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

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

Title TBD

Wasn't sure what to call this post. One option was, "From the Outhouse to the Penthouse". Another was, "Ugly Duckling".

My final round at the North Dakota State Open was not bogey free. Ten minutes into my round I had a bogey. If it wasn't for two phenomenal flop shots on #4 and #7 I would've bogies those two holes, just like I did the 1st hole. I made the turn at +1, 37 - only 4 greens hit in regulation and only 3 fairways hit.

I hit my drive in the trees on #10, didn't chip it out to the fairway, hit it over the green, chunked a chip, then two putted for a double bogey. After exchanging a birdie and a bogey on #11 and #13, I was 3 over par on #15. I hit another poor iron shot and missed the green on 15, but hit a great chip out of a horrible lie and saved a par.

It was on #16 tee that I found some magic. I nearly drove #16 and chipped to 1 foot for a birdie. I hit a 330 yard drive on 17 and got it up and down for another birdie. Finally on #18, I hit another 330 yard drive, then hit my wedge to 15 feet, and made the putt for my third straight birdie.

15 holes of barely hitting the club face and I end the round with 3 birdies to finish T-4th. On #15, I was 4-under par and in about 20th place. After 3 consecutive birdies, I moved up to a $2600 payday - instead of $1200!

When I see a results page, I'll link to it.

Neil

ND State Open - Round 2

Bogey free today. I believe that is my first round this summer without a bogey. 5 birdies and 13 pars - 67. I left right after my round and results aren't online yet, but I believe I'm right around 7th place. Probably 2 or 3 shots back.

** UPDATE ** Results are in and I was right. 7th place and 3 back of the lead.

Neil

North Dakota State Open

Cold, windy, and cloudy day in Fargo. It already feels like fall. The 1st round was mixed with great shots and some ugly shots. I double bogied a 135 yard par 3, but I managed to birdie all 4 par 5's. I finished at 2-under and scores are higher than expected, which must be because of the wind.

Saturday I play around 2pm, so I'll update late at night.

Neil

2nd Round - WI State Open

Another good round in Sheboygan. It was very windy today and I started the round with 2 bogies through the first 6 holes. I made a great eagle on #16 (my 7th) and didn't look back from there. I hit a 5-iron from 230 yards to about 12 feet and made the putt for an eagle.

No bogies after that eagle, but I had to make some nice saves to keep it that way. On #18 (my 9th), I had to two-putt from 70 feet. On #3 (my 12th), I got up and down from behind the green. I pitched my ball into the fringe and let it just trickle onto the green. Once onto the green, it was downhill all the way to the hole. On #5 (my 14th) my tee shot hit a tree and bounced back into long grass. I pitched out and left myself 30 yards to the pin. My ball was in the first cut of rough so I could easily flop the ball high in the air and have it land soft on the green. I made the 10 foot putt for par. The final nice save was on #6 (my 15th), which played and one of the toughest holes of the day. Instead of hitting it at the pin, I hooked the ball to the left side of the green and chipped it up to 3 feet. Being left of the green was a much easier up and down then if I had short-sided myself on the right.

Final day is Wednesday, but we get to play 36 holes so this tournament is only half done. It's pretty special that 2 guys from the same town are in 1st and 2nd. I hope it finished that way.

Neil

WI State Open Live Scoring

I had a good first round in Sheboygan. Live scoring is being done every 4 or 5 holes. Check out the scoring at this link.

Back Home for a Night

Finished 9th in Rapid City. After playing I drove 9 hours home to Wisconsin. After a few hours of sleep, I'll be travelling to Sheboygan, WI for the WI State Open. That tournament starts on Monday.

I'll post some more info when I'm more rested.

Neil

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful

After finishing in Yankton, I drove to Kansas City. Most of Iowa was construction and one lane traffic. Then most of Missouri/Kansas was strong thunderstorms. I spent the night in Kansas City and drove three hours to Springfield, MO monday morning. One hour into my drive I ran into some more strong thunderstorms. I thought about turning around and starting my drive to Rapid City - my thinking was that I wouldn't even get to play in Springfield. However, at the time the storms were all north of Springfield and maybe they would slide by.

They did not. When I showed up to the golf course, all the players had been pulled off because of incoming storms. That was 2 1/2 hours ago. I left the course because it's boring standing around the clubhouse. I'm now sitting in a Panera Bread restaurants, eating a bagel, and waiting to see if the weather turns around. It doesn't look like it will.

I've never had a Nationwide monday qualifier get rained out. I'm not sure if they push it back to Tuesday. Perhaps they just cancel the whole thing. Either way, it is very likely that I'll be driving to Rapid City at some point this afternoon. I don't think I can wait until Tuesday to try and make it.

Summer schedule has been ** UPDATED ** It now has stroke average, total money won, and cumulative under/over par on the bottom.


Neil

Hillcrest Invite Final Day

Didn't get much going on Sunday. I managed a mini run of birdies on 14, 15, and 16. I ended with a 69 and finished T13. I beat Jesus by 3 strokes!

At times this week I hit great iron shots and made some great putts. But those moments only lasted for a few holes, never an entire round. This golf course has really small greens and most of the holes are lined with pines trees and tall oak trees. I never seem to get into a comfortable rhythm because of the claustrophobic feeling I get from the small greens and large trees.

Somehow, I was able to score consistent all weekend. My nine holes totals were as follows:

36, 33, 35, 36, 36, 34, 35, 34

For the second straight tournament, I found myself on the unlucky draw for tee-times. First off, I had an afternoon tee time on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday - half of the pros only had 2 rounds in the afternoon. By far the worst times to be playing were Thursday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. It rained for about 9 holes during my Thursday round and the wind was brutal on Saturday.

Amazingly 15 guys from each wave made the cut, but it certainly seemed way less equal. Allright, enough complaining about tee times. It's just luck of the draw.

Neil

Hillcrest Invite 2nd & 3rd Round

No update yesterday because I checked out of my hotel and moved into a house where I don't have access to internet.

Friday's round wasn't pretty, but I managed to shoot under par - 71. That was my only round in the morning (both the 1st, 3rd, and 4th rounds I tee off after 1pm) so I would've liked to have taken advantage of smoother greens, cooler temperatures, and calmer wind, but I just didn't hit it well enough to make it into the 60's.

On Saturday, weather was the story. It was forecasted to be the hottest day of the year. Temps were supposed to reach 100, with high humidity. It was very sticky when hitting range balls, but a steady wind kept it cool and storms began to brew off in the distance. The storms never reached us, but they definitely altered the wind. It shifted a few holes into my round and that made the golf course different than what it had been all week. I shot an even par 36 on the front side, with a bogey on number 9. My start to the back nine was horrendous. I bogied 10 and 12, with a lucky par save on 11.

Things turned around on 13. I made a 15 footer for birdie, then followed that up with another birdie on 14 - this time a 20 foot birdie putt. I then made a bad par on the short par 5 15. On 16, I knocked a 4-iron to 8 feet and made the putt for birdie. Number 17 was playing downwind, but I could only managed a par on the par 5. Then on 18, I made a 10 footer for birdie to shoot a 2-under 70. I was very lucky to birdie 4 of the last 6 holes.

I hit the first 6 greens today and played those holes 1-under par. I missed the next 6 greens and played those 3-over par. I then hit the final 6 greens and played those holes 4-under par. Quite a roller coaster of emotions!

Final round is Sunday. I am at 6-under and the leader is at 13-under. I think I'm in the top-15, but I'm not sure. Results will be posted later tonight. You can check them out at this website.

After my round on Sunday I will be driving to Kansas City, MO to get ready for my Nationwide qualifier on Monday.

Neil

Hillcrest Invitational 1st Rd

Rainy afternoon in Yankton, but I stayed relatively dry and shot a 69 - 3 under par. I made all 4's on the front side (birdied the par 5, bogied the par 3). On the back nine I birdied one of the par 5's and one of the par 3's. My only bogey on the back side was a 3 putt, where I got too aggressive with the first putt and rolled it 5 feet past.

The exciting part of my round was the last hole. Number 18 is a drivable par 4 - it was only playing 290 yards on Thursday. The wind was at my back so I didn't even have to hit a full driver to reach the green. There were about 100 people gathered behind the green checking out the leaderboard, drinking, and watching people play the 18th hole. I hit my drive to 10 feet, but it rolled right by the hole. Somebody at the green was calling for it to go in!

I made the putt to finish with an eagle and a 69.

Second round is Friday morning. The weather forecast is for more thunderstorms - especially in the morning. Hopefully the rain holds off.

When I see some results, I'll link to them. Lot's of results there. It would take too long to explain every game that is scored in this tournament.

Neil

Wichita Nationwide Qualifier

No good news from Wichita. I shot 1-under 71, but needed at least a 69 (if not a 68). My front nine was a solid 35, but on the back nine I hit a few horrible shots that led to 3 bogies. I was fortunate to make 3 birdies on the back nine to counteract those bogies, but just too many mistakes.

Now, I'm back in Yankton, SD resting for the next Dakotas Tour event. It begins Thursday and runs for four days.

Neil

Fox Run - Final Round

Shot a 69 in the last round. No idea where that placed me. Probably around 30th. I was on the tough side of the draw because the wind blew much worse for my tee times. I played morning on Saturday and afternoon on Sunday. It was very windy on Saturday morning, but somehow calmed during the afternoon. On Sunday it was calm for most of the day, but it did get windy around 5pm - when I made the turn.

When I see final results, I'll post them here.

Neil

Fox Run Round 1 - Yankton, SD

72 in round one. Double bogeyed the last hole. Very windy day and it will be windy tomorrow, which has kept scores higher.

Final round is Sunday.

Neil

Nice Victory (& Payday)

I finally won a Dakotas Tour event. Coincidentally, it happened to be the biggest one day payout on tour. $4000 for 5 hours of work. That's what lawyers charge per hour.

My round got off to a great start - a chip in on the 229 yard par 3. I shot one-under on the front nine with one more birdie and one bogey. My last nine holes is where I really did my damage. I made 6 birdies on the last nine holes (and one more bogey).

Everything was working well today - obvious statement. My driver, irons, and short game was great. But my putting and wedge game really made the difference. Only 25 putts on the day, with a three putt.

My team finished 2nd so I won another $95 with that game. Great day!

Summer schedule has been UPDATED

Neil

Last Day in Marshall

I was lucky enough to play a final round in Marshall and I took advantage, shooting a final round 65. I birdied 4 of the first 7 holes to shoot 32 on the front side. Three birdies and one bogey on the back nine lead to a 33 and a 6 under par total.

I'll update later today/tomorrow when I know where I finished. I hope I snuck into the top 10.

**UPDATE** - I finished T-8th**

**SECOND UPDATE** Last Wednesday I played Hazeltine National Golf Club, which will host the PGA Championship in a few weeks. I played with a friend that worked with me in Arizona. We played hosts to two guests, one being Scott Seroka. He is a reporter for Kare 11 and he writes a blog. The most recent post was about our day at Hazeltine. Read it closely and you'll hear about my birdie on 13, which was playing 262 yards from the back tees to a back left pin. Keep this in mind during the week of the PGA because I believe 13 will play as one of the tougher holes that week. I also parred number 12, which is listed at 518. However, we played it from the back of the tee box and the pin was back from the middle, making the hole at least 530. My last moment of brilliance was a birdie on the signature hole, 16.

Neil

Aberdeen & Marshall

My weekend in Aberdeen ended well. I shot 69 on Saturday and Sunday to move into the top-10.

Now I'm in Marshall, MN and I'm waiting to see if I snuck into the final round. I shot 73 in round 1 and came back with a 69 in round 2. The cut will probably be 141 or 142. Let's hope it's at 142.

**UPDATE** - The cut did fall at 142**


Neil

Waterloo Open Last Day

66 in the final round. Only missed 1 fairway (but does it count when you hit the fairway of the hole next to your hole?) and 2 greens. I chipped in on one of the greens I missed.

I finished T-11th. Monday will be my first Nationwide Qualifier of the year.

Neil

Sioux Falls and Waterloo Open

The second round in Sioux Falls didn't go like I had hoped. I shot a 40 on the front nine and was very lucky to birdie 4 of my last 5 holes to work my way back up the leaderboard.

This weekend I'm in Waterloo, IA playing the Waterloo Open. I played this 2 years ago. This two day tournament cuts after the first day - from 192 golfers to 60 and ties.

I shot a 68, which is 4 off the lead. After a boring even-par front nine, I birdied 4 of the first 5 on the back nine. Final round is Sunday.

Results will be here.

Neil

Summertime in the Dakotas

My Dakotas Tour events have begun. The first event was in Okoboji, IA and I shot an even par 72 the first day. That wasn't good enough to make the cut.

This weekend I'm in Sioux Falls, SD and shot a first round 65. Sunday is the second round and last I saw I was tied for 2nd. Results should be posted on this website.

http://www.bakkercrossing.com/proam.php

Also, on the right side of the page you can view my summer schedule and results from all of my Gateway events.

Neil

Gateway Spring Series Begins

Haven't been around for a while. I finally got my computer fixed and I am now back into tournament play.

First round of the spring series was a waste. Another +1, 73. I felt like I shot that in my sleep. Day two was much better. Got off to a good start and made a lot of good putts throughout the day. 68

Final day tomorrow. Weather's been perfect - high 80's and basically no wind.

Neil

Gateway #4 - Palm Valley (round 2)

Boy it was an ugly round to watch - and to be playing. In round one I got away with bad shots because I missed them in easy spots. Completely different story in round 2. On a golf course that has 4 of the easiest par 5's you'll ever find, I bogied 2 of them. Both of them results of hitting my second shots into a greenside bunker and then failing to even hit the next shot onto the green.

Funny thing about the round was that on hole #2 (my 11th hole) I found yet another greenside bunker in two shots. After yelling at myself for hitting it there I knocked the bunker shot into the hole for an eagle. So the first 2 bunker shots I fail to get on the green, but the third I knock into the hole!

Neil

Gateway #4 - Wigwam Gold

One under par 71 today. Saved a lot of shots with my short game and was able to make some nice birdies on the back nine.

Best point of the day was on #14, the easiest hole on the course. I got too aggressive on my tee ball and pushed it into the water. I dropped and hit my 3rd shot to 130 yards. Then got up and down from 130 - by making a 25 foot putt - to save par. I went on to birdie the next two holes and it turned the entire round around.

Neil

Frustrating Final Round

Couldn't get the ball into the hole. I missed half a dozen putts inside 8 feet that I thought were perfect putts. Somehow they wiggled offline or I just misread them.

No tournament next week so I'll be back in two weeks with a putting stroke that makes everything.

Neil

Front Nine vs Back Nine

Look at my scorecard and follow along as I compare my first 9 8 7 holes and my final 11.

It was a very windy day and holes 4-7 were straight into the wind. I hit several errant shots to begin the day. Most notably was a 6-iron on #2. I pulled it left about 20 yards and it went into the water. That lead to a double bogey. I pulled a 7-iron left on #5 and that shot went into a bunker. Bogey. Number 7 was a 210 yard par 3 into the wind and I hit my hybrid into a bunker. Another bogey.

Finally on #8 we turned away from the wind and started playing with it at our backs. I hit a 3-wood 320 yards off the tee on #8, then hit a driver 360 yards on #9! I made a 6 foot putt on #9 for birdie and that really turned things around. After a string of 4 pars to start the back nine, I reached the downwind par-5 14th. I hit my drive between the bunkers and just inside of the 200 yard marker (564 yard hole - 200 yards left = another 360 yard drive). From there I hit a 7-iron to 25 feet and 2-putted for a birdie.

The rest of my holes played back into the wind as we began our return to the clubhouse. On #15 I failed to clear a bunker running across the fairway. It was only a 250 yard carry, but now being back into the wind that was asking a lot. From the fairway bunker I hit a wedge to 10 feet and made the birdie putt! Pars on 16 and 17 left me at +2 for the day and +1 for the tournament.

The final hole is a 560 par 5, which was playing into a slight hurting wind. I made perhaps my best swing of the day and piped the drive right down the middle. It stopped 6 feet from the 250 yard marker. There is no doubt in my mind I wouldn't have been able to hit that drive 2 summers ago - maybe even not this summer. I put an extra stiff shaft in my driver this fall and that added some distance. Combine that with my overall increased length, which was attributed to working out the past 15 months. From the 250 plate, I hit a 3-wood 25 feet from the hole. Problem was, it was in a bunker. I splashed it out to 3 feet and made the birdie putt!

Front nine score - 40
Back nine score - 33

Front nine sand saves - 0/4
Back nine sand saves - 2/2 (including the up and down from the fairway bunker)

Front nine "squirrley" shots - 4 (happened on number 2, 3, 5, & 7 - played those 4 holes +5)
Back nine " squirrley" shots - 0*

*4 times I had a shot very similar to ones on the "squirrley" shots on the front nine

I admit that during the front nine I was very agitated and frustrated with my play. Nerves were a factor. Once I doubled #2, followed by a bogey on 3 I was already thinking about missing the cut. I managed to control my negative thoughts by clinging to the idea that once I got to hole 8, I would have 7 consecutive holes with a helping wind. That meant I would have birdie chances and by the time I turned around on #15 my confidence would be high again and I could attack those remaining difficult holes.

Glad it worked out like I planned.

Neil

Zero Three Putts

Finally! Played Southern Dunes GC for the third time in a week and finally scored like I should've the first two rounds. It was a little windy today, but still near perfect scoring conditions. That's why you see a 63 leading with several other mid-60s rounds.

Neil

Gateway #2 - Back to Southern Dunes GC

I was a horrible closer this week. Each round I finished poorly.

Either I need lessons from Kyra Sedgwick or I the manager needs to bring me in during the 6th or 7th inning.

I can't wait for my putting to turn around because when it does, I'll start having a lot of fun.

Gateway #2 - Raven at Verrado GC

Same score today, but the second straight day with a bad finish. I bogied my last two holes to shoot 73.

Neil

Gateway #2 - Southern Dunes GC

Hit the ball well today, but struggled with the putter. Wasn't as bad as last week - only 1 three putt today. However, I missed about 4 birdie putts that were 10 feet or less. I wouldn't be mad if they were good strokes that just didn't go in. Instead they were very tentative or scared strokes that never had a chance from the second they left the putter blade.

I also finished with a poor double bogey. Despite the difficulties on the green, I'm very proud of how I played today. The course was difficult - nearly 7500 yards with BERMUDA grass on the greens.

Wednesday I play a different course that is a mere 7300 yards.

Neil

4 Three Putts

4 three putts. I'm not kidding about all of those 3-putts. I wish I was.

Neil

7 three putts

7 three putts!

Gateway Tour - First Tournament, 1st Round

Monday begins my first tournament of 2009. You can follow results here, but I will also have a post online Monday evening.

Neil