The wind is something else here in Cartagena. After playing some of my best golf in a long time in brutal conditions on Thursday afternoon, I was greeted by a fairly calm start for my 8:10 tee time Friday morning. Apparently I didn't know what to do. That's not true, but despite hitting the ball well, I found myself one over par through six holes. By 9:45 the wind was starting to pick up, and it looked as though I was back in my comfort zone. I birdied the par-4 seventh hole into the wind and then hit two great shots en route to an eagle on the down-wind par-5 eighth hole. My momentum was short lived. I misjudged the severity of the wind on the par-4 ninth and watched as what I thought was a beautiful wedge shot bounded off the back left portion on the green. I made a bogey there and headed to the back nine where the wind comes off the ocean ferociously. I continued to strike the ball well, but I was definitely a little bit rattled. I missed several greens by mere inches, and I struggled to chip or putt well in the wind. I battled hard but made three bogeys and no birdies on the back nine to post a second-round 74. It was disappointing not to handle the tough conditions as well in round two as I had on Thursday, but honestly, I still executed fairly well in most facets of the game.
My play has me at one over par through 36 holes. Play was suspended midway through the afternoon wave's round due to "high winds." Everyone in my wave is grumbling because it is hard to believe that we were forced to play our entire first round and much of our second round in unexplainably difficult conditions. I definitely feel like I got the very short end of the tee time draw this week, but that is not something I can control. Barring an unthinkable turn of events tomorrow morning, I will make the cut and get to play the weekend, so I will go out there and take care of business. I want to continue to get better at playing one shot at a time, and with conditions that promise to be brutal again this weekend, I will get a good opportunity to practice that. I have always been a good tough-conditions player, so I'm excited to have a good weekend.
Keep it here for more reports from windy Cartagena. Thank you for following!
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