Things have been going non-stop since last week so I apologize for not having a blog up after this past tournament. I ended up withdrawing after the first round because of how bad it went, and from there I've either been on the road or in the hospital. Erika's grandmother's health has been steadily declining so we've all been trying to spend as much time with her in the hospital as we can. The doctor's gave her 3 weeks at most, but it could be any day now. All we can do is pray that she's in God's hands.
Golf has kind of taken a backseat right now. I talked earlier about how I was beginning to struggle with my swing and unfortunately I wasn't able to correct it in time to perform well in any of the last couple tournaments. I would like to think that the fact that we were playing in 40 degree temperatures and winds gusting up to 30mph had something to do with the problem, but I can't blame everything on the weather. That's something I've always struggled with in the past, so I'm going to have to come up with a solution if I want to make any money during the winter months.
When I left Orlando, I drove straight to Cut Off and spent the last few days there with Erika's family. I'm back in New Orleans now just trying to catch up with things at the house, and then I'll probably be heading back down the bayou here soon. I'm hoping to get some practice in this afternoon just because I'm starting to have withdrawals from not hitting balls in so long. Typically, when I play my worst is when I really want to practice the most. I can't stand knowing that I'm not hitting the ball well right now and all I want to do is fix it.
I would imagine the rest of the month will be spent in and out of the hospital dealing with Erika's grandmother.....as it should. I'll do my best to squeeze in some practice time when I can, but that won't be my top priority until she passes. In the back of my mind, I'm considering going back to Houston in mid-January for a couple events, but that is still up in the air right now. I'll try and have some updates throughout the holidays and hopefully some good news to go along with it. Merry Christmas!!!!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Hooter's Tour - Orange Tree - Second Round & Update
It's been a crazy last couple of days. Erika's grandmother was rushed to the hospital earlier this week, and by Tuesday night we had decided it was best that I fly home to see her. She hadn't been doing well lately so it wasn't a huge surprise, but its now become serious enough where I needed to make sure I got to see her one last time. Over the last 4 years I've become really close with Erika's family so I'm glad I was able to make it home for a few days to show my support.
I'm now sitting in the airport in New Orleans waiting for my flight back to Orlando. Now that I've got a little time, I'll try and remember what I can about my second round at Orange Tree. To be honest, I've tried to forget this whole tournament all together. Erika warned me about playing courses with that much out-of-bounds, but I didn't listen. I guess coming off the way I had been playing I felt like I could play anywhere.
The entire second round can be summed up by explaining how the very first hole went. I started out hitting a perfect drive right down the middle of the fairway. The 10th hole is the short par-5 and I was left with 218yards for my second shot. Knowing that I needed to shoot a low score and after hitting a good drive, I didn't think twice about going for it. I pulled out my 4-iron and proceeded to hook two straight out-of-bounds left of the green. I don't know why, I don't know how but for whatever reason that same swing I was struggling with the first round came right back. I walked off the green with a quadruple bogey (9). Let me tell you, the only way I was able to keep going was to decide to just have fun, not try really and just play golf. I think I hit 4 more OB for the day but managed to finish 18 with a smile on my face.
Obviously, that is not how I plan on playing anytime soon and that type of golf will end my career in a hurry. But, I think it was necessary to just get passed that course and give myself the best chance at maintaining a high level of confidence going into next week. I should have a good weekend to get back on track and ready to play come Monday. I don't think I'm going to play a practice round for this tournament since I've played this course before and that stategy seemed to work last time. This way I can work out the kinks and when I tee it up Monday I can just play golf.
'
I'm now sitting in the airport in New Orleans waiting for my flight back to Orlando. Now that I've got a little time, I'll try and remember what I can about my second round at Orange Tree. To be honest, I've tried to forget this whole tournament all together. Erika warned me about playing courses with that much out-of-bounds, but I didn't listen. I guess coming off the way I had been playing I felt like I could play anywhere.
The entire second round can be summed up by explaining how the very first hole went. I started out hitting a perfect drive right down the middle of the fairway. The 10th hole is the short par-5 and I was left with 218yards for my second shot. Knowing that I needed to shoot a low score and after hitting a good drive, I didn't think twice about going for it. I pulled out my 4-iron and proceeded to hook two straight out-of-bounds left of the green. I don't know why, I don't know how but for whatever reason that same swing I was struggling with the first round came right back. I walked off the green with a quadruple bogey (9). Let me tell you, the only way I was able to keep going was to decide to just have fun, not try really and just play golf. I think I hit 4 more OB for the day but managed to finish 18 with a smile on my face.
Obviously, that is not how I plan on playing anytime soon and that type of golf will end my career in a hurry. But, I think it was necessary to just get passed that course and give myself the best chance at maintaining a high level of confidence going into next week. I should have a good weekend to get back on track and ready to play come Monday. I don't think I'm going to play a practice round for this tournament since I've played this course before and that stategy seemed to work last time. This way I can work out the kinks and when I tee it up Monday I can just play golf.
'
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Hooter's Tour - Orange Tree - First Round
Today's Score: 80
For the first time in my golfing career, I began a tournament hitting my tee shot out-of-bounds on the first two holes of the day. The first hole was a nervous, timid swing with a driver that finished just a couple inches OB, and the second hole was a similar swing except this time a hard duck hook left ended up well out-of-bounds. I did manage to save bogey on #2 so after two holes I was +3 over par. I was able to steady to the ship for a minute after making three solid pars in a row, but on the 6th hole, I again found the out-of-bounds off the tee for the third time in six holes. Again, my ball was no more than an inch from being in bounds. +5 over thru 6. I hit another poor tee shot on the par-3 7th which left a near impossible up-and-down and lead to another bogey. On #8, I hit what I thought was a good second shot right at the flag only to come up short of the green in the bunker, on the downslope and up against the back lip. Double-bogey and now I'm +8 thru 8 holes. Finally, on #9, I hit two pretty good shots to get on the front of the green in two, but basically 4-putted from 70ft and made another double-bogey to finish the front nine in +10 over (46). Easily, the worst nine holes I've played in God knows how long. You can imagine how hard it was to get fired up for the back.
Well, the 10th hole is a short par-5 and after hitting a great 3-iron for my second into the green, I was left with 5ft for eagle. Not wanting to get too aggressive, I tapped in for birdie... :) .....I still can't believe I left that putt short. I made two more birdies on #13 and #15 to go -3 under on the back nine as if the front nine never happened and I was just out there playing like I have been. The 16th hole is a long par-5 into the wind and I was able to get a good look for another birdie from about 6ft. Unable to convert there, I remained -3 under. The 17th is 180 yard par-3 over water, and another solid tee shot left me 10ft passed the cup for birdie. I made a poor stroke there and missed left all the way. The 18th hole is a narrow par-4 with water right and OB left playing straight downwind. My second shot jumped as soon as I hit it and finished all the way in the back of the green. Since the pin was up front, I had another 60 footer for birdie. This time I hit a good first putt and left a 3ft tap in for par......except I missed it and made bogey to finish -2 under for the back nine and 12 strokes lower than what I shot on the front.
As I teed off #10, I realized what I had been doing differently in my swing than what I've been doing this past month. It was simply a timing issue on my downswing that made all the difference in the world. Over these last couple of days, I had been noticing some shots that I wasn't hitting before but for the majority of my practice sessions things were pretty much normal. During the practice round, however, my swing was a little more off than usual and then for the front nine yesterday everything just fell apart. And with the narrowness of the course and out-of-bounds left and right, it just made the issues I was having that much worse.
I feel better about today's round knowing what I was doing wrong, and hopefully I will be able to just pick up where I left off. Fortunately, the scores are higher this week due to the course and weather conditions so there is still an outside chance of making the cut. I'll need about a -4 under round today which now I know is out there cause I could of shot that on the back nine alone yesterday. The tee times for today have already been postponed due to the frost this morning, so I begin my day at 1:20 off #10. Here goes nothing!
For the first time in my golfing career, I began a tournament hitting my tee shot out-of-bounds on the first two holes of the day. The first hole was a nervous, timid swing with a driver that finished just a couple inches OB, and the second hole was a similar swing except this time a hard duck hook left ended up well out-of-bounds. I did manage to save bogey on #2 so after two holes I was +3 over par. I was able to steady to the ship for a minute after making three solid pars in a row, but on the 6th hole, I again found the out-of-bounds off the tee for the third time in six holes. Again, my ball was no more than an inch from being in bounds. +5 over thru 6. I hit another poor tee shot on the par-3 7th which left a near impossible up-and-down and lead to another bogey. On #8, I hit what I thought was a good second shot right at the flag only to come up short of the green in the bunker, on the downslope and up against the back lip. Double-bogey and now I'm +8 thru 8 holes. Finally, on #9, I hit two pretty good shots to get on the front of the green in two, but basically 4-putted from 70ft and made another double-bogey to finish the front nine in +10 over (46). Easily, the worst nine holes I've played in God knows how long. You can imagine how hard it was to get fired up for the back.
Well, the 10th hole is a short par-5 and after hitting a great 3-iron for my second into the green, I was left with 5ft for eagle. Not wanting to get too aggressive, I tapped in for birdie... :) .....I still can't believe I left that putt short. I made two more birdies on #13 and #15 to go -3 under on the back nine as if the front nine never happened and I was just out there playing like I have been. The 16th hole is a long par-5 into the wind and I was able to get a good look for another birdie from about 6ft. Unable to convert there, I remained -3 under. The 17th is 180 yard par-3 over water, and another solid tee shot left me 10ft passed the cup for birdie. I made a poor stroke there and missed left all the way. The 18th hole is a narrow par-4 with water right and OB left playing straight downwind. My second shot jumped as soon as I hit it and finished all the way in the back of the green. Since the pin was up front, I had another 60 footer for birdie. This time I hit a good first putt and left a 3ft tap in for par......except I missed it and made bogey to finish -2 under for the back nine and 12 strokes lower than what I shot on the front.
As I teed off #10, I realized what I had been doing differently in my swing than what I've been doing this past month. It was simply a timing issue on my downswing that made all the difference in the world. Over these last couple of days, I had been noticing some shots that I wasn't hitting before but for the majority of my practice sessions things were pretty much normal. During the practice round, however, my swing was a little more off than usual and then for the front nine yesterday everything just fell apart. And with the narrowness of the course and out-of-bounds left and right, it just made the issues I was having that much worse.
I feel better about today's round knowing what I was doing wrong, and hopefully I will be able to just pick up where I left off. Fortunately, the scores are higher this week due to the course and weather conditions so there is still an outside chance of making the cut. I'll need about a -4 under round today which now I know is out there cause I could of shot that on the back nine alone yesterday. The tee times for today have already been postponed due to the frost this morning, so I begin my day at 1:20 off #10. Here goes nothing!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Hooter's Tour - Orange Tree - Preview
This week's tournament is being played at Orange Tree Golf Club here in Orlando and just around the corner from my parents house. I went out there yesterday to get a little practice in and again today to play my practice round. This is a course I've never played before, but knew I had to see it once before the tournament because of everything I've heard. Everyone I've talked to has said the same thing....."hit it straight!" After today's round, I found out why.
First of all, on EVERY SINGLE HOLE, there is out-of-bounds on at least one side if not both. And on the holes with just one side lined with OB, the other side has water. It is easily the tightest course I have every played. Not only is there out-of-bounds everywhere, but it's literally in the rough just outside the fairways. Most courses you'll see the OB up near the houses, but not here. They've got these stakes almost in the fairway. I should of taken a picture cause it's pretty comical.
The good news is you don't have to hit driver on a lot of the holes, but they've strategically positioned trees around dog legs that make you have to hit shots far enough to have a look at the greens. With the weather expected to turn very cold and windy, hitting irons off the tee might leave some long shots into the greens (which are not very big). The greens are in great condition, but again the over-seeding that is going on this time of year has caused them to be full of grass, a little slow, and very spongy. The overall condition of the course is very good and that alone will make it a much more enjoyable experience.
I'm a little nervous going into this tournament. Compared to last week, this course requires a lot of ball control and a patient game plan. And, there just is no room to make a mistake. I'm going to have to stay focused all day and not let up on any shot. With the temperatures not expected to get up the 50's all three days, it should make this week that much more interesting. My tee time tomorrow is 8:40 off #1.
First of all, on EVERY SINGLE HOLE, there is out-of-bounds on at least one side if not both. And on the holes with just one side lined with OB, the other side has water. It is easily the tightest course I have every played. Not only is there out-of-bounds everywhere, but it's literally in the rough just outside the fairways. Most courses you'll see the OB up near the houses, but not here. They've got these stakes almost in the fairway. I should of taken a picture cause it's pretty comical.
The good news is you don't have to hit driver on a lot of the holes, but they've strategically positioned trees around dog legs that make you have to hit shots far enough to have a look at the greens. With the weather expected to turn very cold and windy, hitting irons off the tee might leave some long shots into the greens (which are not very big). The greens are in great condition, but again the over-seeding that is going on this time of year has caused them to be full of grass, a little slow, and very spongy. The overall condition of the course is very good and that alone will make it a much more enjoyable experience.
I'm a little nervous going into this tournament. Compared to last week, this course requires a lot of ball control and a patient game plan. And, there just is no room to make a mistake. I'm going to have to stay focused all day and not let up on any shot. With the temperatures not expected to get up the 50's all three days, it should make this week that much more interesting. My tee time tomorrow is 8:40 off #1.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hooter's Tour - Metro West - Second Round
Today's Score: 76
Well, I went 35 holes without a 3-putt and on my very last hole today I 3-putted from 10ft for birdie. Not that it would of made any difference, but the fact that it came on the last hole from that close left a really bad taste in my mouth.
The day turned out to be better than expected in terms of the weather. The front that passed through last night brought in some colder temperatures and high winds, but not to the extremes they had predicted. I'd say on front nine the wind was gusting into the low 20's, but calmed down significantly towards the end of the day. As I started the round, I knew I needed to make birdies, but had to be patient because of the weather. I tried to attack the par-5 4th, but hit a really poor pitch shot from just in front of the green and came away with par. The next hole was playing straight downwind and after killing my drive I was 20yrds from the green looking at another good chance for birdie. This time, I hit what I thought was a good pitch shot but the ball hit and rolled out about 15ft passed the flag. Another par. The next hole we turned right back into the wind, and the knock-down shot I attempted to play into the green got swallowed up and finished short left of the green. Another failed up-and-down and a bogey 5. From there, it was the par-5 7th where I really began to get frustrated. Still playing into the wind, I hit two great shots to get pin high in two just off the green. It was as easy of a chip shot you could ask for and once again I didn't get it up-and-down. I guess after watching so many putts come to an abrupt stop after feeling like you just killed it, I continued to anticipate my chips reacting the same way. But for whatever reason, they all would hit and roll out and I just didn't leave myself close enough putts to convert the up-and-downs. So, I pared in for a +1 over 37.
The back was much of the same except I really began to struggle with my distance control. The wind began to swirl as it was dying down and many times I was left posing on a shot I thought was good only to watch it come up short of the green or fall well past the flag. Two more failed up-and-downs on the first 4 holes of the back nine and I was now +3 over for the day. I knew I needed to get to at least even par for the tournament if not under par if I wanted any chance of making the cut, which meant I needed to birdie just about every hole coming in. I gave myself three pretty good looks, but being late in the day and after 100 players walking all over the greens, they were nearly impossible to putt on. There were footprints everywhere and it seemed every putt I hit looked like that game plinko on the Price is Right. Without trying to divert all the blame away from myself, I'd like to believe this was the cause of the 3-putt I had on the last hole where the 1ft tap in coming back for par broke 3 times and never touched the hole.
So, I'm pretty disappointed in the outcome of this week. This course fit my game and I'm playing well enough to shoot good scores. I'm a little surprised that my short game was once again below average, but at the same time, I should of hit a few more greens in regulation. I had my opportunities throughout both rounds to get things going, and just wasn't able to capitalize. The good news is my confidence is as high as ever when it comes to my swing and I feel like I can play anywhere. I just need to tighten up the short game and everything else will take care of itself. I've got the next few days off before playing a practice round for the next event on Saturday and then the first round beginning on Monday.
Well, I went 35 holes without a 3-putt and on my very last hole today I 3-putted from 10ft for birdie. Not that it would of made any difference, but the fact that it came on the last hole from that close left a really bad taste in my mouth.
The day turned out to be better than expected in terms of the weather. The front that passed through last night brought in some colder temperatures and high winds, but not to the extremes they had predicted. I'd say on front nine the wind was gusting into the low 20's, but calmed down significantly towards the end of the day. As I started the round, I knew I needed to make birdies, but had to be patient because of the weather. I tried to attack the par-5 4th, but hit a really poor pitch shot from just in front of the green and came away with par. The next hole was playing straight downwind and after killing my drive I was 20yrds from the green looking at another good chance for birdie. This time, I hit what I thought was a good pitch shot but the ball hit and rolled out about 15ft passed the flag. Another par. The next hole we turned right back into the wind, and the knock-down shot I attempted to play into the green got swallowed up and finished short left of the green. Another failed up-and-down and a bogey 5. From there, it was the par-5 7th where I really began to get frustrated. Still playing into the wind, I hit two great shots to get pin high in two just off the green. It was as easy of a chip shot you could ask for and once again I didn't get it up-and-down. I guess after watching so many putts come to an abrupt stop after feeling like you just killed it, I continued to anticipate my chips reacting the same way. But for whatever reason, they all would hit and roll out and I just didn't leave myself close enough putts to convert the up-and-downs. So, I pared in for a +1 over 37.
The back was much of the same except I really began to struggle with my distance control. The wind began to swirl as it was dying down and many times I was left posing on a shot I thought was good only to watch it come up short of the green or fall well past the flag. Two more failed up-and-downs on the first 4 holes of the back nine and I was now +3 over for the day. I knew I needed to get to at least even par for the tournament if not under par if I wanted any chance of making the cut, which meant I needed to birdie just about every hole coming in. I gave myself three pretty good looks, but being late in the day and after 100 players walking all over the greens, they were nearly impossible to putt on. There were footprints everywhere and it seemed every putt I hit looked like that game plinko on the Price is Right. Without trying to divert all the blame away from myself, I'd like to believe this was the cause of the 3-putt I had on the last hole where the 1ft tap in coming back for par broke 3 times and never touched the hole.
So, I'm pretty disappointed in the outcome of this week. This course fit my game and I'm playing well enough to shoot good scores. I'm a little surprised that my short game was once again below average, but at the same time, I should of hit a few more greens in regulation. I had my opportunities throughout both rounds to get things going, and just wasn't able to capitalize. The good news is my confidence is as high as ever when it comes to my swing and I feel like I can play anywhere. I just need to tighten up the short game and everything else will take care of itself. I've got the next few days off before playing a practice round for the next event on Saturday and then the first round beginning on Monday.
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