Slow Start But in Good Shape

My first round of Q-school did not go exactly according to plan, but the end result has me in good shape moving forward. I started on the back nine of the Club at Irish Creek and did not make my first birdie until the the fifth hole (my 14th). For the first 13 holes, I made 12 pars and one bogey. I definitely was not very sharp during that opening stretch of holes, but I did hit a lot of good shots and had a few well-played holes. Standing at one over par with five holes remaining, I flipped a switch, I guess. I rolled in a twenty foot putt for my first birdie of the day on the short par-four fifth and then added birdies at the reachable par-five sixth and the par-three eighth. I ended up with a two-under-par round of 69. The course offered a lot of birdie opportunities today, and my score was certainly not a great accomplishment, but given the slow start that I had, I am happy to have posted a decent number. I am excited about my strong finish and feel confident that I can roll that into tomorrow's second round and have a great day. I get started at 10:00 tomorrow morning. I am going to continue to play smart and have a lot of fun, and I still think I can win this Stage. Come back tomorrow for a round-two report!