It is very gratifying to be where I am right now. After a rough year that beat up my confidence as a rookie on the PGA Tour in 2014, I came up with an off-season plan and committed to it this past winter. I started the process of making some changes to my swing mechanics to help me become a more efficient and consistent ball-striker. I outlined a practice schedule to ensure I had focused work on my short game and putting while working to improve my swing. I stayed dedicated to a good fitness routine to keep my body in great shape. I followed my plan well, and when the Web.com Tour schedule kicked off in early February, I felt confident and ready.
I started the year slowly with two bottom-of-the-field weekend finishes and one missed cut in the first three events. In fact, in the third event, I shot 85-77 on the weekend to literally finish at the very bottom of the field. I wasn't rattled or deterred. I knew that I was on the right track and continued to believe that I was ready to play well. I was right. The very next week, I made 30 birdies, shot 22 under par, and won the HSBC Brasil Champions event.
That event featured the biggest purse of the year during the Web.com Tour's regular season, and my win not only checked off my number two Outcome Goal for the year, but also put me on the very fast track to achieving my number one Outcome Goal of returning to the PGA Tour.
My win in Brazil also opened my eyes to a new goal for the year: the possibility of earning "fully exempt" status on the PGA Tour by being the leading money winner on the Web.com Tour. I held the top spot for a number of weeks, but currently sit in fourth place on the list and face quite a deficit behind the leader. It will take a Herculian effort in the Finals to achieve the number one spot for the season, but I have certainly not abandoned that goal.
I now have one week off to prepare for the Web.com Tour Finals. The Finals is a four-event series in consecutive weeks in which the top 75 competitors from the Web.com Tour's regular season and numbers 126 through 200 from the PGA Tour compete for an additional 25 PGA Tour Cards for the 2015-2016 season. My Card is already secure, but the order of the Cards is very significant, and that is what is on the line for me at the Finals. Two players will emerge from the Finals with "fully exempt" status on TOUR for the 2015-2016 season. Those two players are the leading money winner cumulatively from Web.com Tour season and the leading money winner from the four Finals events. My goal is to earn one of those spots.
It has already been a great year. I have proven to myself that dedication to my process works. I have achieved my primary Outcome Goal for the year. I am going to the PGA Tour for the 2015-2016 season. Now it's time to keep following the same process that got me here and keep believing in it. This is just the beginning. There is still a lot to accomplish. I know my formula for success, and I'm ready to keep following it.
Thank you very much for keeping up with me and cheering me along through it all. It has been a fun season so far, and I am going to keep getting better. Keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
Congrats on your accomplishments and best wishes for the remainder of the season. Paula and I have truly enjoyed following your play since meeting you at the Dallas Greater Open. As we discussed in Springfield, your blog serves as the ideal blueprint for success, no matter what the ultimate objective may be. Thanks for sharing your secrets! We look forward to seeing you at the Nelson next spring, if not sooner.
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