Wrap-Up from Indiana

I had a great week in Ft. Wayne, Indiana to begin the Web.com Tour Finals. I put together three solid rounds on Friday (69), Saturday (68), and Sunday (69) to climb the leaderboard everyday after a cold-putting but steady opening round of 72. My even-par first round had me just outside the cut line heading into Friday, but my consistent play over the next three days netted a T-10th place finish. I'm very pleased with the way I followed my plan last week, and that finish is a great start toward achieving my goal for the Finals. 

Although my play was very consistent over the final 54 holes, there is still plenty of room for improvement. I gave myself a mental challenge on Friday. After playing the first 11 holes bogey-free and 4-under-par, I hit a great drive and had a good chance to go for the par-5, 12th hole in two. Unfortunately, I hit a poor 3-wood that rattled around in trees right of the green and ended up bouncing into the hazard short and left of the green. I thought I got a good break because my ball was playable, but I hit my next shot deeper into the hazard and ended up making a double bogey. When I saw my third shot land in the water, my head began to spin a little bit, and I must admit, I immediately thought about the cut. However, I am really proud of the way I responded, and despite feeling some nerves for the next several holes, I remained focused and trusted my routine. I ended up playing the last six holes one-under-par to keep myself in the tournament heading into the weekend. I made another double bogey on Sunday. The par 3, 11th is a tough hole, and I hit my tee shot into the bunker, but that was actually a pretty good miss given hole location. I recently made a slight change to my bunker technique, and my results had been great throughout the week in Indiana. However, I think I got a little bit too excited with this bunker shot. I thought I could make it but ended up chunking it badly and left it in the sand trap. It was painful to make the double bogey in the middle of what felt like a final round charge, but once again, I responded very well and birdied the next hole on my way to playing my last seven in 2-under-par. I definitely made some mistakes in this tournament, but it was very encouraging to see my mind and my game recover well. 

After the week in Indiana, I feel like my game is trending strongly in the right direction. I feel like I am driving the ball as solidly as I ever have, and though my iron play was still a little bit erratic, I am starting to hit them very well. In addition to that, my short game was very sharp, and for the first time in several weeks, I started to putt the ball with a lot of confidence. The only area of my game that was disappointing was my wedge play, but even that was great in practice, so I know it's going to be dialed in soon. After a few frustrating weeks to end the regular season, this past week was a great way of getting back on track for the Finals and the upcoming Fall Series. 

As Alicia and I travel from Indiana to North Carolina, the thing that has me feeling the best about the way I opened the Finals is the way I followed my plan. Though my goal for the Finals is big--WIN!--my plan is simple: prepare well and play with confidence, freedom, and trust. I had a great week of work in Indiana. I was very efficient, and I completed my Full Fitness Routine and my Full Practice Schedule. 

When my practice journal looks like this, it usually means I have prepared well. As for the mental aspect of my plan, I am not going to lie. There were times when I felt nervous, uptight, and results-oriented out on the course this week. But, I was able to stay focused, and for the most part, I trusted my routine on every shot. My formula works, and I am excited to keep it up moving forward. 

The next stop in the Finals is River Run Country Club in Davidson, NC (just north of Charlotte). It is another golf course that I really like, and I am excited to have another great week. Thank you for following me and keep it here for more good stuff!!

Round 1 in Indiana

I'm done with my first round at the Hotel Fitness Championsip in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I posted an even-par round of 72 in beautiful scoring conditions. I am definitely not thrilled with that outcome, but I am very pleased with much of what happened. 

My preparation for this event has been excellent, and I felt good standing on the tenth tee for my 7:51 a.m. starting time, but I was a bit anxious at the beginning of the day. A couple of very squirrely shots in my first two holes had me working hard early, but I quickly settled down and started to hit the ball much better. I cost myself a couple of shots early in the round with short-range misses on the greens. My putter has been cold for the last several weeks, and that is very frustrating. I saw it start to turn around today, though. I was never able to get any putts to fall in the opening round, but I was very happy with the way I rolled the ball over the final twelve holes on Thursday. So, after a rocky start, I settled down and saw some very encouraging things from my ball-striking, and, for the first time in a while, I felt some very confident and solid putts leave my putter-face. In addition to that, I feel like my attitude and mental game were very good. All of the pieces are coming together, and I am ready to play well. 

I tee it up at 12:51 p.m. on Friday. The weather forecast predicts rain and possible storms, but I am ready for whatever happens. My game is good, my mind is right, and my plan is going to work. That means I'm going to continue to prepare well and play with confidence, freedom, and trust. And I'm going to get my putter rolling, too! Good stuff is coming. 

I'm going back to the course to "prepare well" this evening. This is the view I will have:

Life is good!

Thank you for following me and keep it here for more!

Great Week Off; Ready for the Finals

I had a fantastic break from competition this week. I was able to enjoy a little down time with the comforts of home, but I did a lot of focused practice as well. I know that I have been swinging well, but after a few weeks of frustrating tournament play, it was very nice to have a great week of work. Alicia and I are on our way to Ft. Wayne, Indiana for the start of the Web.com Tour Finals, and I am feeling ready. 

My Outcome Goal for the finals is very clear: I want to be the leading money winner for these four events. The formula for achieving that goal is to prepare well and play with confidence, freedom, and trust. Last week I completed a Full Fitness Routine and Full Practice Schedule, which helps me feel prepared. I want to stay committed to my Process Goals during the busy month ahead. However, great preparation doesn't do me much good if I put too much pressure on myself and tighten up on the course. The reason I work so hard is so I can stay in the present and enjoy the game I love while I'm in the middle of competition. My  mental game is one of my greatest strengths, and I am going to have the discipline to go through my routine and arrive at trust on every shot. That routine breeds confidence and allows me to play with freedom. This combination of good preparation and a sound mental game will lead to me achieving my outcome goal. 

I am excited to get a great week in Ft. Wayne started tomorrow morning. Thank you very much for following me, and keep it here for reports from the tournament. 

Productive Week; Gearing Up

Last week ended with the celebration of a major accomplishment. Alicia and I traveled home from Oregon with a PGA Tour Card in hand for the 2015-2016 season. I allowed myself to enjoy that feeling for a little while (and it felt GREAT), but I am still highly motivated moving forward. I'm definitely proud of the season that I've had so far, but I know I can keep getting better, and I'm ready.

I sat down with my Goal Board on Tuesday morning and thought a little bit about the past five weeks. At times I have put a little bit too much pressure on myself and have been trying too hard on the course. I'm still really happy with my Process Goals and my commitment to them, but I wanted to write down a couple of new thoughts and one big Outcome Goal to guide me though the Web.com Tour Finals. Here's what is going to drive me: 

To "Win the Web.com Tour Finals" means that I want to be the leading money winner over the next four events. Achieving that goal comes with a couple of big prizes. First of all, it earns a spot in The Players Championship field, and, more importantly, it gains the title of "fully-exempt" status on Tour. That term is a little misleading because it doesn't guarantee entry into every tour event, but it does mean that a player sits ahead of the Web.com Tour-graduates category and is not subject to re-shuffles. Those are both enticing prizes, and I am motivated to earn them. 

I have not made this lofty goal to add pressure to myself over the next four weeks. Rather, I have made it to remind myself of what I think is very possible when I prepare well and play with a great attitude. And that is exactly what I am going to do. I have already had a great week of work, and I am excited to continue that heading into the Finals, which begin next week. 

I have a great job, and I'm excited to keep getting better at it. Who has a better office than me?

Thank you for following me! Keep it here for a week-off wrap-up report in a couple days.

Checking off My Goals: A Look Back at 2015 So Far

Last night in Portland it became official: I am going back to the PGA Tour for the 2015-2016 season. The Web.com Tour held a ceremony for the 25 leading money winners following the conclusion of the final regular season event, and it was a great thrill to be among the group celebrating. I still have a lot of work to do, and there is much that I can still accomplish in the Web.com Tour Finals, but I have officially secured my PGA Tour Card for next season, and that is the realization of my number one Outcome Goal for this year.

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!

Bum Result, but Positive Performance in Portland

One principle of being mentally tough is knowing that my performance is going to stink occasionally. This week in Portland, my preparation was on point, my attitude was right where I want it, and I just made a few very costly mistakes with my execution. I hate that, but I have to know that it is alright and that this was still a very positive week. If I do a poor job of handling the things that I can control (preparation and process), I feel like that is a failure on my part. If I prepare well and take care of my process but end up with a bum result, I can be at peace in knowing that sometimes that is going to happen. That is where I am this week. I feel very disappointed not to be playing the weekend, but I know that I prepared well and had a good attitude on the course, so I can accept the results. 

I ended up with scores of 75, 73 (+6, total) to miss the cut but eight shots, but each of my rounds featured a "what-the-heck?" hole. In Thursday's opening round, I was even par with a horribly cold putter through 11 holes before making a mess (literally) of the par-three 12th. I blocked a short iron well to the right of the water-guarded green before blasting my chip shot too far and having it roll into the pond. It stayed on the muddy edge of the water, and hilarity ensued. Click the link below if you don't believe me.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=13530884&ex_cid=sportscenterFB

The result of that was a tough-to-swallow seven on the par three. I maintained a good attitude moving forward, but I dropped a few more shots before a great birdie-eagle finish gave me a glimmer of hope heading into the second round. Friday's round saw another solid performance crushed by a cold putter and another big number. This time the big number was even bigger, and it came on the par-four 16th hole (my seventh of the day). I was in a greenside bunker in two facing a long bunker shot to a back hole location. I needed to be a aggressive, but I caught the shot thin and it flew into the abyss behind the green. I had to drop in the same spot and hit the shot again except from a plugged lie. To my amazement, I hit nearly a carbon copy of the first shot and had to drop in the bunker once more. I popped the third one safely onto the green and two-putted to secure a nine on the hole. A seven on a par-three and a nine on a par-four will usually derail even the best of rounds, and these two certainly thwarted my efforts in Portland. 

Despite the obvious disappointment of the scores and final result, I was very pleased with my ball-striking in general over my two rounds at Pumpkin Ridge and especially with my performance over my final eleven holes after making the nine. To close out my round on Friday, I hit the final eleven greens in regulation and had a birdie putt of less than 20 feet on nine of those holes. My putter remained cold, and that is certainly a little bothersome to me, but I was very encouraged by the way I hit the ball. In fact, playing on the most demanding course we had seen in the last several weeks, I hit 29 of 36 greens in regulation. That is encouraging stuff. I definitely have some work to do to get my good vibes going again with the putter, but I know I'm never far off with that club. Overall, I feel great, and am excited to get back to work soon!

To end the regular season on the Web.com Tour with a missed cut is definitely a bummer, but I will take a great deal of positive things from this week's event. More than that, the end of the regular season is a natural stopping point from which to take a look back on the year as a whole, and I would be crazy not to feel great when doing that! I will be on a plane for a long time tomorrow, and I will write a post summarizing my feelings about the year as a whole and looking forward to the big events to come. There is still so much to accomplish, and I am feeling great. 

Thank you for following me and believeing in me! I really appreciate all the support I receive. Keep it here for a big report sometime on Monday. 

Happy in Portland and Ready to Trust

I have had two great days of work here in the Greater-Portland area heading into the final Web.com Tour event of the regular season. I have been on-point with my preparation, and I am feeling energized and ready to go. It is easy to feel energized here because the weather and the golf course are both incredible, but I would be feeling good anywhere after my last two days. I am excited to keep up the good work and have a great week here.

The host venue for this event is called the Witch Hollow Course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, and it is absolutely fantastic. It is beautiful, well-conditioned, and very demanding. I am excited to play it, and I feel prepared to play it well.

My practice has felt excellent the last two days, and I have hit on a little key that has really helped. I need to make sure I follow my pre-shot mental routine all the way through to the last step, which is saying the word "Trust" as I start my swing or stroke. I noticed even in my practice drills over the last two days that I was trying to steer or guide the ball towards my target rather than trusting my process and letting the club flow. I vow this week to be process-oriented and to trust myself and my plan on every shot. I'm going to do that, and I'm going to let the club swing confidently on every shot. 

It's going to be a great week, and I am excited for it. Keep it here for updates after the rounds and thank you for following me!