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.