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!
Congratulations Peter!!
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