Hi everyone! Thank you for continuing to try to keep up with me. As you might have noticed, I've not been updating this blog at all lately. I still think that blogging is good for me, and I really appreciate all the support I get from you, my followers, so I have decided to start over fresh with a new blog. Please follow me at:
www.petermalnatigolf.wordpress.com
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Catching Up on a Positive Last Month
I've been too busy playing golf tournaments and working on my game to update my blog! That's really not true, but I have been keeping myself busy. I've played the last four weeks, and I am making some great progress. In the last four weeks I have:
1.) Made it to Saturday at the Traveler's Championship in Hartford, CT. I played poorly on Friday and then struggled again on Saturday, and I missed the secondary cut, but I played a nice round on Friday to make it to the weekend at one of my very favorite events on Tour.
2.) Put together a fantastic effort on a demanding course at the Quicken Loans National just outside Washington D.C. I began the tournament with a triple bogey on my second hole (the 11th) and proceeded to play the 11th hole in seven over par for the week. A great round on Friday had me in the middle of the pack heading into the weekend and despite a cold putter and a few big mistakes, I played hard over the weekend and finished T38th.
3.) Posted four rounds in the 60's (69, 69, 68, 69) at the Greenbrier to finish T29th at the Greenbrier Classic. I hit the ball beautifully for most of the week in West Virginia, and was very close to having a great finish there.
4.) Overcame a double-bogey, bogey, bogey start on Thursday at the John Deere Classic to post four rounds of par or better and a nine-under-par total to finish T44th.
My play is really starting to come around. All areas of my game have shown promise over the last month, and I really feel close to putting it all together.
I'm going to keep playing. I will tee it up next week in Opelika, Alabama, for the Barbasol Championship. I've got some good energy going right now, and I'm excited to keep working and keep playing. There are only four tournaments left this season for which I am currently eligible, but I can make a late-season push and qualify for the Fed-Ex Cup Playoffs. It will take some great play over the next five weeks, but I'm ready for some greatness.
Mostly, I'm just going to keep working hard, keep being the best that I can be, keep having fun, and keep loving life. I'm excited to get after it! Thank you for following me and for your support. Keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
1.) Made it to Saturday at the Traveler's Championship in Hartford, CT. I played poorly on Friday and then struggled again on Saturday, and I missed the secondary cut, but I played a nice round on Friday to make it to the weekend at one of my very favorite events on Tour.
2.) Put together a fantastic effort on a demanding course at the Quicken Loans National just outside Washington D.C. I began the tournament with a triple bogey on my second hole (the 11th) and proceeded to play the 11th hole in seven over par for the week. A great round on Friday had me in the middle of the pack heading into the weekend and despite a cold putter and a few big mistakes, I played hard over the weekend and finished T38th.
3.) Posted four rounds in the 60's (69, 69, 68, 69) at the Greenbrier to finish T29th at the Greenbrier Classic. I hit the ball beautifully for most of the week in West Virginia, and was very close to having a great finish there.
4.) Overcame a double-bogey, bogey, bogey start on Thursday at the John Deere Classic to post four rounds of par or better and a nine-under-par total to finish T44th.
My play is really starting to come around. All areas of my game have shown promise over the last month, and I really feel close to putting it all together.
I'm going to keep playing. I will tee it up next week in Opelika, Alabama, for the Barbasol Championship. I've got some good energy going right now, and I'm excited to keep working and keep playing. There are only four tournaments left this season for which I am currently eligible, but I can make a late-season push and qualify for the Fed-Ex Cup Playoffs. It will take some great play over the next five weeks, but I'm ready for some greatness.
Mostly, I'm just going to keep working hard, keep being the best that I can be, keep having fun, and keep loving life. I'm excited to get after it! Thank you for following me and for your support. Keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
Monday, June 12, 2017
Close Calls and More Progress
I'm playing good golf, and it's really fun! I haven't been able to put enough consistently good play together yet to have a good tournament result, but I'm thrilled with the progress that I am seeing.
After spending the two previous weeks at home working on my game, I had a busy week last week. I played U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying on Monday. 36 holes in Memphis in June can be a draining task, but I relish the physical challenge of it. I felt good heading into the qualifier, and I really played beautifully. For the day, I made nine birdies and three bogeys to post a pair of 68's and a 136 (-6) total. Unfortunately, the last few spots were decided in a playoff at -7 total, so I missed out on a chance to play in this year's U.S. Open by the narrowest of margins.
I know better than to live in the past, but just to emphasize how well I played, I truly have just three regrets from the qualifier. On my 11th hole of the day, I hit two perfect shots on a dangerous par-five and then misjudged a chip and had to settle for par despite being just in front of the green and only 30 feet from the hole in two. Then, on my 27th hole of the qualifier, I again found myself just in front of the green in two on a par five. I hit a nice pitch, but didn't trust my instincts on the read of the putt. I second-guessed myself and missed from five or six feet. I can be completely at peace missing a putt of that distance, but it bugs me that I missed because I over-thought it. Lastly, I got greedy with a wedge shot from the rough on my 32nd hole of the qualifier. I had 130 yards to a front pin from a wispy lie in the first cut of rough. I felt like a pitching wedge would jump a little bit and probably go past the hole, so I tried to hit a hard gap wedge and knock it close. The ball didn't jump at all and I was left with a tough pitch from short of the green to the front pin and made a bogey. With these three exceptions, I was proud of how I played all day at the U.S. Open Qualifier. My putter was a little cold, but I was still in it until the very end, and that feels good.
I was definitely bummed to have nothing tangible to show for my efforts on Monday, but I was confident in the way I was playing. I moved on from the qualifier and turned my attention to one of my favorite events on Tour, the FedEx St. Jude Classic. I restfully prepared for the tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday, and when my early tee time rolled around on Thursday, I felt ready for it.
Then I made a double-bogey six on the first hole of the tournament. I was slightly rattled, but also felt strangely calm and confident. I proceeded to play 17 of my best holes of tournament golf. I drove the ball beautifully, hit some great iron shots, and made a couple of good putts. I turned my double-bogey start into a three-under-par round of 67. It was great!
I still felt just as good when I came out to play on Friday afternoon, but my execution was just a little loose. I narrowly missed the first three fairways, and found myself battling early. I hit a poor iron into the water on the par-three fourth and then watched in disappointment as a good iron shot rolled into a tough spot over the back of the green on the long par-four fifth hole. I made bogey on three of the first five holes but really felt like I had only hit one poor shot. I was still feeling good, but things only got harder for me. After a couple more bogeys, I found myself standing on the 15th tee needing to play well on the last four holes. I responded with my only very poor drive of the week as I toe-hooked a three wood into a creek well left of the fairway. I made a good bogey from there. I felt a strange combination of things walking off that green. I was rattled, disappointed, and worried; yet somehow I felt some calm in there, too. I proceeded to hit two nearly perfect shots into a green-side bunker on the par-five 16th. I hit a great bunker shot to five feet and nervously rolled in the putt. I hit two great shots on the long par-four 17th and lipped out my 15-foot birdie putt. I walked to the 18th hole not knowing if a par would be good enough to make the weekend. I was nervous on the tee and I pushed my drive way to the right (away from the pond on the left around which the fairway bends). I ended with a good lie, but I was 206 yards from the hole. I had a little helping wind and a lot of nervous energy, so I grabbed my five iron and hit a great shot. It landed on the front of the green and released to end up just 12 feet right of the hole. I felt strangely in the zone over the putt and rolled it in for a closing birdie. That felt really good!
I didn't parlay that great finish into a big weekend performance. I actually shot a lousy score on Saturday and ended up missing the Saturday cut. (If more than 78 players make the cut, an additional Saturday cut is used to limit the field so that the tournament can finish within the TV window on Sunday.) I still get credit for a made cut, but it feels yucky to not have the chance to move up on Sunday.
So, again, I am not leaving Memphis with the results that I am looking for, but I feel so great. In small spurts, I'm playing the kind of golf that I feel prepared to play consistently. I'm really excited. I will keep working on things, and I'm going to start playing well consistently.
I have this week off while my peers go battle it out for that U.S. Open trophy. That's okay with me; I'll be there soon! I'm going to work hard and prepare for a fun stretch of events ahead. Great stuff is coming. Keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
After spending the two previous weeks at home working on my game, I had a busy week last week. I played U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying on Monday. 36 holes in Memphis in June can be a draining task, but I relish the physical challenge of it. I felt good heading into the qualifier, and I really played beautifully. For the day, I made nine birdies and three bogeys to post a pair of 68's and a 136 (-6) total. Unfortunately, the last few spots were decided in a playoff at -7 total, so I missed out on a chance to play in this year's U.S. Open by the narrowest of margins.
I know better than to live in the past, but just to emphasize how well I played, I truly have just three regrets from the qualifier. On my 11th hole of the day, I hit two perfect shots on a dangerous par-five and then misjudged a chip and had to settle for par despite being just in front of the green and only 30 feet from the hole in two. Then, on my 27th hole of the qualifier, I again found myself just in front of the green in two on a par five. I hit a nice pitch, but didn't trust my instincts on the read of the putt. I second-guessed myself and missed from five or six feet. I can be completely at peace missing a putt of that distance, but it bugs me that I missed because I over-thought it. Lastly, I got greedy with a wedge shot from the rough on my 32nd hole of the qualifier. I had 130 yards to a front pin from a wispy lie in the first cut of rough. I felt like a pitching wedge would jump a little bit and probably go past the hole, so I tried to hit a hard gap wedge and knock it close. The ball didn't jump at all and I was left with a tough pitch from short of the green to the front pin and made a bogey. With these three exceptions, I was proud of how I played all day at the U.S. Open Qualifier. My putter was a little cold, but I was still in it until the very end, and that feels good.
I was definitely bummed to have nothing tangible to show for my efforts on Monday, but I was confident in the way I was playing. I moved on from the qualifier and turned my attention to one of my favorite events on Tour, the FedEx St. Jude Classic. I restfully prepared for the tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday, and when my early tee time rolled around on Thursday, I felt ready for it.
Then I made a double-bogey six on the first hole of the tournament. I was slightly rattled, but also felt strangely calm and confident. I proceeded to play 17 of my best holes of tournament golf. I drove the ball beautifully, hit some great iron shots, and made a couple of good putts. I turned my double-bogey start into a three-under-par round of 67. It was great!
I still felt just as good when I came out to play on Friday afternoon, but my execution was just a little loose. I narrowly missed the first three fairways, and found myself battling early. I hit a poor iron into the water on the par-three fourth and then watched in disappointment as a good iron shot rolled into a tough spot over the back of the green on the long par-four fifth hole. I made bogey on three of the first five holes but really felt like I had only hit one poor shot. I was still feeling good, but things only got harder for me. After a couple more bogeys, I found myself standing on the 15th tee needing to play well on the last four holes. I responded with my only very poor drive of the week as I toe-hooked a three wood into a creek well left of the fairway. I made a good bogey from there. I felt a strange combination of things walking off that green. I was rattled, disappointed, and worried; yet somehow I felt some calm in there, too. I proceeded to hit two nearly perfect shots into a green-side bunker on the par-five 16th. I hit a great bunker shot to five feet and nervously rolled in the putt. I hit two great shots on the long par-four 17th and lipped out my 15-foot birdie putt. I walked to the 18th hole not knowing if a par would be good enough to make the weekend. I was nervous on the tee and I pushed my drive way to the right (away from the pond on the left around which the fairway bends). I ended with a good lie, but I was 206 yards from the hole. I had a little helping wind and a lot of nervous energy, so I grabbed my five iron and hit a great shot. It landed on the front of the green and released to end up just 12 feet right of the hole. I felt strangely in the zone over the putt and rolled it in for a closing birdie. That felt really good!
I didn't parlay that great finish into a big weekend performance. I actually shot a lousy score on Saturday and ended up missing the Saturday cut. (If more than 78 players make the cut, an additional Saturday cut is used to limit the field so that the tournament can finish within the TV window on Sunday.) I still get credit for a made cut, but it feels yucky to not have the chance to move up on Sunday.
So, again, I am not leaving Memphis with the results that I am looking for, but I feel so great. In small spurts, I'm playing the kind of golf that I feel prepared to play consistently. I'm really excited. I will keep working on things, and I'm going to start playing well consistently.
I have this week off while my peers go battle it out for that U.S. Open trophy. That's okay with me; I'll be there soon! I'm going to work hard and prepare for a fun stretch of events ahead. Great stuff is coming. Keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
Monday, May 22, 2017
Visible Progress
I’ve been making a lot of invisible progress lately. By
that, I mean that my scores have been consistently rather stinky, but beneath
that, I have felt subtle improvements growing. At last week’s Byron Nelson
Classic in Dallas, I made some visible progress. The end result of the
tournament was still pretty stinky, but I did get to play four rounds, and I’m
excited by some of the steps forward that I took.
The visible progress was in the form of a first-round 67
(-3). I played late in the day and the winds were incredibly challenging on
Thursday afternoon. I birdied the first hole of the tournament, and though the
blustery winds wreaked havoc, I dropped just one shot on Thursday. I executed
beautifully all day and rolled in some nice putts on my back nine to shoot
three under. There was one score of 66 posted in the afternoon wave, but my
round on Thursday was the next best of those who played in the afternoon.
I wasn’t done with my signs of visible progress. I came
out Friday morning and got my putter heated up. Starting on number ten, I made
a great putt of eight or nine feet to save par after a sloppy opening approach
shot. I then proceeded to take advantage of some beautiful ball-striking by holing
birdie putts of 10, 8, and 20 feet on the next three holes. After a couple of
solid pars on holes 14 and 15, I executed three good shots on the par-five 16th
hole and rolled in a seven footer for another birdie. Through 25 holes of the
tournament I was -7 and in first place by myself!
Okay, reality check time. I finished the tournament at +4
for 72 holes and in a tie for 61st place, so obviously, a lot of
that stinky stuff came out over the last 47 holes. I’m really not sure why. I
had some nervousness playing in one of the later groups on Saturday, but I have
often thrived on that kind of nervous energy in the past, so I don’t think that
was the problem. A wickedly cold putter on the weekend was certainly a big part
of the reason for the disappointing performance, but I really don’t know why
that happened either. At the end of the day, I don’t think I can explain why I went
from so good to so bad last week, but, fortunately, it doesn’t need to be explained.
I’m super excited and encouraged by the visible progress
I made last week. It only lasted 25 holes, but it was (is) there. I’m going to
embrace that, and I’m going to keep working hard to improve my game so that I
can perform at a great level more consistently.
I entered last week with a renewed focus to become the
best player in the world from 150 yards and in, and I shaped my preparation
accordingly. That is going to be a point of emphasis for me moving forward. I
will continue to nurture and develop my long game, but the majority of my
practice will involve putting, short game, wedge-play, and short irons. I want
to be the best player in the world in these areas, and that goal is attainable.
I now have a two-week break to work on my game and make
more progress. The next time I tee it up will be for U.S. Open Qualifying on
June 5. Between now and then, I’m going to celebrate the visible progress I saw
this past week in Dallas and also work really hard to keep improving.
I am excited, and I am having fun. Despite the poor
results that have stretched on for quite some time now, I feel that I am in a
great spot. I can never say for sure when, but I feel like great things are
just ahead. Thank you for following me, and keep it here for a practice report
sometime in the next couple weeks.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
New Belief
Results-wise, I still don't have anything good to report. After two more tournaments--the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina and The Player's Championship in Florida--I still haven't gotten things to click in competition. I actually did a lot of positive things both weeks, but didn't have the consistency to post good scores. I ended up missing both cuts.
I know this is sounding like the same song on repeat, but I actually do believe that I am close to playing well. Conditions were challenging in North Carolina, and I posted a two-day total of five over par. In a ten-hole stretch on Thursday, I was +7. That means for the other 26 holes on Thursday and Friday, I was two under. That is significant because the leader was only -6 through two rounds in North Carolina. Clearly, I need to play better and clean up that sloppy stretch, but this shows that there is good stuff in there.
In The Player's Championship, I had a similar positive experience despite the disappointing result. I began the tournament with a one-under-par back nine on Thursday, and after a solid par on the first hole and a perfect drive down the reachable par-five second hole, I really felt like I was going to post a good score. I made a mess of the second hole after my great drive, but even after that setback, I executed really well over the last seven holes. Unfortunately, I had a few errors in judgment on the firm and difficult golf course, and my good execution was not rewarded. I actually made bogey on three of the final seven holes without ever hitting a shot that landed more than a couple steps from where I was planning. I posted a 75 (+3) in round one, but it felt really good. I hit a lot of good shots in round two, but I also hit some lousy ones and posted another 75 to miss the cut by four shots.
I am really sick of reporting this news, but I'm not discouraged. If anything, I feel like I'm having a re-awakening of sorts. The frustration of the last 16 months has forced me to do some evaluating, and I had a revelation yesterday morning. My practice for the last two years has been focused largely on becoming a better long-game player. I've worked hard on my golf swing and become a better five iron player. This work has been valuable and necessary, but it has taken me away from my essence and from what makes me great at golf. I want and need to be the best player in the world from inside 150 yards. And the good news is that I can be! And what's more? I haven't been even close. In fact, this year, I've been a below average wedge player and an average-at-best putter. With a renewed focus on the things that make me great, I'm going to get after being the best in the world from 150 yards and in. My long game has improved, and it good enough to allow me to accomplish everything I want in golf, but I must (and will!) be better than good from inside 150 yards.
This revelation and the new practice mindset it is encouraging does not guarantee that things will turn around immediately, but I'm filled with a new belief that I am going to get things turned and going in the right direction. I'm super-excited to get after it.
I'm currently on my way to Dallas for the Byron Nelson Tournament. I'm excited for a great week. Thank you for following and please keep it here for more updates!
I know this is sounding like the same song on repeat, but I actually do believe that I am close to playing well. Conditions were challenging in North Carolina, and I posted a two-day total of five over par. In a ten-hole stretch on Thursday, I was +7. That means for the other 26 holes on Thursday and Friday, I was two under. That is significant because the leader was only -6 through two rounds in North Carolina. Clearly, I need to play better and clean up that sloppy stretch, but this shows that there is good stuff in there.
In The Player's Championship, I had a similar positive experience despite the disappointing result. I began the tournament with a one-under-par back nine on Thursday, and after a solid par on the first hole and a perfect drive down the reachable par-five second hole, I really felt like I was going to post a good score. I made a mess of the second hole after my great drive, but even after that setback, I executed really well over the last seven holes. Unfortunately, I had a few errors in judgment on the firm and difficult golf course, and my good execution was not rewarded. I actually made bogey on three of the final seven holes without ever hitting a shot that landed more than a couple steps from where I was planning. I posted a 75 (+3) in round one, but it felt really good. I hit a lot of good shots in round two, but I also hit some lousy ones and posted another 75 to miss the cut by four shots.
I am really sick of reporting this news, but I'm not discouraged. If anything, I feel like I'm having a re-awakening of sorts. The frustration of the last 16 months has forced me to do some evaluating, and I had a revelation yesterday morning. My practice for the last two years has been focused largely on becoming a better long-game player. I've worked hard on my golf swing and become a better five iron player. This work has been valuable and necessary, but it has taken me away from my essence and from what makes me great at golf. I want and need to be the best player in the world from inside 150 yards. And the good news is that I can be! And what's more? I haven't been even close. In fact, this year, I've been a below average wedge player and an average-at-best putter. With a renewed focus on the things that make me great, I'm going to get after being the best in the world from 150 yards and in. My long game has improved, and it good enough to allow me to accomplish everything I want in golf, but I must (and will!) be better than good from inside 150 yards.
This revelation and the new practice mindset it is encouraging does not guarantee that things will turn around immediately, but I'm filled with a new belief that I am going to get things turned and going in the right direction. I'm super-excited to get after it.
I'm currently on my way to Dallas for the Byron Nelson Tournament. I'm excited for a great week. Thank you for following and please keep it here for more updates!
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Rats
After two weeks that truly were great fun for me, I don’t
have a whole lot of good news to report results-wise. The Valero Texas Open in
San Antonio is definitely one of my favorite stops of the year, but
unfortunately I didn’t play very well so my week there was cut short. Then, I played
the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the first time since 2014. Brand new for
this year, the event featured a team format. I paired up with one of my closest
friends, Mark Wilson, and despite having an absolute blast, Mark and I had a
tough start and couldn’t quite play well enough to recover. So, I’m heading
home early from New Orleans, too.
It stinks to miss cuts and to not be competing on
weekends. I’m really sick of it, but I am still proud of the effort that I’ve
been putting in and am confident that my hard work will bear results.
I’m not really sure which variables will play the biggest
role in helping me to get things turned around, but I do have some definite
areas in which I need to improve. First of all, I need to regain my swagger on
the greens. It’s not just that I haven’t had any great putting weeks lately;
I’ve actually been putting poorly. My putting practice has been going okay, but
I’m never feeling great over my putts right now. I know that I am brilliant
with a putter in my hands. Through smart practice and a free mindset, I can
release that brilliance again and do so consistently. Next, I need to be much
more consistent with my wedges. I have weeks when I feel okay about my wedge
play (Hilton Head), but then I also have weeks where my wedge play is atrocious
(Texas Open). Even at my worst, I need to be an above-average wedge player, and
I know that I can be through disciplined practice and smart execution. Finally,
I need to clear my mind to compete more freely. I am currently feeling a lot of
stress, pressure, and anxiety when I’m on the course because I feel desperate
for better results. I know I play my best golf when I feel freedom, and I also
know that I can choose that feeling. It is very difficult for me right now, but
I can choose to feel free, and I am progressing toward doing it.
Finding excellence in these three areas is not a
far-fetched task for me. I can do it. I’ve been excellent in these areas
before, and I will be again.
I’m definitely disappointed, frustrated, and even sad
about my results lately. But all I can do with the past is learn from it, and I
feel like I’m ready to do that. I am excited to keep going and keep growing. I
have incredible opportunities ahead, and I’m ready to seize them! I’m still
living my dream, and I still have the best job in the world. I’m ready to do it
well.
Thank you for believing in me and following my journey.
Keep it here for great news moving forward!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Progress at Harbour Town
I moved forward in a big way last week at Harbour Town. A slow start to the tournament created a challenge and a disappointing final round kept me from have a good finish, but in between, a lot of extremely encouraging things happened. I'm continuing to make physical progress in all areas of my game, but more importantly, I am moving toward feeling more freedom and having more mental clarity on the course as well. I'm excited to keep playing!
Last week was fun. Harbour Town is possibly my favorite course on Tour, and I had one of my best friends, Ryan Nelson, caddying for me for the week. I had three great days of preparation, and really felt ready for the tournament. Despite a frustrating and unsettling poor start in which I was three over par through six holes, I still felt like I was ready to play well. I chipped in under the watch of the lighthouse on Harbour Town's iconic 18th hole (my ninth) on Thursday for my first birdie of the tournament, and for the next 45 holes, I played a lot of good golf.
The strongest memory for me from the week will be the way I played the final seven holes on Friday. Though I'm trying hard to not let outside distractions affect my mental process towards each shot, I must admit that I was acutely aware of the cut as I was playing on Friday. That definitely caused some stress for me, but I executed beautifully over my final seven holes. I converted two beautiful shots on the par-four 12th hole into a birdie. I continued to hit really good shots, but narrowly missed great birdie chances on holes 13, 15, and 16. I stood on the 17th tee believing I would need to play the final two holes one under par to make the cut. The par-three 17th was between an eight iron and seven iron for me on Friday. I wasn't sure that I could quite get an eight iron to the hole, but I knew that I would have a hard time stopping a seven iron on the green with a strong wind at my back. I decided to commit to the eight iron, and I hit a beautiful shot. The ball flew high with just a tiny draw and fell perfectly on my selected target just right of the flag. The ball rolled out perfectly and finished twelve feet short and right of the hole. I definitely felt some nerves, but I was composed, and I rolled my putt into the left edge of the cup for a birdie! It was a great feeling. I proceeded to hit a shockingly poor tee shot on the closing hole, but I hit a great four iron from right of the fairway to just in front of the green, chipped close, and finished with a par to post two under par for the first 36 holes.
I still felt way more stress and anxiety related to the cut than I would like to feel, but this time, I took control of those feelings and stayed in the present. It was a huge step in the right direction!
I played an interestingly great round on Saturday during which my ball-striking felt a little off the entire time, but I managed it very well and shot a 67 (-4) to move up quite a bit on moving day. Then, on Sunday, I had the most beautiful warm-up session and striped my opening tee shot. I felt confident, but it didn't happen for me on Sunday. I hit too many errant shots and never got the good stuff flowing. My Sunday 75 (+4) dropped me down the final standings quite a bit.
I did have one very cool Sunday highlight, though. On that same 17th hole, with the same wind and the hole location just a little farther back on the green, I hit a seven iron that landed just over the front bunker and released right into the middle of the cup for a hole-in-one! What a memory!
I am striving to improve in many areas, and my week at Harbour Town was definitely a move in the right direction. I'm excited to keep it up. Physically, I'm prepared to play well and feel like I'm only getting better. Mentally, I've had a lot going on inside my head, but I feel ready to quiet some of the noise, come back to the present, and have a lot of fun.
I am currently on the way to San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, and I'm excited to keep progressing. Thank you for following me and please keep it here for more updates moving forward!
Last week was fun. Harbour Town is possibly my favorite course on Tour, and I had one of my best friends, Ryan Nelson, caddying for me for the week. I had three great days of preparation, and really felt ready for the tournament. Despite a frustrating and unsettling poor start in which I was three over par through six holes, I still felt like I was ready to play well. I chipped in under the watch of the lighthouse on Harbour Town's iconic 18th hole (my ninth) on Thursday for my first birdie of the tournament, and for the next 45 holes, I played a lot of good golf.
The strongest memory for me from the week will be the way I played the final seven holes on Friday. Though I'm trying hard to not let outside distractions affect my mental process towards each shot, I must admit that I was acutely aware of the cut as I was playing on Friday. That definitely caused some stress for me, but I executed beautifully over my final seven holes. I converted two beautiful shots on the par-four 12th hole into a birdie. I continued to hit really good shots, but narrowly missed great birdie chances on holes 13, 15, and 16. I stood on the 17th tee believing I would need to play the final two holes one under par to make the cut. The par-three 17th was between an eight iron and seven iron for me on Friday. I wasn't sure that I could quite get an eight iron to the hole, but I knew that I would have a hard time stopping a seven iron on the green with a strong wind at my back. I decided to commit to the eight iron, and I hit a beautiful shot. The ball flew high with just a tiny draw and fell perfectly on my selected target just right of the flag. The ball rolled out perfectly and finished twelve feet short and right of the hole. I definitely felt some nerves, but I was composed, and I rolled my putt into the left edge of the cup for a birdie! It was a great feeling. I proceeded to hit a shockingly poor tee shot on the closing hole, but I hit a great four iron from right of the fairway to just in front of the green, chipped close, and finished with a par to post two under par for the first 36 holes.
I still felt way more stress and anxiety related to the cut than I would like to feel, but this time, I took control of those feelings and stayed in the present. It was a huge step in the right direction!
I played an interestingly great round on Saturday during which my ball-striking felt a little off the entire time, but I managed it very well and shot a 67 (-4) to move up quite a bit on moving day. Then, on Sunday, I had the most beautiful warm-up session and striped my opening tee shot. I felt confident, but it didn't happen for me on Sunday. I hit too many errant shots and never got the good stuff flowing. My Sunday 75 (+4) dropped me down the final standings quite a bit.
I did have one very cool Sunday highlight, though. On that same 17th hole, with the same wind and the hole location just a little farther back on the green, I hit a seven iron that landed just over the front bunker and released right into the middle of the cup for a hole-in-one! What a memory!
I am striving to improve in many areas, and my week at Harbour Town was definitely a move in the right direction. I'm excited to keep it up. Physically, I'm prepared to play well and feel like I'm only getting better. Mentally, I've had a lot going on inside my head, but I feel ready to quiet some of the noise, come back to the present, and have a lot of fun.
I am currently on the way to San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open, and I'm excited to keep progressing. Thank you for following me and please keep it here for more updates moving forward!
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Close in Houston
A birdie-free 75 in the opening round was not the start I was looking for or expecting after two weeks of great preparation for the Houston Open. I was feeling primed physically and mentally to get after it, so I was definitely pretty bummed after the first round. When I look back on it though, I really was prepared. I just had a rough day. I hit some bad shots at the wrong times and didn't make any putts. I was prepared, I just didn't execute very well. That first round had me behind the eight-ball for round two, and I did end up missing the cut, but this week felt different and better than some of my recent disappointments. I'm prepared to play well, and it's going to happen soon!
Round two was really fun. I woke up Friday morning feeling a little bummed about my poor score from the day before, but I discussed those feelings with my caddie (Alicia!), and we decided that I was going to forget about everything and just go play as if I was having a fun round with my buddies. I had absolutely not given up on getting back into the tournament, but I knew that the best way to do that would be to go have some fun. I felt relaxed and confident during my warm-up and was genuinely excited to go play. The wind was picking up for the afternoon, and I felt ready for the challenge. I hit a good drive down the middle on the first hole and then hit my second shot too well as I pierced an eight iron through the wind and over the flag into the back fringe. From there, I casually rolled in a fifteen footer for my first birdie of the tournament, and I smiled real big. I went on to birdie four of the first six holes in round two. After a good drive on the par-five eighth, I was really feeling it. I committed to my second shot and was feeling good, but I splashed my three wood into the pond right of the green. Despite the bogey, I was still feeling good, but I just couldn't get it going the rest of the way. Still, with winds increasing and conditions becoming more difficult, the cutline began to rise, and I still had a great chance to make it to the weekend with four holes to go. I hit a disappointingly poor wedge shot into the par-five 15th hole and made a par. I then hit a lot of good shots over tough final three holes, but ended up finishing par-bogey-bogey to post a score (72, even par) that wasn't nearly as good as how I felt I had played. It was really fun to play well and feel some excitement again, though!
One more cool story about the second round: I ended up bogeying the final hole, but that doesn't tell the story of what really happened. After my bogey on the 17th hole, I needed an eagle on the 484-yard 18th hole to make it to the weekend. I smoked my drive down the watery par four and had 187 yards to the front left pin which was tight to the water. The wind was helping off the right, and I had 179 yards to the front edge of the green. I knew to make it I had to hit a seven iron up in the air and have it land softly right on the front of the green. I hit the most beautiful shot, and it was falling left on the wind and going right at the flag. It landed on the edge of the front fringe and skidded forward past the flag all the way to the back tier of the green. It was so cool to hit that shot and actually see it have a chance while it was in the air!
So, at the end of the day, this will go down as a missed cut and that is always a little bit disappointing for me, but this was actually a really good week. I am feeling physically prepared to play great, and I will continue to work to make my swing more autonomic so that it's more consistent in tournament situations. I'm also really close to feeling mentally prepared to play great. There is definitely a big part of me that still wants success too badly and is too obsessed with results right now, but the attitude of just having fun and being relaxed is a good start to overcome that. I was close to getting it in Houston, and I am going to get there!
I now have Master's week off unfortunately, but I will use it to prepare well for a long and great stretch of golf after the Masters. I'm super excited, and I know that great stuff is coming.
Thank you for following and believing in me, and please keep it here for good news moving forward!
Round two was really fun. I woke up Friday morning feeling a little bummed about my poor score from the day before, but I discussed those feelings with my caddie (Alicia!), and we decided that I was going to forget about everything and just go play as if I was having a fun round with my buddies. I had absolutely not given up on getting back into the tournament, but I knew that the best way to do that would be to go have some fun. I felt relaxed and confident during my warm-up and was genuinely excited to go play. The wind was picking up for the afternoon, and I felt ready for the challenge. I hit a good drive down the middle on the first hole and then hit my second shot too well as I pierced an eight iron through the wind and over the flag into the back fringe. From there, I casually rolled in a fifteen footer for my first birdie of the tournament, and I smiled real big. I went on to birdie four of the first six holes in round two. After a good drive on the par-five eighth, I was really feeling it. I committed to my second shot and was feeling good, but I splashed my three wood into the pond right of the green. Despite the bogey, I was still feeling good, but I just couldn't get it going the rest of the way. Still, with winds increasing and conditions becoming more difficult, the cutline began to rise, and I still had a great chance to make it to the weekend with four holes to go. I hit a disappointingly poor wedge shot into the par-five 15th hole and made a par. I then hit a lot of good shots over tough final three holes, but ended up finishing par-bogey-bogey to post a score (72, even par) that wasn't nearly as good as how I felt I had played. It was really fun to play well and feel some excitement again, though!
One more cool story about the second round: I ended up bogeying the final hole, but that doesn't tell the story of what really happened. After my bogey on the 17th hole, I needed an eagle on the 484-yard 18th hole to make it to the weekend. I smoked my drive down the watery par four and had 187 yards to the front left pin which was tight to the water. The wind was helping off the right, and I had 179 yards to the front edge of the green. I knew to make it I had to hit a seven iron up in the air and have it land softly right on the front of the green. I hit the most beautiful shot, and it was falling left on the wind and going right at the flag. It landed on the edge of the front fringe and skidded forward past the flag all the way to the back tier of the green. It was so cool to hit that shot and actually see it have a chance while it was in the air!
So, at the end of the day, this will go down as a missed cut and that is always a little bit disappointing for me, but this was actually a really good week. I am feeling physically prepared to play great, and I will continue to work to make my swing more autonomic so that it's more consistent in tournament situations. I'm also really close to feeling mentally prepared to play great. There is definitely a big part of me that still wants success too badly and is too obsessed with results right now, but the attitude of just having fun and being relaxed is a good start to overcome that. I was close to getting it in Houston, and I am going to get there!
I now have Master's week off unfortunately, but I will use it to prepare well for a long and great stretch of golf after the Masters. I'm super excited, and I know that great stuff is coming.
Thank you for following and believing in me, and please keep it here for good news moving forward!
Sunday, March 19, 2017
Pain, Change, and Growth
For the most part, I believe that I have a fairly healthy sense of perspective about life and golf's place in it for me. Golf is my career. It is one of my passions. It is very important to me. It is NOT life and death by any means. It doesn't crack the top three of things that are most important to me in my life. Still, it hurts when it doesn't go well and my hard work doesn't produce the desired results.
My last tournament inflicted some pain. Playing at one of my favorite courses on tour (Innisbrook), I played really nicely. Despite being just fractionally off with my driver and having a few things go wrong, I was playing very solidly. I was one under par through 35 holes, and I piped my drive up the par-four ninth hole--my last on Friday. From there, I faced a very inviting shot. I had 148 yards to a back right flag from a great lie in the fairway. I wasn't trying to be too aggressive, but I was definitely trying to give myself a good birdie opportunity. I pushed my iron shot a little bit, but it was flying just right of the pin. Unfortunately, I had misjudged the wind and selected the wrong club. My ball flew past the hole and bounded off the back of the green. From there, I misplayed a pitch shot, hit my first putt too hard, and nervously stroked my three-and-a-half foot bogey putt right of the hole. At the time, it was a bit of a soul-crushing double-bogey. It dropped me from one shot inside of the cutline to missing the cut by one. It was painful.
For a couple days, I wasn't sure how to respond. I've always been good about being intentional with my response to adversity. I have always found something positive--some kind of silver lining that I can take and build from moving forward. This time I must admit that I felt pretty defeated for the days that immediately followed.
That feeling of pain has brought around some needed change, however. The first change was not of my choosing, but it is something about which I am excited. My caddie, Shane, called me on Tuesday evening and told me that he wants to split. I've never blamed Shane for my current slump, and, despite some differences in personality and communication style, I actually have really appreciated the work that he has done for me. It's sad to see our partnership end, but I think he's right that something fresh will be really good for both of us. I'm excited to move forward in that regard.
I don't have a long-term solution to my caddie vacancy yet, but I do know who will be caddying for me in my next event. I'm going to reunite the dream team that worked so well in 2015. Alicia will caddie for me in Houston! Regardless of what I decide to do long term, I am very excited to take the things that I have learned and work to build a caddie relationship that works best for me tactically, mentally, and emotionally. This change will be a positive step forward for me.
Another change that was inspired by the pain I experienced at Innisbrook is a new sense of ownership over the thoughts I'm thinking. I've been feeling tremendous weight bearing down on me lately, and I've been blaming the last 14 months of poor results for causing that weight. I've also been feeling like golf has been difficult and that I can't seem to catch a break. I've been blaming outside things for the feelings of pressure, anxiety, and disappointment I've been feeling. In reality, those feelings are thoughts, and they originate inside of my own head. What I think is a choice, and thinking right is a skill. I have not practiced this skill nearly as much as I've practiced my physical skills lately, and it's time to change that. I control what I think, and my thoughts control how I feel. I'm going to take control of what I think.
I think I'm a great golfer. I think I'm a winner. I think I can go play with freedom and trust.
I certainly know that this isn't the last time I'll ever face adversity or disappointment in golf. I also know that I have the skills, both physically and mentally, to deal with and overcome adversity. I am ready to practice and use those skills.
I'm excited to get after it! I've decided not to play in Puerto Rico this coming week so that I can have another week off to practice my skills and rest up for a big stretch of golf ahead. I'll tee it up in Houston March 30-April 2, and I'll be ready.
Thank you for following and believing in me. Great things are coming. Keep it here to enjoy the ride with me.
My last tournament inflicted some pain. Playing at one of my favorite courses on tour (Innisbrook), I played really nicely. Despite being just fractionally off with my driver and having a few things go wrong, I was playing very solidly. I was one under par through 35 holes, and I piped my drive up the par-four ninth hole--my last on Friday. From there, I faced a very inviting shot. I had 148 yards to a back right flag from a great lie in the fairway. I wasn't trying to be too aggressive, but I was definitely trying to give myself a good birdie opportunity. I pushed my iron shot a little bit, but it was flying just right of the pin. Unfortunately, I had misjudged the wind and selected the wrong club. My ball flew past the hole and bounded off the back of the green. From there, I misplayed a pitch shot, hit my first putt too hard, and nervously stroked my three-and-a-half foot bogey putt right of the hole. At the time, it was a bit of a soul-crushing double-bogey. It dropped me from one shot inside of the cutline to missing the cut by one. It was painful.
For a couple days, I wasn't sure how to respond. I've always been good about being intentional with my response to adversity. I have always found something positive--some kind of silver lining that I can take and build from moving forward. This time I must admit that I felt pretty defeated for the days that immediately followed.
That feeling of pain has brought around some needed change, however. The first change was not of my choosing, but it is something about which I am excited. My caddie, Shane, called me on Tuesday evening and told me that he wants to split. I've never blamed Shane for my current slump, and, despite some differences in personality and communication style, I actually have really appreciated the work that he has done for me. It's sad to see our partnership end, but I think he's right that something fresh will be really good for both of us. I'm excited to move forward in that regard.
I don't have a long-term solution to my caddie vacancy yet, but I do know who will be caddying for me in my next event. I'm going to reunite the dream team that worked so well in 2015. Alicia will caddie for me in Houston! Regardless of what I decide to do long term, I am very excited to take the things that I have learned and work to build a caddie relationship that works best for me tactically, mentally, and emotionally. This change will be a positive step forward for me.
Another change that was inspired by the pain I experienced at Innisbrook is a new sense of ownership over the thoughts I'm thinking. I've been feeling tremendous weight bearing down on me lately, and I've been blaming the last 14 months of poor results for causing that weight. I've also been feeling like golf has been difficult and that I can't seem to catch a break. I've been blaming outside things for the feelings of pressure, anxiety, and disappointment I've been feeling. In reality, those feelings are thoughts, and they originate inside of my own head. What I think is a choice, and thinking right is a skill. I have not practiced this skill nearly as much as I've practiced my physical skills lately, and it's time to change that. I control what I think, and my thoughts control how I feel. I'm going to take control of what I think.
I think I'm a great golfer. I think I'm a winner. I think I can go play with freedom and trust.
I certainly know that this isn't the last time I'll ever face adversity or disappointment in golf. I also know that I have the skills, both physically and mentally, to deal with and overcome adversity. I am ready to practice and use those skills.
I'm excited to get after it! I've decided not to play in Puerto Rico this coming week so that I can have another week off to practice my skills and rest up for a big stretch of golf ahead. I'll tee it up in Houston March 30-April 2, and I'll be ready.
Thank you for following and believing in me. Great things are coming. Keep it here to enjoy the ride with me.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Lowest Score Wins
In nearly every conceivable way, I am better at golf
today than I was when I won on the PGA Tour just 16 months ago. I’m a much
better swinger of the golf club. I drive the ball more consistently. I’m a
better ball-striker. My wedge play is better. I’m more skilled and more
comfortable around the greens. I’m more mature. I’m more experienced. Overall,
I am simply a better golfer now than I have ever been.
Yet my scores haven’t been good lately. I’ve struggled to
post consistently good scores for quite a while. What’s more, my old penchant
for getting hot and posting very low rounds hasn’t come around in quite some
time.
So, what gives? How can a better golfer shoot higher
scores? I have two answers. The first is simple and the second a bit more
abstract.
First of all, I need to putt better. I haven’t felt great
about the way I have putted for most of the last 14 months. I’ve been
inconsistent, had poor pace, struggled inside of five feet, and, most notably, have
not made putts in that mid-range distance (10ft-25ft) where I expect to
differentiate myself from my competition. Deep down, I’m still very confident
in my ability on the greens. I truly believe that putting is a great strength
for me and that it will allow me to stand out on the PGA Tour for the next
couple of decades. The key is letting that brilliance flow. To do it, I’m going
to re-dedicate myself to practice techniques and drills that have worked for me
in the past. Also, I’m going to focus on having fun on the greens and stop
putting so much pressure on myself.
The second reason my scores haven’t been good is that I
haven’t consistently allowed myself to play with freedom in a long time. I have
let a prolonged stretch of sub-standard results weigh heavily on me. Each time
I tee it up, I do so with a strong desire to “get it right this time.” This
causes me to feel anxious and worried, and that is not a recipe for good golf.
It is quite the vicious cycle, really. Struggles lead to a stronger and
stronger desire to play well, and sometimes that very desire is the biggest
challenge. (I told you this was going to be abstract.) It’s tough to nail down
a solution to a problem so intangible, but I’m going to do it.
I think it was the late, great Arnold Palmer who once
said “golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.” I’ve been focusing
lately on the endless complications. I’ve been trying so hard to do everything
correctly. I’ve been trying to swing properly and make sure I’m strategizing
properly. I’ve obsessed about trying to think the right thoughts at the right
time. I’ve tried and tried and tried to get all the little details right. I
think I’ve worked myself into a bit of an over-thinking nature and that is
causing my tension.
So now, I’m ready to focus on the deceptively simple
nature of my sport. At the end of the day, it’s no more complicated than this:
lowest score wins. I’m going to go out and try to shoot the lowest score. It
doesn’t matter what it looks like. It doesn’t matter what other people think.
It doesn’t matter what’s on the line or who else is in the competition. Lowest
score wins. I’m going to go shoot the lowest score.
Clearly, lots of little things go into producing the
lowest score, and I’m not naïve to that fact. But here’s the thing: I’m ready.
I’ve been working my butt off to have everything in place. It’s time to go
play. It’s time to go shoot the lowest score.
I absolutely love what I do, and I’m really excited to
keep doing it and start doing it with freedom more consistently. I’m just outside
of Tampa Bay, Florida, this week at one of my favorite courses on Tour for the
Valspar Championship. I’m going to have a lot of fun this week!
Thank you for following me and for your support. Keep it
here for an update from the tournament.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Agonizingly Close at PGA National
A cold putter on Thursday and a driver that was just a fraction off on a difficult golf course on Friday cost me at the Honda Classic. I played beautiful golf for much of the tournament, but those two areas of weakness got me as I posted rounds of 70, 71 (+1, total) to finish tied for 71st place and miss the cut by a single player.
I was pretty devastated on Friday evening when the final verdict became official. I wasn't devastated simply because of the fact that I missed the cut or that I was so close to making it; rather, I was devastated because I truly believe I was in position to have a great weekend and a great finish in the tournament. When the day ended on Friday, I was ten shots behind the leader and just four shots behind 17th place. More importantly, I was playing some terrific golf. It was hard to swallow that I wouldn't get the chance to compete over the weekend.
Now, with a couple of days to process it, I'm able to realize how incredibly positive my performance was last week at PGA National. With thick rough, narrow fairways, and water in play on nearly every hole, the course was a strong challenge. But I was ready for it, and handled it really well.
In round one, I had one of my best ball-striking rounds I can ever remember. I drove it well, hit my irons very solidly, and was really never in any trouble at all around the course. I gave myself a lot of good birdie opportunities, but unfortunately converted very few of them. With a cold putter, I posted a two-birdie, two-bogey round on Thursday.
On Friday, I putted a better, and my iron play was again very solid, but my driver was just a fraction off. I never missed a fairway by more than a few steps, but I missed several by that narrow margin, and that was trouble. Three times in my round I ended up near the lip of a fairway bunker and couldn't advance my ball to the green. I made four bogies in Friday's round, and all were the result of a missed fairway that prevented me from hitting my second shot onto the green.
Despite the disappointing result, I really feel incredibly encouraged by the way I played. I really need to work on my putting and find the consistency on the greens that has helped me achieve the things I have in golf, but from a ball-striking perspective, I feel that I am better today than I have ever been. I need to continue to improve and become sharper and more consistent, but I know that I am moving in the right direction.
I have this week off to hone my skills at home, and I'm excited to have a great week of work. Next week the Tour visits one of my favorite stops at Innisbrook's Copperhead Golf Course for the Valspar Championship just outside of Tampa. I will be ready to go for that event.
Thank you for following me and for your support. Great things are coming, so please keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
I was pretty devastated on Friday evening when the final verdict became official. I wasn't devastated simply because of the fact that I missed the cut or that I was so close to making it; rather, I was devastated because I truly believe I was in position to have a great weekend and a great finish in the tournament. When the day ended on Friday, I was ten shots behind the leader and just four shots behind 17th place. More importantly, I was playing some terrific golf. It was hard to swallow that I wouldn't get the chance to compete over the weekend.
Now, with a couple of days to process it, I'm able to realize how incredibly positive my performance was last week at PGA National. With thick rough, narrow fairways, and water in play on nearly every hole, the course was a strong challenge. But I was ready for it, and handled it really well.
In round one, I had one of my best ball-striking rounds I can ever remember. I drove it well, hit my irons very solidly, and was really never in any trouble at all around the course. I gave myself a lot of good birdie opportunities, but unfortunately converted very few of them. With a cold putter, I posted a two-birdie, two-bogey round on Thursday.
On Friday, I putted a better, and my iron play was again very solid, but my driver was just a fraction off. I never missed a fairway by more than a few steps, but I missed several by that narrow margin, and that was trouble. Three times in my round I ended up near the lip of a fairway bunker and couldn't advance my ball to the green. I made four bogies in Friday's round, and all were the result of a missed fairway that prevented me from hitting my second shot onto the green.
Despite the disappointing result, I really feel incredibly encouraged by the way I played. I really need to work on my putting and find the consistency on the greens that has helped me achieve the things I have in golf, but from a ball-striking perspective, I feel that I am better today than I have ever been. I need to continue to improve and become sharper and more consistent, but I know that I am moving in the right direction.
I have this week off to hone my skills at home, and I'm excited to have a great week of work. Next week the Tour visits one of my favorite stops at Innisbrook's Copperhead Golf Course for the Valspar Championship just outside of Tampa. I will be ready to go for that event.
Thank you for following me and for your support. Great things are coming, so please keep it here to enjoy the journey with me!
Monday, February 20, 2017
Focused on the Positives from Riviera
I'll start with the bad news from Riviera. I opened the tournament horribly with four bogies in the first seven holes despite perfect scoring conditions. Throughout the week I really struggled on the greens. My pace was very poor at times and I missed several short putts. For the tournament I had six or seven three-putts. On top of that, I lost my way with my swing a little bit over the final 16 holes of the tournament and hit a lot of poor shots. I ended the tournament with a tie for 64th place finish--a disappointing result.
That is the end of the bad news! I did a lot of things really well last week. I drove the ball beautifully for most of the week. I hit some of my best iron shots in a long time. I battled back from being four over par through the first seven holes of the tournament to get myself back into a position to fight for a good finish over the weekend. I played Riviera's signature hole, the drivable yet diabolical par-four tenth in 12 shots for the week. I twice laid up and hit beautiful wedge shots to the Ping-Pong table sized back section of the green and twice drove it perfectly to the fringe short and left of the green to set up easy up-and-down birdies. That was really good. I began my fourth round birdie-birdie and had the feeling like I was going to really play well. So many good things happened, and I feel great about them!
I've definitely been suffering from a bit of low golf self-esteem lately. My results have been poor for the past 13+ months and it has taken a bit of a toll on my confidence. I know that I've been working on the right things, though, and I know that I have made great progress in my practice. That means that I am ready to play well, and good tournament play is just around the corner. I'm ready to get back in the mix consistently. My play at Riviera showed signs of that.
Today is a travel day as Alicia and I head from the West Coast to the East Coast for the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I'm excited to keep competing. Great things are coming. Thank you for following me, and please keep it here for an update from Florida!
That is the end of the bad news! I did a lot of things really well last week. I drove the ball beautifully for most of the week. I hit some of my best iron shots in a long time. I battled back from being four over par through the first seven holes of the tournament to get myself back into a position to fight for a good finish over the weekend. I played Riviera's signature hole, the drivable yet diabolical par-four tenth in 12 shots for the week. I twice laid up and hit beautiful wedge shots to the Ping-Pong table sized back section of the green and twice drove it perfectly to the fringe short and left of the green to set up easy up-and-down birdies. That was really good. I began my fourth round birdie-birdie and had the feeling like I was going to really play well. So many good things happened, and I feel great about them!
I've definitely been suffering from a bit of low golf self-esteem lately. My results have been poor for the past 13+ months and it has taken a bit of a toll on my confidence. I know that I've been working on the right things, though, and I know that I have made great progress in my practice. That means that I am ready to play well, and good tournament play is just around the corner. I'm ready to get back in the mix consistently. My play at Riviera showed signs of that.
Today is a travel day as Alicia and I head from the West Coast to the East Coast for the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I'm excited to keep competing. Great things are coming. Thank you for following me, and please keep it here for an update from Florida!
Monday, February 13, 2017
Short Post to Catch Up
It has been two weeks since my last post. In that time, I enjoyed a great week of recharging away from tournament golf and then gave a really disappointing performance at one of my favorite venues.
I started with five days at home in Tennessee. I worked on a my game a little bit, had two fun and productive matches with my buddy Jonathon Hodge, and worked hard on my fitness during that time. Alicia and I then had the privilege of attending (and participating, in Alicia's case) in the wedding of two of our good friends in Atlanta. It was great to kick back and really enjoy a happy occasion with some great people. I probably didn't get as much golf work done as I should have during my week away from competition, but I did a lot of productive things and really rested up as well. It was great.
From the wedding in Atlanta, Alicia and I traveled to one of my favorite places in the world--Pebble Beach, CA. Despite ugly conditions including lots of rain, wind, and cold temperatures, I still really enjoyed being there. In the challenging conditions, I feel like I prepared fairly well for the event last week, and at times my performance reflected that. I had stretches of good golf in each of the first two rounds. My short game was on point for each round last week, and I had stretches where my ball-striking was good, too. Unfortunately I putted very poorly throughout the week and everything except my short-game abandoned me on Saturday. Because of the three-course rotation for the event, the cut is made after Saturday's third round rather than the traditional half-way point. I entered the third round feeling like I had a good chance to get back into the tournament. I was playing the most score-able course in the rotation on Saturday, and, I was feeling pretty good about the way I was trending. Sadly, I played really poorly in round three. I didn't drive it well, my iron play was poor, and I was atrocious with the putter. It all added up to a six-over-par round of 77 and it meant I didn't get to return to Pebble Beach for the final round on Sunday.
That's a sad story because I never want to miss an opportunity to play Pebble Beach! In addition to that, my performance on Saturday stung a little bit because it came out of nowhere. I really expected to play well. I'm going to respond to that disappointment in a strong way, though. Though I certainly haven't been lazy the last two weeks, I haven't been intentional about my preparation, either. I've been a little sloppy with my mental approach to my practice, and that has carried over to my mental game on the course. I'm going to be meticulous with both the structure and execution of my practice this week, and I'm going to have myself in the best possible state to take care of business in the tournament.
By the way, the tournament this week is the newly named Genesis Open (The Los Angeles Open) at Riviera Country Club. This is a great event on a storied course, and I'm excited for it. I'm going to prepare well and then compete with focus and freedom. It's going to be fun! Keep it here for an update from LA. Thank you for following me!
I started with five days at home in Tennessee. I worked on a my game a little bit, had two fun and productive matches with my buddy Jonathon Hodge, and worked hard on my fitness during that time. Alicia and I then had the privilege of attending (and participating, in Alicia's case) in the wedding of two of our good friends in Atlanta. It was great to kick back and really enjoy a happy occasion with some great people. I probably didn't get as much golf work done as I should have during my week away from competition, but I did a lot of productive things and really rested up as well. It was great.
From the wedding in Atlanta, Alicia and I traveled to one of my favorite places in the world--Pebble Beach, CA. Despite ugly conditions including lots of rain, wind, and cold temperatures, I still really enjoyed being there. In the challenging conditions, I feel like I prepared fairly well for the event last week, and at times my performance reflected that. I had stretches of good golf in each of the first two rounds. My short game was on point for each round last week, and I had stretches where my ball-striking was good, too. Unfortunately I putted very poorly throughout the week and everything except my short-game abandoned me on Saturday. Because of the three-course rotation for the event, the cut is made after Saturday's third round rather than the traditional half-way point. I entered the third round feeling like I had a good chance to get back into the tournament. I was playing the most score-able course in the rotation on Saturday, and, I was feeling pretty good about the way I was trending. Sadly, I played really poorly in round three. I didn't drive it well, my iron play was poor, and I was atrocious with the putter. It all added up to a six-over-par round of 77 and it meant I didn't get to return to Pebble Beach for the final round on Sunday.
That's a sad story because I never want to miss an opportunity to play Pebble Beach! In addition to that, my performance on Saturday stung a little bit because it came out of nowhere. I really expected to play well. I'm going to respond to that disappointment in a strong way, though. Though I certainly haven't been lazy the last two weeks, I haven't been intentional about my preparation, either. I've been a little sloppy with my mental approach to my practice, and that has carried over to my mental game on the course. I'm going to be meticulous with both the structure and execution of my practice this week, and I'm going to have myself in the best possible state to take care of business in the tournament.
By the way, the tournament this week is the newly named Genesis Open (The Los Angeles Open) at Riviera Country Club. This is a great event on a storied course, and I'm excited for it. I'm going to prepare well and then compete with focus and freedom. It's going to be fun! Keep it here for an update from LA. Thank you for following me!
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Positives from Torrey Pines
I don’t get to play this weekend at Torrey Pines. I did my
best and feel really good about much of what I did this week in San Diego, but
at the end of 36 holes, I had made a few too many mistakes and hadn’t putted
well enough to get to be a part of the final two rounds.
I hate to be traveling on a Saturday, but I am excited about our destination. We are heading HOME. The year is young and I am still incredibly excited about playing and competing, but three weeks on the road is enough to make me crave a few nights at home. I’m going to take next week off, and I’ll work on my game, continue to work on my fitness, rest up, and get ready to go on another three-week stretch.
I really do feel great about my game and the direction everything is heading. It's going to be a great year! Thank you for following and caring about me. Please keep it here to enjoy the ride with me.
On Thursday, I felt really good as I set out to tackle the
famed beast that is the South Course. I knew the course would be extra
demanding with soggy fairways and dense, wet rough, but I felt ready for it.
Beginning on number 10, I hit great shots on my first two holes and started
with two solid pars. On the long par-four 12th, I narrowly missed
the fairway in the left rough and gouged my second shot out into the fairway
some 60 yards short of the green. From there I was simply too aggressive with
my wedge shot to a back pin. I flew it past the hole because I knew it would
spin back on the soft greens, but it took one small hop and got all the way
into the rough over the back of the green. I did my best from there to chip to
15 feet and two-putted for a double-bogey. I hadn’t really hit any terrible
shots, but my mistake with the wedge was punished. I stumbled through the next
two holes with a sloppy bogey on the par-five 13th and a three-putt
bogey on 14, so I stood at four over par through five holes. I was rattled and
disappointed, but still determined and confident. I missed only two greens the
rest of the day—a strong accomplishment around that course—and played the next
13 hole in two under par to post a reasonable first-round score of 74 (+2). I
was very pleased with my attitude and my performance after the tough start.
On Friday I moved to the North Course, which, despite a
recent renovation to add length and change the green complexes, plays a bit
easier than its neighbor. The winds picked up on Friday, however, so there was
still plenty of challenge. I again put myself behind the eight-ball early.
After two good swings and an opening par, I hit horrific pull-hooks off the
next two par fours. Both found hazards and led to a double-bogey and a bogey,
respectively, so I found myself three over par through four holes and in
trouble for the second day in a row. I hit another lousy tee shot which led to
a bogey on the sixth hole, but over my final twelve holes, I played beautiful
golf from tee to green. I actually gave myself opportunities to get back in the
tournament, but I couldn’t convert my birdie chances on the greens. I ended up
fighting back for a one-over-par round of 73 on Friday, but my +3 total left me
three shots out of a weekend tee time.
Despite the disappointing end result, I will take so much
encouragement from this week. My iron play was very solid and at times
exceptional this week. On the South Course on the Thursday, I hit a three hybrid
224 yards to seven feet on the par-three 16th and then hit a five
iron 190 yards to three feet on the par-three 8th. On the back nine
of the North Course on Friday, I nearly hit the hole on both par threes with a
five iron and six iron. The five iron was from 204 yards downwind, and from the
tee it looked for sure like it was going to go in. Another stat that speaks to
how well I was hitting my approach shots is that despite both courses playing
very long, I missed only one green in two days after driving it in the fairway.
I am extremely encouraged by much of what I saw at Torrey Pines.
What do I need to do better? I need to eliminate big
mistakes and putt more consistently. I missed ten fairways in two days, and
that’s really not horrible around those two courses, but three times I missed
the fairway wildly into situations where I either had to take a penalty shot or
couldn’t reasonably advance my ball to the green. I need to clean up those
misses. I also need to putt more like myself more often. Putting is a challenge
on the soft poa annua greens of the South Course, but I was sloppy with my pace
a few times and missed a couple of short putts that I expect to make. I also
three-putted from 15 feet once on the North Course and failed to convert a number
of make-able birdie putts as I tried to climb back into the tournament. I know
I can clean up these two areas. I hate to be traveling on a Saturday, but I am excited about our destination. We are heading HOME. The year is young and I am still incredibly excited about playing and competing, but three weeks on the road is enough to make me crave a few nights at home. I’m going to take next week off, and I’ll work on my game, continue to work on my fitness, rest up, and get ready to go on another three-week stretch.
I really do feel great about my game and the direction everything is heading. It's going to be a great year! Thank you for following and caring about me. Please keep it here to enjoy the ride with me.
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