Today was a good day!
My warm up wasn't the best. I didn't feel confident in my ball striking & was still a little nervous about using the new putting setup. I got off to a good start, though, making pars my first few holes with a GREAT save on the second. In fact, I managed to make the turn at even par!
The back nine is tough, & I made a conscious effort at the turn to refocus on fairways & greens. I hit the green on #10 & #11 and even had about 15' birdie chances! I gave them a good roll, but neither putt fell. I told myself to stay patient & keep giving myself opportunities by hitting greens. On the next hole, my approach came up short of the green. I had a pretty lengthy chip that probably would have rolled a few feet by the hole if it hadn't hit the flagstick & gone in...for birdie!!! The next hole was a par 5. I hit my approach shot to about 5' & made the putt! My one (and only...another positive on today's round) bogey resulted from a misclub on the next par 4. I was putting from the fringe above the hole. It was a very slippery pin location, and unfortunately I didn't make the slider for par coming back. I had two good approach shots on #16 & #17, making both putts for birdie! My birdie putt on the last hole came up just short & I tapped in for par!
I ended up carding a 3 under, 70 for the day! I was very pleased with my score today! I was thankful that I hit a lot of greens (14) & when I missed the green I was able to "miss" in the better places...if that makes sense. My chipping was good, too. My speed control over my putts was much better today, and I gained some confidence with the new set up.
After the round, I went to the range & tried to work out the shakiness in my swing. I didn't hit it all that bad today, but I had hit it so well over the weekend that I was a bit disappointed. I think I just didn't get into a good tempo this morning. I seemed to have a better tempo afterwards. Either way, I was very pleased with a swing that could still make it around the golf course even when I wasn't swinging my best! I was still able to hit greens and give myself opportunities! I also worked some more on chipping & sand shots this afternoon. I finished my practice by reinforcing speed control & stroke on the putting green.
I tee off tomorrow at 10:24 EST! Thanks so much for all of your thoughts, prayers, & encouraging comments! I am so very thankful for the support! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Eagle Creek
Hey everyone! It's tournament time again! We're playing at Eagle Creek this weekend. I played my practice round yesterday morning, and got a nice, LONG look at the course! It was a Sunday morning so the course was packed. Unfortunately, it was a slow moving day, but at least I had time to hit various approach shots, chips, and putts.
This course is definitely playing longer than last week's tournament at Falcon's Fire, especially if the wind is strong like it was yesterday. There's an extra par 5, so par will be a 73 this week. This course also has an interesting array of pot bunkers. There's a good bit of sand in general, but it's a little unusual to see so many pot bunkers....needless to say, I'm going to try & hit the greens, hahaha!
Today, I had a good practice session at Eagle Creek. I spent the majority of my time on the putting green. We made a pretty big adjustment to my putting setup at my lesson Friday, so it's taking some time to get comfortable. Also, I wanted to do as much as possible to get comfortable with the speed of the greens here since that was such a struggle last week. After a lot of putting, I spent a long time practicing out of the bunkers and a variety of chip shots around the green. They didn't have any pot bunkers in the practice area, but I worked on high lofted sand shots. Obviously, my goal is the green in regulation...but I'd like to be prepared, too! I hit balls at the range, and then finished up where I began this morning: putting.
I was really pleased with both my practice round yesterday & my practice session today. I'm feeling pretty comfortable with my new putting setup as well as the green speed. My ball striking seems to be getting better, too. Hopefully it will all come together in tomorrow's round! I tee off at 11:18 EST! I'd appreciate any thoughts & prayers you could send my way! Thanks so much for checking in & have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
This course is definitely playing longer than last week's tournament at Falcon's Fire, especially if the wind is strong like it was yesterday. There's an extra par 5, so par will be a 73 this week. This course also has an interesting array of pot bunkers. There's a good bit of sand in general, but it's a little unusual to see so many pot bunkers....needless to say, I'm going to try & hit the greens, hahaha!
Today, I had a good practice session at Eagle Creek. I spent the majority of my time on the putting green. We made a pretty big adjustment to my putting setup at my lesson Friday, so it's taking some time to get comfortable. Also, I wanted to do as much as possible to get comfortable with the speed of the greens here since that was such a struggle last week. After a lot of putting, I spent a long time practicing out of the bunkers and a variety of chip shots around the green. They didn't have any pot bunkers in the practice area, but I worked on high lofted sand shots. Obviously, my goal is the green in regulation...but I'd like to be prepared, too! I hit balls at the range, and then finished up where I began this morning: putting.
I was really pleased with both my practice round yesterday & my practice session today. I'm feeling pretty comfortable with my new putting setup as well as the green speed. My ball striking seems to be getting better, too. Hopefully it will all come together in tomorrow's round! I tee off at 11:18 EST! I'd appreciate any thoughts & prayers you could send my way! Thanks so much for checking in & have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Falcon's Fire - Round Three
Hey everyone! Unfortunately, today didn't end so well. I shot 36-41, 77. I hit the ball better today than yesterday, even hitting it to a foot on two holes that lead to two tap in birdies! However, I still left myself with some longer putts and had two three-putts today. My putting got me down. I was frustrated, missing one five footer and another ten footer for birdie later in the round. Unfortunately, I gave in to the frustration. I started trying to make things happen instead of sticking to my game plan which lead to a bogey & a double one the back nine.
At this point I'm just SO frustrated!!! I am very much looking forward to a putting lesson tomorrow! I know that speed control is a major issue. I really feel (and obviously from my many three putts the past two weeks) that my line isn't all that bad. But if you can't get the speed right, it doesn't matter where you line up! Hopefully, tomorrow we can address these issues & work on a plan to correct them!
On the bright side, I hit 13 of 14 fairways, 14 greens, & am broken up over a 77 on my scorecard. That means I'm improving and my misses are getting better. I know that at least one double and one bogey can be attributed to abandoning my gameplan at the end...trying to force things. Although, I can say that I'd still be disappointed with a 74, I know that there would be no regret over the wasteful strokes I added to my score by giving in to frustration. So, another (painful) lesson learned. Won't happen again! Also, another bright spot: I ended on a regulation par on the tough, long #18!
This weekend, I'm working with Justin Blazer at the Faldo Institute to address my putting issues. Then, on to the next Suncoast event! We'll be playing at Eagle Creek Golf Course next Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. Until then, have a great weekend & I'll keep you updated! Thanks again for all of your encouragement this week. I really appreciated it!
Soli Deo Gloria
At this point I'm just SO frustrated!!! I am very much looking forward to a putting lesson tomorrow! I know that speed control is a major issue. I really feel (and obviously from my many three putts the past two weeks) that my line isn't all that bad. But if you can't get the speed right, it doesn't matter where you line up! Hopefully, tomorrow we can address these issues & work on a plan to correct them!
On the bright side, I hit 13 of 14 fairways, 14 greens, & am broken up over a 77 on my scorecard. That means I'm improving and my misses are getting better. I know that at least one double and one bogey can be attributed to abandoning my gameplan at the end...trying to force things. Although, I can say that I'd still be disappointed with a 74, I know that there would be no regret over the wasteful strokes I added to my score by giving in to frustration. So, another (painful) lesson learned. Won't happen again! Also, another bright spot: I ended on a regulation par on the tough, long #18!
This weekend, I'm working with Justin Blazer at the Faldo Institute to address my putting issues. Then, on to the next Suncoast event! We'll be playing at Eagle Creek Golf Course next Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday. Until then, have a great weekend & I'll keep you updated! Thanks again for all of your encouragement this week. I really appreciated it!
Soli Deo Gloria
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Falcon's Fire - Round Two
Today was a struggle! I ended up carding a 76 with FOUR three-putts! Ugh! Not only was I having trouble putting today, but my ball striking was frustrating. I struggled making solid contact and hitting it somewhere towards my target.
I started out pretty well, hitting a great drive and approach into #10, par 5 (we started on the back again today) & leaving myself with a 10' putt for birdie. I wasn't able to make the putt, though. My tee shot on the next hole (par 3) found the left bunker. I hit a mediocre sand shot leaving 20' for par. I did a terrible job of committing to the line and, as a result, lost all consideration for speed. It came up 10' short. I ended up missing that putt & three putting for double. I managed to regain composure & make regulation pars on the next two holes, but my approach on the par 5, 14th was 40' short of the hole. My putting woes continued & I three putted for bogey. I finished out the first nine holes with pars, making a great sand save on #17 & a fantastic TWO putt from 50' on #18.
I took a little comfort in making the turn at the same amount over par as yesterday & told myself to be patient. Unlike yesterday though, I never hit it close today. I only had four birdie chances that we're '15 or less and didn't make any of them. I did find one birdie on #5 when a 20' putt rolled in! But a misclub on #3 led to a three putt & I three putted again on #8 from just outside 30 feet.
I can't say that today's score was solely a putting problem, although it appears to be a major contributor since I racked up 36 putts total. I hit 14 greens, which is good statistically, but I rarely gave myself good looks at birdie & hit it so far away that it made my chances at two putting even slimmer. I putted for a while afterwards, & was significantly better than on the course. I noticed that I had a tendency to "hit" at the ball on the longer putts, so I worked on feeling an even tempo stroke. They had closed the range at the course, so I went over to one of the Disney courses & worked my way through a large bucket of balls. I really seemed to make some progress there. Maybe it was the "magic" of Disney or that I was the only one on the range, but I finally got a "feel" that seemed to help me make more solid contact and hit the ball on line more consistently. I left feeling a bit better about my swing.
There were some bright spots in today's round. I hit 14 greens. That's consistent improvement! I made some really good chips and par saving putts today. All things considered, today could have easily developed into one of those days where the wheels fell off & I gave in to mounting frustration. But thank the Lord, I was able to maintain my composure & plod along. I was pretty even tempered today & didn't give up. That's also consistent improvement!
I tee off tomorrow at 11:45 EST! Thanks again for checking in & for all of your support! I'll keep you updated!
Soli Deo Gloria
I started out pretty well, hitting a great drive and approach into #10, par 5 (we started on the back again today) & leaving myself with a 10' putt for birdie. I wasn't able to make the putt, though. My tee shot on the next hole (par 3) found the left bunker. I hit a mediocre sand shot leaving 20' for par. I did a terrible job of committing to the line and, as a result, lost all consideration for speed. It came up 10' short. I ended up missing that putt & three putting for double. I managed to regain composure & make regulation pars on the next two holes, but my approach on the par 5, 14th was 40' short of the hole. My putting woes continued & I three putted for bogey. I finished out the first nine holes with pars, making a great sand save on #17 & a fantastic TWO putt from 50' on #18.
I took a little comfort in making the turn at the same amount over par as yesterday & told myself to be patient. Unlike yesterday though, I never hit it close today. I only had four birdie chances that we're '15 or less and didn't make any of them. I did find one birdie on #5 when a 20' putt rolled in! But a misclub on #3 led to a three putt & I three putted again on #8 from just outside 30 feet.
I can't say that today's score was solely a putting problem, although it appears to be a major contributor since I racked up 36 putts total. I hit 14 greens, which is good statistically, but I rarely gave myself good looks at birdie & hit it so far away that it made my chances at two putting even slimmer. I putted for a while afterwards, & was significantly better than on the course. I noticed that I had a tendency to "hit" at the ball on the longer putts, so I worked on feeling an even tempo stroke. They had closed the range at the course, so I went over to one of the Disney courses & worked my way through a large bucket of balls. I really seemed to make some progress there. Maybe it was the "magic" of Disney or that I was the only one on the range, but I finally got a "feel" that seemed to help me make more solid contact and hit the ball on line more consistently. I left feeling a bit better about my swing.
There were some bright spots in today's round. I hit 14 greens. That's consistent improvement! I made some really good chips and par saving putts today. All things considered, today could have easily developed into one of those days where the wheels fell off & I gave in to mounting frustration. But thank the Lord, I was able to maintain my composure & plod along. I was pretty even tempered today & didn't give up. That's also consistent improvement!
I tee off tomorrow at 11:45 EST! Thanks again for checking in & for all of your support! I'll keep you updated!
Soli Deo Gloria
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Falcon's Fire - Round One
Today was a long day! The course allowed some extra public play to go out in front of our tee times, pushing us back nearly 30 minutes! Plus, mid morning tee times always seem to move slower anyways. Also, a last minute change caused us to start on #10.
My warm up wasn't that great, and I was a little anxious about my ball striking. However, when we were informed that our tee time was delayed, I went back to the range just to stay loose. My attitude was much more casual & relaxed since I had been joking around with another player in my group. For whatever reason, I hit the ball significantly better than I had earlier in my warm up. That positive momentum continued on the course, and while I still wasn't completely comfortable over the ball, I was able to put myself in good positions. In fact, I had four good looks at birdie on the first nine!
A really ridiculous miss cost me a bogey on #16. The frustration was compounded because I had hit a really great drive leaving only 90 yards into the green. I missed to the right, and had a really slick, short sided chip. My par putt just grazed the low side of the hole & I tapped in for bogey. I hit a great drive on the next hole, but my approach was badly pulled & moving left. I landed short of the green in the water hazard. I could see my ball & it was halfway in the water. There was just enough of my ball showing to tempt me to try and hit it. I took off a shoe and drenched myself, swinging through the water only to advance my ball about one foot onto the wet sand in the hazard. I caught the next shot thin. I hit it over the pin & to the back fringe. I elected to try to bump & run the next shot to the hole, but it didn't catch the right side of the slope & I was left with about a 12' putt for double. I made it! It was a double, but felt like I saved a par. In hindsight, I really should have dropped out of the hazard. Even though my drop would have left me with about a 60 yard shot, that would have made my double considerably easier! I left my birdie putt on #18 short...three inches short & dead center. Ugh!
I made the turn at 3 over, and with a little frustration lingering. I tried to settle down & refocus on fairways & greens. I would have birdie putts on the next two holes, both inside 15' but neither fell! The putt on #2 was a heartbreaking lip out! Thankfully, two putts did fall though, starting with the short par 5, #4. My second shot found the left green side bunker & I hit a great shot out to 5 feet...that birdie fell! I hit another good approach shot on #7 & made another 5' putt for birdie! I hit a great drive & approach shot on the last hole to give myself another short opportunity for birdie. The putt was over a subtle hump that pushed my ball the opposite way I thought it would break...I missed it & tapped in for par.
I carded a 73 for the day. Although that last putt left me steaming, I was proud of playing the front nine (our second nine) at two under. It was clearly not a day for me where you're making a lot of putts, but I was proud that I stayed focused, calm, & kept giving myself chances. I did make some great putts to save par today as well. I hit 14 greens, had eight chances at birdie that were 15' or less, & made two good saves for par. I was thankful that I was able to finish strong!
After grabbing lunch, I hit balls for a while, working on tempo and trying to build some confidence. Then I worked on putting a long time. I don't think I'm making bad strokes, and I don't think my line or speed are bad, but it's just mixing the two together. I was having a hard time today putting the right speed with my read. So, I worked for a while hitting lots of putts totally focused on speed. Hopefully, that will help & I will be able to keep giving myself chances tomorrow!
I tee off #1 (maybe...haha) at 11:44 EST tomorrow morning! Thanks again for keeping up with me, and I am so thankful for your encouragement as well as the opportunity to play!!! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
My warm up wasn't that great, and I was a little anxious about my ball striking. However, when we were informed that our tee time was delayed, I went back to the range just to stay loose. My attitude was much more casual & relaxed since I had been joking around with another player in my group. For whatever reason, I hit the ball significantly better than I had earlier in my warm up. That positive momentum continued on the course, and while I still wasn't completely comfortable over the ball, I was able to put myself in good positions. In fact, I had four good looks at birdie on the first nine!
A really ridiculous miss cost me a bogey on #16. The frustration was compounded because I had hit a really great drive leaving only 90 yards into the green. I missed to the right, and had a really slick, short sided chip. My par putt just grazed the low side of the hole & I tapped in for bogey. I hit a great drive on the next hole, but my approach was badly pulled & moving left. I landed short of the green in the water hazard. I could see my ball & it was halfway in the water. There was just enough of my ball showing to tempt me to try and hit it. I took off a shoe and drenched myself, swinging through the water only to advance my ball about one foot onto the wet sand in the hazard. I caught the next shot thin. I hit it over the pin & to the back fringe. I elected to try to bump & run the next shot to the hole, but it didn't catch the right side of the slope & I was left with about a 12' putt for double. I made it! It was a double, but felt like I saved a par. In hindsight, I really should have dropped out of the hazard. Even though my drop would have left me with about a 60 yard shot, that would have made my double considerably easier! I left my birdie putt on #18 short...three inches short & dead center. Ugh!
I made the turn at 3 over, and with a little frustration lingering. I tried to settle down & refocus on fairways & greens. I would have birdie putts on the next two holes, both inside 15' but neither fell! The putt on #2 was a heartbreaking lip out! Thankfully, two putts did fall though, starting with the short par 5, #4. My second shot found the left green side bunker & I hit a great shot out to 5 feet...that birdie fell! I hit another good approach shot on #7 & made another 5' putt for birdie! I hit a great drive & approach shot on the last hole to give myself another short opportunity for birdie. The putt was over a subtle hump that pushed my ball the opposite way I thought it would break...I missed it & tapped in for par.
I carded a 73 for the day. Although that last putt left me steaming, I was proud of playing the front nine (our second nine) at two under. It was clearly not a day for me where you're making a lot of putts, but I was proud that I stayed focused, calm, & kept giving myself chances. I did make some great putts to save par today as well. I hit 14 greens, had eight chances at birdie that were 15' or less, & made two good saves for par. I was thankful that I was able to finish strong!
After grabbing lunch, I hit balls for a while, working on tempo and trying to build some confidence. Then I worked on putting a long time. I don't think I'm making bad strokes, and I don't think my line or speed are bad, but it's just mixing the two together. I was having a hard time today putting the right speed with my read. So, I worked for a while hitting lots of putts totally focused on speed. Hopefully, that will help & I will be able to keep giving myself chances tomorrow!
I tee off #1 (maybe...haha) at 11:44 EST tomorrow morning! Thanks again for keeping up with me, and I am so thankful for your encouragement as well as the opportunity to play!!! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
Monday, April 9, 2012
Falcon's Fire Golf Course
Hey everyone! I hope y'all had a wonderful Easter weekend...and we're able to catch the Masters coverage!
I'm back on the road again, and this week we're playing at Falcon's Fire in Kissimmee, Florida! I drove in today, and went straight to the course to practice for a while. I've played this course several times with the Suncoast Series, so I have a pretty good feel for the overall layout. So, this afternoon I just worked on my swing, chipping, and putting for several hours. I heard from some other girls who played today that the course is in good shape and the greens are just like the practice green. The practice green is in great shape with burmuda grass that is on the grainy side, but rolling very nicely. I really enjoyed my practice session this afternoon and I feel like I got pretty comfortable with the green.
I tee off tomorrow morning at 10:28 EST off #1! I'll keep you updated, and thanks for following me this week! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
I'm back on the road again, and this week we're playing at Falcon's Fire in Kissimmee, Florida! I drove in today, and went straight to the course to practice for a while. I've played this course several times with the Suncoast Series, so I have a pretty good feel for the overall layout. So, this afternoon I just worked on my swing, chipping, and putting for several hours. I heard from some other girls who played today that the course is in good shape and the greens are just like the practice green. The practice green is in great shape with burmuda grass that is on the grainy side, but rolling very nicely. I really enjoyed my practice session this afternoon and I feel like I got pretty comfortable with the green.
I tee off tomorrow morning at 10:28 EST off #1! I'll keep you updated, and thanks for following me this week! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
Friday, April 6, 2012
Harmony - Round Three
As soon as I signed my scorecard, I hopped in the car & made the eight hour drive home. So this is my first chance to update my blog about yesterday's final round. If you happened to check the website, you already know it was a pretty good day! I finished with a one under, 71! I wasn't in the money this week, but at least there was consistent improvement over the three days of competition.
I was particularly proud & thankful for my finish because I did not start off as strong as yesterday. A poor drive on the first hole left me with a long iron into the green, which I I pulled left of the green. Instead of pacing a off my rather lengthy chip and trying to hit to a specific number, I briefly took in the length of my chip, "saw" the shot I wanted to play, and executed my chip with that "picture" in mind. It seemed to help. My chip finished three feet from the hole & I saved par.
Overall, I chipped & putted much better yesterday with 3 out of 5 par saves & only one 3-putt (30 total...4 better than the previous two day average 0f 34). The one three putt came on the third hole (#12). I actually made a nice lag putt from 50' to about 3 feet. I missed the three footer though. I made a very poor stroke that caused every golfer's deep buried fear of the mysterious "yips" to ever so briefly creep into the back of my mind. I concluded that I had become far more concerned on the outcome & lost focus on taking to putter head straight back. A little frustration carried over to my tee shot on the next hole (a severe dogleg right with bunkers guarding the fairway) & I hit an ugly fade that found a deep fairway bunker. I admit, I was shaken. This was not the most promising of starts. I took my medicine and hit the longest club I could get out of that bunker (8iron) which came up very short of the green at the 100 yard marker. A par save was still possible but FAR more difficult now. I took a little off my pitching wedge, & hit a great shot that landed just by the pin & rolled to 8 feet! I focused on making a good stroke, straight back & through, & made the putt for par - dead center!!!! I was pumped! What could have easily become a damaging, big number hole became a huge save & boost to my shaky confidence! I refocused on fairways & greens. My first birdie came on the par 5, #16 where I hit my approach to three feet! On #18 tee box, I knew it was going be a tough hole again today. The wind was stiff & into our face. I reminded myself to play this hole much smarter than I did the first two days. I hit a good drive but was still 200 yards out. I took a 3wood & aimed right of the pin, knowing that I would come up short, but short right was a much better chipping opportunity than anything left. The idea played out & I left myself a bump & run to the pin to save par. I didn't hit the best chip, but made a great putt to save par!
I didn't catch my approach shot clean on #1, but thankfully, it was a good miss, & ended up 10' from the hole. I made the putt for birdie to go to one-under on my round! I found myself with another 15' putt for birdie on #2, but completely misjudged the direction of the slope & missed the putt. I pulled my approach shot on the next hole, & wasn't able to make the save. However, my lengthy birdie putt on the next hole found the bottom of the cup & I was back to one-under! I gave myself two other birdie opportunities that were 15' or less, including one on the very last hole, but none fell. Nonetheless, I finished strong with a string of regulation pars to card a 71 on the day!
A 71 bumped me up to 17th place overall. I'm home this weekend, but return to Florida for two weeks on Monday. I'll be playing next week in a Suncoast event at Falcon's Fire golf course Tuesday through Thursday! Thanks again for following me this week, and I look forward to the next competition! I truly appreciate all of your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and encouragement! Have a wonderful Master's weekend and a Happy Easter! He is Risen!
Soli Deo Gloria
I was particularly proud & thankful for my finish because I did not start off as strong as yesterday. A poor drive on the first hole left me with a long iron into the green, which I I pulled left of the green. Instead of pacing a off my rather lengthy chip and trying to hit to a specific number, I briefly took in the length of my chip, "saw" the shot I wanted to play, and executed my chip with that "picture" in mind. It seemed to help. My chip finished three feet from the hole & I saved par.
Overall, I chipped & putted much better yesterday with 3 out of 5 par saves & only one 3-putt (30 total...4 better than the previous two day average 0f 34). The one three putt came on the third hole (#12). I actually made a nice lag putt from 50' to about 3 feet. I missed the three footer though. I made a very poor stroke that caused every golfer's deep buried fear of the mysterious "yips" to ever so briefly creep into the back of my mind. I concluded that I had become far more concerned on the outcome & lost focus on taking to putter head straight back. A little frustration carried over to my tee shot on the next hole (a severe dogleg right with bunkers guarding the fairway) & I hit an ugly fade that found a deep fairway bunker. I admit, I was shaken. This was not the most promising of starts. I took my medicine and hit the longest club I could get out of that bunker (8iron) which came up very short of the green at the 100 yard marker. A par save was still possible but FAR more difficult now. I took a little off my pitching wedge, & hit a great shot that landed just by the pin & rolled to 8 feet! I focused on making a good stroke, straight back & through, & made the putt for par - dead center!!!! I was pumped! What could have easily become a damaging, big number hole became a huge save & boost to my shaky confidence! I refocused on fairways & greens. My first birdie came on the par 5, #16 where I hit my approach to three feet! On #18 tee box, I knew it was going be a tough hole again today. The wind was stiff & into our face. I reminded myself to play this hole much smarter than I did the first two days. I hit a good drive but was still 200 yards out. I took a 3wood & aimed right of the pin, knowing that I would come up short, but short right was a much better chipping opportunity than anything left. The idea played out & I left myself a bump & run to the pin to save par. I didn't hit the best chip, but made a great putt to save par!
I didn't catch my approach shot clean on #1, but thankfully, it was a good miss, & ended up 10' from the hole. I made the putt for birdie to go to one-under on my round! I found myself with another 15' putt for birdie on #2, but completely misjudged the direction of the slope & missed the putt. I pulled my approach shot on the next hole, & wasn't able to make the save. However, my lengthy birdie putt on the next hole found the bottom of the cup & I was back to one-under! I gave myself two other birdie opportunities that were 15' or less, including one on the very last hole, but none fell. Nonetheless, I finished strong with a string of regulation pars to card a 71 on the day!
A 71 bumped me up to 17th place overall. I'm home this weekend, but return to Florida for two weeks on Monday. I'll be playing next week in a Suncoast event at Falcon's Fire golf course Tuesday through Thursday! Thanks again for following me this week, and I look forward to the next competition! I truly appreciate all of your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and encouragement! Have a wonderful Master's weekend and a Happy Easter! He is Risen!
Soli Deo Gloria
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Harmony - Round Two
Today was almost SO good!
I started out hitting a great shot into the first green and sank the eight foot putt for birdie! I went on to par the next three holes (three strokes better than yesterday already). I missed a great opportunity on the short par 5,#14 when I left my 10 foot birdie putt short. The next hole I hit my approach to one foot and tapped in for birdie! #16 was another par 5 offering a great opportunity for birdie. I had 51 yards to the pin, but my wedge shot came up short of the green entirely. I made a good chip to a few feet and made the putt to save par. The wind was a little gusty today, and caused me to be indecisive on my club choice for #17 (par 3). I decided take an extra club but choke down on it...in hindsight...really, I'm more comfortable taking full swings so I should have just hit the full club below. My indecision led to an unsure swing which landed me short of the green in the bunker. I made a good out, but missed my 10 foot par putt. #18 was even more difficult. It was a long par 4 straight into the gusty wind. My 3wood drifted left and found the front bunker a LONG way from the back right pin position. I took a gamble on the sand shot. I had at least 50 yards and all the green in the world to work with, plus, the lip wasn't high. So...I attempted to hit a sand/bump & run shot...and it worked! I still left myself with 30' for par simply because I had never attempted that shot before. But, nonetheless, I have a new shot to work on AND I was able to limit the damage to a bogey.
At the turn, I refocused my attention to hitting fairways and greens. And I did! I hit every green on the next nine! I had a lot of good looks at birdie, but only made one (I hit it to a foot from the fairway again!). The real heartbreaker was that I had THREE three-putts, including one on the last hole. I carded a 74, hitting 14 greens, having seven birdie opportunities that were 15' or less, three three-putts (34 total), and didn't take advantage of any of the par 5s.
Obviously, there were a lot of positives to today's round, but I quickly made my way to the practice green after signing my scorecard to work on my putting. I really struggled with distance control on the longer (40-60') putts. Plus, my shorter putts just weren't falling today, so I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything technically wrong with my stroke. Hopefully, the practice will help tomorrow's putting!
I tee of #10 tomorrow at 10:30 EST! Thank you again for all of your encouraging comments and texts! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
I started out hitting a great shot into the first green and sank the eight foot putt for birdie! I went on to par the next three holes (three strokes better than yesterday already). I missed a great opportunity on the short par 5,#14 when I left my 10 foot birdie putt short. The next hole I hit my approach to one foot and tapped in for birdie! #16 was another par 5 offering a great opportunity for birdie. I had 51 yards to the pin, but my wedge shot came up short of the green entirely. I made a good chip to a few feet and made the putt to save par. The wind was a little gusty today, and caused me to be indecisive on my club choice for #17 (par 3). I decided take an extra club but choke down on it...in hindsight...really, I'm more comfortable taking full swings so I should have just hit the full club below. My indecision led to an unsure swing which landed me short of the green in the bunker. I made a good out, but missed my 10 foot par putt. #18 was even more difficult. It was a long par 4 straight into the gusty wind. My 3wood drifted left and found the front bunker a LONG way from the back right pin position. I took a gamble on the sand shot. I had at least 50 yards and all the green in the world to work with, plus, the lip wasn't high. So...I attempted to hit a sand/bump & run shot...and it worked! I still left myself with 30' for par simply because I had never attempted that shot before. But, nonetheless, I have a new shot to work on AND I was able to limit the damage to a bogey.
At the turn, I refocused my attention to hitting fairways and greens. And I did! I hit every green on the next nine! I had a lot of good looks at birdie, but only made one (I hit it to a foot from the fairway again!). The real heartbreaker was that I had THREE three-putts, including one on the last hole. I carded a 74, hitting 14 greens, having seven birdie opportunities that were 15' or less, three three-putts (34 total), and didn't take advantage of any of the par 5s.
Obviously, there were a lot of positives to today's round, but I quickly made my way to the practice green after signing my scorecard to work on my putting. I really struggled with distance control on the longer (40-60') putts. Plus, my shorter putts just weren't falling today, so I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything technically wrong with my stroke. Hopefully, the practice will help tomorrow's putting!
I tee of #10 tomorrow at 10:30 EST! Thank you again for all of your encouraging comments and texts! Have a great night!
Soli Deo Gloria
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Harmony - Round One
Well, today was not so great. I ended up shooting a 76. I have to admit that there were some positives to today's round, though! I got out to the course extra early this morning to allow myself plenty of time to warm up and seemed to get into a good rythm. But after yesterday's exhaustive battle with my swing, I was still a bit more nervous than usual on the first tee. I managed to make two regulation pars on the first two holes, and even had a 10 foot opportunity for birdie! The third hole (#12) was a tough par 3. I hit a terrible block to the right and landed in the bunker. I hit a poor sand shot that hung up in the rough. Another poor chip and two putt later, I carded a double bogey on the hole. Ouch. I was proud that I managed to keep my composure. I hit fairways and greens until #18. Another blocked approach shot to the right cost me another shot. I made the turn at 3 over.
I finally had a birdie fall on #2! I missed another green on #4, and made a terrible chip, leaving myself a 10 footer to save par. I missed the putt to go back to 3 over par. I started hitting fairways & greens again, and made par on several tough holes. I hit a great drive on the last hole (#9), and had 150 yards slightly uphill to the pin. My shot started just right of the flag, and took an unlucky hop right into a green side bunker. I missed my putt for par to add one more stroke to my score...on the LAST hole.
I really did hit the ball MUCH better today, but still was never quite comfortable, so I put in a lot of practice time after the round. I hit balls to reinforce some confidence in my swing, but what I spent more time on was chipping and putting! I hit 13 greens today, but I only made ONE par save. Sure, I really struggled with the speed of the greens and didn't take advantage of my birdie opportunities, but my chipping was terrible. So I hit some shots around the practice green similar to those I encountered today. It was much better. I think I over analyze chipping on the course during tournament rounds. I get too technically focused instead of just seeing the shot and hitting it. Finally, I worked on putting. I mentioned yesterday that the greens are a bit inconsistent, and that really got to me today. I couldn't get the speed down and left so many birdie putts short! Hopefully, all this will help tomorrow's round go much better!
I tee off #10 tomorrow morning at 11:00 EST! Thank you for all of the encouragement, and I'll keep you updated!!!
Soli Deo Gloria
I finally had a birdie fall on #2! I missed another green on #4, and made a terrible chip, leaving myself a 10 footer to save par. I missed the putt to go back to 3 over par. I started hitting fairways & greens again, and made par on several tough holes. I hit a great drive on the last hole (#9), and had 150 yards slightly uphill to the pin. My shot started just right of the flag, and took an unlucky hop right into a green side bunker. I missed my putt for par to add one more stroke to my score...on the LAST hole.
I really did hit the ball MUCH better today, but still was never quite comfortable, so I put in a lot of practice time after the round. I hit balls to reinforce some confidence in my swing, but what I spent more time on was chipping and putting! I hit 13 greens today, but I only made ONE par save. Sure, I really struggled with the speed of the greens and didn't take advantage of my birdie opportunities, but my chipping was terrible. So I hit some shots around the practice green similar to those I encountered today. It was much better. I think I over analyze chipping on the course during tournament rounds. I get too technically focused instead of just seeing the shot and hitting it. Finally, I worked on putting. I mentioned yesterday that the greens are a bit inconsistent, and that really got to me today. I couldn't get the speed down and left so many birdie putts short! Hopefully, all this will help tomorrow's round go much better!
I tee off #10 tomorrow morning at 11:00 EST! Thank you for all of the encouragement, and I'll keep you updated!!!
Soli Deo Gloria
Monday, April 2, 2012
Harmony Golf Preserve
Hey everyone! This week we're playing at Harmony Golf Preserve in Harmony, Florida. It's a golf community in between Kissimmee and Melbourne. The tournament is Tuesday through Thursday, so this morning I played my practice round.
The course is a good layout with some tricky shot making holes. To be honest, I didn't strike the ball well today. It was a tough practice round! I just couldn't seem to get comfortable over the ball. However, a positive was that I still managed to hit greens. Afterwards, I went to the range for a long time, determined to at least find a way to feel comfortable. I started hitting it much better, but then I'm not sure if it was the heat or simply fatigue that took over & forced me to call it quits. Hopefully, I can get into a better groove tomorrow!
I tee off tomorrow morning at 9:57 EST, and would appreciate any good vibes, thoughts, or prayers you could send my way!!! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to play again and will keep you updated! Have a great night!
The course is a good layout with some tricky shot making holes. To be honest, I didn't strike the ball well today. It was a tough practice round! I just couldn't seem to get comfortable over the ball. However, a positive was that I still managed to hit greens. Afterwards, I went to the range for a long time, determined to at least find a way to feel comfortable. I started hitting it much better, but then I'm not sure if it was the heat or simply fatigue that took over & forced me to call it quits. Hopefully, I can get into a better groove tomorrow!
I tee off tomorrow morning at 9:57 EST, and would appreciate any good vibes, thoughts, or prayers you could send my way!!! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to play again and will keep you updated! Have a great night!
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