Rough final day. I shot an 80. Unfortunately I made a double bogey and a triple bogey during the round. Those big numbers kill a round, but what frustrates me about this course is how one bad shot leads to a double bogey. Most courses you can take your medicine, punch back out to the fairway and make a bogey, but not here. One of my least favorite courses I've played in a tournament and I'm glad I'm done playing it.
I finished 6th, but won't know my ranking number until February. I'll have to wait and I have no idea when I can expect to start on the Hooters Tour. Hopefully I'll be able to begin by May.
Neil
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Hooters Tour Q-School Day 2
Played 2 rounds today and although the scores might not seem that good, trust me it could've been worse. I shot 78 in both the morning and the afternoon round. It was very cold and very windy all day. I think the high temperature was around 60, but with constant 15 mph winds, it never felt warmer than 50. Starting out at 7:39 was awful. The sun was barely above the trees when I got to the course and I had on three layers, which stayed on all day. The golf course is a tough one, but not because it's long or challenging, but because it's very odd. The course is surrounded with homes meaning out of bounds is on both sides of the fairway and once off the fairway, the ground tends to slope to the out of bounds. The ground is also very firm, which means you're getting a lot of roll, so it's frustrating to find the fairways. On top of this, there are water hazards on 13 of the 18 holes and they always begin at about 250 yards from the tee. This leaves the driver in the bag and usually the 3-wood too. I hit a 2-iron off of more than half the holes and only hit driver a few times. Even the 440 yard par 4 requies a 2-iron off the tee. All this trouble off the tee creates a long and frustrating day, then imagine doing it twice in a day.
Despite not playing that well, there are other people playing worse. One of the guys I played with this morning shot 102! It was tough to watch, but he kept his cool and actually finished the round and played in the afternoon. I know a lot of guys who would've quit or not turn in their scorecard. Everybody struggled in the morning. Three guys (including myself) broke 80 and I think 4 guys shot 90 or higher.
One more round to go. It'll be freezing again tomorrow morning, but I hope there isn't any wind. That will at least make it bearable. As of right now, I'm in 6th place. We'll see if I can hit the ball well for the whole day and make some putts. I struggled with the putting through the first 3 rounds. Take care and I'll update tomorrow night.
Neil
Despite not playing that well, there are other people playing worse. One of the guys I played with this morning shot 102! It was tough to watch, but he kept his cool and actually finished the round and played in the afternoon. I know a lot of guys who would've quit or not turn in their scorecard. Everybody struggled in the morning. Three guys (including myself) broke 80 and I think 4 guys shot 90 or higher.
One more round to go. It'll be freezing again tomorrow morning, but I hope there isn't any wind. That will at least make it bearable. As of right now, I'm in 6th place. We'll see if I can hit the ball well for the whole day and make some putts. I struggled with the putting through the first 3 rounds. Take care and I'll update tomorrow night.
Neil
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
WSGA Player of the Year
Hello All,
Earlier I mentioned that I was named the 2005 Wisconsin Player of the Year. I have some more details. Go to this link to see the points list:
Wisconsin Player of the Year Points list
If that link doesn't work, go to this one and click on the box that shows the points list:
WSGA Website
I'm getting prepared for Hooters Tour Ranking School. It begins a week from today in Houston, Texas. I'll be leaving Sunday night and coming back Friday Night. There are four rounds and that's about all I know. The players have a meeting Monday night and I'm sure they'll explain more then. I'll be updating each day, but the Hooters Tour website is this:
Hooters Tour Website
You can look at the 2006 tentative schedule and other things about the tour. Like I said, I'll be updating all week so keep checking.
Neil
Earlier I mentioned that I was named the 2005 Wisconsin Player of the Year. I have some more details. Go to this link to see the points list:
Wisconsin Player of the Year Points list
If that link doesn't work, go to this one and click on the box that shows the points list:
WSGA Website
I'm getting prepared for Hooters Tour Ranking School. It begins a week from today in Houston, Texas. I'll be leaving Sunday night and coming back Friday Night. There are four rounds and that's about all I know. The players have a meeting Monday night and I'm sure they'll explain more then. I'll be updating each day, but the Hooters Tour website is this:
Hooters Tour Website
You can look at the 2006 tentative schedule and other things about the tour. Like I said, I'll be updating all week so keep checking.
Neil
Saturday, October 29, 2005
PGA Q-School Final Day
Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I left the course right away to return the rental car and once I got to the airport I had some problems. I got there around 3:30 with a scheduled flight at 8:00, but that flight got cancelled. Luckily I got put on an earlier flight and got home much earlier. I had planned on updating at the airport, but with the earlier flight I had no time.
The final round was a frustrating one and I'm sure if you looked at my hole-by-hole scores you know why. I started on 10 and got off to a great start. I then had a nice run on 16-1 where I made 4 straight birdies. I was just hitting the greens and giving myself birdie chances, but on my 12th hole I hit some horrible shots and made a 9. Don't ask me how I got a nine because I'll just tell you that I tapped in. Just kidding. The hole has some overhanging branches up the right side of the fairway. I hit one and my ball dropped down into the fairway, but 230 yards from the green. I then proceeded to shank two balls into the woods on the right. It was a disastrous hole and really took all the momentum I had built up throughout the day. I tried to finish well, but it's tough to stay focused after making a quintuple bogey.
Since I didn't advance to 2nd Stage I will spend next summer on the Hooters Tour. My next tournament will be the Ranking School for Hooters Tour. I'm already a member of the tour, but this tournament will give me a ranking number to determine when I begin playing. If I finish high I will begin early in the season, but the worse that I finish means the later I start. No matter what happens I will be playing the Hooters Tour by next June. That tournament begins November 15 (once again in Houston). Until then I'll just spend my time practicing and correcting what went wrong this past week.
Thanks again for all the support and messages all week. I wish I had hit the ball better to give myself a chance, but that's the struggle of golf. Have a great weekend and keep checking for updates.
Neil
The final round was a frustrating one and I'm sure if you looked at my hole-by-hole scores you know why. I started on 10 and got off to a great start. I then had a nice run on 16-1 where I made 4 straight birdies. I was just hitting the greens and giving myself birdie chances, but on my 12th hole I hit some horrible shots and made a 9. Don't ask me how I got a nine because I'll just tell you that I tapped in. Just kidding. The hole has some overhanging branches up the right side of the fairway. I hit one and my ball dropped down into the fairway, but 230 yards from the green. I then proceeded to shank two balls into the woods on the right. It was a disastrous hole and really took all the momentum I had built up throughout the day. I tried to finish well, but it's tough to stay focused after making a quintuple bogey.
Since I didn't advance to 2nd Stage I will spend next summer on the Hooters Tour. My next tournament will be the Ranking School for Hooters Tour. I'm already a member of the tour, but this tournament will give me a ranking number to determine when I begin playing. If I finish high I will begin early in the season, but the worse that I finish means the later I start. No matter what happens I will be playing the Hooters Tour by next June. That tournament begins November 15 (once again in Houston). Until then I'll just spend my time practicing and correcting what went wrong this past week.
Thanks again for all the support and messages all week. I wish I had hit the ball better to give myself a chance, but that's the struggle of golf. Have a great weekend and keep checking for updates.
Neil
Thursday, October 27, 2005
PGA Q-School Day 3
Another 74, but this one was far worse than the one on day two. I played very poorly today and got very lucky to not shoot worse than this. Despite finishing well the second day and feeling good about starting out today I could not find a golf swing today. I was hitting it everywhere and struggling with my short game. Somehow I hit the ball decent on the last 6 holes and had good birdie chances on all of those holes. Does that mean I'm set for tomorrow? Who knows. I hope I'll show up to the golf course with a swing that I can trust, but that hasn't been the case the last few days. It may be another rough start that leaves me correcting things on the course. I certainly hope not because I would like to finish with a good round. Either way, I'll grind out something and enjoy the experience.
One good thing about today is that my playing partners were great. One was from Kiwi and the other was from Chile. I found myself struggling with their accents all day, but it was fun to talk about three different parts of the world. They didn't know much about Wisconsin, just like I didn't know much about Kiwi or Chile. Hugo (from Chile) had his Dad carrying the bag and they were constantly talking to each other in Spanish. He had a very quick temper and I'm pretty sure they had a few arguments about what club to hit and how much the putt would break. A few times after missing a putt, Hugo's dad mumbled under his breath. I have no idea what he was saying, but I don't think it was anything encouraging.
Thanks for all the support this week. I hope to finish strong and then safely return to Phoenix. I've had enough of Houston and all their talk about what they needed to win the World Series. That's all I've heard on the radio.
One more time, here's the link to follow the results:
www.qualifyingtournament.com
Neil
One good thing about today is that my playing partners were great. One was from Kiwi and the other was from Chile. I found myself struggling with their accents all day, but it was fun to talk about three different parts of the world. They didn't know much about Wisconsin, just like I didn't know much about Kiwi or Chile. Hugo (from Chile) had his Dad carrying the bag and they were constantly talking to each other in Spanish. He had a very quick temper and I'm pretty sure they had a few arguments about what club to hit and how much the putt would break. A few times after missing a putt, Hugo's dad mumbled under his breath. I have no idea what he was saying, but I don't think it was anything encouraging.
Thanks for all the support this week. I hope to finish strong and then safely return to Phoenix. I've had enough of Houston and all their talk about what they needed to win the World Series. That's all I've heard on the radio.
One more time, here's the link to follow the results:
www.qualifyingtournament.com
Neil
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
PGA Q-School Day 2
74: A better day, but still a lot of shots left out there and a lot of improvement needed. I finished the day pretty well, hitting the ball much better the last 10 holes. Unfortunately I had a very rough start to my second round. On the very first hole, I hit my drive in the middle of the fairway, but there is a tree there and my ball came to rest directly behind the tree. I had to take an unplayable lie and drop. Only a few holes later, the fairway had trees in the middle again and once again I hit the tree. This time it hit the tree and bounced back 60 yards. Instead of having an 8-iron in, I had a 2-iron. Tough start. I jokingly said to the guys I was playing with that I wasn't aiming for the trees, but rather the fairway. I didn't get mad because I hit the shots in the fairway, it was just bad luck that the course was designed with trees in the middle of the fairway.
I was proud that I didn't give up after that frustrating start. I'll admit that I was on the brink of getting really upset, especially considering the unfortunate ruling the first day. I just did my best to shake it off and by the time I got to the back nine I was focused on my game and the shots ahead, not the bad breaks that had already happened.
Looking at the scores, I'm well back of the top 20 and without putting up a couple of low rounds I will not advance to 2nd stage. There are plenty of things left to play for and I will do my best to improve each of the next two days. Keep following the results at www.qualifyingtournament.com
I will update again tomorrow.
Neil
I was proud that I didn't give up after that frustrating start. I'll admit that I was on the brink of getting really upset, especially considering the unfortunate ruling the first day. I just did my best to shake it off and by the time I got to the back nine I was focused on my game and the shots ahead, not the bad breaks that had already happened.
Looking at the scores, I'm well back of the top 20 and without putting up a couple of low rounds I will not advance to 2nd stage. There are plenty of things left to play for and I will do my best to improve each of the next two days. Keep following the results at www.qualifyingtournament.com
I will update again tomorrow.
Neil
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
PGA Q-School Day 1
Unfortunately my first day at q-school was a rough one, and not just on the golf course. The day started with me locking myself out of my hotel room while eating breakfast. Somehow the door's latch swung into the locked position after I shut my door. The hotel workers had a trick on how to get it open when that happens, but for a while I was worried we'd have to call the fire department. My golf clubs, car keys, wallet, and cell phone were all in the room so I would've been in big trouble if not for Shirley and her pop bottle trick. I guess I now know how to open the hotel room if that ever happens again.
Once I got to the course, there were no range balls. Nobody was willing to share them because they didn't have too many themselves so I found myself walking along the far side of the range picking up balls so I could warm up.
Once I got onto the golf course, nothing got better. I hit it very poorly today, especially off the tee. I wasn't sure if I was going to hit it right or left and I ended up trying to steer most of the shots into the fairway and that is never effective. I also struggled with my irons, hitting nothing close and missing a lot of greens with not difficult shots.
The worse thing about today was a ruling that did not go my way. On the 15th hole I found myself near a cartpath and on a barren sand-filled area. It wasn't marked as ground under repair, but the sand was clearly brought in as an attempt to level the ground out. I played two balls, one from the area and one with relief. I made a par 5 with the relief ball and made a double bogey 7 with the other ball. This happened on my 6th hole and for the rest of the round I thought for sure I would get relief because there were other areas similar to the one I found that had been marked. After finishing my round, but before signing my card I talked to a rules official. We drove out to the hole and he informed me that the area was simply part of the conditions of the course. I told him about the other marked areas and we drove to investigate those, but he did not change his mind. I very politely pleaded my case as to how the area I found was not a normal condition for a golf course, but it was to no avail. Just another unfortunate break at the end of a tough day. I guess shooting 76 wouldn't have been too much better, but it would've made dinner taste better.
I tee of on Wednesday at 9:20 am. The round on Tuesday took 5:20 so I'll be done just in time to catch an early dinner. I'll post again tomorrow night, but you can check the scores at:
www.qualifyingtournament.com
Very humbled,
Neil
Once I got to the course, there were no range balls. Nobody was willing to share them because they didn't have too many themselves so I found myself walking along the far side of the range picking up balls so I could warm up.
Once I got onto the golf course, nothing got better. I hit it very poorly today, especially off the tee. I wasn't sure if I was going to hit it right or left and I ended up trying to steer most of the shots into the fairway and that is never effective. I also struggled with my irons, hitting nothing close and missing a lot of greens with not difficult shots.
The worse thing about today was a ruling that did not go my way. On the 15th hole I found myself near a cartpath and on a barren sand-filled area. It wasn't marked as ground under repair, but the sand was clearly brought in as an attempt to level the ground out. I played two balls, one from the area and one with relief. I made a par 5 with the relief ball and made a double bogey 7 with the other ball. This happened on my 6th hole and for the rest of the round I thought for sure I would get relief because there were other areas similar to the one I found that had been marked. After finishing my round, but before signing my card I talked to a rules official. We drove out to the hole and he informed me that the area was simply part of the conditions of the course. I told him about the other marked areas and we drove to investigate those, but he did not change his mind. I very politely pleaded my case as to how the area I found was not a normal condition for a golf course, but it was to no avail. Just another unfortunate break at the end of a tough day. I guess shooting 76 wouldn't have been too much better, but it would've made dinner taste better.
I tee of on Wednesday at 9:20 am. The round on Tuesday took 5:20 so I'll be done just in time to catch an early dinner. I'll post again tomorrow night, but you can check the scores at:
www.qualifyingtournament.com
Very humbled,
Neil
Monday, October 24, 2005
Travelling to Houston
Hello Family and Friends,
I made it to Houston safely and have had two days to practice and get ready for q-school. I've played the course twice and spent plenty of time on the putting green and range. Overall, I like the course. It's not very long and since the fairways are firm, it will play even shorter. However, the greens are very fast and have a lot of slippery slopes in them. Putting will definately be the deciding factor because if you're not careful, every putt can get away from you and leave you with a long comeback. The weather has been perfect so far so I hope that trend continues. It was pretty windy today and I would love to feel that wind each day.
I begin Tuesday morning at 10:20 am (central time). I will update this again tomorrow night with my first day results. You can also check them at the PGA website:
www.qualifyingtournament.com
Please feel free to send me a good luck note or simply send me good vibes all week. Take care,
Neil Johnson
mrneiljohnson@hotmail.com
I made it to Houston safely and have had two days to practice and get ready for q-school. I've played the course twice and spent plenty of time on the putting green and range. Overall, I like the course. It's not very long and since the fairways are firm, it will play even shorter. However, the greens are very fast and have a lot of slippery slopes in them. Putting will definately be the deciding factor because if you're not careful, every putt can get away from you and leave you with a long comeback. The weather has been perfect so far so I hope that trend continues. It was pretty windy today and I would love to feel that wind each day.
I begin Tuesday morning at 10:20 am (central time). I will update this again tomorrow night with my first day results. You can also check them at the PGA website:
www.qualifyingtournament.com
Please feel free to send me a good luck note or simply send me good vibes all week. Take care,
Neil Johnson
mrneiljohnson@hotmail.com
Saturday, October 01, 2005
USGA State Team Championships
It was a wonderful final week of my amateur career. I got a chance to play in one final USGA event, almost everything was paid for, and the course we played at was one of the finest facilities I've been to. Our team didn't do that well, we finished in a tie for 17th, but I felt good about the way I grinded my way around the course. The course was long and it played very tough. All the fairways were a firm as concrete and the rough was very long. This meant that the balls easily bounced through the fairways and into the thick rough. From there the greens were just as firm as the fairways, meaning a shot from the rough needed a miracle to stop on the green. Once on the green, you had to take into consideration which way the grain was going and then read the break accordingly. It made for a very difficult and frustrating round of golf. Sometimes you would hit a great drive, and fabulous second shot, only to two putt from 5 feet because you completely miss read the grain.
Despite all of the grinding I had to do, I enjoyed all three rounds and finished tied for 16th in the individual standings. I learned a lot about the bermuda greens and gained a lot of confidence about my ability to play in the southern part of the US. I was the low man from Wisconsin, but not because of my great play. The other two guys struggled. For the tournament, I shot 72-72-73, 1-over par. The best part of the whole tournament was ending it with a birdie. I rolled in a 25 foot putt on my final hole. That's a nice way to end my amateur career.
Once I got back to Wisconsin I received some wonderful news. I found out I was named the 2005 Wisconsin Amateur Player of the Year. My consistent play throughout the summer paid off. I'll write more about this when I know more. Next week I will be traveling down to Arizona to get settled before the 1st stage of Q-school. That begins October 23rd in Texas. I will be updating everyday for that, but you can also follow it at:
www.pgatour.com/qschool
Feel free to leave a comment. I think people are reading this, but I'm not sure who or how many.
Neil
Despite all of the grinding I had to do, I enjoyed all three rounds and finished tied for 16th in the individual standings. I learned a lot about the bermuda greens and gained a lot of confidence about my ability to play in the southern part of the US. I was the low man from Wisconsin, but not because of my great play. The other two guys struggled. For the tournament, I shot 72-72-73, 1-over par. The best part of the whole tournament was ending it with a birdie. I rolled in a 25 foot putt on my final hole. That's a nice way to end my amateur career.
Once I got back to Wisconsin I received some wonderful news. I found out I was named the 2005 Wisconsin Amateur Player of the Year. My consistent play throughout the summer paid off. I'll write more about this when I know more. Next week I will be traveling down to Arizona to get settled before the 1st stage of Q-school. That begins October 23rd in Texas. I will be updating everyday for that, but you can also follow it at:
www.pgatour.com/qschool
Feel free to leave a comment. I think people are reading this, but I'm not sure who or how many.
Neil
Monday, September 19, 2005
Nebraska State Open
Hello Friends,
I'm back from the Nebraska State Open and I was able to post another top ten finish in my third state open of the summer. I started with a 3-under par 68. I shot a 4-under 31 on the front side, then leveled off with 8 pars and one bogey on the back nine.
On day two I managed a two over par 73. During my round, I was one over through 9 holes. A birdie on my tenth hole got me back to even par, but a bogey on number 12 and a double bogey on number 15 put me three over for the day. The double bogey was a tough one to swallow because I was on the par five in two shots, but then took five putts to get the ball in the hole. I can't remember the last time I five putted. After my disastrous double bogey I made a birdie and two pars.
Just to show you how frustrating golf can be, I hit the ball better on day two than on day one, but shot 5 shots higher. I guess that proves how important putting is. I'll prove that even more so with my day three story.
I started the final round 7 shots back and in 25th place. I was the low amateur by 4 shots so going into the day I hoped to win low amateur and sneak into the top ten. Thanks to a wonderful front nine that included 5 birdies and 4 pars, I was close to wrapping both of those up. My front nine 30 was the second time I had shot that on nine holes, but the first time in competition. After making a birdie on number 8, I needed a birdie on 9 to shoot 29. I hit the drive in the fairway, but it found its way into a divot. I hit a good shot from there to 15 feet, but couldn't make that one to shoot 29.
Going to the back nine, I just wanted to keep swinging like I did on the front nine. After a good tee shot on ten, I have an amazing chain of events. For the second consecutive holes, my ball found its way into a divot. This one was far worse than the first one. It was a huge divot filled with sand. Just to make things worse, half of my ball was covered in mud. All I hoped to do from there was punch a shot onto the green. However, I wasn't able to control the shot and it sailed over the green and landed in the middle of a pine tree. Instead of getting upset, I just shrugged off the bad luck and walked up to hit my next shot. When I got up there, my ball had kicked out of the pine tree and had found a good lie. (nice break after getting stuck in the divot) I hit a flop shot and it landed barely on, rolled towards the hole, and on it's last drop, fell into the hole. As I said before, quite an amazing chain of events.
I then birdied number 12, 13, and 16. At that point, I was 9-under for the day and 10-under for the tournament. Word had traveled back to the clubhouse and officials were following me at this point. After almost a 10 minute wait on 17 tee, I hit my worst shot of the day and could do no better than chip it to 30 feet. I three putted from there for a double bogey. An up and down on number 18 meant a 7-under 64. I ended up alone in 4th place, two shots out of a three man playoff. It was a fun day and even though I didn't hit it that well, I still managed to shot 64. Once again, a great example of how putting is the most important aspect of the game. I had 24 putts in the final with a three putt!
I finished low amateur by nine shots. The second low amateur finished tied for 36th.
That is all for now. Next week, I'm off to South Carolina for the USGA State Team Championship. It will be my final amateur event.
Take care,
Neil
I'm back from the Nebraska State Open and I was able to post another top ten finish in my third state open of the summer. I started with a 3-under par 68. I shot a 4-under 31 on the front side, then leveled off with 8 pars and one bogey on the back nine.
On day two I managed a two over par 73. During my round, I was one over through 9 holes. A birdie on my tenth hole got me back to even par, but a bogey on number 12 and a double bogey on number 15 put me three over for the day. The double bogey was a tough one to swallow because I was on the par five in two shots, but then took five putts to get the ball in the hole. I can't remember the last time I five putted. After my disastrous double bogey I made a birdie and two pars.
Just to show you how frustrating golf can be, I hit the ball better on day two than on day one, but shot 5 shots higher. I guess that proves how important putting is. I'll prove that even more so with my day three story.
I started the final round 7 shots back and in 25th place. I was the low amateur by 4 shots so going into the day I hoped to win low amateur and sneak into the top ten. Thanks to a wonderful front nine that included 5 birdies and 4 pars, I was close to wrapping both of those up. My front nine 30 was the second time I had shot that on nine holes, but the first time in competition. After making a birdie on number 8, I needed a birdie on 9 to shoot 29. I hit the drive in the fairway, but it found its way into a divot. I hit a good shot from there to 15 feet, but couldn't make that one to shoot 29.
Going to the back nine, I just wanted to keep swinging like I did on the front nine. After a good tee shot on ten, I have an amazing chain of events. For the second consecutive holes, my ball found its way into a divot. This one was far worse than the first one. It was a huge divot filled with sand. Just to make things worse, half of my ball was covered in mud. All I hoped to do from there was punch a shot onto the green. However, I wasn't able to control the shot and it sailed over the green and landed in the middle of a pine tree. Instead of getting upset, I just shrugged off the bad luck and walked up to hit my next shot. When I got up there, my ball had kicked out of the pine tree and had found a good lie. (nice break after getting stuck in the divot) I hit a flop shot and it landed barely on, rolled towards the hole, and on it's last drop, fell into the hole. As I said before, quite an amazing chain of events.
I then birdied number 12, 13, and 16. At that point, I was 9-under for the day and 10-under for the tournament. Word had traveled back to the clubhouse and officials were following me at this point. After almost a 10 minute wait on 17 tee, I hit my worst shot of the day and could do no better than chip it to 30 feet. I three putted from there for a double bogey. An up and down on number 18 meant a 7-under 64. I ended up alone in 4th place, two shots out of a three man playoff. It was a fun day and even though I didn't hit it that well, I still managed to shot 64. Once again, a great example of how putting is the most important aspect of the game. I had 24 putts in the final with a three putt!
I finished low amateur by nine shots. The second low amateur finished tied for 36th.
That is all for now. Next week, I'm off to South Carolina for the USGA State Team Championship. It will be my final amateur event.
Take care,
Neil
Friday, August 19, 2005
Pinehurst, Pine-to-Palm, and Wisconsin State Open
Hello Friends,
I am back. After a long 3 1/2 weeks of travelling and playing tournaments, I'm back home with a week to relax. My long tour started in Michigan where I failed to qualify for the Western Amateur. After that I helped the Wisconsin amateurs beat the Wisconsin pros in the Nelthorpe Cup. After that I travelled to Pinehurst, North Carolina to play in the North South Amateur. I qualified for the match play, but lost my first round. Just getting to the match play was a success because after a first round 76, I was in 111th place. I needed to get to 63rd to make the matches. The second day I played Pinehurst #2 and shot a 1-under par 70. I had a putt at 69, but just missed it.
After North Carolina, I travelled up to Detroit Lakes, MN to play in the Pine to Palm Tournament. I qualfied with 70-67 good enough for a tie for fourth. Unfortuantely I lost my first round. I shot a 68, but that wasn't good enough. I ended up losing in 23 holes.
From Detroit Lakes, I droved to Sheboygan, WI for the Wisconsin State Open. I opened up the tournament with a 1-under par 71. I was very happy with that round because I hadn't seen the course before my round. The second day I struggled and shot a 76. The pins were very difficult for that round and it made me very defensive on my putting. The final day is a 36 hole marathon. I started the day with a 2-under par 70 and finished the tournament with an even par 72. I played well that last day, but in both rounds the other two guys in my group beat me. It's not often that you shot 70-72 on a Pete Dye golf course and get beat by everybody in your group. My 1-over par total of 289 was good enough for T-8th and 3rd low amateur.
That's all for now. I'll update after the Nebraska State Open, which is in a month.
Neil
I am back. After a long 3 1/2 weeks of travelling and playing tournaments, I'm back home with a week to relax. My long tour started in Michigan where I failed to qualify for the Western Amateur. After that I helped the Wisconsin amateurs beat the Wisconsin pros in the Nelthorpe Cup. After that I travelled to Pinehurst, North Carolina to play in the North South Amateur. I qualified for the match play, but lost my first round. Just getting to the match play was a success because after a first round 76, I was in 111th place. I needed to get to 63rd to make the matches. The second day I played Pinehurst #2 and shot a 1-under par 70. I had a putt at 69, but just missed it.
After North Carolina, I travelled up to Detroit Lakes, MN to play in the Pine to Palm Tournament. I qualfied with 70-67 good enough for a tie for fourth. Unfortuantely I lost my first round. I shot a 68, but that wasn't good enough. I ended up losing in 23 holes.
From Detroit Lakes, I droved to Sheboygan, WI for the Wisconsin State Open. I opened up the tournament with a 1-under par 71. I was very happy with that round because I hadn't seen the course before my round. The second day I struggled and shot a 76. The pins were very difficult for that round and it made me very defensive on my putting. The final day is a 36 hole marathon. I started the day with a 2-under par 70 and finished the tournament with an even par 72. I played well that last day, but in both rounds the other two guys in my group beat me. It's not often that you shot 70-72 on a Pete Dye golf course and get beat by everybody in your group. My 1-over par total of 289 was good enough for T-8th and 3rd low amateur.
That's all for now. I'll update after the Nebraska State Open, which is in a month.
Neil
Monday, July 25, 2005
Minnesota State Open
Hello Friends,
This past weekend I played in the Minnestoa State Open and something amazing happened. I started the weekend off with a 2-under par 70. I played well during this round, but struggled on the back nine. My front nine consisted of three birdies and no bogies, but on the back nine I made a few to many bogies and I couldn't make birdies. Coming back Saturday morning I was in a good position to make a move. I started the day 2 shots off the lead and after 3 birdies in the first 7 holes I was making that move. Unfortunately after teeing off on the 8th hole the siren blew to get us off the golf course. After a 4 hour rain delay we went back out on the golf course. After the rain delay I was a different golfer on the course. I struggled with the driver and made a lot of mistakes the last 11 holes. I finished the second day with a 2-over par 74. This left me at even par through 2 rounds, 10 shots back of the leader. Due to the long rain delay, not everybody finished their second round so they had to come back early Sunday morning.
I got up not knowing my tee-time and when I got to the course I found out I probably had 2 hours until the final round started. I wasted sometime and when I teed off I didn't feel anything special about the day. Even through three holes, the round was very boring. I failed to birdie a short par 5 and walked to the fourth tee even par. The next shot turned on a switch and started a run of 10 birdies in my final 15 holes. The shot was a 2-iron on a 220 yard hole. I hit it to less than a foot. It was right at the pin the whole time and when it landed I had a feeling it might dissapear. I ended up about 10 inches right behind the hole. I then birdied the next two holes and finished the front nine with birdies on 8 and 9, good enough for a 31. On the back nine I birdied the first par 5 and then made a nice birdie on number 13 after hitting a fairway bunker shot to 10 feet. I then birdied the other par 5 on that side to get to 8 under. Number 15 was my only test for par all day. I hit a good drive, but it bounced two yards into the rough. I hit it to 20 feet above the hole from there. My first putt ran 5 feet by. I made the comeback and that was the only time I didn't make a birdie or tap in for par. I birdie 16, chipped it to a foot on 17, and walked to 18 tee 9-under par for the day. I hit a bad drive, but had a shot and put the gap wedge to 8 feet. The putt was the only time I was nervous all day. I hadn't thought about what I was shooting all day until I reached the 18th green. I wanted to end with one more birdie, but the putt I had was an eight footer that slid from left to right. Like I had done all day, I took a deep breathe and gather myself enough to roll in the putt. My reaction wasn't a fist pump or a cheer, but rather an exhausted sigh of relief. I finally did it, I finally went extremely low in a competitive tournament. Not only did I beat my career best 65 by three shots, I also beat my career comptetive best 66 by four shots. I had never had a round where you're "in the zone" for 15 holes. My group helped me with that. They didn't get in my way and certainly didn't jinx me by talking about how well I was playing. They simply left me alone and let me play golf.
I finished the day 2 shots back, but I was alone in second play and low amateur for the tournament. It was an amazing day that started off like nothing special, but one shot changed that and turned it into a day I'll never forget.
This past weekend I played in the Minnestoa State Open and something amazing happened. I started the weekend off with a 2-under par 70. I played well during this round, but struggled on the back nine. My front nine consisted of three birdies and no bogies, but on the back nine I made a few to many bogies and I couldn't make birdies. Coming back Saturday morning I was in a good position to make a move. I started the day 2 shots off the lead and after 3 birdies in the first 7 holes I was making that move. Unfortunately after teeing off on the 8th hole the siren blew to get us off the golf course. After a 4 hour rain delay we went back out on the golf course. After the rain delay I was a different golfer on the course. I struggled with the driver and made a lot of mistakes the last 11 holes. I finished the second day with a 2-over par 74. This left me at even par through 2 rounds, 10 shots back of the leader. Due to the long rain delay, not everybody finished their second round so they had to come back early Sunday morning.
I got up not knowing my tee-time and when I got to the course I found out I probably had 2 hours until the final round started. I wasted sometime and when I teed off I didn't feel anything special about the day. Even through three holes, the round was very boring. I failed to birdie a short par 5 and walked to the fourth tee even par. The next shot turned on a switch and started a run of 10 birdies in my final 15 holes. The shot was a 2-iron on a 220 yard hole. I hit it to less than a foot. It was right at the pin the whole time and when it landed I had a feeling it might dissapear. I ended up about 10 inches right behind the hole. I then birdied the next two holes and finished the front nine with birdies on 8 and 9, good enough for a 31. On the back nine I birdied the first par 5 and then made a nice birdie on number 13 after hitting a fairway bunker shot to 10 feet. I then birdied the other par 5 on that side to get to 8 under. Number 15 was my only test for par all day. I hit a good drive, but it bounced two yards into the rough. I hit it to 20 feet above the hole from there. My first putt ran 5 feet by. I made the comeback and that was the only time I didn't make a birdie or tap in for par. I birdie 16, chipped it to a foot on 17, and walked to 18 tee 9-under par for the day. I hit a bad drive, but had a shot and put the gap wedge to 8 feet. The putt was the only time I was nervous all day. I hadn't thought about what I was shooting all day until I reached the 18th green. I wanted to end with one more birdie, but the putt I had was an eight footer that slid from left to right. Like I had done all day, I took a deep breathe and gather myself enough to roll in the putt. My reaction wasn't a fist pump or a cheer, but rather an exhausted sigh of relief. I finally did it, I finally went extremely low in a competitive tournament. Not only did I beat my career best 65 by three shots, I also beat my career comptetive best 66 by four shots. I had never had a round where you're "in the zone" for 15 holes. My group helped me with that. They didn't get in my way and certainly didn't jinx me by talking about how well I was playing. They simply left me alone and let me play golf.
I finished the day 2 shots back, but I was alone in second play and low amateur for the tournament. It was an amazing day that started off like nothing special, but one shot changed that and turned it into a day I'll never forget.
Chipping on #17
Chipping on number 17 the final day. It was the one of two greens that I missed all day, but the only time I had to chip. I hit it to one foot and tapped in for my par.
Tee Shot #17
Tee shot on number 17 the final day. It was a 4-iron on a 230 yard par 3. My ball landed near the hole, but bounced over the green. I guess I had a little adrenaline pumping.
Walking
Walking during the final round. I had a great group and they stayed out of my way letting me shot the 62. They treated my like a pitcher throwing a perfect game, they just left me alone. I owe Robbie and Eddie thanks for that.
Flop Shot Day 1
Hitting a flop shot on number 7 the first day. The ball can be seen in the upper right corner. I successfully got the ball up and down.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Wisconsin State Amateur
Hello Friends,
I've posted several pictures from my most recent tournament, the State Amateur. I finished the week tied for 7th with a four round total of 289 (+1). My four rounds were 71, 75, 69, 74. Despite not winning, it was a successful week. Going into the tournament, I felt very confident and hoped that I could play well enough the first three days to give myself a shot to win it on the final day. I definately gave myself that chance. I was three shots behind in a tie for fourth as the final day began. Unfortunately the course was playing very difficult the last day and it was not easy to make up shots. Finishing top ten in the State Amateur was a first for me and it was a good experience to play in the second to last group on the final day.
To start the week out, I play very solid and shot a one under 71. However, one of my playing partners shot a 65 so my 71 got overshadowed. On the second day I hoped to move up the leaderboard, but instead I struggled to shoot a 75. I had triple bogey early in the round and despite my best attempts to come back from it, I could not do any better than three over par. After two rounds I was nine shots back, but still felt like I could win if I shot two rounds in the sixties.
The third round was by far my best round of the week. Driving, putting, chipping, and ball-striking were nearly flawless. I got off to a quick start with three birdies in my first 6 holes and continued with a birdie on 10. Unfortunately my round took a dramatic turn for the worse on number 12. I tried to hit a 2-Iron in the fairway, but I pushed it into the right woods and it kicked into the river. I took a drop and could not punch it out of the woods. I then successfully punched out to the fairway and played a wedge to 15 feet. I just missed the putt for a six and tapped in for a 7. I knew I had climbed way up the leaderboard and I wiped all of that work out with one hole. Thankfully I was able to put the triple bogey behind me rather quickly and get back to playing the way I had the rest of the day. On number 15, I knocked a 7-iron to 3 feet and made the putt for birdie (see picture). Then on the next hole I hit an approach to eighteen feet and made the putt, which probably broke close to eight feet. I almost had my back to the hole on the putt, but the ball fell in on its last revolution. A lip out on number 17 and a good two putt on 18 got me into the clubhouse with a 3-under 69 and a three round total of 215 (-1).
Coming out on the final day, I had accomplished one of my goals for the week. I had a chance to win on the last day. I grinded throughout the entire day despite not hitting it my best. The pins were in very difficult positions and the greens had dried out by the afternoon so they became very fast. I tapped in on 18 for a 74, good enough for a tie for 7th.
Throughout the week I was very impressed with my putting. The greens were very sloped and the pins were in very tricky spots which made it tough to get the ball close. I made plenty of 10-20 footers for pars and birdies and manged to get through the week with only one three putt. It is nice to see the hard work I have done on my putting pay off.
Take care, I have the Minnesota State Open next.
Neil
I've posted several pictures from my most recent tournament, the State Amateur. I finished the week tied for 7th with a four round total of 289 (+1). My four rounds were 71, 75, 69, 74. Despite not winning, it was a successful week. Going into the tournament, I felt very confident and hoped that I could play well enough the first three days to give myself a shot to win it on the final day. I definately gave myself that chance. I was three shots behind in a tie for fourth as the final day began. Unfortunately the course was playing very difficult the last day and it was not easy to make up shots. Finishing top ten in the State Amateur was a first for me and it was a good experience to play in the second to last group on the final day.
To start the week out, I play very solid and shot a one under 71. However, one of my playing partners shot a 65 so my 71 got overshadowed. On the second day I hoped to move up the leaderboard, but instead I struggled to shoot a 75. I had triple bogey early in the round and despite my best attempts to come back from it, I could not do any better than three over par. After two rounds I was nine shots back, but still felt like I could win if I shot two rounds in the sixties.
The third round was by far my best round of the week. Driving, putting, chipping, and ball-striking were nearly flawless. I got off to a quick start with three birdies in my first 6 holes and continued with a birdie on 10. Unfortunately my round took a dramatic turn for the worse on number 12. I tried to hit a 2-Iron in the fairway, but I pushed it into the right woods and it kicked into the river. I took a drop and could not punch it out of the woods. I then successfully punched out to the fairway and played a wedge to 15 feet. I just missed the putt for a six and tapped in for a 7. I knew I had climbed way up the leaderboard and I wiped all of that work out with one hole. Thankfully I was able to put the triple bogey behind me rather quickly and get back to playing the way I had the rest of the day. On number 15, I knocked a 7-iron to 3 feet and made the putt for birdie (see picture). Then on the next hole I hit an approach to eighteen feet and made the putt, which probably broke close to eight feet. I almost had my back to the hole on the putt, but the ball fell in on its last revolution. A lip out on number 17 and a good two putt on 18 got me into the clubhouse with a 3-under 69 and a three round total of 215 (-1).
Coming out on the final day, I had accomplished one of my goals for the week. I had a chance to win on the last day. I grinded throughout the entire day despite not hitting it my best. The pins were in very difficult positions and the greens had dried out by the afternoon so they became very fast. I tapped in on 18 for a 74, good enough for a tie for 7th.
Throughout the week I was very impressed with my putting. The greens were very sloped and the pins were in very tricky spots which made it tough to get the ball close. I made plenty of 10-20 footers for pars and birdies and manged to get through the week with only one three putt. It is nice to see the hard work I have done on my putting pay off.
Take care, I have the Minnesota State Open next.
Neil
Tee Shot #9
My tee shot on number 9 of the final day. I went on to birdie the uphill 450 yard par 4. Only two other people birdied number 9 during the final round.
Tee Shot #15
This picture is from the third day. It's my tee shot on the par three 15th hole. I hit it to 3 feet and made a birdie for my fifth birdie of the day. I went on to birdie the next hole and shot a third round 69, good enough to move me into a tie for 4th.
Putting Day 3
Putting on the third day. For the day I made 11 pars, 6 birdies, and one triple bogey. This putt was an eight footer for birdie on the 2nd hole. It went in. I had 27 putts on the day.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Ray Fischer, Minnesota State Open Qualifier
It's been another week and I've had another tournament. I played down in Janesville, Wisconsin and finised t-13th. I struggled with everything the whole weekend, but grinded out a few decent rounds. For the four rounds I shot 283, which was 5-under par. I started with a 73 and shot a 70 the second day. On Sunday morning I shot a bogey free 67 and then finished the tournament with another 73. The heat really got to me Sunday afternoon and when I didn't have any momentum going, I lost my focus.
Getting home from Janesville was when my week began getting really good. I found out I got accepted into the North South Amateur Tournament, which is held at Pinehurst. I'll be travelling down there in early August. The tournament is played on #2 and #8. That means that 6 weeks after the US Open was played there, I'll get to play it.
On Monday, June 27th I qualified for the Minnesota State Open. I travelled to St. Paul and shot a 70 at Keller Golf Club. That was good enough for co-medalist.
Minnesota State Open Qualifying Results
Later that night, I found out I played my was onto the team that will represent Wisconsin in the USGA State Team Championship later this fall. My win in the match play guarunteed me a spot so I'll have to delay turning pro until October because the event will be at the end of September. It will be my last event as an amateur, but I can't think of a better way to end my amateur career than to play in a USGA event.
Next up for me is the State Amateur. I will be leaving for it on Sunday July 10th. The tournament will be July 11th-14th. After the first two days there will be cut and then two more rounds. I've been working hard on my game in hopes that I can compete and have a chance to win it come Thursday.
Follow the tournament at this website:
WSGA Website
Take Care,
Neil
Getting home from Janesville was when my week began getting really good. I found out I got accepted into the North South Amateur Tournament, which is held at Pinehurst. I'll be travelling down there in early August. The tournament is played on #2 and #8. That means that 6 weeks after the US Open was played there, I'll get to play it.
On Monday, June 27th I qualified for the Minnesota State Open. I travelled to St. Paul and shot a 70 at Keller Golf Club. That was good enough for co-medalist.
Minnesota State Open Qualifying Results
Later that night, I found out I played my was onto the team that will represent Wisconsin in the USGA State Team Championship later this fall. My win in the match play guarunteed me a spot so I'll have to delay turning pro until October because the event will be at the end of September. It will be my last event as an amateur, but I can't think of a better way to end my amateur career than to play in a USGA event.
Next up for me is the State Amateur. I will be leaving for it on Sunday July 10th. The tournament will be July 11th-14th. After the first two days there will be cut and then two more rounds. I've been working hard on my game in hopes that I can compete and have a chance to win it come Thursday.
Follow the tournament at this website:
WSGA Website
Take Care,
Neil
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Neil posing with the trophy in front of the scoreboard.
Below are a few links to newspapers articles about my victory in Sheboygan.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article (if you need to register, enter this email address to continue bugmenot@mailinator.com)
Sheboygan Press Article
Enjoy the articles.
New Website and Wisconsin State Match Play
Hello Friends,
This is the first of many posts on my new website. My hopes are to update it with results from my golf tournaments so my family, friends, and sponsors are able to follow me when I am not around. Until I leave Wisconsin and travel the country as a professional golfer, the updates will focus around my amateur tournaments.
The summer began in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin as I tried to defend at the State Bestball Tournament. My partner Travis Meyer and I left for Fond du Lac very exctied for the challenge, but unfortunately we did not fair as well as we would have liked. We lost in the first round of match play, 2&1. We were 5 under through the 17 holes, but that was not good enough because our opponents birdied 5 of the last 7 holes.
The next weekend, June 11th and 12th, was qualifying for the US Public Links Championship in Hartford, Wisconsin. I struggled the first day and shot a 77. Sunday was better as I managed an even par 72. I missed by several shots, but the good play on Sunday helped me get ready for the Wisconsin State Match Play which began the next day, June 13th.
On Monday, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin the State Match Play began. The tournament was played at the Bull at Pinehurst Farms. It is a wonderful golf course that is very comparable with its neighbor's Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits. I shot an even par 72 on Monday, good enough for the 7th seed in the Match Play bracket. After winning two matches on Tuesday and one early Wednesday morning, I had to play Tom Halla. Tom is a regular contendar on the Wisconsin Amateur circuit, and after beating him 5&3 I felt very confident about my chances to win it all.
Thursday morning I survived the windy conditions to beat Tommy Welton 2up, then prepared to face David Merkow in the finals. I lost to Merkow in the third round of the 2004 Match Play so I wanted revenge. I was also paired with David for Monday's stroke play round and afterwards he said, "Neil, you'll be a tough player to beat this week." I felt it important to not make him a liar.
I cruised on the front nine, shooting a 3-under par 33. It included some very hot putting, only 10 putts for the nine holes. I made birdie putts on 5, 6, and 7 as well as a par putt on 8 to win each of those holes.
Blasting out a bunker on the 10th hole of final match. I made the 5 foot putt to halve the hole. During the final match, I was 4 for 4 on sand saves.
On the tenth tee I found myself 3-up. A few bad swings and I was only 1-up after 12. On 14, I was in the greenside bunker and David was on the green, but 50 feet from the hole. He lagged it up to 3 feet and I splashed my bunker shot to 4 feet. I made mine and David missed. 2 up. We halved 15 and after hooking my ball in the hazard on 16, I had to drop on the ladies tee. I put my third shot 80 yards from the green and hit the sandwedge to 10 feet. David was unable to get his ball up and down for a par and after I rolled in my bogey putt, I was dormie (2 up with 2 to go). On 17, I split the fairway and stuck my 6-iron to 5 feet to close of the match with an eagle. Final score, 3&1.
Both David and I played very well, but it is tough to beat somebody when they only have 21 putts through 17 holes. In short, I made everything I looked at. Below is a link to the Wisconsin State Golf Association website and a link to the results of the State Match Play. This was the third state championship I have won in the last 13 months (2004 State Bestball, 2004 State Publinks Stroke Play Championship).
Match Play Results
WSGA Website
Thanks for watching and keep sending the good vibes. Feel free to leave a comment or send an email. My email address is mrneiljohnson@hotmail.com
This is the first of many posts on my new website. My hopes are to update it with results from my golf tournaments so my family, friends, and sponsors are able to follow me when I am not around. Until I leave Wisconsin and travel the country as a professional golfer, the updates will focus around my amateur tournaments.
The summer began in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin as I tried to defend at the State Bestball Tournament. My partner Travis Meyer and I left for Fond du Lac very exctied for the challenge, but unfortunately we did not fair as well as we would have liked. We lost in the first round of match play, 2&1. We were 5 under through the 17 holes, but that was not good enough because our opponents birdied 5 of the last 7 holes.
The next weekend, June 11th and 12th, was qualifying for the US Public Links Championship in Hartford, Wisconsin. I struggled the first day and shot a 77. Sunday was better as I managed an even par 72. I missed by several shots, but the good play on Sunday helped me get ready for the Wisconsin State Match Play which began the next day, June 13th.
On Monday, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin the State Match Play began. The tournament was played at the Bull at Pinehurst Farms. It is a wonderful golf course that is very comparable with its neighbor's Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits. I shot an even par 72 on Monday, good enough for the 7th seed in the Match Play bracket. After winning two matches on Tuesday and one early Wednesday morning, I had to play Tom Halla. Tom is a regular contendar on the Wisconsin Amateur circuit, and after beating him 5&3 I felt very confident about my chances to win it all.
Thursday morning I survived the windy conditions to beat Tommy Welton 2up, then prepared to face David Merkow in the finals. I lost to Merkow in the third round of the 2004 Match Play so I wanted revenge. I was also paired with David for Monday's stroke play round and afterwards he said, "Neil, you'll be a tough player to beat this week." I felt it important to not make him a liar.
I cruised on the front nine, shooting a 3-under par 33. It included some very hot putting, only 10 putts for the nine holes. I made birdie putts on 5, 6, and 7 as well as a par putt on 8 to win each of those holes.
Blasting out a bunker on the 10th hole of final match. I made the 5 foot putt to halve the hole. During the final match, I was 4 for 4 on sand saves.
On the tenth tee I found myself 3-up. A few bad swings and I was only 1-up after 12. On 14, I was in the greenside bunker and David was on the green, but 50 feet from the hole. He lagged it up to 3 feet and I splashed my bunker shot to 4 feet. I made mine and David missed. 2 up. We halved 15 and after hooking my ball in the hazard on 16, I had to drop on the ladies tee. I put my third shot 80 yards from the green and hit the sandwedge to 10 feet. David was unable to get his ball up and down for a par and after I rolled in my bogey putt, I was dormie (2 up with 2 to go). On 17, I split the fairway and stuck my 6-iron to 5 feet to close of the match with an eagle. Final score, 3&1.
Both David and I played very well, but it is tough to beat somebody when they only have 21 putts through 17 holes. In short, I made everything I looked at. Below is a link to the Wisconsin State Golf Association website and a link to the results of the State Match Play. This was the third state championship I have won in the last 13 months (2004 State Bestball, 2004 State Publinks Stroke Play Championship).
Match Play Results
WSGA Website
Thanks for watching and keep sending the good vibes. Feel free to leave a comment or send an email. My email address is mrneiljohnson@hotmail.com
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