First thing, I’m sorry for not posting since Wednesday. I actually had a post writtenon Thursday, but my internet connection failed and I lost everything. Since then I’ve had an impossible time staying connected long enough to update my site. I’ve made a few changes to the sidebar, but that’s much easier to update when compared to entering a new post. My hotel advertises “free high-speed wireless internet”, but apparently our definitions of high-speed greatly differ…it’s more like “free internet, when you’re lucky”.
Back to Thursday; round one. I shot an even par 72, but it wasn’t pretty. I had great opportunities several times throughout the round to follow up one birdie with another. I squandered those opportunities each time and it turned out that I followed each birdie with a bogey. The last hole of the round summed up most of the day. After hitting a 3-iron into the middle of the fairway on #18, I pushed a 7-iron about 15 yards to the right and into the greenside bunker. My ball plugged into the sand and I was left with a very unlikely up and down. I blasted the ball out to 20 feet and missed the putt; end with a bogey for 72.
On Friday, I started off with a birdie that included a solid 10-foot putt. A couple holes later I once again pushed a 7-iron way out to the right and failed in getting up and down for par. On #14 I three putted for bogey and on #17 I pulled my tee shot into the left greenside bunker. So…after a birdie start, I made three bogies in the next 7 holes and found myself at 2 over par. I made a great putt on #18 from the fringe to make the turn with a 37. I continued my momentum on #1 with another birdie. On #2 I hit my drive into the fairway, but it found an old divot and I pushed my approach shot off the right side of the green. I missed my par putt and the uphill battle continued. I birdied #4 thanks to a great chip from just off the green. My ball was on a bare lie and I needed to chip over a mound, onto the green, with the pin only 4 paces onto the green. I ran the ball up over the mound and within 4 feet of the cup.
After a near miss on #5 for birdie, I three putted #6 for par and pushed my tee shot way right on #7. A bogey on 7 and my chances of making the cut were all but gone. Just to add insult to injury, I hit my 2nd shot on #9 out of bounds and finished with a double bogey; 75. To punish myself for such bad play, I went to Taco Bell for lunch. There is no better way to tell your body that you’re upset than to eat the meat in those tacos. (Later I felt bad and got some ice cream…my way of apologizing to my stomach)
Did you notice a consistency in those bad shots? A huge majority of them were pushed to the right so at least I can pinpoint where the bad shots are going. I should be able to correct that by next week. I already made a change in my putting. During a practice session on Saturday I changed my putting grip and hope that will result in a better putting stroke and more made putts.
Now I’m off to Chesterfield, VA for next week’s tournament. Chesterfield is just south of Richmond, VA. I don’t believe I have “free high-speed internet” or “free internet…when you’re lucky” at the next hotel, but I’ll find a nearby hotel that has some and park in their parking lot for a while.
My Scorecard
Leaderboard
Go USA,
Neil
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