I did not play well over the first eight holes of the Monday Qualifier for this week's Web.com Tour event in Boise, Idaho. Playing one of the most benign and score-able golf courses I have seen in quite a while, I managed to find lots of trouble in the early part of my round. I made two putts of 20+ feet for par during that stretch and had another fantastic par saving up-and-down just to play the first eight holes in one over par. It was a very unpleasant surprise to play so poorly. I had a nice day of preparation at the qualifying course on Sunday and was really feeling good leading up to my tee time Monday morning. My execution was simply off in the early going, and I'm still not really sure why. On the ninth hole, I challenged myself to stay committed to my game plan and to continue playing hard and believing in myself for the rest of the day. Though I knew my back was very much against the wall in terms of qualifying for the event, I was determined to at least play well and get some positive vibes going during the second half of my round. That determination yielded a very positive result. Over the final ten holes, I hit every fairway and every green and had a make-able putt for birdie (or eagle, twice) on every hole. I could only manage to make four birdies during that stretch, and my final score of 69 (-3) did not leave me with any hope of qualifying, but I am pleased with the effort and very happy with how well I executed over the second half of my round. It is definitely disappointing not to qualify, but I feel like I have some positive momentum rolling now.
Positive momentum is a good thing because I am fairly certain that I will be in the field for next week's Web.com Tour event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That particular event's field is filled based solely on the tour's money list, and I should remain high enough to earn a spot.
I need to have a solid week of work, and I am off to a good start. Following my round in the Monday Qualifier, I stuck around the course and nailed a couple of my putting drills and also had a great short game session. I still love to practice, and I am excited to have a good week of that.
My plan and my tournament schedule have both changed for the better over the last six weeks, and I think my goals for the year need to evolve accordingly. That thought, and the fact that I have been in a rut with my practice goals all year, mean I will be spending the next couple days coming up with some new goals for the rest of the 2013 season. Come back a little later in the week to hear about that and to see a progress report about a great week of practice.
I'm still on pace and in position to have a breakthrough year. The past couple weeks have been tough, but I'm feeling very optimistic. Great stuff is coming! Thank you for following me and for supporting my career.
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