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.