Hey everyone! This week I'm playing in a Suncoast event down in Daytona Beach, Florida. We're playing on the Champions course of the LPGA International. The course is in nice shape, but unfortunately (for a golfer) Daytona has had A LOT of rain this week. So, the course is a little soggy.
Today was our first round, and I teed off #1 at 8:08 this morning. I got off to an incredibly rocky start. I popped up my drive, barely making it across the water. Then, chunked my 3 wood to 100 yards, proceeded to hit my pitching wedge safely on the green, but missed the putt for an exhausting bogey. I struggled through the second hole, but managed to make a great chip and putt to save par. On the third hole, it was deja vu all over again as I chunked my 3 hybrid well short of the green, blew my pitch shot over the green, and did not convert for bogey. Needless to say, a bogey and double bogey on the first three holes is not the best way to start. What's crazy is that I was hitting the ball SO WELL in yesterday's practice round! Even on the range during my warm up this morning I was hitting the ball okay. I was completely blindsided by the terrible shots, but I just kept telling myself to calm down and relax. I did begin to relax, and as quickly as things fell apart, they began to come back together. I started hitting fairways, greens, and by the end of the first nine holes, I was only one over par. I made two great birdies on the front side!
I continued through the back side with good momentum, but ran into some trouble on #14. That crazy chunk came back, and I ended up short left of the green. I made a fantastic pitch, and tapped in for par. My drive on #15 stayed out to the right, and left me in a packed bunker. It wasn't the hardest shot I'd had, but the "chunk" revisited me, and I was left with 91 yards to the pin to make a par save. I hit a really nice approach, and had a 9-footer for par. I made a great stroke, but it broke a little more than I thought it would. On 17, I hit a great shot that came into the green a little too hot. I didn't hit the best chip in the world, but thanks to a well executed putt and divine intervention, my 30-footer fell in to save par! I finished out the back side at one over par, to give me a total of two over par, 74 for the day.
Although it wasn't my best, I am proud that I finished fairly strong, and got a stroke back on my start! Tomorrow's another day, and it was nice to end on a positive note. I'll tee off #1 tomorrow at 9:00. Thanks for all your support!
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