Thursday, September 29, 2011

Q School - Rounds 2 & 3

Hey everyone, sorry about not posting a blog update last night.  Apparently, the LPGA was having some website malfunction and third round tee times weren't updated until 9:00, and all of us (players) were trying to figure out the situation.

Let's begin with yesterday's round.  I started on the back nine of the Panther course.  Obviously, judging by my score, things were better.  I'm still really struggling with a pull, but at least I know it and am prepared to play with it.  Unlike the first day which can be best described as complete bewilderment!  I was able to focus on hitting fairways and greens.  I had three great birdie chances on the first three holes, and was able to sink one.  I continued the front side one under, but a wayward pull on #17 left me a chip and a putt for par that slid past the cup.  I was unable to save par on #18, making the turn at one over.  I missed the green on #1, had an incredibly hard chip shot, but sank a 18 footer to save par!  I settled down and started hitting greens again.  I had a couple of good looks at birdie, but none fell for me.  As we approached the par three #7, a rules official gave us a warning for slow play since the hole was open ahead.  I have to admit that I felt a bit rushed, and probably made my club selection too quickly.  I landed short of the green and well short of the hole.  My bump and run came out a lot hotter than expected, and I was left with another 18 footer to save par.  I made it!  Without going into strenuous details about wayward shots and the putts left for par, I will say that I made a putt (all 10 - 15 feet) to save par on the last three holes!  I'm pretty sure my caddie and I need some heart medication after that! Haha.  Anyways, I carded a one over, 73 for the day.

Today I played the Bobcat (the scene of my hideous first round).  I have to say that my warm up was less than comforting.  My pull seemed to get worse the more I hit.  The system my caddie and I had worked out yesterday (He would make sure that my alignment was correct, at the target and square) that had seemed to minimize my misses was NOT working this morning.  All I could do was shrug it off, say a prayer, take a deep breath, and focus on the shot I wanted to hit.  That was my thought process going into the round, and for whatever reason it worked.  I hit a lot of greens, only missing three for the day.  I still struggled with the pull, but gave myself a lot of looks at birdie.  However, it seemed like our whole group was having trouble sinking a putt!  We only had four among all three of us today!  My one birdie finally came on the 17th hole.  I hit a beautiful shot STRAIGHT at the pin and stuck it to 7 feet for birdie!  I had a 30 footer on the last hole for birdie, but left it 6 inches short...right in the heart.  I carded another 73 today.

I am definitely happier with my scores, happy with my course management, and all things considered, pleased that I am at least hitting greens.  Would I kill to play that first round over?  ABSOLUTELY.  But, unfortunately, it can't happen.  So I might as well forget it, and finish as strong as I possibly can with the game I have at the moment.  We still have one more day, and one really great score could squeak me back into things.  I'm not sure what time I'll be playing tomorrow, but we'll get our parings later tonight and I'll be sure to post the time on my Facebook wall.  Thanks so much for all of the encouragement, it has been welcomed and especially appreciated this week.

Have a great night!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Q School - Round One

Today was not the best.  I started out by pulling my drive left of the fairway and (I thought) into the bunker.  When we got to the ball, it turns out that it had been held up by the rough.  The only problem was that my stance was in the bunker, a good two feet below my ball.  I was forced to chip into the fairway to the 150 marker.  I hit a great shot but pulled it left of the green and had a tricky short sided chip.  I left it short, and had to chip again.  I hit it to four feet and made the putt for double.  NOT the best start.

I made a great par on the next hole, but found trouble on #3.  As I set up on the par 3 tee shot, I had a bad feeling about it.  So,  I backed off and started my pre-shot routine over again.  However, I still hit the bad shot I had "seen" in the previous set up.  It was dead in the water to the left.  To say that my nerves were shaky now was an understatement.  I was completely dumbfounded.  I ended up par the next six holes, and making the turn with just those two terrible holes on my scorecard:  a double and a triple.

My struggles with the pull/hook followed my all day.  I couldn't get anything going.  I finished carding an 81.  That would have been a disappointing score any day, but it was particularly disappointing today because I my ball striking had been SO GREAT this week during practice.  My caddy and I immediately went to the range afterwards to see if we could figure this out.  Turns out my alignment was fine with my  clubhead, but my feet were shut.  We worked on this for over an hour, and saw improvement.

I'm still just dumbfounded as to how I could go from phenomenal ball striking to not being able to hit a green overnight.  But regardless, tomorrow's a new day and thankfully there are still three more days of competition.  I tee off tomorrow at 12:40 EST off #10 on the Panther course.

Thanks for following!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Venice, FL - Qualifying Stage II

I cannot believe it's time for Qualifying School again!  It seems like this season has flown by!

This week is Stage II Qualifying for the LPGA Futures Tour.  We're playing in Venice, Florida at Plantation Golf and Country Club.  There are two 18 hole courses, the Bobcat and the Panther.  Q-School is a little different this year.  In the past, there were two separate qualifiers:  one for the Futures Tour and one for the LPGA.  Since the LPGA acquired the Futures Tour, there is now one, three stage qualifier for both tours.  Stage I was held this summer.  It was for any amateur or professional that was not a member of a Rolex ranking tour.  Stage II that is taking place this week is for those who advanced from Stage I as well as professionals that are members of a tour.  It will be a four day event held on both courses with no cut.  The top 70 and ties will advance to the final qualifier that will be held at the end of November.  So there is sort of a double incentive this year.  Play well to gain good status on the Futures Tour and also for the chance to compete for LPGA status.

I arrived in Venice last Wednesday.  I played each course twice, with the exception of yesterday's rain out.  I did manage to get through six holes, and had already played the entire 18 a couple of days before. This morning I got several hours of good practice in before the weather sirens pulled everyone off the course.  I planned to "take the day off" anyway, just getting in some practice and relaxing a little bit before the tournament begins.  It's a good thing too, because I don't think the weather is going to allow for much golf today!  Hopefully, all the severe weather is making its way through today, and the tournament days will be rain free (fingers crossed!).

I am very thankful for this week and this opportunity.  A lot of prayer and practice has gone into this entire season and definitely this week.  I am very blessed and very ready to play!  I feel good about the courses, have been hitting the ball well, and put in a lot of time around the practice green this week.  I am  also thankful for a great caddy.  He's been doing this for a long time, so I'm grateful for his experience and advice.

I am also thankful that the Lord has blessed me with such wonderful parents who have worked so hard to allow me to take advantage of the opportunities that have come my way.  They are incredibly supportive, and I am truly blessed.  He has been kind enough to also provide me with a huge community of supporters from my hometown, across Alabama, and through my travels this year.  Thank you for your encouragement.

I will keep you updated this week via my blog, but you can also follow along by clicking on the link above to the Futures Tour.  From the home page, click the tab that says "Tournaments," and select "Qualifying" below.  You'll find pairings and results on the right side of the page.  I tee off #1 on the Bobcat course tomorrow morning at 8:45 a.m. EST!

Have a great week!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Final Round - Reunion & LPGA Monday Qualifier

Just a quick update on my last two rounds!  I'll start with the final round at Reunion Resort in Orlando, Florida.

I hit more greens, only missing three for the day and actually made every save for par.  However, I struggled again with my putting.  I had a lot of birdie opportunities that I misread.  My speed was a little better, but my reads were off quite a bit.  I had two three putts for the day, and only one birdie fell.  I carded a 73, and was happy to at least have improved my score every day.

I came home Thursday night, and immediately started preparing for the Navistar LPGA qualifier that following Monday, September 12.  The Navistar is played on the Robert Trent Jones Senator course in Prattville, Alabama.  This year, the greens were totally renovated from Bermuda to Champions Bermuda and we were the first two play on them.  Translation:  brand new greens that were extremely hard and lightening fast!  After my practice round on Sunday, I spent two hours on the putting green.

I teed off #1 yesterday afternoon at 1:00.  I got off to a great start.  I hit greens and made great putts.  I only missed one green on the front, but made the save for par.  My first bogey came with a three putt on #10.  I had played my approach shot to land on the ridge short of the pin and funnel down.  Unfortunately, this was the one shot that seemed to stick.  Literally one more yard, and it was perfect.  I was left with a very slippery lengthy putt for birdie.  My speed was great, but my line was off.  I misread the five footer left for par, to bogey.  I did stick an approach to three feet on #13 to make birdie and get back to even par for the round.  The next hole, I hit a wayward drive over a bunker and onto a mound.  I hit a pretty good shot considering my awkward lie, and had a 30 foot putt for birdie.  I hit a great putt, but it just ran out a little farther than expected.  I still only had about two feet left, but I misjudged the read and it lipped out.  I hit another good approach into the par three 16th.  I had a 20 footer that was incredibly slick and had a huge swing left to right.  It took off, and I missed the comeback eight footer.  I came to #18, a long par four, at two-over par.  I knew two over wouldn't make it since my playing partner was two under for the day.  I tried to smoke my drive, and as a result pulled it left into thick rough, leaving myself with absolutely no chance to reach the green.  I punched out and hit the best iron shot I'd hit all day into the green.  I was sure it would be close and I would at least have a chance to par.  Unfortunately, the shot didn't hold.  In fact, it hit five feet right of pin high, and rolled out to the back of the green 60 feet away.  I three putted for a terrible double to end the round.

When I left the course last night, a 70 and 71 were the low scores.  Although I didn't make it, I wasn't upset with my play, just disappointed with the score and result.  I was actually pretty proud of the way I played.  I just got some bad breaks and some heartbreaking putts.  But I stayed positive and in the moment every shot.  It just wasn't meant to be.  And "what of the last hole?" you may ask.  Well, I admit it wasn't the best decision, but I knew that whatever I did on 18, my score wasn't low enough to make it. Had I been sitting at even par or had I been in any event other than a one day qualifier, my strategy would have been different.  But, going forward, I will do better to consciously decide to play every hole to the best of my ability regardless of where I stand at the end of the day.  That's my only regret about the decision.  Other than that, I was proud of my play.

It's hard to believe, but my next event will be qualifying school in Venice, Florida at the end of the month!  I'll be heading that way next Wednesday, and the tournament begins on the 27th.  It is a four day competition on two courses with no cut.  The top 70 and ties will advance to Stage III qualifying.  Basically, this year at qualifying school there is a double incentive:  play well to gain better status on the Futures Tour and to advance to Stage III for a chance at LPGA status.  Despite my scores, I feel like I'm on the brink of playing some really good golf.  I've worked really hard this entire season, and will continue the process this week in preparation for Q-School.  I am excited about playing, and look forward to the challenge.  Thanks for following, and I'll keep you updated!  Have a great week!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Reunion - Round Two

Well, today was better!  I got off to a good start again, managing to save par on the first hole after a terribly unlucky bounce off the green.  I went on to stick my hybrid to 3 feet on #4 and made birdie!  I continued to hit greens and played pretty solid.  I was even par through 12 holes, but missed the green on 13 and my par putt lipped out.  I maintained my composure, and had a couple of looks at birdie afterwards but none would fall.  My mental goof of the day came on #17.  My drive drifted a little farther right than I wanted and found a fairway bunker (which I honestly didn't know was reachable).  I had a good lie and not much of a lip to get over.  I had just thought, "take your medicine and play an iron or hybrid to 150 yards."  For some strange reason this thought left me as I approached my ball, and I quickly grabbed my 5 wood (that sounds riskier than usual, but I can play my 5 wood out of bunkers pretty well).  Looking back, I really don't know what caused me to get so greedy...the pin was in the back of the green, so it wasn't as if an extra 50 yards would give me that much of an advantage.  Now I know at this point I should have re-evaluated, and could have...but here's where it really went south:  the last thought I had was a twinge of fear of topping the shot and dribbling it into the fairway.  So guess what happened?  I topped the shot, it hit the lip, and dribbled into the rough.  This is what I have to work on.  If at any point a shot other than the one I intend to hit runs through my head at address from now on, I WILL STOP AND BEGIN MY PRE-SHOT ROUTINE AGAIN UNTIL ALL I CAN SEE AND THINK ABOUT IS THE SHOT I INTEND TO HIT.  I think it was a lapse in focus and a bit of laziness since it was the 17th hole.  Whatever the reason, it was a big mental goof.  From there, I had a severe downhill lie in thick rough from 250 yards out.  I hit a 5 iron through the fairway into the left rough.  From there I hit a great shot, but it took another terribly unlucky hard bounce left into a green side bunker.  I was looking at a save for bogey now.  I did hit a great sand shot, and made the 10 footer for bogey.  By the end of what seemed like an hour long struggle, I saved bogey on #17...and it felt like a birdie.  Haha.  I finished with a two putt par on #18 to card a 74 for the day.

Not the best, but certainly a better score than yesterday.  Overall, I hit the ball well again today, and putted MUCH better!  No three putts!  I made lots of great putts to save par, and other than one putt on #6, I stayed committed to my routine and process on the rest!  Although I putted better today, I was still a little shaky over the longer putts.  So after the round, I went back to the practice green and worked on speed control for a little while.

The greatest part about today was the weather!  I have to say that God reminded me that He alone orchestrates and determines our weather, NOT a radar system.  Haha!  I woke up this morning to a heavy rain outside and a radar screen of green and yellow heading straight for Orlando.  It rained all the way to the course.  I got out both my rain suits, an extra towel, and my rain gloves.  I was fully prepared for an extremely long, miserably wet day.  But as I began warming up, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and only He could have caused such an impending green mass to dissipate so quickly.  I was so very thankful and amazed!

I tee off tomorrow morning at 8:10 of #1.  I'll be heading home straight after, but I'll try and post the results to Facebook and then update the blog as soon as I get home.  You can also click on the link above to access the Suncoast Series website which will post the results tomorrow afternoon.  Thanks again for following, and have a great night!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Suncoast Series - Reunion - Round One

I'm back in Florida this week for a Suncoast Series event on the Watson course at the Reunion Resort.  If you've never heard of or visited the Reunion Resort before, you should really check it out!  It is a fantastic resort community with three 18 hole courses:  Palmer, Watson, and Nicklaus.  The Watson course is unique in that it has no water hazards.  But what it lacks in water, it makes up for in sand traps and waste bunkers!  

I teed off this morning at 8:30 to begin round one.  Overall, the course is in good shape and the set up is a mixture of either really short par 4s or really long ones!  Today, I started out okay.  I just had a really hard time getting comfortable on the greens.  I had several three putts.  I hit great chips but misjudged how far they would roll out, leaving myself with longer than usual putts to save par.  What's worse, is that the putts I usually feel VERY confident over ( inside 9 feet), I missed purely because I let those three putts eat away at my confidence and didn't stick to my routine.  That's what I'm most upset about:  I didn't stick to my routine and process.

Today was a rough day for everybody in general and our scores show it.  We had to play the majority of the back nine in torrential rain and wind, and that's always difficult.  It's weird that we saw all of the bad weather early this morning rather than late this afternoon which is more typical of Florida storms.  But trust me and my rain gloves...we saw it all!  As I said before I had trouble with the speed of the greens today.  I also hit great chips exactly where I wanted to land them, but misjudged the speed of the greens and how far the ball would roll out.  I did have a few bright spots in my round, carding two birdies for the day.  I finished with a 79.  My poor play was obviously a result of poor feel on the greens and there were also several times that the GPS system on the cart (yes...we're allowed to use any GPS device on the Suncoast Tour) showed a much different number than the one I calculated by walking off distances and using the pin sheet.  These two variables made it harder for me to decide on a number and commit to a club.

After we finished the round, I went straight to the putting green to try and get a better feel for the pace.  I found that the more decisive I was about the line as well as the length of my stroke...the better my results were...what do ya know?!?  Haha!  So basically, I worked on ingraining that process on every putt.  I went through my exact routine for 75% of the practice...even marking my ball before the putt.  I also hit a LOT of shorter putts, and worked on a chalk line to see the ball going in the cup over and over and over.  I have also decided to trust the yardage that I calculate tomorrow and completely ignore the GPS system.  I feel better about the greens and my game plan tomorrow!  I'll be teeing of #1 bright and early at 8:00 EST!  Thanks for following, and I'll keep you updated!