Stage 2 Site and More Stage 1 Analysis

Received an email today confirming my 2nd Stage assignment. I'll be heading to Dallas, TX - TPC Craig Ranch. November 15th and 16th are practice rounds and the tournament begins on November 18th.

Thanks to everybody for all the emails and text messages congratulating me on my success in North Carolina. Thanks also for everybody continuing to follow this blog. It was a long week, but I was well prepared for the stress and tactfully managed the difficult golf course. I didn't play my best, but I did play a smart game. Until the last hole, I never forced myself to go for anything - be it a pin or a par 5 in two. Only when I knew I could reach a par 5 in two, did I go for it. Only when a pin was in an accessible spot, did I aim for it.

The course set-up really dictated my approach to each round. During round 1, I quickly noticed that all of the pins were tucked into a corner or placed on top of a shelf. I made the decision to avoid those tucked pins with extreme caution. If I went for them and missed the green - essentially short siding myself - I would be making a lot more bogies and flirting with some double bogies. Placing the ball in the middle of the greens meant I'd have several easy pars and by the end of the week, I figured I would've have rolled in some 20-30 foot birdie putts.

My management of the course helped me get through 4 rounds with no double bogies and get me to the 72nd hole until I had a penalty stroke. With so few birdie opportunities, double bogies would've been round killers. Trying to fight back and make 2 birdies would've forced me to get more aggressive, which would've forced me to aim at some of those tucked pins. One double bogey might have led to 2 or 3 more birdies a round, but most certainly would've led to more bogies and possibly more double bogies.

I played the par 3's 1-under par for the week, which again was due to my course management and club selection. Rarely was I aiming for the pin on a par three. I also rarely choose a club based upon the yardage to the pin. I found the spot on the green that I felt was best to hit it to in order to make an easy par or have a chance at birdie and calculated that yardage. Sometimes it was beyond the pin and sometimes it would be a yardage that would just get me to the front edge of the green - even it the pin was 10 yards onto the green. I ended up with 13 pars during the week and 12 of them were tap-ins. The only one that wasn't was during the 3rd round, on #7. After birding #6, I was first to hit on #7 and misjudged the wind. I forgot the wind was blowing to the right and my shot missed the green right and I had to make a 5 foot putt for par. Every other par was a simple 2 foot (or less) tap-in.

That's a lot of analysis for me.


Neil

PGA Q-School - 1st Stage, 4th Round

Final day. Final round. Final hole!

I qualified, but a mistake almost lead to me missing it by one shot. Throughout the week, I never looked at the scoreboard. This course was playing very difficult and I felt it was best for me to stay focused on my own game - not looking to see if other guys were shooting 66 or 67. I believed that if I played well for 4 days, I would be high enough on the leaderboard to advance.

I nearly looked at the scoreboard after the 3rd round, but decided against it. Despite not looking, I had a feeling that I was very close to the number. However, I thought I was on the number when I was actually 1 ahead of the number. This is what caused my mistake in the final round. After making a bogey on the very difficult 17th hole, I thought I was 1 shot back.

Walking to the 18th tee, I told myself I needed birdie and I felt the best way to get that was to go for the green in two and either two putt or get up and down from around the green. After a perfect drive * - probably the best hit drive of the week - I had 250 yards to the middle of the green. I had mud on my ball and a slight side hill lie, but I was 100% convinced I needed birdie and therefore had to go for the green. I pulled my second shot in the water and made a bogey.

* If I hadn't hit the best drive of the week, I would've have 260 or more to the green and probably wouldn't have been able to reach the green. That would've forced me to lay up and make an easy par, which would've prevented all the post-round stress.

After signing my scorecard, I walked to my car and called my coach. I left a message that was very somber, explaining how I might have made a huge mistake - that cost me advancing to 2nd stage of Q-school. When I reached my hotel room - after a 20 minute drive - my coach called me back and I told him the story. Moments later, the scoreboard was updated and I was T-20th. The conversation quickly turned from depressing to upbeat - also some relief that my mistake didn't end my 2009 season.

2nd Stage of Q-School will be in three weeks - Nov. 18-21. Not sure where I'll be sent, but I think my first 2 choices were in Texas.

Neil

PGA Q-School - 1st Stage, 3rd Round

I had a bad start today and the round almost got away from me. I bogied the first two holes. On #1, I drove it into a fairway bunker, found a horrible lie and couldn't advance it more than 100 yards. On #2, I missed the fairway and three putted for bogey. On #4, I missed the fairway and had to hit it over a tree - but couldn't reach the green. I chunked my chip, but managed to make the 15 foot putt for par. On #5, I missed the fairway into another fairway bunker and it stopped within a yard of the front lip. I barely carried the lip, managed to stay under the pine tree that was in my way, and get on the green. I two putted for par.

So after 5 holes, I was lucky to be 2 over-par. I could've been 4. I birdied 6 and 8, but finished the front nine with a bogey on 9. On the back nine I only missed one green and had several good chances at birdies. I birdied both par 5's on the back nine, but I was glad to finish with a second straight 71.

Odd fact for the week: Ian Hessels, who I played with this summer on the Dakotas Tour, is here and I played practice rounds with him - but every round he's been in the group behind me.

Neil

PGA Q-School - 1st Stage, 2nd Round

Today was interesting. I finished with a birdie on my last hole to shoot a 71. In fact, my second shot on my 18th hole (# 9 ) landed a foot from the hole and spun to within 2 inches. That's a great way to finish the day. Tap-in birdie.

The interesting part came on my 7th hole of the day (#16). In the middle of my swing, I felt something give in my 6-iron. I channelled my inner-Tiger and stopped my swing. Immediately I noticed the head had rotated. I basically twisted the head right off! That meant no more 6-iron for the rest of the day. Watch that video and you'll see Tiger go right to his clubhead and start twisting. That's what I did. I'm guessing Tiger felt something give during his swing, just like I felt.

Once I dismantled my 6-iron I decided to hit a chocked up 5-iron into 16. Made par. Then the next hole, I had 177 to the pin to an elevated green - probably a perfect 6-iron. I decided to try and sling a 7-iron up there and I hit it just short of hole high. Two other times on the front nine I could've used a 6-iron, but instead had to step on a 7-iron.

The sun came out early today and really warmed things up. That's probably why I was able to hit the 7-irons farther today than I could the past few days when it was cloudy and cooler.

Neil

PGA Q-School - 1st Stage, 1st Round

First round in Pinehurst, NC this morning. It's cool, cloudy, and wet here. This golf course plays around 7400 yards, but it seems much longer. We aren't getting any roll and the air is so heavy that the balls aren't flying very far. I normally hit a 7-iron around 175 yards, but down here it's not going 10 yards less. Three of the par 5's are around 550 yards, none of which are reachable - not even close really. On #18, I had about 250 yards to the front of the green and didn't even think about going for it. I laid up to 75 yards, and got up and down for a birdie.

I shot a one-over par 73. I made 3 nice birdies on my last 7 holes.

As soon as I finished it began to rain. It's been raining off and on all afternoon and it's supposed to rain most of the night. The forecast for round 2 is for rain. That means that the course will even be softer and longer.

Neil

Final Round in Nebraska

Shot a second consecutive 66, which once again included 7 birdies and 2 bogies. I finished alone in 10th.

I love making 7 birdies in a round - and 19 through 3 rounds, but I very easily could've been bogey free in the final round. Both of my bogies came on three putts. I had two other three putts that came on par 5's that I reached in two shots.

I'll make the excuse that the greens were much faster today than in the first two rounds, and the pins were on some difficult slopes. However, 4 three putts is obvious that I didn't adjust to the quicker greens.

I did hit my wedges really well today. On the first hole, from 73 yards I hit a sand wedge to 1 foot. On #5, my drive went into the trees so I had to punch out. I then hit my sand wedge to 2 feet and saved par. Another good wedge on #7, from 70 yards - in the rough - to 8 feet.

One interesting note - I played the final round with Ryan Quinn. He shot a 69 on Sunday, with 16 pars and 2 birdies. After the round he told me that he made ZERO bogies all weekend! That is amazing. I had 7 bogies, and he had 54 pars or better. I've only had one round this summer without a bogey, but nothing close to an entire tournament.

Summer schedule has been ** UPDATED **

Neil

Nebraska State Open - End of Rd 1 & Rd 2

Played the last 4 holes of round 1 early this morning. Birdied my first hole, a par 5 - but I gave it back 2 holes later with a bogey on a par 3. Finished at 2-under, 69. However, you can see how easy scoring was since I was tied for 30th after round 1. I played pretty good too. I had to grind out a lot of pars in the rain and had to deal with greens that had inconsistent speeds. Regardless, I finished 2-under and got some great scoring conditions for round 2.

In round 2 I made 7 birdies - and 2 bogies - for a 5-under 66. I think I played well, but got outplayed by one player in my group. Trent Peterson also made 7 birdies, but had no bogies for a 64. He managed an even par 71 in round 1 and now finds himself at 7-under, tied with me. Between the two of us we birdie 12 of the 18 holes in round 2, including a birdie stretch from #15 - #2.

I'll post results later tonight when they're put online.

** UPDATE ** Here are results.

After the final round on Sunday, I'll be on the road so watch my twitter page for an update.


Neil

Nebraska State Open - Part of Round 1

2 hour weather delay to begin the afternoon. Then it began raining on the 9th hole and only rained harder as the day wore on. We were pulled off the course after 14 holes. I'll finish my 1st round Saturday morning and then play my second round right after the 1st round is complete.

Through 14 holes I'm 2-under par. Hopefully tomorrow is dry because it was difficult playing this afternoon in the wet conditions. The greens got really bumpy and it was very tough to see during the last 3 holes. Those players who played in the morning had perfect scoring conditions, so I hope I get a taste of that on Saturday.

During the day, you can find results here.

Neil

Tour Championship - Round 2

Second straight 70. Got off to a good start with 4 birdies in my first 7 holes, but stalled out and made no birdies. Two rounds on the course and I've played the last 6 holes even both days. That's bad because 3 of the final 6 holes are par 5's and they are all reachable in two shots. One of the guys I played with today played the last 6 holes 6-under par, which helped him make the cut.

Final round is early Friday morning. I'll be driving home immediately after finishing play, but I'm going to try something new. I just signed up for Twitter, and I'll update my page with my results once I finish. Being on twitter allows me to use my phone to text results. Without it, I'd have to wait to get home where I have an internet connection.

Here's a link to my twitter page. You'll see one update, which was basically a test. Friday afternoon there will be another one. I think you can "follow" me page, which will send you emails when something new has been posted.

Tour Championship - Round 1

1st round 70, 2-under par. I only made one bogey all day, but couldn't make many birdies. There were times when I struggled getting the ball close to the hole and when I did, I made a bad stroke or the ball bounced offline.

It was gusty today and much cooler than it has been, but the most difficultly came on the greens. They were slow and quite bumpy in many spots. Nothing you can do except make a good stroke and hope it stays online.

Neil