I guess there is more bad news than good to report right now, but that is hard to believe given how great I feel. I am coming off of a week where I feel like I had a good chance to win an NGA Tour event on a great golf course. I followed up that performance with a head-scratchingly poor day at the Monday Qualifier for this week's Web.com Tour event in Athens, Georgia. Now I'm heading to McCormick, South Carolina, for one of the NGA Tour's "Majors". Good stuff is coming!
It has been well-documented how difficult Cross Creek Plantation Golf Club was for last week's NGA Tour event. After grinding my way to opening round scores of 72, 73, I sat right around 20th place in the field. The course was winning. I got that sucker on Saturday, though. It helps tremendously that I warmed up with the putter in the early-going of the third round, but mostly it was very good driving of the golf ball, solid (at times brilliant) iron play, and a dynamite short game that allowed me to post my third-round score of 66 (-5). That round vaulted me back into contention. I was in the final group for Sunday's final round and just two shots behind the leader. Unfortunately, I never got any closer than that. I had a great warm-up session in the rain Sunday morning, but about 15 minutes before my tee time, play was suspended because the course was too saturated. The rain wouldn't relent, and play never resumed. I was left in a three-way tie for second place. That is my best finish of the year so far, and I am excited about it, but I sure wanted a chance to play for the win. I am still quite pleased, though, with the way my game improved throughout the week and with my nice finish.
Last week's good tournament result is fitting because I had one of the very best weeks of work that I have had all year. I had great practice sessions in all facets of the game. I was especially proud of the way I worked through some frustrating short game sessions and made real strides around the greens. That work showed tremendously during Saturday's round as I converted some high quality up-and-downs. I completed all of my work goals last week, and it felt great. I am going to keep doing that.
The quality of last week's work and play makes my results in this week's Monday Qualifier a bit mysterious. I felt good heading into my 7:40 tee time at the Georgia Club, but my ball-striking was woeful most of the day. I hit a number of un-solid iron shots and never really got much going. I made four birdies and four bogies on a relatively benign track. It was certainly a disappointing performance and a bum result, but I'm not going to let it thwart my momentum.
I am heading on to this week's NGA Tour event--the Savannah Lakes Classic in McCormick, SC. You've never heard of McCormick? Me either, but I hear this event is something special. I am excited for it. I am going to have another great week of work, and hopefully, I can continue my recent trend on the NGA Tour. My last two NGA Tour starts have resulted in a 3rd place finish and a 2nd place finish. I think it's time to continue that pattern! Keep it here for updates from McCormick, SC. Thank you for following me and for your support!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Great Round on "Moving Day"
I apologize for the brevity of this post, but I will give more details after Sunday's final round.
I played extremely well in the third round on Saturday at the NGA Tour's Mountain Lakes Classic. Battling some misty rainy conditions on the difficult Cross Creek Plantation Golf Club, I was sharp with my driver, short game, and putter and was adequate with my iron play. It all added up to a six-birdie, one-bogey round of 66--the lowest round of the day by two shots--that vaulted me up the leaderboard into a tie for 2nd place. I will be in the tournament's final group on Sunday, and I feel great about the way I am playing. My mantra this week has been to see, feel, and TRUST each and every shot. I'm going to do the same thing on Sunday, and I am excited for the opportunity. Come back for a more thorough report Sunday evening. Thank you for your support!
I played extremely well in the third round on Saturday at the NGA Tour's Mountain Lakes Classic. Battling some misty rainy conditions on the difficult Cross Creek Plantation Golf Club, I was sharp with my driver, short game, and putter and was adequate with my iron play. It all added up to a six-birdie, one-bogey round of 66--the lowest round of the day by two shots--that vaulted me up the leaderboard into a tie for 2nd place. I will be in the tournament's final group on Sunday, and I feel great about the way I am playing. My mantra this week has been to see, feel, and TRUST each and every shot. I'm going to do the same thing on Sunday, and I am excited for the opportunity. Come back for a more thorough report Sunday evening. Thank you for your support!
Friday, April 26, 2013
Halfway Through the Gauntlet at Cross Creek
Cross Creek Plantation is winning this week's NGA event. There were a couple of very good scores posted in round two, but for the most part, this event is a battle of patience. Bad shots are incredibly damaging, mediocre shots are punished, and a lot of pretty good shots end up in tough spots, too. The green complexes require an incredible amount of thoughtfulness and precision. Birdies are extremely valuable and pars go a long way, too. I thrive in these type of conditions, and I am enjoying the challenge.
I can't really decide how I've played the past two days. I am having the best week of practice that I've had all year, and I'm feeling great about my game, but my results have been a little up and down in the tournament rounds. I do feel like I'm playing well, and I have hit a lot of quality shots, but I've also been a little sloppy and hit a couple of very poor shots. I was three over par through 14 holes on Thursday before birdieing two of my last four holes for a 72 (+1). In even tougher conditions on Friday, I played very solidly in the morning. I was two under par through 13 holes but finished with a double and two bogeys to post 73 (+2). That is a disappointing finish, and it stinks that it will knock me down the leaderboard quite a bit, but overall those scores are not that bad here.
I will be right in the middle of the pack heading into the weekend, and I feel like my game is in good enough shape to make a strong move. I'll keep you posted over the weekend! Thank you for following me.
I can't really decide how I've played the past two days. I am having the best week of practice that I've had all year, and I'm feeling great about my game, but my results have been a little up and down in the tournament rounds. I do feel like I'm playing well, and I have hit a lot of quality shots, but I've also been a little sloppy and hit a couple of very poor shots. I was three over par through 14 holes on Thursday before birdieing two of my last four holes for a 72 (+1). In even tougher conditions on Friday, I played very solidly in the morning. I was two under par through 13 holes but finished with a double and two bogeys to post 73 (+2). That is a disappointing finish, and it stinks that it will knock me down the leaderboard quite a bit, but overall those scores are not that bad here.
I will be right in the middle of the pack heading into the weekend, and I feel like my game is in good enough shape to make a strong move. I'll keep you posted over the weekend! Thank you for following me.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Great Course, Great Challenge for This Week's Event
The NGA Tour is at a course called Cross Creek Plantation Golf Club this week for the Mountain Lakes Classic. Cross Creek is nestled in the hills in the northwestern corner of South Carolina in a town called Seneca. The star of the week for the this event is the golf course--particularly the putting surfaces and surrounding areas. The course is beautiful and features a lot of nice elevation changes, but hazards, trees, and some of the most undulating green complexes I've ever seen cause the beautiful setting to be anything but docile. The course demands precision thinking and execution into the greens. It is an extremely fun challenge, and I believe it plays right into my hands.
I have had two fantastic days of practice here at Cross Creek Plantation. I am hitting the ball well, and I feel like my short game and putting will be up to the challenge this week will present. I tee off at 12:30 on Thursday, and I will be ready to go!
This is going to be a fun tournament, and I am going to be composed and approach each shot with a "See it, Feel it, TRUST it" routine. Keep it here for post-round updates. Thank you for following me!
I have had two fantastic days of practice here at Cross Creek Plantation. I am hitting the ball well, and I feel like my short game and putting will be up to the challenge this week will present. I tee off at 12:30 on Thursday, and I will be ready to go!
This is going to be a fun tournament, and I am going to be composed and approach each shot with a "See it, Feel it, TRUST it" routine. Keep it here for post-round updates. Thank you for following me!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Catching Up
Other than the fact that it features an open-ended preposition, "Catching Up" is the perfect title for this post. It has a double meaning. Mostly, I am going to catch you up on the events of the last eight days, but it is also accurate to say that I am catching up in terms of my energy and strength. Last week was rough, but I'm going to be stronger because of it, and I am excited heading forward.
So, as I said briefly in my last post, some kind of stomach bug or long-lasting food poisoning got me during last week's eGolf Tour event at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, NC. I felt noticeably weak and tired during my morning round on the first day. I thought I was being a bit of a wimp, which I can be when I don't feel great, but as I tried to practice in the afternoon, I could tell that I really wasn't very healthy. I forced down some lunch, and that wasn't a good idea. For the next two days, I ate very little, slept a lot, and used what little energy I had to play tournament rounds. After posting an even-par 72 on day one in perfect conditions, I was a little behind the eight ball heading into day two. Fortunately some winds picked up to make play more difficult, and a very steady three-birdie, one-bogey round of 70 was plenty to get me through the cut. I played solidly in some tough conditions during the final round of the 54-hole event, but a balky putter kept me from making a move up the leaderboard. I posted a final-round 70, and my four-under-par total left me with a T25 finish. I didn't hit many good shots last week, but I hit very few poor ones. Had I putted the ball more like my normal self (I was poor on the greens all week), I could have posted another very nice finish. As it is, I'm pleased with way I handled the challenging week.
The after effects of the sickness have been more damaging to my golf game. I didn't manage to eat a full-sized meal until Saturday night, so I struggled a little bit to regain my strength and energy. I travelled early Sunday morning to South Georgia to play the Monday Qualifier for this week's Web.com Tour event in Valdosta. I played a poor practice round on Sunday afternoon, and unfortunately could muster nothing better on Monday morning in the Qualifier. I posted a 73 (+1) on a fairly easy golf course. It was definitely a disappointing effort. I started to feel some pep back in my step during the round, however, and afterwards I felt both hungry and full of energy, so I think I am back.
I am pumped about this week now. Even though I won't be playing in the Web.com Tour event, I am already up in Seneca, South Carolina, and will begin preparations tomorrow for this week's NGA Tour event at Cross Creek Golf Plantation. I did no practicing or working out at all last week, and I missed it. I love to work at my craft, so I am excited to get back after it this week. I already went for a run after the my round in the Monday Qualifier, so I'm off to a good start for the week. I obviously won't push too hard these first couple days, but I feel like I'm ready to get back to work.
Thank you for your faithful support of my career. I'm sorry for the lack of updates last week. I'll be doing better this week! I'm excited for a new week, a new tournament, and a new opportunity to keep working towards my goals. Please keep it here for great updates along the way!
*By the way, my ultimate performance goal in golf is to be a contender year-in and year-out on the PGA Tour. Sometimes I get bogged down in the week-to-week life of the mini-tours and Qualifiers and I forget that. I reminded myself of that today. I have a great plan to achieve that goal and I am on a good path do it. I just need to stay the course and keep believing. Thank you for believing in me.
So, as I said briefly in my last post, some kind of stomach bug or long-lasting food poisoning got me during last week's eGolf Tour event at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro, NC. I felt noticeably weak and tired during my morning round on the first day. I thought I was being a bit of a wimp, which I can be when I don't feel great, but as I tried to practice in the afternoon, I could tell that I really wasn't very healthy. I forced down some lunch, and that wasn't a good idea. For the next two days, I ate very little, slept a lot, and used what little energy I had to play tournament rounds. After posting an even-par 72 on day one in perfect conditions, I was a little behind the eight ball heading into day two. Fortunately some winds picked up to make play more difficult, and a very steady three-birdie, one-bogey round of 70 was plenty to get me through the cut. I played solidly in some tough conditions during the final round of the 54-hole event, but a balky putter kept me from making a move up the leaderboard. I posted a final-round 70, and my four-under-par total left me with a T25 finish. I didn't hit many good shots last week, but I hit very few poor ones. Had I putted the ball more like my normal self (I was poor on the greens all week), I could have posted another very nice finish. As it is, I'm pleased with way I handled the challenging week.
The after effects of the sickness have been more damaging to my golf game. I didn't manage to eat a full-sized meal until Saturday night, so I struggled a little bit to regain my strength and energy. I travelled early Sunday morning to South Georgia to play the Monday Qualifier for this week's Web.com Tour event in Valdosta. I played a poor practice round on Sunday afternoon, and unfortunately could muster nothing better on Monday morning in the Qualifier. I posted a 73 (+1) on a fairly easy golf course. It was definitely a disappointing effort. I started to feel some pep back in my step during the round, however, and afterwards I felt both hungry and full of energy, so I think I am back.
I am pumped about this week now. Even though I won't be playing in the Web.com Tour event, I am already up in Seneca, South Carolina, and will begin preparations tomorrow for this week's NGA Tour event at Cross Creek Golf Plantation. I did no practicing or working out at all last week, and I missed it. I love to work at my craft, so I am excited to get back after it this week. I already went for a run after the my round in the Monday Qualifier, so I'm off to a good start for the week. I obviously won't push too hard these first couple days, but I feel like I'm ready to get back to work.
Thank you for your faithful support of my career. I'm sorry for the lack of updates last week. I'll be doing better this week! I'm excited for a new week, a new tournament, and a new opportunity to keep working towards my goals. Please keep it here for great updates along the way!
*By the way, my ultimate performance goal in golf is to be a contender year-in and year-out on the PGA Tour. Sometimes I get bogged down in the week-to-week life of the mini-tours and Qualifiers and I forget that. I reminded myself of that today. I have a great plan to achieve that goal and I am on a good path do it. I just need to stay the course and keep believing. Thank you for believing in me.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
I'm Back!
I did play a tournament this past week, and I played fine. The reason I haven't been on here with updates is that I contracted some kind of stomach bug early in the week that really knocked me out. I couldn't eat or drink anything without feeling sick in my stomach, so my week has been consumed almost entirely by my tournament rounds and sleep. By the way, I shot 72, 70, 70 (-4) to finish T25 in the eGolf Tour's Forest Oaks Classic. I'm definitely on the mend, and I will update my blog more appropriately by Monday evening at the latest. Exciting stuff is coming. Thank you for your support, and I'm sorry for my unannounced hiatus from blogging this week!
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Monday, April 15, 2013
Final Round Report and Summary of a Great Week
I entered Sunday's final round at last week's NGA Tour event tied for sixth place and four shots behind the leader. I knew that a solid performance would give me a chance to win, and I felt like I was ready to deliver just that. I definitely made a couple of mistakes--one of them particularly bone-headed--in the final round, but for the most part I played beautifully. I posted an eight-birdie, one-bogey round of 65, but one of the players who was ahead of me shot 63 to run away with the tournament. I finished alone in third place, one shot behind the second place finisher. It is my best finish of the year so far, and though I am very happy with it, I am also hungry for more and better.
I actually did not feel as great on the course during the final round as I have felt on some days over the past two weeks. A number of shots had me feeling a little bit uncomfortable, but I was able to stay in the present fairly well and managed to avoid making any big errors. My round started with an unexpected bonus as I rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the second hole. I failed to birdie the par-5 third, so that felt like a dropped shot, but good birdies on holes 5, 8, and 9 moved me to four under par for my round as I made the turn. I wanted to win the tournament and was definitely excited to feel like I was moving in the right direction, but I did a great job of thinking one shot at a time. My big blunder of the day came at the par-4 tenth. After a nice tee shot, I hit a nine iron to the water-guarded green. My approach landed about two steps short of the hole, bounced up to what looked like the edge of the cup, and then came spinning back away from the hole some 15 feet. I had hit the shot very softly so I was surprised by the spin, and when I got to my putt, I really wanted to make it. My last thought to myself was, "this putt is uphill and into the grain; you need to get it there." I killed it. It felt like an explosion in my hands. I hit my 15-foot putt five feet past the hole. I regained my mental capacities and hit what I thought was a great par putt, but it dove low of the hole and I tapped in for my bogey. I was determined not to let that derail me, though. I gave myself a make-able birdie putt on each of the last eight holes, and though I didn't get them to drop on 11, 12, or 13, I birdied four of last five holes to post my final-round 65.
It was great to post a good round on Sunday. I have played a couple less-than-stellar final rounds this year, but I think my game is in better shape now than it was for some of my disappointing final-day efforts. Even though I ended up five shots behind the winner, I felt like I was in contention all day, and I relished that feeling. I am excited to get back in that position many times. I am confident with where my game is and even more so with my mentality on the course, but the most exciting thing is that I feel like I am still improving in both areas. I say this all the time, but I mean it: great things are coming!
In addition to the good tournament results, this was a great week of work for me. I finished the week one putting drill short of completing all of my work goals, but I'm not going to beat myself up over that. The condition of the putting green at this week's event made my drills very challenging, and I put in a lot of good work in the effort to get them done. I overcame two very sluggish days where my game and my body did not feel great on Tuesday and Wednesday to have a fantastic week. I think that sticking to my practice and fitness routine really helped me come out of that mid-week funk in time to feel great for the tournament. It is very cool for me to see the benefits of my work goals, and this week was a great example of that.
I am heading up to Greensboro, North Carolina, this week for a 54-hole eGolf Tour event at Forest Oaks Country Club. I am a big fan of that golf course and am looking forward to another great event. The tournament is Wednesday-Friday, and though I think I am going to take "tax day" off to do some paper work and travel, I will be ready for the tournament.
Stay tuned for updates from Greensboro. Thank you very much for following my blog and keeping up with my career. I truly appreciate all of your support!
I actually did not feel as great on the course during the final round as I have felt on some days over the past two weeks. A number of shots had me feeling a little bit uncomfortable, but I was able to stay in the present fairly well and managed to avoid making any big errors. My round started with an unexpected bonus as I rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the second hole. I failed to birdie the par-5 third, so that felt like a dropped shot, but good birdies on holes 5, 8, and 9 moved me to four under par for my round as I made the turn. I wanted to win the tournament and was definitely excited to feel like I was moving in the right direction, but I did a great job of thinking one shot at a time. My big blunder of the day came at the par-4 tenth. After a nice tee shot, I hit a nine iron to the water-guarded green. My approach landed about two steps short of the hole, bounced up to what looked like the edge of the cup, and then came spinning back away from the hole some 15 feet. I had hit the shot very softly so I was surprised by the spin, and when I got to my putt, I really wanted to make it. My last thought to myself was, "this putt is uphill and into the grain; you need to get it there." I killed it. It felt like an explosion in my hands. I hit my 15-foot putt five feet past the hole. I regained my mental capacities and hit what I thought was a great par putt, but it dove low of the hole and I tapped in for my bogey. I was determined not to let that derail me, though. I gave myself a make-able birdie putt on each of the last eight holes, and though I didn't get them to drop on 11, 12, or 13, I birdied four of last five holes to post my final-round 65.
It was great to post a good round on Sunday. I have played a couple less-than-stellar final rounds this year, but I think my game is in better shape now than it was for some of my disappointing final-day efforts. Even though I ended up five shots behind the winner, I felt like I was in contention all day, and I relished that feeling. I am excited to get back in that position many times. I am confident with where my game is and even more so with my mentality on the course, but the most exciting thing is that I feel like I am still improving in both areas. I say this all the time, but I mean it: great things are coming!
In addition to the good tournament results, this was a great week of work for me. I finished the week one putting drill short of completing all of my work goals, but I'm not going to beat myself up over that. The condition of the putting green at this week's event made my drills very challenging, and I put in a lot of good work in the effort to get them done. I overcame two very sluggish days where my game and my body did not feel great on Tuesday and Wednesday to have a fantastic week. I think that sticking to my practice and fitness routine really helped me come out of that mid-week funk in time to feel great for the tournament. It is very cool for me to see the benefits of my work goals, and this week was a great example of that.
I am heading up to Greensboro, North Carolina, this week for a 54-hole eGolf Tour event at Forest Oaks Country Club. I am a big fan of that golf course and am looking forward to another great event. The tournament is Wednesday-Friday, and though I think I am going to take "tax day" off to do some paper work and travel, I will be ready for the tournament.
Stay tuned for updates from Greensboro. Thank you very much for following my blog and keeping up with my career. I truly appreciate all of your support!
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