One AWFUL Shot; But a GREAT Day

I began the final round in an eight-man tie for the lead at six under par, and can honestly say that I never thought of my standing in the field one time during the round. I don't know if it was because I am continuing to improve mentally or if it was simply that I am so thankful just to be playing after my nearly serious foot injury last week, but I am pumped about the way that I was able to commit to each shot without thinking much about the overall outcome today. The results were quite good, too. Despite a couple of short-range misses on the greens, I was six under par and bogey free through thirteen holes. I narrowly missed birdie putts on holes 14, 15, and 16, but still felt good as I stood on the 17th tee. There I made my only mistake of the day. I hit my tee shot well left of target, and never found it in the woods. I made double bogey on the penultimate hole, and though I followed it with a good birdie on the par-5 18th, my second-round score of 67 and two day total of 133 (-11) finished two shots behind winner. For a brief moment after my round, I was very disappointed with the result. I had played so well but didn't get the victory. After a short bit of reflection, however, I am feeling great. My game was very good in round two. With the exception of a couple of short-ish missed putts and the one dreadful drive on the 17th hole, I played nearly flawlessly. In addition to that, my mindset was fantastic. I definitely wish that I had won the tournament (and collected the winner's check!), but this showing will only continue to enforce that I am doing the right things and heading in the correct direction.

I'm heading home to East Tennessee for the weekend, and I need to have some solid days of practice. I'm definitely pumped about the progress that I'm continuing to make, but I know that I can further sharpen all facets of my game and add more consistency. I'm excited to have some more good work days. Keep it here for a practice report over the weekend and a "what-comes-next" update. Thank you so much for keeping up with me!