Back to Florida...

This time, however, we're heading back to Orlando for a different reason.......Disney World! Because LSU is playing in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, my wife's family has decided to head to the sunshine state a few days early for a little vacation time. Four days early to be exact which gives up just enough time to get in all the theme parks and play a little golf. I'm very excited about our trip because it's been a very long time since I've been to Disney. Also, my wife is like a Disney extreme specialist and knows every park and every ride backwards and forwards. I've heard it's like being with your own personal tour guide. Our flight leaves at 12:00 so as soon as I finish writing this blog we'll be heading to the airport.

Just a quick note on golf. Everything has been going well. I've been able to get in some really good practice while being back at home. My next tournament begins Jan. 5th which will be the first of the four remaining Hooters Tour events in January. I'm really looking forward to playing in competition again and have high hopes for this upcoming month. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and is enjoying their holiday season. Take care!

Merry Christmas

I know I'm a day late but I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'll have an update on my next blog shortly. Take care!

Southern Dunes - Second Round Cont.

Score: 77

Even worse than shooting 77 is the fact that for the second round in a row I hit 16 out of 18 greens in regulation, but this time I had 38 putts for the day. That's two more than yesterday and 74 in all for two rounds. I don't expect everyone who reads this to understand exactly how bad that is, so let me give you a little perspective. I've made two cuts so far out of the six tournaments I've played in: (1) Deer Island and (2) Timacuan.

At Deer Island, I hit 24 out of 36 greens in regulation and had a total of 58 putts for two rounds.

At Timacuan, I hit 18 out of 36 greens in regulation and had a total of 54 putts for two rounds.

This week (Southern Dunes), I hit 32 out of 36 greens in regulation and had 74 putts for two rounds.

Now, I know that when you start hitting more greens you'll usually have more putts just because your putting more often. However, 74 in two rounds is just off the charts ridiculous. That's a whole round of golf in putting alone. This is solely the reason why I've played arguably my best tournament to date and find myself at +6 over par and seven shots away from making the cut. Like I mentioned on Tuesday, anything below 60 putts in two days would be considered acceptable. So, hypothetically speaking, if we were to take my total (74) minus a good total for two days (60) we'd end up with 14 less strokes than where I am currently. That would put me at -8 under which would of been one stroke out of the lead.

By now you're tired of hearing about my putting woo's and I apologize for making this entire post about that. It just makes me so upset to struggle the way I did this week, knowing that I haven't put in the amount of practice time needed in that area of my game. The thing is I've been putting well. I've had problems with my swing and therefore spent most of my time focusing on correcting that. I guess the good news is there was definitely some improvement as I hit the ball (tee to green) as good as I ever have before. But the one area that matters the most, I was lacking in greatly. So the positive person in me and going to leave it at this.......I'm going to go home for the holidays and practice my putting everyday to get it back to where it needs to be. I'll continue to groove the things I've been working on in my swing. And when I come back to Orlando in January, I'm going to kick some serious butt because it's just time. I've got the pieces to the puzzle and now I've got to put them all together.

Hope everyone has all their holiday shopping done and getting ready to spend time with their families. I'll be flying back to New Orleans tomorrow morning to meet up with Erika and the family for Christmas. Just to let everyone know, her surgery went well and I'm happy to report she's home with her parents and on her way to a full recovery. I want to thank everyone for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers, and we wish yall a happy and safe holiday season.

Southern Dunes - Second Round

Well, it was a short day today. We ended up teeing off at 4:06 and only got in 5 holes. I was able to pick up right where I left off yesterday playing well and hitting a lot of quality shots. I birdied the second hole, but a slight miss on my 5th hole lead to a bogey (5). I could of saved par, but I drew a bad lie in the fairway bunker and was only able to advance the ball about 50 yards. Finishing with a bogey can leave a bad taste in your mouth, but it makes me anxious to get back out there tomorrow and make more birdies.

I haven't heard when we'll be teeing off tomorrow. Last week they had us out there at 7:30 to finish our round, but today they didn't start until 9:00. I'm just waiting on an email from the official to let us know the details.

Aside from golf, Erika has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will have surgery some time tonight. We're just waiting for the doctor's to tell us when that will be exactly. Please keep her in your prayers as we just hope everything will go well and she'll be back to normal as soon as possible.

Southern Dunes - First Round

Today's Score: 73

The Good News: This was the best round of golf I've played so far.

The Bad News: I still shot a 73.

The day started out slow as we were delayed for over 3 hours due to fog. My original tee time was 8:51, but it was after 12:00 before I ever teed off. Once we got started, the conditions were as good as you could ask for. It was a sunny 85* degree's, the course was in perfect condition, and the greens were rolling well. This was the round I had been waiting for to really come out and shoot a good score. I hit 16 out of 18 greens, and 10 out of 14 fairways. The only problem was I had 36 putts to go with it. A good putting day is anywhere from 24-30 putts and I was well over that. Included in that total of 36 was four 3-putts. I have to say that I am surprised at how poorly that part of my game was today. I have been putting well as of lately and had confidence going into today. If anything, it has been my putting that has kept my rounds at decent scores and today was the exact opposite.

If tomorrow is anything like today, there is definitely a good chance for a low score. There will be plenty of time before I tee off to work on my putting at the course. With the length of delay we had this morning, it looks like I won't be teeing off until about 3:00 tomorrow. That means we'll most likely get in about 9 holes of our second round and then have to finish up on Thursday. That's all for now.....'til next time!

Pictures from Chicago

Update

Well, it's been a while since my last post mostly because of everything that's gone on. These last 5 days have been pretty busy, so let me catch everyone up to speed. On Thursday and Friday of last week, my cousin Austin flew into Orlando on business so we got to spend time with him. There wasn't much down time while he was here to do any site seeing so we just hung out at the house and went out to eat. From what he told me, everything went well so I'm glad it was a successful trip. On Saturday, he flew back to Houston....Erika flew back to New Orleans.....and my dad and I flew to Chicago.

Back in August, I bought 2 tickets to see the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers as a Christmas gift to my dad. So, we flew up Saturday and just walked around the city like tourists do. We had both been there before so this time we spent our afternoon wandering around really. It was fun to get out amongst the locals. On Sunday, we started our day with the breakfast of champions.......Dunkin' Donuts. For some reason, donuts and hot chocolate taste better when its 35* degree's outside. Afterwards, we walked over to the stadium which was about a half a mile from our hotel and checked out all the memorabilia in and around the stadium. My dad's dad played for the Bears from 1947-49 (which should help explain to anyone wondering why we were even there in the first place) and inside the stadium they had his name engraved in the wall in a section dedicated to all the draft choices year by year. It was really neat to see. The whole trip was a lot of fun and the only thing missing was a victory. Even still, it was an experience I'll never forget and I'm very blessed to have had an opportunity to do this with my dad.

We landed back in Orlando late last night, and today I was back out on the course playing my practice round. This week's tournament is at Souther Dunes Golf Club which is about 30 minutes down the round from my parent's house. It's a course I've played many times growing up so I should be able to draw from some good memories here. If I'm able to keep the ball in play off the tee, the rest will take care of itself. There is out-of-bounds on every hole, so fairways will be crucial to shooting a good score. I left the course today feeling good about my game. I hit a lot of good shots so I'm hoping for good things this week. My tee time tomorrow is 8:51 off #10.

Sugarloaf Mountain - First Round Cont./Second Round

Like I mentioned yesterday, we were back out and ready to play at 7:30 this morning. Unfortunately, I picked up right where I left off. I made 2 bogies and 5 pars in the last seven holes of my first round to finish at +5 over for a score of 77. Again, I was unable to find a swing thought that would allow me to have the control needed to hit quality shots. As my dad put it, I was playing golf as if I was in a prevent defense in football. I was trying to protect against making any big numbers rather than attacking the golf course. But like I said before, you have to have some control over your ball in order to do that.

After a quick stop in the clubhouse to turn in our scorecards, it was right back out to the first tee. You might assume that I'm going to tell you that the second round was a continuation of the first. After all, it's not like it was a new day. Well, you would be wrong.......for the beginning at least. On the front nine of my second round I made 4 birdies and 5 pars for a -4 under (32). Don't ask me how. Plus, I just missed getting up-and-down on the 9th hole (par-5) for birdie after being pin high in two. I was quickly right back in the thick of things.

Then I went on to the back nine. I just missed a birdie putt on the 9th hole to go -5 under and immediately on the 10th hole I found myself scrambling towards a double-bogey (6). A big change of events, but I was still in it. However, a lost ball three holes later cost me another 2 strokes as I made another double-bogey (6). In just four holes, I had given back everything I gained on the front side. It was a tough stretch to swallow, and with only one birdie coming in matched by another bogey, I was back at even par (72) for the second round.

This was a disappointing weak coming off a successful tournament last week. I was hoping to really get on a roll here and not miss any cuts for December. I look back at how poorly I played the last two days and realize that if I could have eliminated the three 3-putts I had I probably would of ended up making the cut. To me, there is some hope in that, as I know that once things start really clicking there's a lot of good scores to come in the near future. I look forward to getting things straightened out and getting ready for next week. Hope everyone is doing well and I'll more in the next few days.

Sugarloaf Mountain - First Round

Today's Score: Still In Progress

Needless to say, today started off a bit slow. As I pulled into the parking lot, I was informed by another player that we were currently in a 2 hour delay. Apparently, there was a lot of fog this morning which provided unplayable conditions for the morning groups. Since we were 45 minutes from home and in the middle of nowhere, Erika and I were forced to just wait it out in the clubhouse. It only takes so long to eat a sandwich, so the rest of the time was spent doing absolutely nothing. I have a certain routine that I like to go through before I tee off, so I didn't want to change anything by warming up too early. As we approached the 2 hour mark, the official notified us that another 30 minutes had been added to the delay.

At 2:40, my ball was in the air off #10. When it landed, it was in the trees. I began my round with a bogey and the rest of the day wasn't much better. We managed to get in 11 holes, and I'm currently +3 over par. Nothing seemed to go my way, and I struggled finding any sort of rhythm in every facet of my game. Aside from a 3-putt bogey, I'd have to say that I'm not all that upset with where I am right now. It could be worse. The course is playing tough as is reflected in the scores that have been posted so far. If I can make a couple birdies coming in, I feel confident that I can finish the second round with a better score.

We're supposed to be ready to play at 7:30 tomorrow morning so we can finish our remaining 7 holes and begin our second round. It's going to be a long day and hopefully I can get things turned around.

Sugarloaf Mountain - Practice Round

The practice round went well today. It took me a while to find the place, but after I got there it didn't take long to realize how nice the course was. If somebody would of just dropped you off at this golf course, I don't think you'd guess that you where in Florida. I didn't know Florida had that much elevation. From the clubhouse, which is the highest point, you could see for miles. It was definitely a pleasant change of pace from the traditional style of course we usually play here.

I played the first 4 holes by myself, before I was joined by another single who was behind me. He was a 70 year old snowbird from Canada who had been coming down to Florida for the last 30 years. By the time we finished 18, I felt like I knew everything about the guy. It was nice to have some company for the round, and if I ever make it to Toronto I've got a place to play.

Overall, it was a successful day. I was able to get a good feel for the layout of the course. There are several shots that require some knowledge about how to play them so this was a very valuable practice round. My tee time tomorrow is 12:15 off #10.

Timacuan G.C. - Third Round

Today's Score: 72

It's funny how the other time I made the cut I shot the exact same scores just in a different order. Today was the most consistent my game has been all week. I only had one really poor shot that cost me a double bogey. The two bogies that I made starting out weren't that great either, but it was early in the round and sometimes it takes a few holes to get settled down. I did manage to make 4 more birdies today that helped offset the bad holes. That put my birdie total for the last three days at 15. I'll take that every week. Now, I've just got to continue tightening up my game and limiting the amount of bogies I make and I'll start finding myself in contention.

There is one shot that I want to talk about from today. Sooooooo, I might of fibbed a little earlier when I said that I only had one really poor shot. In fact, on the very next hole (a par-5), after making double bogey, I drove the ball left into the water. At that point, I wasn't too happy. I went up to where my ball had crossed the hazard and took my drop. Due to the lie, I was forced to hit a 7-iron and lay up to the 100 yard marker. Well wouldn't you know that it only took one good swing from there as I watched my ball hit right next to the pin and spin back in the hole for a birdie (4). Good thing scorecards only care about what you made and not how you made it!

All in all, it's been another successful week. Anytime you make the cut it's definitely a goal accomplished. I'm going to keep working on my game and hopefully improve going forward. This Saturday is Erika and I's one year anniversary and we had planned on celebrating by going to Disney. Unfortunately, she caught the flu yesterday and is not feeling well at all. I ask that yall keep her in your prayers and hopefully she'll return to good health real soon. And if I know Erika, the next opportunity we get to go to Disney we'll be there. ; )

Something Extra.....

So, I've had the privilege of witnessing the ugliest golf cart ever made and the most annoying birds in world in one week. The cart belongs to one of the members at the course who was following a guy in my group. It was fun looking at that every hole. And the birds......man they are loud.

Timacuan G.C. - Second Round

Today's Score: 71

Good enough for another cut made right on the number. The way I played today was very similar to yesterday's round. Another very inconsistent day, except this time it was mostly my swing. My putting and chipping were pretty much there for me throughout the round. It was day where I had to really fight for some pars and grind it out until the last hole.

There was a steady 20mph wind today that caused the scores to be a little higher. Thankfully so, because I bogeyed the last hole and thought that I was going to miss the cut by one stroke. Erika and I were following the leaderboard on her phone and it looked like the cut was going to be at -1 under. I was -1 under for my round (even for the tournament) for most of the day until I got to the 17th hole. After a good drive and second shot, I had about 18 feet for birdie. I knew that I needed to birdie one of the last two holes, and fortunately enough, I was able to roll that one in. But, on the 18th hole, I hit a poor drive which lead to another bogey and put me back at even par for the tournament. As we were signing our scorecards in the locker room, the official told us that the cut was at even and I can't tell you how happy I was to hear that.

I like where I am at this point in my journey. I'm handling the nerves better, figuring out how to stay focused for an entire round, and I'm starting to play one shot at a time and not get ahead of myself. All of this has in turn allowed me to make more birdies (11 for 2 rounds) and lead to some better scores. Now I've just got to continue to eliminate the mistakes as best as I can and then I'll be on my way to really competing in tournaments and not just trying to make the cut.

Tomorrow's tee time is 8:18 off #10....just like the first day!

Timacuan G.C. - First Round

Today's Score: 73

This one is going to be hard to explain like a few other rounds I've had so far. Overall, I would have to sum up today as being simply "inconsistent." Whether it be my swing, putting or chipping...all areas were both good and bad throughout the day. As a result, my scorecard reflects exactly that. 6 birdies, 5 bogies, 1 double-bogey and 6 pars. Because of how inconsistently I played, it was hard to get into any sort of a rhythm. It seemed like every good shot was followed by a bad one....and after every birdie came a bogey.

It's been a while since I've had a chip in, but that's exactly what happened right out of the gate on the first hole. It was a great way to start the round. However, on the very next hole I failed to get up-and-down from right in front of the green with what seemed to be an easier chip shot than the first hole. The next hole was a par-5 and after two solid shots I was able to walk away with another birdie. On the 6th hole of the day, I made my first dumb mistake. I was pin high in two on the par-5, but muffed a chip shot because I didn't go with my instincts. The lie was bad and instead of playing smartly, I tried to go for the miraculous shot. That lead to a bogey. And again on the last two holes on the front, I followed a long putt for birdie up with a bogey due to a very poor drive.

The start of the back nine was really where the round got away from me. I missed probably the shortest putt so far this year on the 10th hole. (I feel better saying that it was 2 feet, but it might not of been that far.) On the 11th, a poor drive into the hazard lead to another bogey. And the same thing on hole 12, except this time it was double-bogey. Needless to say, after shooting even par on the front, this wasn't exactly the way I wanted to started the back nine. But, the grinder in me wouldn't give up. I managed to string 3 birdies in a row on 14, 15 and 16 thanks to some good putting and finished the round at +1 over.

The good news is that I didn't shoot myself out of the tournament today. Even with all the mistakes, there was enough good to help right the ship to some degree. I feel good about tomorrow knowing that I was able to make 6 birdies today without hitting the ball that well. If I can limit the mistakes tomorrow and get into a rhythm early, I know that there is a really good round in me waiting to come out. We'll see what happens.

Side note: There might be a change in score if you are following my rounds on the Hooters website. Our scorecard today noted that hole #3 (my 12th of the day) was being played as a par-4 (converted from a par-5). However, the website lists the hole as a par-5 and therefore is showing an overall par of 72. I'm pretty sure it should be a par-4 which would change my status from a +1 to a +2.

Timacuan G.C. - Practice Round

The practice round went well today. It was nice to get back on a course that I've played before. There's a certain level of comfort that comes with being in an area where you grew up. I hope that will translate into a few less nerves this week and lead to some good scores.

The course plays at around 7,000 yards in total distance. The most important key to playing well this week will be driving the ball straight off the tee. There's trouble on every hole whether it be water or out of bounds. I'd say over half of the holes are tight near the landing area. The good news is that all of the par 5's are reachable in two (weather permitting) and the par 3's are very fair. So, the game plan will be to play the par 4's smartly, and try to take advantage of the par 5's.

The forecast this week is very good so far. I'm still struggling with the consistency in my swing, but when things are clicking I'm hitting it as good as I ever have. Let's hope the good shows up tomorrow. Tee time tomorrow is 8:18 off #10. I can't wait to get back out there again.....!

Back in Florida

We're back in Orlando again. Erika and I had a fun weekend with her family in Baton Rouge, LA before flying out this afternoon. The win by LSU on Saturday certainly helped out a little. I'm glad we're done with football until January because I don't think I can take another nail-biter this year. Right now we're pulling for a bid to the Capital One bowl game because that would mean we'd have both our families in Orlando together. I think we have a pretty good shot.

Tomorrow, we'll be heading north to Lake Mary, FL for our next tournament. This week we'll be playing at Timacuan Country Club which is a course I've played before. In fact, my freshman year of high school I won our conference championship there so I've got some pretty good memories to build on. We plan on staying up that way the next couple of days since it's about an hour from where my parents live. I'll have more tomorrow after my practice round. 'Til then..........

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope yall all had a wonderful and filling Thanksgiving feast. Erika and I just got back from Houston after visiting some family and friends for the last couple of days. It was great to see everyone especially since I don't get over that way too often. We actually go two Thanksgiving's because we did an early meal on Tuesday with her family as well. The only thing better than Thanksgiving is two Thanksgiving's.

This week's been very busy. I've managed to practice as much as possible and get to the gym a few times. Today will be much of the same and then we're heading to Baton Rouge for the football game tomorrow night. On Sunday, we'll be flying back to Orlando to get ready for the December series of tournaments. I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. I'll have an update when we get back to Florida. Take care!

Back Home

Just wanted to let everyone know we've made it back home to New Orleans safe and sound. It feels good to back. I already put in a good workout at the gym. I was looking forward to that for a long time. We'll be spending the next few days getting settled in and practicing as much as possible. Good luck to the Tigers tomorrow.

Stoneybrook East - Second Round

Score:  72

Well, it wasn't the score that I needed, but it was still a solid round of golf.  The focus that was lacking yesterday, was a lot better today.  From start to finish, I played very consistently.  On the front nine, I made 8 par's and 1 birdie.  On the back, I made 3 bogie's and 2 birdie's.  Two of the bogie's I made on the back nine came as a result of me trying to be aggressive coming in.  I knew that if I wanted to have any chance of making the cut, I needed to pretty much birdie every hole.  I was hitting drivers on hole's that wouldn't normally be, and taking dead aim at every flag.  And for the most part, it went well.  I executed most of the shots like I wanted, but unfortunately the aggressive style cost me a couple strokes.  

The biggest issue again today was my putting.  However, this time, it wasn't a lack of feel or speed on the greens.  I probably had more birdie putts from 15 feet than I've ever had in a single round before.  I was hitting good putts with the speed that I wanted, but nothing was going in.  It was just one of those days.  On #15, I did make a putt from about 60 feet.  I guess I used everything up on that one hole.  

So, I didn't make the cut this week, but I still feel good about how my game is progressing.  It's been two months now since I've started back playing competitively, and I can definitely say that I'm starting to get the confidence back that I need.  To me, that's the most important thing in order to be successful as a professional golfer.....or anything really for that matter.  And the only way to achieve that level of confidence is to keep playing.  

Our November series has come to an end.  Erika and I will be flying back to New Orleans on Friday.  It'll be good to get back home and see everyone again.  I can tell you that I'm very anxious to get back in the gym and continue working towards the goals that I've set there.  I also anticipate playing as much golf as I can to keep improving and be ready to play once the tour starts back up in December.  'Til next time......

Stoneybrook East - First Round

Score:  77

I definitely missed a good opportunity today.  The weather was perfect.  The course was set up about as easy as it gets.  There are no excuses for not putting up a good round today.  As I look back on my round and try to figure out what happened, I feel like I just never got focused and ready to play.  I made 7 bogie's today and only one of them was legitimate.  I missed some really easy shots all throughout my round today for no reason.  Usually with a round as high as 77, there would be some sort of struggle with a certain part of my game that would cause that.  I guess my struggle today was getting focused.  Simply put; I made too many stupid mistakes.

As easy as the course and conditions were today, the scores are consequently pretty low.  My 77 has put me in a tough position going into tomorrow.  I expect the cut to be around -2/-3 under par which means I need put together a great round.  The good news is it can be done.  There are a lot of birdies out there and my goal tomorrow is to just concentrate as much as I can on one shot at a time.  We'll see what happens.... 

Stoneybrook East - Preview

The course we're playing this week is called Stoneybrook East. It's on the southeast side of Orlando about 30 minutes from my parents house. I went out to the course after lunch and got some good practice in. The course is very similar to North Shore which is where I played my first event. There's lots of water and houses surrounding most of the holes. The overall length of the course is fairly short and has the typical big, rolling greens that I'm starting to notice a lot more down here. Growing up on the north side of Orlando, the courses that I grew up playing were older and the greens were not quite as big. A lot of the newer places that are being built have big greens with a surprising amount of slope. Because of this, it makes putting even that much more difficult and can be challenging when judging the speed around the greens. But everyday, I feel that I'm getting more and more adapted to this style.

My tee time tomorrow is 7:42. The forecast is supposed to be mid-80's and sunny; it doesn't get any better than that.

Deer Island - Final Round

Today's Score:  73

So, the last two days have been sunny and in the low 80's with some decent wind.  Today it never got above 55* degree's, it was rainy and the wind was gusting over 20mph all day.  I always have extra jackets in my car, but I wasn't fully prepared for the drastic change in weather conditions.  The fact that I bogeyed 3 out of my first 4 holes was sort of proof of that.  With the nerves that always come starting off a round combined with the constant shivering from the cold weather, made for some pretty interesting shots early on.  However, I managed to regain control over my game and put together 3 birdies in a row to finish the front side at even par.  The rain had stopped by the back nine, and overall I finished pretty well.  Unfortunately, I was unable to get up and down on the last hole and finished the tournament with a bogey (5).  

All in all, +1 over par under the circumstances wasn't all that bad.  And for my first cut made, I'm happy that I was able to keep my round under control.  In the end, I finished at even par for the tournament and in a tie for 33rd place.  

I plan on going over to Tampa, FL to see some friends of mine that I haven't seen in a while on Saturday.  Other than that, I'll be at my parents house practicing and getting ready for next week's event.  Hope everyone is doing well.

Deer Island - Second Round

Score: 72

I guess the third time is a charm. After today's round of even par (72), I made the cut right on the number at -1 under. Today was not quite as smooth as yesterday. There were definitely some hiccups throughout the round. After playing 11 holes at even par, I hit my tee shot in the hazard on the 12th hole. It was easily one of the worse shots I've hit in quite some time. I finished the hole with a double-bogey (6). But, I managed to birdie 2 out of the last 3 holes to make the cut and play one more round tomorrow.

The best part about today aside from making the cut, was that I was able to get the putter working again. My nerves were a lot less intense, and I was able to make some confident strokes on the greens. With that said, there were at least 4 putts that I felt I should of made. But, when I had to have it, I was able to make the putt.

It's days like today that really test how bad you want it. After making double of 12, it would of been easy to get upset and and think that I had just blown my chances of making the cut. Instead, I just told myself that I was gonna fight until the end and focus on doing the best that I could. Fortunately, there were enough things that went my way to help get me through.

One more round to go. Tee time tomorrow is 8:00.

Deer Island - First Round

Score: 71

Today was a good day. Next to the qualifying round I played last month in Miami, this was the most complete round of golf I've played so far in my short career. All aspects of my game were there for me today, however, I am still struggling overall with my putting. After having trouble with my speed and feel over the last few rounds, there is some lingering doubt when I get on the putting green lately. It's lead to some unnecessary nerves throughout my rounds and the primary reason why today's round was a 71 instead of a 65. But, I understand that it's all apart of the process. I'm learning how to adjust week in and week out to different greens and as I get better at that, I'll be able to calm my nerves more often during my rounds.

Aside from some shaky putting, everything went pretty well today. I had 2 birdies and 1 bogey (coming from a 3-putt). I hit a lot of fairways and greens, which lead to really solid round of golf. And most importantly, my shoulder which gave me issues last week, is feeling much better. I don't know if that's because it's healing or the Excedrin extra strength I took before the round, but I was able to play my entire round today without any noticeable pain. I'm anxious to be back at 100% health because I've missed working out and improving that area of my game as well.

I'm currently tied for 15th with about 40 guys left to finish their rounds. Tomorrow's tee time: 12:24pm.

Deer Island - Preview

I've been away for a few days, so let me catch everyone up on what's going on. After last weeks tournament, Erika and I flew back to New Orleans where we met up some friends who drove us to Tuscaloosa, AL for the football game. It was a fun trip and would of been even better had LSU pulled out the win. All I have to say about the loss is that we played well enough to win the game, and had a few calls gone our way I think LSU gets the job done. It was a quick up and back trip for the game, and we were back in Orlando Sunday night. Obviously, I wasn't able to fit in much practice the last few days, but I think it was best to rest my shoulder as much as possible. It's still a little sore, but each day it's feeling better.

Today, Erika and I drove about an hour north of where my parents live to a town called Tavares. The golf course we're playing is Deer Island Country Club and is a course I never played when I grew up in Florida. We decided to stay close to the golf course instead of driving back and forth each day.

This afternoon I played my practice round and everything went well. I hit the ball better than days past, and I feel more comfortable with some of the things I've been working on in my swing. The greens were very slow, but I expect them to be quicker as the tournament gets going. It's going to be interesting to see how the weather conditions play out over the next few days with the tropical storm just off our coast. It was very windy today and the forecast calls for more wind and rain tomorrow. My tee time tomorrow is 8:04 of #1.

FYI - The picture is one that I took today during my practice round. There were more aligators on this course than any other place I've played in my entire life. It was like they were on every hole.

North Shore G.C. - Second Round

For the most part, today was a lot better than yesterday.  Even though I shot a 78, the score doesn't justify how I played.  I hit a lot more shots with confidence which ultimately lead to more quality shots throughout the round.  I made 2 bogies and 7 pars on my first nine holes.  One bogey came from a 3-putt and the other from a shot on a par 3 where I just hit too much club and my shot was well over the green.  On the back, I made one bad swing from a complete lack of focus which ended up going out-of-bounds and finished up with a couple 3-putts as well.  

I worked hard on my putting the last week before coming down here, and I thought I would of performed a lot better than I did on the greens.  I'm very disappointed with that part of my game right now, so I will make sure it gets extra attention before next week.  I also struggled with some discomfort in my right shoulder the last 6 holes today.  By the last hole I was having trouble finishing my swing.  It feels like a pinched nerve or a pulled muscle, but nothing serious.  I'm going to give it some rest and put a lot of work in my short game as I prepare for next week.  Hope everyone is doing well. 

North Shore G.C. - First Round

Score: 82

That's right 82.  I was even par through 11 holes, and +11 over my last 7 holes.  And all I can say is that I just completely fell apart.  I wasn't really playing all that well throughout the beginning, but I still managed to keep some control over my round.  I actually started off my day with a birdie on the first hole and thought that things were going to be good.  But as the round progressed, I had trouble settling down and just playing golf.  Every shot I hit was very protective as if I was scared to hit a bad shot.  Consequently, it caused me to never really hit a good shot.  I guess you could say it worked for 11 holes as I found myself walking off the 11th green after making a birdie to get back to even par.  

I'm not even going to try and explain how I finished the way that I did because the truth is I don't know.  All I know is I hit a ball out of bounds, 2 in the hazard, and a couple 3-putts and when I was done it added up to an 82.  Like I said before, I just fell apart.  I couldn't control my shots and just couldn't get the ball in the hole.  It's a very lonely feeling to be caught in that out-of-control spiral where you just can't stop the bleeding.  It just kept getting worse.  But, tomorrow is a new day and I'll be back at it again.  All I can do now is try and forget about today and do the best I can tomorrow.  Tee time - 11:57am.

Sunshine State

We made it Orlando, FL today after 8 hours on the road.  If you ever have to make the drive on I-10 across the panhandle of Florida, I highly recommend having someone else in the car with you. It has to be one of the most boring drives anywhere in the U.S.  Even though I've made the trip many times before, you never seem to get used to how little there is to look at in that part of the country.  Luckily Erika was with me so we were able to take turns counting down the mile-markers until we hit I-75 which is the beginning of some civilization.

We're heading to the course tomorrow for a practice round.  The golf course is called North Shore Golf Club and it's about 20 minutes from my parents house.  One of the main reasons why I decided to play in these tournaments over the next three months was because of how close a lot of them are to my parents house.  Erika and I are able to save some money by staying here and we get to spend time with them since I usually see my parents about once a year. 

I can't wait to begin playing on Tuesday.  I look at this series of events as really the beginning of my journey.  I've had some time now to practice and a few tournaments under my belt.  Now, I have a set schedule.  I know where I'm playing each week, and I can finally get into a rhythm playing one tournament after another.  More to follow after the practice round.

Update

Just a quick update on what's been going on. I've spent this whole week practicing and working on improving all areas of my game. This has included a lot of time on the driving range, chipping area, and putting green. I was very upset with the way that I putted on Monday so I've made sure to correct those mistakes. I've also managed to get a few rounds in on the course as well. Twice I played here at English Turn and once out at the New Orleans Country Club. These last few days have been extremely windy so that has allowed me to work on that aspect of the game along with everything else.

Tomorrow I'm planning on getting to the gym in the morning and then going to practice before we head out. It looks like we'll be hitting the road around 3:00 in the afternoon in order to get to Alabama in time for dinner. I've got some family in Foley, so we'll be spending the night there on Saturday and then driving the rest of the way to Orlando on Sunday. I can't explain how excited I am to start playing full tournaments (one after another) and hopefully get into a good rhythm.

Viking Classic - Qualifier

Today's Score: 76

Well, the weather was absolutely perfect, the condition of the course was a lot better, and I hit the ball twice as good as I did on Friday. You would think those would be the key ingredients to a better score. But, golf is a funny game. And the one key reason why today's score was worse: PUTTING! 35 in all to be exact which included four 3-putts. However, somewhere in all that horrible display of putting I was able to make 5 birdies.

As I'm sitting here writing this entry, I'm having a really hard time trying to explain what happened today. This is definitely the toughest round to describe so far. It was just a weird day all around. Most of the bogey's I made today were from 3-putts. I hit one drive that ended up in the lip of a bunker which led to a bogey. And I hit a really good iron shot on a par-3 that ended up going over the green and up against a tree.......that shot led to a double bogey. The good news is I hit a lot of good shots which is why I was able to make 5 birdies.

All in all, I'm glad that I gave it a shot. With these qualifiers, it's pretty much all or nothing. You're competing against anywhere from 40-70 guys for 4 spots so there's just no room for error. You've got to play well and avoid making any big mistakes, and I wasn't able to do that today. But, this is just one of many qualifiers that I plan on doing so hopefully I'll have better luck next time.

I'm back home for the week and then Erika and I are leaving for Florida on Saturday. Next week I start playing the Hooters Tour Winter Series events which are held all over Central Florida. The plan is to play in 10 events between now and the end of January. Hope everyone is doing well.

Jackson

Back in Jackson, MS. I was able to get a little more practice in today and I feel better about my swing. The course should be dried out and in better shape due to the good weather we've had over the weekend. I'm really looking forward to playing tomorrow and competing for one of those 4 spots. I tee off at 9:40am........here goes nothing!

Hub City

We decided to stay in Hattiesburg, MS at my grandmother's house through the weekend. Erika's feeling better so I'm happy to see that. I really wanted her to be able to see me play on Monday.

I was able to hit some balls this afternoon which was much needed in order to regain some of the confidence that I had last week with my swing. Tomorrow, I plan on going back to the same place and practicing some more before heading up to Jackson.

I've enjoyed getting to spend some time with my grandmother who I don't get to see very often. I'm currently enjoying watching LSU beat Auburn quite handedly. And Erika is getting better by the hour. I'd say it's been a good weekend so far.

Viking Classic - Pre-Qualifier

Sorry for not posting anything after my practice round. Yesterday went by pretty fast as we tried to make it an early night. And what a beautiful day today was. If you like 50 degrees, windy and overcast. The front that passed through last night dumped over an inch of rain on the course and made the conditions pretty poor for today. We played the ball as lift, clean and place through the green. I don't think there was any other way to do it since the ball would be covered in mud after every shot.

I ended up with a +2 over 74 after bogeying my last two holes coming in. It was good enough to put me in 8th place and secure a spot for Monday. I knew with the way the course was playing that it wasn't going to take a real low number to get in. I'd have to rate my game after today as a C- at best. I think the conditions had something to do with that but I definitely had my struggles regardless. The swing that I felt so confident with this past week wasn't quite the same. I'm going to need to regain the control over the ball that I've had lately in order to have a chance on Monday. The course is pretty short so it's not too hard to keep your score around par, but in order to go low I need to hit the ball better than I did today.

I'm happy to be through to Monday. The next two days are still up in the air. One thing I do know is no matter where we are I'll be practicing somewhere. It looks like we might be coming home tomorrow because Erikas been fighting a bad cold. She's a trooper though as she has stuck with me the whole time. I owe her one for sure. That's all for now. Til next time......Geaux Tigers. Big game tomorrow.

Packing Up!

Well, we're getting ready to hit the road again tomorrow morning. Our destination: Jackson, MS. There is a PGA Tour event being held there next week, which means the qualifying process will begin this Friday. For all PGA Tour tournaments, there is a pre-qualifying round (Fri.) and qualifying round (Mon.) that take place the weekend before the tournament starts. On Friday, about 60% of the field will make it through to Monday where everyone left will be competing for the 4 open spots available. It's a tough task, but definitely worth a try.

I would have to say that I feel more prepared going forward than I've felt so far in this journey. I've spent the majority of October practicing and working on my game. I'm confident in my swing and my short game is improving. I know there is a lot more work to do, but I feel good as of right now.

The plan is to drive up tomorrow morning in time to play a practice round sometime in the afternoon. They're expecting the weather to be bad with the next front moving through, but maybe we'll get lucky. The course we're playing on Friday is a course I've played about 5 times before so I know the layout. If I don't get a practice round in I feel confident enough that I'll be able to get by on Friday. This is the last PGA Tour event of the year that is open to the public for qualifying so let's hope we can make the best of it. More to follow tomorrow......

Update

The last two days have been very productive. I feel as though I've achieved a lot in my practice sessions and that my swing is getting better. I've spent a lot of time working on my short game which includes wedges, pitching, and putting. If there's anything I've learned in my career as a golfer its that you can never have too good of a short game. Everyday involves some work in this area.

The rest of the time has been spent in the gym. I've made a good friend in my trainer, and he really seems interested in helping me achieve my goals. Tomorrow will be much of the same during the day. Our plans are to go to my brother-in-laws football game tomorrow night and then golf with the family on Saturday. My next tournament is next Friday so I'll be playing and practicing as much as possible until then.

Back in N.O.

Well I made it back to New Orleans safe and sound. Back to the rain and humidity that is. I'm hoping I can find a clearing in between thunderstorms tomorrow to get some practice in. Otherwise, there might be a lot of swings made inside. I'll keep this post short and end it with a GEAUX TIGERS!

Nationwide Qualifier - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

1 Swing. 1 swing was all it took to go from playing in my first Nationwide event to going home empty handed. I was -4 under with five to play. The 14th hole is a reachable par 5, playing downwind. I was on the tee waiting to hit my drive and began having bad thoughts about where I didn't want to hit this shot. The right side of the hole had a lot of trees so I began visualizing myself trying to pull the ball in order to keep from hitting it right. And that's exactly what I did. What happened next was an eye opening experience as to why a good caddie can be invaluable. My ball came to rest underneath some thick bushes down the left hand side. There was enough room for a stance and a take-away of about knee-high. After two failed attempts to get out from underneath the bush, I was quickly on my way to a triple-bogey 8. I missed qualifying by 1 stroke.

As I look back on my round, I began to realize that had I just taken an "unplayable lie" (which is a 1 stroke penalty) there would have been a very good chance that I would of come away with nothing worse than a bogey. But for some reason, it never entered my mind that I should play safe. My thought process was all focused on how I could save par. I believe that a good caddie in that situation would make sure the player went over all his options before hitting the shot. Just having someone to talk to can help you better evaluate the situation. In no way am I blaming this mistake on the fact that I didn't have a caddie, I just realize now why PGA Tour players use caddies as they are more important than just carrying a bag and finding distances.

With that sob story being said, I want everyone to know that I am excited about the situation I am in. I feel as though my game is improving which is evident by the good round today; (69) -2 under par. There are definitely some areas that need work, but I'm confident that corrections can be made. I'm swinging the club better and my putting is there. (0 three-putts today)

I head home tomorrow morning....this time by Southwest. My upcoming plans include a lot of practice and time in the gym. Next Friday I'll be playing in the pre-qualifier in Madison, MS for the PGA Tour's Viking Classic. If I get through, I'll have to play again that following Monday in the final stage of Qualifying. Hope all is well with everyone.

As a Tiger fan all I want to say is that we still have a chance and that Alabama should be stressful.

Update

Well, this weekend turned out perfectly. About 50 family and friends showed up for my brother-in-laws birthday party and everyone had a great time watching LSU beat Georgia. You couldn't ask for a better ending. This past Friday I played golf at Ellendale with my father-in-law and shot a 69. It was a tough day after the 2 inches of rain that fell the night before. On Saturday, before the game, my father and brother-in-law along with myself played at the University Club in Baton Rouge. Again, with all the rain the course was pretty wet but I still managed to shoot a 71. So, I'll feel pretty good about how my game is progressing.

Today is my wife's birthday so we've decided to be tourists in our home town and do all the things we've never done. We're making a quick stop back home, and then it's off to dinner. The whole day has been a surprise so I won't say where we're going to eat, but I think she'll like it.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled to meet with my trainer and then the rest of the day will be spent practicing. Hope everyone is doing well. 5 more days until the biggest day of the year......LSU vs UF. Geaux Tigers!!

More Practice

The last couple of days have been nothing but practicing and working out. Yesterday I was invited to play out at the New Orleans Country Club for the first time since I left work. It was good to see some of the people I used to work with, as well as, some of the members. The round started off a little shaky. I was definitely feeling sore after the workout my trainer put me through the day before. But it was good. I guess if you're not sore then you're not accomplishing anything. The round progressively got better as I shot -1 under on the back. We then squeezed in another quick 9 holes in about an hour where I shot another -1 under. So, all in all, it was a really nice day.

Today began with another great workout this morning, followed by a solid practice session this afternoon. English Turn is having their Member/Guest tournament so the course, though closed, is in excellent condition. It makes practicing a little more fun. I didn't hit an enormous amount of balls today, I just made sure the ones that I did hit had a purpose. Practice finished with my usual putting drills.

I'm heading to Houma, LA this evening to see my in-laws. My brother-in-law has a football game tomorrow night, and since this is his last year, I want to make sure I see him play before he graduates. I believe the plan is to play golf at Ellendale before the game. On Saturday, its off to Baton Rouge where my wife's family is hosting a birthday party for her older brother. Their birthdays are the 4th and 5th, so we've decided to celebrate by watching the LSU vs UGA game with all her family and friends. Should be a great time..............let's just hope LSU wins!!!

Practice

Yesterday started with a good workout to get back on my training schedule. I don't know why, but I've learned to enjoy working out a lot more than I used to. I guess it helps to see results as I have gained 20 pounds over the last 3 months. The entire afternoon was spent chipping and putting since the course was closed. That area of my game will see a significant amount of attention over the next two weeks. Way too many three-putts in my last two tournaments.

Yesterday, while at the gym, I was introduced to a guy who wants to start helping me in my training. He seems to know a lot about working out and nutrition so I decided to give him a chance. In exchange, I will be giving him a few golf lessons here and there. So this morning, we got together for the first time and had a great workout. I like having someone there to push me, as well as helping me do the exercises correctly. We plan on getting together again on Thursday. This afternoon I will be out on the driving range working on my swing. I've got some things I want to work on and I'm looking forward to improving every aspect of my game.

Home

Man it feels good to be home again. We left Houston this morning around 10, stopped in Lafayette to have lunch with one of Erika's friends, and finally pulled in around 5 this evening. Most of our time so far has been spent unpacking and catching up on house duties. Tomorrow will be much of the same. I plan on getting back on track with my work-out schedule and hopefully squeeze in a little practice even though everything is closed on Monday's. I've got the next two weeks to practice and prepare for my next tournament. I will be sure to keep yall updated on my progress.

Thanks to everybody for all yall's support. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who are pulling for me and always willing to help. I couldn't do this without yall.

Tigers move to #4. Scary!

Q-School Pre-Qualifying (Round 4)

Sorry for not getting to my blog after yesterday's round. As soon as we finished playing, Erika and I decided to just go ahead and drive to Houston last night. It was a good call because we got to spend a night with my sister and brother-in-law and save money spending one less night in the hotel.

Yesterday's round went better than the previous two. I shot a 73 which included a -1 under (34) on the front, followed by a +4 over (39) on the back. Again I was able to put together a series of really good holes, but still managed to make costly mistakes coming in. There were also 2 three-putts on the card for the back nine, which absolutely drives me crazy. The guys I played with were the nicest I've been paired with all week, and I think that had a lot to do with why I was more relaxed yesterday than any other. I was finally able to settle down early in the round and just have fun. I'm hoping that this is a start to a lot of tournament rounds played this way in the future.

The north Texas journey has come to an end, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. I got to see new parts of the country, finally spend time with the person I love the most, and do what I love doing best. No matter the outcome, it was an adventure I'll never forget. I can't wait to get back home and begin practicing my butt off. There is a drive inside me that I've never had before and I know that there are only good things to come.

The Tigers play Miss State at 11:20 so I've got to get to a t.v. for that. GEAUX TIGERS! Tonight I get to see my best friend who also lives in Houston, and then tomorrow we're heading home.

Q-School Pre-Qualifying (Round 3)

Well I got into a pretty big fight today............with the golf course..........and I lost badly. It was a good 'ole fashion butt whoopin' on behalf of the Golf Club of Dallas, and I didn't appreciate it very much at all. Right out of the gate, I was taking jabs and uppercuts (in the form of penalty strokes, buried lies, and three putts) right on the chin. I was quickly praying for the bell to ring so I could go to my corner and re-group. Unfortunately the bell never rang, and everything got out of control very quickly. I turned at +7 over (42). The good news is I managed to string 8 pars in a row starting out on the back nine before making bogey on my last hole from the middle of the fairway. Sound familiar? With a 9-iron nonetheless. Grand Total: 78

The highlight of the day was that Erika made her debut as a caddie. The golf course provides push-carts for rent that you can use to push your clubs around and that's exactly what we did. I'll be the first to say that she did a great job and will be back on the bag tomorrow.

My assessment up to this point is that my swing just not "rehearsed" enough to last over time. I seem to find myself searching for swing thoughts during my rounds, because from one hole to the next, there's no telling what shot I'm going to hit. I've managed to put together a series of very good holes, and immediately follow them up with a bunch of bad holes. Putting is another area of concern for me right now as well. If there is anything I've learned from this experience so far it's that I've got a lot of work to do to get to where I want to be as a player. The encouraging part is that I can't wait to come home and get started. I know the level I want to get to and I know what I need to work on. I can definitely say that I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's going to take a miracle to get back into the hunt tomorrow, and that's exactly what I need. Don't know my tee time yet, but I'm sure I'll be starting on the back again.

Q-School Pre-Qualifying (Round 2)

Today's score: 75.
Weather condition: Perfect
So why did I shoot 5 strokes higher today when the weather was so good? Beats the heck out of me. Just goes to show that golf is a funny game. I even started off today with a birdie on my first hole. And again, I came out playing smart, hitting fairways and greens and making pars. However, around the 6th hole, I seemed to lose complete control over my distances. Everything was coming up short. 4 of the 7 bogies I made today were from right in the middle of the fairway. And 3 of those 4 were with wedges. That is just pathetic......plain and simple. Two other bogies were on par 3's were I had hit my shot right at the flag and one time I was short and the other was way long. It was just one of those days where no matter how hard I tried, nothing was working. The good news is, all of the mistakes I've been making are relatively easy to correct. Everyday I get more and more comfortable being back on the course and under tournament conditions. I'm still learning how to adjust to different courses, different environments and weather. But I guess that's just all apart of the process. The 75 dropped me into a tie for 37th so tomorrow I'll need to have a good round. Erika asked for something in the 60's so I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen. Tee time is 8:00 of #10.....AGAIN!

p.s. We ate a Joe's Crab Shack tonight. It was a first for me, and the most crab I've ever eaten at one time. But man was it good. 'Til next time......

Q-School Pre-Qualifying (Round 1)

First off, I want to say that I am glad to have this round over with. We started off by having a 2 hour weather delay before ever getting to tee off. So that was fun. (Side note: When Erika and I were sitting inside during the delay, I noticed that one of Jack Nicklaus' sons, Gary, was sitting next to us. We had a few laughs over it, and strange enough, I'm paired with him tomorrow.) Back to golf. The round started off well. I played a lot of smart shots as I was just trying to make pars. The weather was still very overcast and windy, so pars were good. At about the 5th hole, the rain started again. For the rest of that side, it was rainy and windy the whole time. On my 9th hole, (#18 since I teed off the back) the weather was at its worst. And it just so happens that #18 is the longest par 4 on the course and its uphill. After hitting driver in the fairway, and a 2-iron into the green it took another 4 strokes to get my ball in the hole which lead to a 6; double bogey! Before I teed off on the next hole, the rain had stopped and the wind was down. That's kind of a summary of how the weather was the whole day. I managed to shoot -2 under on the back nine and ended up at even par (70) for the day. I'm very pleased with my score for today. It's been a long time since I've played a tournament round of golf under the conditions like we had today, and it took a lot of patience and deep breaths. Luckily I had Erika there with me to carry the umbrella and extra rain gear when I wasn't using it. She was such a big help to me today and easily saved me a couple of strokes. Tee time tomorrow is 8:19 off #10 again. Right now I'm tied for 7th so let's hope I move up even more tomorrow.

Dallas - Practice Round (Day 2)

Today was another practice day. This time I was able to play the back nine, and man what a difference from the front nine. The back was full of hills, hidden creeks, and blind shots. I was glad that I had bought a yardage book because the back nine was a little more tricked up. However, with that being said, the course is still overall short in terms of length and fair with the way it's all laid out. I had one bogey and one birdie and the rest pars.

After playing, I hit a few more balls to tighten up some of the things I'm working on in my swing and putted for about an hour. The greens are still very tough to read and to get a feel for the speed. I plan on taking a little more time than usual when I'm putting tomorrow to help improve that part of my game. My tee time is 8:57 off #10. Wish me luck!

Dallas - Practice Round

Back in Dallas. Today was a practice day. I went out to the Golf Club of Dallas around 10am this morning and began getting a feel for the golf course. First stop was the putting green. I would of expected the greens here to be similar to ones I just played in Lubbock, but they are completely different. In Lubbock, the greens were bent grass which is very soft with little grain. These greens are bermuda which provide a harder surface and a lot more grain. This means the uphill putts are super slow and downhill ones are fast. I will be sure to get a lot more putting in tomorrow in order to get a good feel for them. After putting for over an hour, I went on to the driving range. There I was able to work out some of the kinks that gave me trouble on the back nine this past Friday. By the time I was done hitting, I felt pretty good about my swing.

The course wasn't open for play until 12:00 so around 12:15 I teed off for a practice round with a couple other guys I just met. I only played the front nine today and my opinion so far is that the course is just so so. They said that Dallas had received almost 15 inches of rain the last couple of weeks and it showed. The course was very wet. Even with the fairways being so wet, the course still played relatively short. None of the holes were really tricky or had anything dangerous to worry about. The only defense the course has so far is very small greens with severe rough all over. For the front nine, I made 2 birdies and a bogey with the rest pars. I feel much better now then I did on Friday. Hopefully tomorrow, things will get even better as I plan on playing the back and maybe even the front again.

Tigers move to #7.......just a little at a time.......a little at a time!

Round 2 - City Bank Open (Lubbock, TX)

Today I shot a 79. I was even par through 9-holes, and then all of sudden the wheels came off. There was even a shot today that I can say really changed the momentum of the way I was playing. It was #1 (my tenth hole since I started on the back today). Par 4. My drive was just off the fairway, about 95 yards to the hole. A perfect 58* wedge for me. Once I made contact, I knew something wasn't right. When I looked up, the ball was just above head high and screaming over the green. It must of flown 120 yards easily, and if it weren't for a few trees behind the green, Lord knows where it would of gone. I would love to know what caused the ball to react that way. Those of you who play golf would probably say, "you skulled it Aaron." And trust me, I would be the first to admit it if I did, but I swear I didn't. From this position, take my word for it, it's not where you want to be. I ended up making double bogey and in an instant everything was just spiraling out of control. I had told Erika as we were walking down the fairway on that hole that I needed to shoot under par on the back nine and I was right. The cut was at -2 under par. After making double, the nerves came back and I began trying to force everything throughout the rest of the round. And that never works. After a few more bogey's and another double, I was on my way to a 7-over (43) on the back nine for a grand total of 79. Ugghhh!

All in all, I want to take the positive out of this weeks tournament. Tournament golf is a whole different ball game, and to come back after 2 years and get that first round under par is a win for me. I would of loved to follow it up with another good round today, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. The good news is I'll have the next few days to practice and get ready for q-school, which is the main objective right now. Tomorrow, Erika and I will be heading back to Dallas to get settled in and ready for next weeks journey. I've enjoyed it here in Lubbock and would definitely come back again next year if its in the cards.

Round 1 - City Bank Open (Lubbock, TX)

Man am I glad to have this first round under my belt. Nerves are something that you can just never get used to or practice, and mine were with me the entire day. From the moment I teed off to the last putt on 18, I was feeling nervous the whole time. I guess now that I'm older I'm dealing with them a little better than I used to so I was able to manage a pretty good round. Plus, having my wife Erika with me has really helped calm me down throughout the day. Just one look at her and I can't help but smile.

Onto the round. I shot a 71 today. I made 4 birdies and 3 bogies, one of which came on the last hole. (I hate bogeying the last hole) It leaves such a bad taste in your mouth. But, I can't complain. After a 2 year hiatus, I'll take anything under par at this point. I feel like I played pretty smart all day. I managed my game well and avoided making any major mistakes. My putting was better than its been in the past, but I still had one three-putt on the card today. That's something that I'm working very hard to eliminate. I would rate my ball-striking at about a B+ which I will also take at this point. Now, after playing the course twice, I feel like tomorrow will be even better. Hopefully I will be able to settle down a little bit throughout the round and shoot something in the 60's. My dad always said, "shoot something with a 6 in front of it." Tee time tomorrow is 1:30.....I'm the last group off.

The first round of competition starts tomorrow. My tee time is 9:10, and as our family friend Coop would say...."that's a perfect time." Hopefully I will have some good news for yall tomorrow. Goodnight!

Practice Round

The practice round was a success. I got to meet up with an old friend who played on the LSU golf team with me. The course was definitely different then what I'm used to. One of the members at the club said that we're at 3,300 ft (which I find hard to believe.....maybe I heard that wrong) but nevertheless there was some tricky elevation that added a refreshing character to the course. It was also nice to see the ball go a little further now that I'm not below sea level. Tomorrow will be another practice day before Round 1. 'Til then.....

Lubbock

So Lubbock is in the middle of nowhere for those who haven't been.......or driven too. I didn't think we'd ever get here. If I ever come back it'll be thanks to Southwest. This also marks a first time I've seen 10,000 windmills (or vestas as these fancy ones are called) scattered randomly all over the place. Combine that with the amount of oil pumpjacks we saw and I think Texas has enough energy for the whole country. Or at least it seems that way. I was able to hit a few balls today for the first time in 4 days. Contact was made so that's good. Can't wait to play a practice round tomorrow, and get this week started.

p.s. Tigers moved to #9.......wooh!

Last Day

Well, I'm officially unemployed. Today was my last day working at the New Orleans Country Club. I've made a lot of friends over the last two years and I will certainly miss being there. I'm very excited to be starting a new endeavour and beginning another chapter in my life. Tomorrow, it's off to see the Tigers play and then on to Dallas, TX. Hopefully more good news to come. GEAUX TIGERS!!!!!