Winter Series #1 - 2nd Round

Today's second round was better than yesterday's. I got off to a nice start, making birdies on my first 2 holes - #10 and #11. I also finished the round with a birdie.

I'm in a good position on the leaderboard, but there are a lot of shots between me and first place. Low numbers can definitely be shot on this course so I'll try my best in the final round.

Neil

Happy New Year

You're not even used to writing 2010 on your checks and I'm already back into tournaments.

The Gateway Tour Winter Series started today under perfectly sunny skies and nearly 70 degree temperatures. I shot a 70, 2 under. That puts me in a good spot after one round.

It is fun to be back on the golf course playing tournaments. I have updated my schedule for 2010, but it's only completed through early April because I haven't decided what to play after the Winter Series is over.

Neil

Stage 2 - Part of 3rd Rd

Only played 8 holes today. It rained overnight and continued into the morning. This golf course is like a sponge - we had standing water on a lot of greens and in a lot of fairways. I didn't tee off until 2:40 pm.

We'll try and play 28 holes tomorrow, but there is more rain in the forecast and any more water on this course will make us wait.

You can watch the leaderboard for updates. Or check my twitter page.

Neil

Stage 2 - 2nd Round

Bogied the last hole to finish +2, 73. I hit my worst tee shot of the day and hit it into a water hazard. And this came on the heels of my best hole of the day - #8 - where I hit a great drive, knocked a 9-iron to 4 feet, and made birdie.

Friday has a forecast for rain - most of the morning. That could affect scores, but it was very windy today and scores didn't go up very much. Regardless of the weather, I need to make a big move during the last 2 rounds.

Neil

Stage 2 - 1st Round

I thought I was prepared for everything. I was ready for wind, rain, and cold temperatures. I've become accustomed to 6 hours per round. I was anticipating a tough course with difficult pins. But despite preparing for everything I could think of, I lost it today.

What got me?........

.......water. Or lack thereof. I expected the coolers on the golf course to be filled throughout the day with fresh water, but I guess the employees had other duties to attend to. This course is routed so you never return to the clubhouse and the "halfway house" was locked up. The coolers on hole 7 and 13 were both bone dry. By the time I got to 12, I was extremely dehydrated. I actually had a tough time staying focused for a few holes because I was so thirsty, but also because I couldn't believe nobody was driving around filling up the coolers. And even more surprising, there were no officials in sight to ask them to help us get some water.

Finally, on #15 there was a restroom with drinking fountain. The lukewarm, iron-flavored water tasted like heaven to me. I was seriously worried about what I would've felt like it I hadn't found water by the end of the round.

After drinking the water, I hit a solid 4-iron to 15 feet on #15. I missed the putt, but when I went to tap in my 10 inch par putt the ball oscillated - giving me a one stroke penalty. I kept my composure the best I could. I hit a great drive off 16 and made a simple par. On 17, I made a bad club choice - opted for a knockdown 6, instead of hitting a hard 7 - and made bogey. And then on 18, I had an out of body experience and three-putted from 12 feet.

I thought I was prepared for anything. I guess I will never again assume the golf staff will provide water in the water coolers. The ironic thing is that this golf course (TPC Craig Ranch) is owned by the PGA Tour - just like all TPC courses are. You think they would understand that each player needs water, along with each caddy, and every caddy is going to use water to keep their towel wet. Unbelievable laziness and stupidity shown by the golf staff. But like I said, I will never again rely on idiots in the golf business to do simple tasks.

Funny thing - I have 2 cases of water in the back seat of my car! As I left the parking lot for the driving range, I grabbed one bottle. The rest of the week I will start the day with 4 bottles in my bag - but I also know the rest of the week there will be extra coolers on the course (enough people complained that they decided to put some tables and extra coolers on the course). This isn't the first time this course has hosted 2nd Stage of Q-School, so why aren't they used to something as providing water for the players, caddies, and spectators? I will never again rely on idiots in the golf business to do simple tasks.

Tomorrow is round 2 of 4.

Neil

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