Fourth round with the new swing

Remember when I said I was on the verge of a breakthrough? Well I was 9 holes off in a sense as I shot 40/35 for another 75 in round 4 here. I caught myself on the turn feeling like I really didn't care, it was weird, I opened par, bogey, double and just kind of kicked back after that for the remainder of the front 9. Anyway, I'll take you through it and my thoughts so you know what I'm talking about.

Opened with a good drive and 7 iron, 2 putt par, then hit another one of those blocked cut pushed tee shots, luckily far enough right that I was actually in the other fairway. Hit it just in front, great chip to about 4 feet and missed it. Nothing new, I haven't parred that hole in 3 rounds now, hit a great tee shot on the par 5 third and just went brain dead on my 3 iron. I don't even remember looking at the ball before I took the club back, hit it thin and right and lost the ball. Ended up with a double, a full 3 shots higher than the previous round on the same hole. Maybe that's where I lost interest, 3 over after 3, I just started going through the motions. Then I made a par on #8, 230 yard par 3, nearly made the putt for 2, and I got interested again. I hit a be-a-utiful cut tee shot DEEP on #9, par 5, but still 265 to the middle, hit a 7 iron to 90 yards and then thinned a smooth SW over the back. Bummer. Hit a lame pitch to about 15 feet and thought for sure I made the putt, bogey, there's a 40. As I moped to the house to wet the towel and get a cold Diet Pepsi (because Ben Hogan's 2nd favorite drink was Diet Pepsi baby), that's when I caught myself just going through the motions. I knew I had a tough tee shot at 10 coming up (snap hooked it the last 2 rounds in a row) so I needed to get something going.

I talked myself into the fact that I was going to hit a good tee shot on 10 and started to get jazzed up. I wouldn't call it a "great" tee shot, but it was serviceable, and most importantly, in the middle of the fairway. Tugged the wedge to the left side of the green, standard 2 putt par. Hit wedge to the front hole location on #11 to about 12 feet and made the putt. Hmmm, ok. Hit a decent tee shot, nowhere near as deep as yesterday, then put 4 iron onto the front part of the green, about a 25 footer for eagle. Didn't hit the first putt bad, to about 3 feet, then yoked it, nice 3 putt par. Don't get down on yourself, keep going. Hit driver into the fairway bunker (from which I made birdie 2 rounds ago), 106 yards to the back edge, full SW out of there, caught it thin, put it up above the back of the green on a big hill. Hit a great chip shot to about 4 feet and made the putt.

Hit a solid 7 iron about 15 feet past the stick on 14, nearly made it, easy 3. Good tee shot on the par 5 15th, then hit a horrible smothered 3 iron (not having good luck with that club eh?). Decent pitch to about 6 feet and actually 3 putted from there for bogey. What just happened? Ok, keep going, back to even on the back side. Good tee shot, a little right on 16, hit a great GW that landed on the front, pin in back. Thought it was stoney, instead it's about 40 feet, great 2 putt there. Hit 5 iron to #17, about 12 feet, just missed on the high side. As I'm walking off 17, I realize I played the par 3's one under, a marked improvement over the last 2 rounds where I played them 5 over and 4 over respectively. Good tee shot, weak short approach with the upright 6 iron (more on that later). Hit the first putt from the fringe, about 6 feet by and buried the putt for par.

Out in 40, back in 35, another 75. I'm taking tomorrow off from hitting balls or playing, going to go hit some chips and putts at lunch and get ready for the weekend tournament. Round one is at 8:30 AM. Oh, almost forgot, they finally mowed the greens, and while certainly not fast, they were probably rolling about 9 - 9.5. Compared with about a 7 (I wish I was kidding) the last couple of rounds, I had quite a few more legitimate chances at birdie. Let's see, makeable putts...

#1 - 10 feet
#8 - 15 feet
#10 - 15 feet
#11 - 12 feet (made it)
#12 - 3 feet
#14 - 15 feet
#15 - 6 feet
#17 - 12 feet

So I converted 1 of 7 legitimate birdie putts. Yes, I think I will go hit some putts tomorrow.