birdie putts. I'm growing more and more comfortable on the greens each day, and I'm confident that I will continue to putt the ball very well. I'm feeling good, and I think I can shoot a great score on the Mountain View course in round two.

I tee it up at 11:10 in the second round. I'm going to commit to another solid game plan, and trust it on every shot. It's going to be a great day. Check back here to hear all about it!

Comfortable

I've had a great couple days down here at Callaway Gardens getting ready for this week's Tarheel Tour event. Callaway has 36 holes, and we will play both the Lake View and Mountain View courses for the first two rounds of the tournament. I have spent the last couple days becoming reacquainted with both courses. The Mountain View course is the championship course here at Callaway Gardens (and the course on which I will play the first stage of Q-school in two weeks), but the much shorter Lake View course is going to be a fun and challenging venue for tournament golf as well. Both courses are playing firm and fast, and that is something I have not seen before in my time here. Short irons and wedges will be the norm on either course, but accuracy from the tee and precision with short clubs will be required for success this week. The bermuda rough is high, and the greens are extremely bouncy. Birdies will definitely be abundant, and scores will be low, but good execution will be at a premium in all facets of the game. I love these types of conditions, and I'm excited to get started!

I tee it up tomorrow morning at 9:10 on the shorter Lake View course. I feel like many people are going to approach the 6,100-yard course with an I-have-to-birdie-every-hole type of mindset, but I don't think that is the case at all. I'm going to try my best to be very patient and give myself a look at birdie on every hole. I know that a lot of the hole locations are going to be very tucked, and I know that missing the greens on the short-side will not be good with the rough being very thick around the greens. I want to play fairly conservatively off the tee and then hit my wedges a few feet on the safe side of all of the tucked pins. Though I'm not 100% comfortable on the grainy bermuda greens here, I know that if I give myself a lot of good looks at birdie putts, I can get the putter rolling. I'm going to stick to that game plan and trust myself on every shot tomorrow. It's going to be a good day!

After round one tomorrow, I'll move to the Mountain View course for round two on Wednesday. I'll talk more about that tomorrow night. Check back here for a good report from round in the evening.

Rolling into Friendly Territory

I had a great morning on Saturday before hitting the road to start my trip down to Callaway Gardens. I was up before the sun and got packed so that when the sun did come up, I could be productive! I got in a really good run and then went out to Dandridge Golf Club for some good practice at the place where I learned to play the game. Everything seemed pretty solid, and I'm feeling great.

In the afternoon I traveled three hours to Cartersville, Georgia, where my oldest sister, Gina, lives with her husband and three young kids. I got to be Uncle Pete for the night, which is tons of fun!

I'll be off to Pine Mountain first thing Sunday morning, though, and that is good news, too. A couple different families at Callaway Gardens have adopted me, so going there is a homecoming of sorts, and I really like the golf courses, too. I feel like this week could be a really good one for me. I'm going to get a couple of practice rounds on Sunday and Monday, and I can't wait to get there and get started.

Keep it here for updates as the week progresses. It's going to be a fun one!

Another Good Step

Today was a good day of practice. I actually did not practice all that much, but I played a semi-competitive round of golf. After a good warm-up session on the range, one of my best friends, Jonathon Hodge, joined me for a match at The Country Club in Morristown, TN. We played 18 holes of stroke play with pretty high stakes: $5.

While Jonathon played really solidly like he always does, my putter got really hot, and I put up a little 63 on him to take the match. My ball-striking was just okay, but my short game looked and felt awesome. I putted great, and my chipping was very good as well. In fact, I chipped one in today using my 54 degree wedge and got a couple of other shots up-and-down using something other than my 60 degree. I'm really excited to see my new venture around the greens showing so much promise.

Obviously a friendly match with with a good pal doesn't exactly replicate a tournament, but it is always nice to post a good low number. Although my game still does not feel as sharp as it has at times, I know that I can manage my way around the course and shoot a good score. I'm going to do some practicing and get that lovin' feeling back in all areas of my game so that when I go Georgia next week, I'll be firing on all cylinders.

Keep it here for more good stuff!

Maturing

The last couple of days have been really good. I have let myself sleep in a little in celebration of the first cool mornings of the year, but have still been up and at 'em in time to get in some good workouts and then full afternoons of practice. While my practice hasn't been the sharpest I've had all year, I can definitely tell that I am maturing because I am able to overcome some frustrating moments and have very productive practices. While I haven't had my best stuff, I've never doubted that I'm still on the right track, and I have left the course feeling good each of the last two days.

Today was a particularly good example of that. I had a nice short session on the driving range and spent some quality time on the practice green before heading out with three balls in my pocket to walk nine holes. On the first two holes, I hit some embarassingly bad golf shots. In the past, I might have called the day a waste and walked back to the range to mindlessly beat some balls before going home frustrated. Instead, I made a conscious effort to trust my routine on every shot and chose to believe that I could execute better. I started to hit some good shots on my third hole of the day and ended up feeling awesome about the way I played. It was exciting to be able to see so clearly the benefits of my constantly improving attitude.

In other news about my game, I made a somewhat radical decision yesterday. I have long stood by a philosophy of chipping exclusively with one club. For me, that one club was the 60 degree wedge. I practiced with it and trusted it to hit each and every variety of chip or pitch shot I could face... until yesterday. I'm experimenting with some less lofted clubs around the green and trying to work some different types of shots into my short game arsenal. I believe that with some practice, I will develop a feel for some bump-and-run type of shots and with them be able to execute much more consistantly from all sorts of lies around the greens. I'm very excited by some of the early results of this practice, and I believe that some new techniques could be fully incorporated into my game when Q-school begins in three weeks. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I'm excited about the way things are going. I've got a few more days here at home to continue to hone my game and get that lovin' feeling all the way back, and then I'll be heading down to Callaway Gardens for a Tarheel Tour Fall Series event. Keep it here for more practice reports as I prepare to put another tally in the win column next week!

Not Good Today but Feeling Good

I played pretty lousy today in the Monday Qualifier for the Nationwide Tour's Chattanooga Classic. I am definitely bummed that I didn't qualify and that I couldn't continue my really solid play of late, but I still feel very good about my game. I hit a few poor tee shots, one lousy three wood from the fairway, and a bunch of mediocre iron shots that all contributed to no-good score of 73 for the day.

There are still plenty of positive things that I can take from today. For the most part I drove the ball well, and, though I really didn't get anything to go in on the greens for birdie, I made some nice putts in the 4-6 foot range. I definitely feel like I almost played well, and I'm still feeling very good about my game moving forward.

I'll be spending this whole week at home with my Parents in Tennessee. That means a lot of quality practice time and some refreshing relaxing evenings. I'll also be able to continue working out and running, which is something that helps me feel ready to be my best. Though I wish I was playing in Chattanooga, I will definitely use this week to continue getting better and becoming more prepared for the rest of the year.

I don't have to wait long to get the competitive juices flowing again. I'll be playing next week in a Tarheel (Egolf) Tour event at Callaway Gardens. The tournament is Ocotober 12-14, and the venue is a place where I feel very much at home. I think it's time that I add a mini-tour victory to the state open triumphs I collected in the Midwest!

Keep it here for practice reports and more information during the week. I'm going to do better keeping my blog current! Thank you for following!

Nationwide Ready

I'm sorry for the lack of between-tournament updates on here. I'm going to do better!

I'm back in Tennessee and have been continuing to have very good practice sessions and move forward with my game. The Nationwide Tour is in Chattanooga this week, and I'm playing in the Monday Qualifier tomorrow at Cleveland Country Club. I'm feeling really good about my game, and I know that if I stay relaxed and just play a solid round, I'll be making another Nationwide start this week.

Check back here tomorrow for some good news and some info about the tournament!