Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Sick of waiting, done waiting...

I practiced for about an hour today, absolutely no pain. I have lessons scheduled the 6th, 13th, 20th and 29th. I think I have pretty much abandoned Dr’s orders and I’m 100% back into it. Here’s my reasoning, he says I can hit wedge through 7 iron off a tee starting 12/19. Ok, well doc you do realize that wedge through 7 iron are the clubs most likely to dig down into the dirt, transferring that impact energy back up into my shoulder right? And as far as off a tee doc, since you don’t play golf I’ll explain this one to you, you see after striking the ball perched on said tee, the club head continues down into the ground, taking said divot, regardless of where the ball happened to be when the swing started. So off a tee really doesn’t minimize any impact stress at all. Besides, when in Physical Therapy and I’m curling 25lb dumbbells, going through full upward rowing motions with 50lbs on the cable and doing ball walks and pushups supporting my full weight, I think I’m throwing more stress on the shoulder than in a frickin wedge shot. So doc, I’ll see you on the range.

Range of motion is great, basically 100%. Pretty much all of the tightness is gone except for in the most extreme of stretching positions. My last day at the PT was today! I go to their other facility 2 times a week for 2 weeks starting Monday to work with a guy who specializes in golf programs, but supervised PT for the shoulder is complete. I won't be able to practice at all until my lesson Saturday, but the way I hit the ball today, that's a blessing. It's amazing how much I can forget in 13 weeks, it's like I've never held a club before. Nothing crazy, just no ooomph. No compression of the ball at contact, and everything is really high. Now that I know what the golf swing is supposed to feel like, just swatting it out there like I did today is not acceptable. The comeback is on...

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Another progress update...

Well I'm still going to physical therapy twice a week, last night when I was there one of the PT's who hadn't seen me in 2 weeks was amazed at the additional range of motion that I had obtained in such a short period of time. Overall he feels I'm missing about 20%, but that is focused on 3 key areas, let's see if I can explain this...Laying down on your back, right arm 90 degrees from your body, then bent at the elbow straight up to the ceiling. Moving the arm as far forward as possible from the elbow and as far back as possible, I'm still tight on both of those movements. Then standing up, take your left hand and scratch up behind your back as high as you can go, I can get almost to my neck. Then with the right hand, I can only get it to the middle of my back, a LOT of tightness in the shoulder there. Problem is, that's the part that tucks in neatly into your ribs on your backswing, so I still have a bit of a chicken wing going on there.

Ahem, you know...if I was to actually swing a golf club, which I don't because my doctor hasn't approved that yet. (cough, bullshit, cough). Anyway, the first 10 or so wedges I've hit have been blocks, not a surprise since that's about 2 months early and I'm kind of tentative. But this weekend when I was out putting (oh, and chipping and hitting 40 yard pitch shots, haha) I took 4 more swings with a SW and stone cold nutted them, dead straight, no block, nice divots, ah that felt great!

So I met with the Dr. Monday for my 10 week follow up (was actually 9 1/2 weeks). So here's the prescription:

* 12 weeks - chipping and pitching ok up to 30 yards (11/28/2008)
* 15 weeks - 7 iron through wedges off a tee (12/19/2008)

I see the Dr. again on 1/14/2009, which will be right at 18 1/2, almost 19 weeks. He stated we should be VERY close to full release at that point. So starting at week 15, he told me the plan is to hit up to 7 irons off a tee and start working up from there through the 2 iron off a tee. I'm supposed to gauge my own progress there and the precaution is to watch soreness, if I get sore I have to stop for a day, two, three, whatever until the soreness goes away, then start up again. Once I get through to a session where I can go through the irons off a tee and have no soreness the next day, we can start hitting off the turf and gauge the ability to hit 3 wood and driver.

Truth be told, I don't think he's too keen on me hitting driver, but realistically, wouldn't it be more damaging to be hitting bunker shots than free wheeling a driver off a tee? Makes sense to me anyway. He contradicted himself when I asked him about being able to hit a golf course up North over Thanksgiving that is closed, planning on driving around and hitting pitch shots into greens and trying to get up and down 18 times, since nobody will be around, it would be a great time to do so and the golf course is ok with it too, win / win! He said that's ok, which is actually a full day ahead of schedule! Anyway, the point is he didn't yell at me for hitting some wedges already, reminded me to be careful, which I will. It's not a science, just take it as it comes, you can do this much starting here, but if it hurts you have to stop. Ok, well shit doc I can keep track of that, what am I paying you for?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Hit a wedge today

Nothing crazy, just a 3/4 wedge I borrowed from a guy on the range that I practice at. He was a little tentative at letting me use it at first, but I talked him into it. I teed it up as well so as to minimize any risk of impact stress on my shoulder. To be fair, it was a bit offline, a slight block about 5-8 yards right of target, but compressed and in the center of the clubface. Man did that feel good! No pain whatsoever either, very exciting! I only hit one, didn't want to tempt fate. If my doctor was there he'd have probably kicked me in the nuts as we're currently about 2 1/2 weeks from "possibly" being allowed to hit chip shots. Oh well, I just couldn't help myself. I thought for sure the first ball I hit coming back would be a timid, cold top, but I got after it and made a nice aggressive swing, pretty amazed actually. Just think, only 2-3 months and I can do that for real (sarcasm).

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

"Get Aggressive"

Had my 6 week checkup with the surgeon today to chart the progress of the shoulder surgery and recovery. I have some really good motion and can almost raise my arm straight up and down, side to side is well past parallel. He put me on the table and move my arm up and my forearm down and YOW, that's some pain! I point blank asked him if I'm ahead or behind from a recovery standpoint and he gave me the middle of the road "you're right where I want you to be at 6 weeks." Great, thanks for that doc.

I brought a putter and wedge with me to show him the motions of each and he instantly signed off on me putting, so we start tomorrow! I hadn't even turned around to grab my wedge and he said "but no chipping". Jerk. Even after I showed him the motion and told him how it was built by Stan Utley (through books anyway), he wasn't biting. He then told me that we're going to shoot for full range of motion at 10 weeks, and then I can start chipping. From what I'm seeing that's 2 weeks ahead on range of motion and 4 weeks ahead on hitting balls of any kind. He then updated the chart that goes back to the physical therapist and wrote in big letters "GET AGGRESSIVE" and circled it. He moved my next visit from 6 weeks to 4 weeks and said he expects full range of motion out of me by then.

It's been pure hell not touching a golf club for the past 6 weeks, but like I said I would do, I stayed true to my word and listened to the treatment plan. Hopefully we'll continue to progress ahead of schedule. Tomorrow's going to be a great day!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Wow am I bored

I'm 12 days away from being able to putt with the official ok from the doctor and physical therapist. Just got the ok to run on the elliptical and have been doing some core exercise during the therapy sessions. I can't even watch golf on tv any more. I've still got Round 6 of Q School from last year on the DVR, just can't stomach watching it right now. I'm so bored I started going through video that I've got archived of various practice sessions and have started uploading them to the YouTube site (What? You haven't seen my YouTube site? For shame...www.youtube.com/paperhogan). Now I've got the serious urge to chip and putt after seeing myself before I had shoulder problems.

On the plus side, I've been punishing the squeezeball the doctor gave me like a rented mule, my forearms are starting to bulge out. I feel like Popeye. You know, if Popeye was a laid up aspiring professional golfer cast into Purgatory awaiting 4-5 months of slow, check that, extremely slow recovery.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

My instructor Jeff Ritter in Golf Digest!

Just got an email tonight from Jeff that he has a spread in the November 2008 issue of Golf Digest. It's the Breaking 100/90/80 series and starts on page 153. It's a 4 page spread full of tips with football analogies to help you through all kinds of situations. He definitely has some explaining to do as to why he didn't ask me to be in the shots. Haha!

Great job Jeff, maybe next time you get published to millions of readers you'll button your shirt and wear a belt that people won't laugh at. Just sayin...

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Want to see a video of my shoulder surgery?

Well, not MINE, but the same surgery that I had done. I was doing some research and came across this tonight. I'm not one for being queasy, but when the doctor starts hammering the anchor into the tissue / bone / whatever, I pretty much got dizzy. Surely my doctor was more careful than this guy right? Yeah, probably not.


Find more videos like this on VuMedi

Monday, September 22, 2008

Final pre-surgery round recap

I guess I never got around to documenting this out. I played with some good friends of mine on 8/31 for the last round of golf that I got to play before the shoulder surgery. Since it was special we splurged and went to Troon North, an extremely nice track up in North Scottsdale. We played the Pinnacle Course from the back, a rating of 73.0 and a slope of 147! Pretty good stats from back there. Here we go!

As a condition of playing, one of my friends insisted that I not speak at all about how badly my shoulder hurt cause he didn't want to listen to me bitch. So I hand him my ball and tee on the first box and ask him to tee it up for me as my shoulder hurts, ZING, right off the bat. Going to be a long day. #1 is 392 yard, driver up the left leaving me 126 to the back left hole, PW to the dead center of the green and left the first putt about 5 feet short, missed it but I was still talking shit to the boys, yeah maybe we should try concentrating now. #2 is 405 yards, driver up the left side, I backed it up about 18" in the fairway, hmmm, you know some roll might be nice next time. 8 iron about 20 feet short up the hill, KILLED the putt about 8 feet by, I guess we didn't feel like leaving any more short, but I center cut it for par, that felt good.

#3 is a 468 yard par 4, into the breeze and I hit it decent, but it upshot into the wind, and I backed it up about 12" this time in the fairway. 206 in, fanned a 3 iron into the bunker and failed to get it up and down. #4 is a 416 yard par 4 (getting sick of par 4's already), decent tee shot into the middle of the fairway, got about 3" of roll, thought I hit a perfect 8 iron all over the stick, but it kept climbing. Somehow it cleared the bunker and ended up about 9' away, but alas we didn't capitalize and made 4. The 5th hole is named Dos Caminos, or as I explained, Two Caminos (yeah, I'm bilingual), 541 yard par 4, not a great tee shot up the left, 260 or so in and hit a smooth fat 3 wood to about 70 yards, joy. Hit a great held off SW exactly 70 yards, and 15 yards right, 2 putt par. 206 yard par 3 6th, downhill and double crossed a 5 iron into the front left bunker, out to about 10 feet and missed the putt. Nice bunker shot jackass, 10 feet, wow Seve would be impressed, no?

7th is a 456 yard par 4, decent tee shot that again backed up about 18", 210 yards in with a huge bunker in front, hit a cut 3 iron that started at the stick, oops. Apparently I had plenty of club as when we arrived the pin was in the back left and somehow I was pin high about 12' right of the hole, but we missed it and made a solid 4. 8th is a 190 yard par 3, back into the breeze and a bit uphill, I settled on 5 and upshot it, short right but hit a great chip to about 2 feet and made par. 9 is a 404 yard par 4 by the card, I don't remember the hole other than I hit the fairway and made 4. 10th is a very appealing hole, 288 to the row of fairway bunkers and the fairway is HUGE. I'm pretty sure I want to bust one and reach the traps as I've been hitting it all on the fly all day with no roll, so we teed it up high and nearly fagged the driver, must have gone 200' up in the air, leaving me 205 yards in on this 407 yard hole, awesome. Uphill, hit a perfect 3 iron that one hopped stopped in the fringe, 15 feet below the hole, putt just died short.

11 is a 539 yard par 5, dogleg right, downhill, just screaming "come take me". We learned our lesson on the last hole and made solid contact, smashed the tee shot, never cut but it was bombed. Get to the ball and the fucker backed up 18" again. This is really getting old. So now I've got 270 in with a wash 20 yards short of the green, we elect to lay up to 125 and hit PW to 10 feet, not bad but not stony either. Miss the putt and settle for par, a bit of a letdown after how I felt after hitting the tee shot. 12 is a 416 yard par 4, great tee shot, dead stop in the fairway (ok, maybe 2" of roll), a fatted 9 iron that I tried to stand on to get it there, pathetic pitch and missed the putt for 5. 13 is a 177 yard par 3, back into the breeze and uphill, learned my lesson last time and hit 5, pulled it right through the wind, I'm on by about a foot back left, pin dead center, just missed it and made 3 the proper way.

14, wow, 609 yard par 5, good tee shot, nearly plugged in the fairway (who me, want some roll on a 609 yard hole? Nah), perfect 3 wood (that DID plug in the fairway) and a pathetic attempt at a 9 iron that ended up short, uneventful up and down for 5, but another 5. I can't remember 15, hit the fairway, that much I know, I made a par, that's all I can remember. 16 is a 140 yard par 3 over water, which is not in play. [Rant]Let me take a moment to digress, we live in the desert, stop making big ass lakes that aren't in play just so you can say you have X number of holes with water. If it's part of a water treatment solution like say, Ocotillo golf course, then fine, but just because you need a signature hole, doesn't mean you need to use water. [/Rant] OK, so perfect 9 iron to 4 feet and FINALLY made birdie, only took 16 holes. Walking up to the 17th tee, it dawns on me that I haven't missed a fairway all day, hit every one so far. "Ok, stop thinking about that" I say to myself, then I change my mind "No man, you've hit every fairway and you're going to hit the last 2. No fear, no tentative swings, you've done it 12 times in a row, 2 more is easy". Free wheeled it and split the fairway, 441 yard par 4 17th. Unfortunately it AGAIN stopped dead in the fairway, 185 yards left, pin is middle right, over cut it just a tad and hit it a bit too hard, about 30 feet behind the hole, great putt that somehow stayed out, great putt.

18, last hole for 4-5 months. I've been dreading this all day. I want to keep playing, I want to call in sick to work all week and play every day. It's been a ton of fun all day, my friends and I just killing each other with put downs all day, literally one of the best times I've ever had on a golf course. The only thing that I would wish for is a closing birdie. Something to sit back on and that just in case something went horribly wrong and I could never play again, I'd always be able to say "I birdied the last hole of golf I ever played". And what do the Gods give me? A 447 yard par4 into the wind with desert / ob left, thanks boys, love you too. One more fairway, freewheeled it, never a doubt, split it again, 14 of 14 fairways. Oh, and I backed that one up too, I'm left with 195 yards into a slight breeze, I pull 4 iron and nutted it, big high draw that one hopped and stopped, leaving me an uphill left to right 12 footer for the closing birdie I've been dreaming of. Struck the putt perfectly and missed it by 1/4", but I hit it perfectly, enough speed, enough break, just didn't go in. Ah well. Finished with 2 perfect swings and a perfect stroke, sometimes that's all you can do.

3 over on the front, even on the back for a 74, 1 over the course rating. Hitting every fairway was special, not by a little, there was never a doubt on any of the tee shots. Our group lost a few balls, pretty much when you miss a fairway here, it's gone, 5-10' drop offs into the desert and some really gnarly brush, it's visually intimidating for sure. The highest slope rating I've heard of is 154 (there might be higher on ridiculously tricked up tracks) and let me tell you, 147 is no cakewalk. That's a really good course, but fuck me do I wish I had made birdie on the last hole.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Surgery recap and physical therapy update

Ok, so I'm typing with both hands now, what a relief. The first week was brutal as I felt pretty helpless doing everything with just my left hand. Went in for the surgery 2 weeks ago tomorrow, they actually gave me a nerve block so my right arm was basically limp for 24 hours. This really helped with the pain they said, the downside was that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't move my fingers until Saturday which was uncomfortable to say the least, and I got two pretty good 1 inch long blood blisters between my thumb and index finger from the strap in the sling as it was way too tight. I didn't notice obviously until it was too late, so I haven't used that strap since.

The day after the surgery I got the hiccups, BAD. 2 1/2 hours straight, really started to get annoying. The nurse called to check on me and said it was a side effect of the nerve block. She also said if they continued through to Sunday that they could give me a prescription for them, never heard of medicine for hiccups, but ok. So I had 2 more 2+ hour hiccup sessions Saturday, then they seemed to go away, until Tuesday when they came back and brought their older brother Francis, who everyone calls "Psycho" (Stripes reference in case you missed it). Man, 4 2+ hour sessions of the deepest most uncomfortable hiccups you've ever felt, I was miserable. But as of today they are completely gone, knock wood.

I've been to 5 physical therapy sessions so far, the first one was basically electrical stimulus and squeezing the right arm against a rolled up towel then ice. Day 2 they put me on a pulley, basically a rope and 2 handles, I pulled my right arm up with my left, just freeing up range of motion. The first pull netted me a whopping 3 inches of ROM, wow that's scary. After about 10 minutes I actually got my hand above my head. As of my last session on Wednesday I can do it pretty easily up to 90 degrees, which is the extent of the ROM that I'm allowed at this point. I can go much farther but they won't let you push at all in the first 2 weeks. This last session I also got to use basically what amounts to a bicycle for your arms. Same deal, right arm was just along for the ride and I moved very slowly, but it felt very good to extend and contract my arm like that. I ran that thing for 15 minutes and I could definitely feel the soreness this morning.

Now apart from the soreness, I really haven't experienced any pain at all. I was given Hydrocodone and told to take 1-2 pills every 4-6 hours. I started with 1 pill every 4 hours and weaned myself off after that. The last pill I took was Sunday morning at 1AM which was after back to back 12 hour differentials, and I'm completely good pain wise, so pretty excited there. I find myself reaching for doorknobs, helping when putting my shirt on, etc. when I don't have on the sling / brace contraption that keeps my right arm immobilized. Good and bad I suppose.

The PT and I set a schedule of 8 weeks from date of surgery to resume putting. Now I'd be lying if I said I hadn't tried the motion a few time sans putter, and there's really no shoulder movement during the stroke obviously, just rocking back and forth, however the act of the pre-shot routine, picking balls out of the hole (you know, cause they ALWAYS go in the hole baby) could certainly cause me pain. Again, I'm sticking to whatever we feel is acceptable schedule wise, so if it's 8 weeks, then it's 8. I'm going to push him for 6, 4, whatever but he has to agree or I won't do it. I know you'll be shocked to hear that my line of thinking is if I can accelerate the putting, then I might be able to accelerate to chipping and fuller shots that much sooner as well. Hey, you try sitting on your couch every weekend and tell me you'd stick to 8 weeks yourself. Liar.

That's it for now, going to hook up the electrodes on the bicep to keep blood flowing there as well, not moving your arm at all can wreak havoc on your muscle structure, I can literally see the difference in my right and left arm already. No clearance to start on the eliptical, running, etc. just yet, but the minute we get that it's go time again. The PT works with a bunch of professional rodeo guys, BMX kids, etc. so he understands the plan isn't to get me back to playing bingo, it's a little more aggressive than that, but being on this side it's never fast enough. If you don't have plans already, go play golf this weekend you lucky bastard. I'll be the guy sitting on my couch watching it on tv scratching off one more day on the calendar.

Monday, September 8, 2008

He's alive!

One handed typing is hard. I'm out, no complications and I see the physical therapist tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to prop up my arm and type normally after that. More to come as I can type!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Shoulder surgery tomorrow - 9/5/2008

I hit my last golf ball for the next 4-5 months today, a high towering draw 7 iron, just pured it, man that felt good. Pretty depressed when I got back to the office though. Just cleaned up my clubs and shoes and put them in the basement on the rack with my other golf stuff. Surgery is tomorrow, can't eat or drink anything after midnight and I'm expected to be at the hospital for a total of 6 hours before being able to go home. A long weekend of rest and recovery and I'll be back at work on Tuesday.

I'm not sure what the physical therapy regimen will end up being, but I'm going to stick to it like glue. Rather than risking full recovery to come back early, I'm going to push the recovery process so I can come back at 110% at the specified date. I'm going to use this as a means to implement a pretty serious exercise regimen and hopefully come back better than ever.

Wish me luck, I'll see you (one handed) after the surgery!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Shoulder tear - ain't this a bitch...

So guess what, I have what looks to be a torn labrum in my right shoulder. Just went for my 2nd MRI yesterday. This all started with the dog, we had to put him down just over a month ago, he was at the emergency vet for 4 days, then we took him home. His legs didn't work and every 30 minutes he would basically freak out and try to get up, bark at the walls, etc. The only way to calm him down was to pick him up, carry him outside and lay him down in the grass for 5 minutes or so, then back inside for another 30 minutes. I did this for 2 days straight. At about 3AM the 2nd morning my right arm felt like it was going to fall out of it's socket, really sharp shooting pain from my elbow, up the outside of my shoulder and over my shoulder blade.

I tried hitting balls a few days after we put the dog down and I got through about 25 shots before I felt like passing out. Tried to play the following day and quit after 5 holes. Saw a physical therapist a couple of times and he did some electro therapy, shot a laser in the shoulder to reduce the swelling, etc. I thought I was good and went to San Francisco with some friends, played in Napa and got through about 14 holes before it flared up again. We played Harding Park (site of the 2009 President's Cup) and quit in the middle of the fairway on 14 as the pain was too unbearable. On the advice of my instructor Jeff, I went to see the guys at All Star Health and they worked on my shoulder with a thing called Active Release Technique, basically really really really deep tissue work. It freed up the nerve and I could play pretty much pain free.

Just before that trip I had an MRI done and scheduled an appt. with an orthopedic surgeon, so we stuck with that. Went and saw that Dr. and he says he's 95% sure I have a torn labrum in my right shoulder. To prove his point, he pushed and pulled on my right arm and then BINGO, my right arm bone moved what felt like 3/4". Wow, what a freaking weird feeling that is! I said "What the hell was that?!" He stated that movement is the result of the tear. He scheduled me for a 2nd MRI utilizing some dye injected into the shoulder, which is called an Arthrogram. Basically a really long needle stuck really really really deep into your shoulder socket where they inject dye so they can see the cartilage better. We're doing this so we are 100% sure that it's torn before we fix this.

So here's the problem, fixing it is surgery. It's arthroscopic, so I won't have a big scar, but I'll be in a sling for 6 weeks and then PT. And the kicker...no hitting golf balls for 4-5 months. Are you fucking kidding me? I was scheduled to play Talking Rock in Prescott this past Sunday, so I asked him if I could play, to which he suggested that I not hit driver, not swing too hard, etc. I told him that wasn't happening, so maybe he could just level with me and tell me if I can play or not. So he caved and said "Sure, why not, it's not like you're going to tear it!". Good advice. So I played Sunday, a fair amount of pain crept in on the back 9, but nothing like when the nerve was firing. After starting out 5 over through 4 I shot one under the remaining 14 holes to shoot 76. I guess not bad on a course I'd never seen with a torn shoulder.

I have a follow up appointment on the 25th to get the results of the MRI and to figure out what to do regarding surgery and the like. As can be expected, I'm pretty depressed and feel like someone kicked me in the gut. But, I personally know people who have gone through worse both themselves and with family, and the bottom line is that after some therapy, I'll be back 100%. It sucks pretty bad, and I'm not happy about it, but I've spent some long nights thinking this over and I'm coming to grips with it. I'm hoping I can start chipping and putting after 1-2 months, which I'll ask the Dr. specifically about. It was suggested to me that I could carve out the worlds greatest short game with that time, to which I replied "well, maybe I can get to average anyway". Who says I don't have a sense of humor dammit.

I'll post results of the follow up appointment and lay out a recovery plan here. This blog looks like it's now going to turn into a documentary of the road to recovery. I don't know if that's as exciting, but at least it might motivate me and maybe some of you. Maybe we can create a short game plan together.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Let's PaperHogan this bitch!

Posted a new video on my YouTube site from my 6/14 session with Jeff Ritter. We got a good swing down on video and he wanted to burn a DVD of it, exclaiming "Let's PaperHogan this bitch!". So in all it's glory, here is the "bitch", fully PaperHogan'd.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Whirlwind Championship - Round 2

A day of early near misses that ballooned into "holy crap maybe we should take up tennis". I had 40 putts, five 3 putts, started with a double and finished triple, double, bogey, for a stellar 87. I'm in absolutely no mood to post the details of this crap today, hell we may even pretend it never happened. But for right now, I can tell you that after the double on 1 I had birdie putts of 6 feet, 12 feet, 4 feet, 6 feet and 15 feet on holes 2 through six and shot 2 over for that stretch. Do the math, that's some pretty solid ball striking and some horrendous putting. Now I know what you are thinking, perhaps just fix the putting and all will be well. I tried a different route, I instead opted to start hitting it all over the golf course, which just happens to be tighter and less forgiving that the course we played yesterday. I did however continue to putt bad, you know, you don't want to change too many things at once.

Here's the kicker, if I could have managed to shoot even par today I would have won by a shot as the leader shot 6 over and finished at +3, one shot outside of where I stood after round one. Great, somehow that doesn't make me feel any better. 13 shots worse 24 hours later, how does that even happen?

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Whirlwind Championship - Round 1

First round of the Golf Channel Amateur Tour's Regional Championship at Whirlwind today, second round tomorrow on the other golf course "Cat Tail". Shot a 2 over 74 today, played the last 8 holes 3 under so we finished strong. Had a stretch of 5 holes that just got me down and the card showed it. Here we go!

Great tee shot on the 424 yard 1st, left me 136 yards, pull PW into the left bunker, out to 8 feet and canned it for par. Hit a little 3 wood on the 399 yard second, 7 iron to about 8 feet and just missed it on the high side, that there my friends is half the strokes I played this hole in the last time I was here, small victories. A not so great tee shot on the 593 yard 3rd, decent 3 wood leaving me 111 into the breeze, and hit the ugliest little thinned GW you've ever seen, to 4 feet, and missed the putt. Dammit. Blocked it right of the green on the 4th, but a good pitch to about 3 feet and made the putt for the 3. Really solid tee shot on the 410 yard fifth but left me an agle that gave what looked like 3 feet between the stick and the bunker on the right, so I hit 9 iron pin high all the way left. A fantastic putt that just missed on the high side. Here comes the stretch, can you feel it? Are you getting sick to your stomach yet? You will...

Decent tee shot on the 564 yard 5th, then nearly topped my 3 wood to 136 yards, yay. A bit uphill this time so I pull 9 iron and hit the most pathetic weak cut about 30 feet short. First putt to about 2 1/2 feet and I talked myself into thinking the lines from the water injection aeration they did would pull the putt right, so I missed it left, dumbass. Seven is a 163 yard par 3 over water, a bit into the breeze, but a solid 7 iron as far left as I could and still be on the green. I've got 30 feet up and over the tier, pin sitting right on top, didn't give it enough break and the slope pulled my ball back down the hill about 12 feet away, and we missed it, another bogey. Number 8 is 317 yards, but a bunch of trouble left, so I thinned a 3 iron to 101 yards, uphill, into the wind and I pull SW, which isn't enough in those conditions, leaving me just short and right in the fringe. The first putt rides a ridge I didn't see past the hole about 5 feet left, and we missed that one too, 3 in a row, awesome. I went from talking and laughing it up with the guys I was playing with to not saying a word, kicking myself, feeling sorry for myself, etc.

9 is a split fairway 441 yard par 4, hit a decent tee shot down the left fairway, had 165 yards to the back left pin. Again a bit into the breeze and uphill so we decide a pathetic weak 6 iron to 35 feet is the smart play here. I somehow scraped in the 3 footer for par to stop the bleeding, or so I thought. 10 is 407 yards, with 254 to clear the fairway bunker on the right. I hit a not bad tee shot, that cut, and caught the top of the trap and rolled back in, right next to the front lip. 254 yards? Are you fucking kidding me? So I've got 152 in and I don't think I can clear the lip with 8, so let's take our medicine and hit 9 just short and get it up and down, nope, caught the lip. 91 yards away and I decide to lay 4 lbs. of sod over my ball. 42 yards away and I hit a 54 yard pitch to about 35 feet, 2 putt double. I literally felt my face turn red, 5 over now and I'm swinging progressively worse. I told you it was a sick feeling.

Number 11 is a 444 yard uphill par 4 and with steam coming out of my ears I finally swung like a man and left myself 140 in. I'm too busy congratulating myself on finally catching one that I forget we're uphill and my 9 iron stops in the fringe. I somehow left the uphill right to left putt short and made 4. Hey, it's better than that 6 we just posted. 12 is a 235 yard par 3 over water, pin back left and I hit one of the best 3 irons of my life to about 12 feet. One of the other guys was on a similar line about 20 feet away, his ball broke about 8 inches, so I figure to play mine about 4 inches as mine was little flatter, but it actually only breaks about 1 inch. We both looked at each other as if to say "wtf just happened there?". 13 is a short par 4, 361 yards but I'm hitting driver. Over the left trap just short of the last fairway bunker, leaving me 81 yards out of the rough. Hit a great held off SW to about 2 feet which we canned for our first birdie of the day. Yay, we're going in the right direction finally.

14th is a 172 yard par 3 playing shorter as the pin is up front, hit 7 iron but not real solid, just crept it on the front of the green, putt missed high but a good par. 15 is a 507 yard par 5, we're licking our chops now. Fairway bunker on the right, 278 to clear it, just hammered the tee shot, nice little draw at the bunker headed back to center, then the wind started pushing it, and I actually ended up catching the lip and rolling back in, damn that was going to be a good tee shot. So now we're under this huge lip again (who makes these damn fairway bunkers with 6 foot lips anyway?), I again pull 9 iron and in an attempt to not thin it into the face, I fat it and just cross the cart path, leaving me 178 yards in. They give you these pin sheets that show you how many paces short or long from center and left or right the hole is, but those are for pansies. I opt to just shoot it with the laser, 178, looks like it's JUST over the greenside bunker, let's hit 5 and give ourselves a putt, no sense in chancing dunking it in another bunker. Well I yanked it, screaming for it to get down as there is a lot of junk left. Ended up pin high left in grass, although there was actually about 20 yards of room over the front bunker as the pin was all the way in the back, good decision making there. (note to self, use the damn pin sheet from here on out) So we hit a lame ass pitch to 20 feet and actually jarred it for par, what an awesome putt.

16 is a 425 yard par 4, hit it to the left side of the fairway this time (not taking another chance at the right fairway bunker), just didn't really go. I had 160 yards left, a bit of a breeze crossing from the left, hit what I thought was a great 7 iron, but it landed dead in the center of the green, about 20 feet short, bottom tier, pin is on the top tier. I gave it a good rap and it just didn't stop rolling and finally found the bottom. Back to even for the back side. 17 is a 551 yard par 5 into the wind, big canyon about 80 yards short of the green. Rather than chance it with the 2nd shot, I'm laying up, already decided before I hit the tee shot. So a decent tee shot, not hard, still left me 290 yards in, hit a 7 iron short of the junk, left me 152 to the center, about 145 to the hole. Big huge swale right and behind the hole, hit a perfect 8 iron just past and right of the hole, took the swale down to about 6 feet. As God as my witness that's exactly the shot I pictured, sure maybe I was lucky to execute it that way, but it sure felt good. Canned it for birdie as well. 18, 442 yards into a pretty good wind now, hit a real good ball up the left side, but still had 190 yards to the stick, yikes. Pin is back center, my line is right over the greenside bunker short of the green, so I unconsciously started it right but drew it back in a bit, pin high about 15 feet right. Uphill right to left putt for 3 in a row to finish and I left it short. You fucking chop.

Out in 39, back in 35 with a double on 10. Really happy obviously with how we finished the last 8 holes, but we can't afford to get down on ourselves in the middle of the round like that. I think the reason I finished so well is I just had a talk with myself after 10 and basically decided that it was unacceptable to play like this, putting half swings on shots, so I decided to swing hard the rest of the round. 11 fairways, 13 greens, 31 putts. We go off later tomorrow, nearly 11AM, in the heat of the day. Forecast is 104 degrees, I'm drinking a ton of water this evening, my toilet is getting a workout. Until tomorrow!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

US Open Qualifier results

Nope, we didn't make it, but we finished pretty strong. Well, at least compared to how we started. Yes, it was intimidating, I played practice rounds with guys from the Nationwide Tour and the actual Qualifier with Roger Tambellini from the Nationwide Tour. I'll spare the details of the practice rounds and get right to the qualifier. Here we go!

Showed up with plenty of time to spare and took my time warming up. I think I was one of four guys who didn't have a huge staff bag with my name on it being carried by a caddie. Lots of good swings out there on the range, very exciting stuff. I was last off in our group, and the first two guys hit it right over the corner. Hmmm, I don't think I can carry that. I split the fairway, hit it really well. Hmmm, about 40 yards short of my playing partners, wow. Fanned 7 iron into the bunker, out to about 8 feet and pured the putt for par. My man Roger Tambellini even complimented me on the putt I hit. Thanks buddy! Clearly he recognizes greatness when he see it. (yes, I was joking). Rope hook it off of #2 into the fairway bunker, under the lip, have to wedge out short. Hit a really straightforward pitch shot over the green, chip to about 6 feet and miss the putt, double. Alarm bells are going off now. I fan 5 iron into the bunker on the par 3 third, nearly hit the stick coming out but ended up 20 feet past the hole, hit the par putt about 4 feet by, but made that one. Panic mode has officially set in. Both of my partners bomb their tee shots on the par 5 fourth, I hit a good ball, again 40 yards behind them. This is getting old quick, well, this is what it's going to be today, so just deal with it. Hit 3 wood to leave me 102 yards (596 yard par 5, yeah, it's long). Hit SW so pure, all over the stick, nearly knocked it over, only 30 feet left for birdie (yes, again I was joking). Nearly made it, easy par to stop the bleeding.

Took a rip at it on the fifth hole, rope hook left into the bushes. Shit. There were a few spectators following us and thankfully one of them found my ball. I was looking at a left handed putter swing, but decided against it. Just as I'm looking to figure out my drop options, a USGA official appears out of nowhere and walks me through the whole thing, perfect timing. Took an unplayable, 3 iron through the trees short, pitch to 5 feet, miss the putt, double. OK, we're 5 over after 5. Wow, we may not break 100 today, this is ridiculous. At this point, I'm not ashamed to admit, I can literally taste my own vomit. How can I be hitting it this bad? Well, at least the 6th hole is a 3 wood hole and I hit the shit out of that club. And I did, dead left. Shit. Just as I'm about to hit a provisional one of the guys sees it bounce out of the rocks and back into grass between the bunker and OB. Ok, that's a sign right there. No more thinking, just go hit your ball, get out of the way and right the ship. So from here on out, I took no practice swings, just got my yardage and hit it, picked up my bag and moved on quickly. So from there a PW to the center of the green, 2 putt par. 7th hole is 433 yards, driver down the left side just short of the bunker. 8 iron from 155 to about 9 feet, JUST missed the putt, par. 8th is a 176 par 3 to an island green. Pin back, a bit downwind, smooth 6 iron and nearly flew the green, stopped in the back fringe about 25 feet right. Putt was low but only 2 feet away, good par. 9th is a 564 yard par 5, lame weak cut tee shot, short of the fairway bunker, 3 wood to 100 yards, SW that hung up just under the top shelf and spun back to about 25 feet, the birdie putt was a bit short, but another par. Now we are rolling, can't taste any more vomit. Things are looking up.

Ok, new 9. 364 yard 10th, perfect 3 wood hole, except when you yank it! Phew, stopped just short of the cavernous fairway bunkers. 102 yards left, perfect SW to 6 feet. Hit the putt exactly like I wanted, didn't fall. Great putt though. 471 yard par 4 11th, Solid tee shot, left me nearly 190 yards though. Hit 5 iron a bit high in the face and ended up just short of pin high left, negotiating a buried elephant between me and the hole. Hit what I thought was a good pitch, but it ran about 6 feet by. Hit the putt dead on line, but short. Short? Really? Nice lag dumbass. My competitors both fly it over the corner on the par 5 third, I roll mine into the bunker at the corner. Ugh this sucks! Fatted 5 iron out of the bunker, left me 187 yards for my 3rd shot. Blocked 6 iron from there pin high right. Another buried elephant between me and the hole but hit a perfect chip into the bank, up over the mound, down to the hole, breaking left, clink. Chip in for my first birdie of the day, damn that felt good.

2 groups waiting on the 4th hole, a 235 yard par 3. A bit down wind and I decide on 3 iron, Hit it like crap and ended up short right. Chip to about 4 feet and bury the putt to keep the momentum going. I take 3 wood off of the fifth, 354 yard par 4, pefectly placed at the top of the hill at the corner. About 89 yards left, pefect held off SW to about 8 feet right of the hole. Another perfect putt buried in the heart for another birdie. Back to 4 over and momentum is on our side. Hit a decent tee shot on 6, just really short. Had 180 yards back into the breeze, but it's calming down a bit now. Hit a perfect 6 iron to 8 feet. This putt is identical to the last hole. Hit it perfect and left that mother F'er short. I screamed a string of profanties in my head but kept my cool on the outside. Par 3 seventh hole, only 164 yards. I'm still fuming from that putt and block it into the bunker. Tried to get cute with the bunker shot and left it in the fringe. Hit that to about 3 feet and saved bogey. Dammit, that sucked so bad. Now most people would hammer a driver on the next hole, but apparently I felt like hitting a heeled lame ass cut into the fairway bunker. Had 166 yards to the stick, wind a bit into us and from the right. Hit a perfect, I mean perfect 7 iron. The ball landed 3 inches right of the cup, nearly made 2 there. Unfortunatley the greens are as hard as cart paths and the ball bounced hard into the bunker over the green. Failed to get up and down and just like that we gave the 2 birdies right back.

18 is a 560+ yard par 5 into the wind and I rope hooked driver again, this time into the junk left. Thankfully I was able to find it, gashed a 5 iron out to 120 yards and hit a solid PW back into the breeze about 6 feet past the hole. Hit a great line but wouldn't you know it, I left that putt short too! 3 putts inside of 6 feet on the back left short, dead in the heart. Back to back bogeys on 16 and 17, 16 I deserved, but that bogey on 17 was the Gods just pissing on me, I didn't deserve that.

Ok so let's recap. Great par on 1 then pissed down my leg for the next 4 holes and gave up 5 shots. Played the next 13 holes 1 over, but very nearly made something special happen. Ended up with 78, 72 made it to the playoff. Good news, I wasn't in last place, not even close. Bad news, I didn't make the playoff, not even close. I'd sure like to have those 5 holes back, but I do take some comfort in the fact that I finally got over panic mode and just started playing. I definitely realized that recent swing changes have led to me hitting the ball a lot lower with my driver. When I bought it, I needed the 9 degree to keep it down a bit, now I need an equipment change as I really need to get some more trajectory on my tee shots. Distance wise, I need 40 yards. It's great to hit it farther than my friends and most people I play with, but these guys hit it far. F. A. R. I'm obsessed with distance now. Since the qualifier, I've had a couple of practice sessions and I'm hitting it great. I have so much more confidence now that I've played directly with these guys, and with the exception of 4 holes of panic attack, I held my own. I really feel like I hit it, chip it and putt it as well as any of the guys I played with over the past few days, but I don't hit it anywhere near as long. If I had 40 yards, I'd quit my job. I know exactly how Jason Gore felt after his 80 in the last round of the US Open. He realized he could play with those guys and with the exception of a few mistakes, he was right there. He then went out and won his next 3 Nationwide events and got a Battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour. Maybe a bit extreme, but you get my drift, I'm really happy with how I turned things around.

Best of all, I didn't lose a ball, so I have the ball I played the entire qualifier with. That is getting displayed along with my marker score and paperwork from the USGA. Hey, at least I get something out of the deal.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

US Open Qualifier tomorrow

Played another practice round today for the Open Qualifier on 5/7. Shot 75 today in what was probably 40 MPH winds, so 3 over with a double on 14 after rope hooking it into a bush. Looking at the golf course and the conditions, I'd take 75 right now and take my chances. Played with a guy from the Nationwide Tour in today's round and had a pretty good time. I'm whipped now, going to bed early. Wish me luck tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Major dose of reality

So today I received my official paperwork for the US Open Qualifier for next Wednesday. It's nice to feel official, however after looking at my pairings, I started to wonder about one of the names. Sure enough, I'm playing with Roger Tambellini, current Nationwide Tour player, ranked 557th in the world, 45th on the Nationwide Tour moneylist, former PGA Tour player, etc. That was like a shot in the arm. I immediately went downstairs and worked out, now I'm going to the backyard putting green for an hour or so. It didn't feel real until today, I'm not ashamed, I'm freaking nervous.

I also just signed up for another Golf Channel Amateur Tour event, this Sunday back at The Duke. It's a very nice golf course, and I should do a bit better than my last showing (no, we won't relive it shot by shot). I took Monday and Tuesday off of work in preperation for Wednesday's qualifier, so we're going to treat this upcoming week like a full immersion. We're pretending we have no job, and all we're doing is focusing on practicing and playing starting Friday afternoon.

My mom and stepfather are coming to stay the night at the house Friday as they are in town this week, so that should be a good time. We're going to cook some steaks on the grill and talk about how nervous I am before they head back home Saturday morning. I'll then go play Saturday afternoon, GCAT tournament Sunday, then practice rounds Monday and Tuesday, before the qualifier Wednesday. This should be an exciting week! Wish me luck!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Intro to Rob Brauer - Friendly Round

I met a guy named Rob Brauer at the Phoenix City Amateur a couple of weeks ago and we hooked up to play some golf this past weekend. He is pursuing this in nearly the identical way as I am, check out his website when you have a chance - www.robbrauer.com. We played at LoneTree down by my house as he has a tournament coming up there in the next few months and the golf course where he'll be making his professional debut this weekend was booked for a scramble. Good luck Rob!

We start off on 1 with a fairly decent tee shot, and a pretty thin and weak 4 iron short and right of the green. Thinned the pitch a bit to about a foot, ahem, yeah I meant to do that. #2 is playing right at 190 or so, hit a 5 iron that felt like it just mushed off the face but when we arrived at the green I was about 12 feet just below pin high, putt broke more than I could stomach so we left that one even as well. Third hole is a good dogleg left, as I told Rob, you almost can't hit it too far left. We both hit driver well to the center, I tried to get cute with a knockdown 8 instead of a 9 and left it short. Chipped about 6 feet left and failed to make it. Fourth hole is nearly driveable in the right conditions, at 370 yards on the card it doesn't seem that way, but with a little wind you can almost get there. I always hit driver here, as does everyone else, you just can't be in too bad of shape. My first bout with a lack of concentration and I leave the pitch short, dead, 15 feet below the green, I stab it up to about 25 feet and two putt for another bogey.

The fifth is a good par 5, don't remember the yardage, 550+ I do know, the wind has turned a bit and we hit driver pretty good here. Blocked the 3 wood pin high right, hit the chip a bit too far right (I guess to avoid the bunker. On a chip shot. Yes. That just happened). Straight downhill, hit the putt hard and missed and walked away with a disappointing 5. Sixth hole is about 340 yards, bunker about 290 yards out on the right, I always hit driver just short of it, and I did again. 3 inches short of it, in a divot. Now I've got about 50 yards in, 1/3 of the ball down in this divot, I announce that I don't think I can hit it hard enough to get out of the divot and still stop it on the green. I advanced the ball, and this is where it gets touchy, I say 8 feet. Rob swears up and down it was 6 feet (just read his blog, yeah he claims "I'll take 6 feet to my grave"). That dude needs glasses, clearly it was at least 8 feet. I mean come on, 6 feet? What am I a chop? Obviously I can do better than that, puh-leeze. So anyway, I'm 8 FEET CLOSER to the green, in the bunker, hit a shot that just fizzled out about 10 yards short, chip to 3 1/2 feet and make bogey. NOTE - Not a double like Rob claimed. So he can't add, and he says only 6 feet? I call shenanigans on this one.

7 is about 470 yards into the wind, hit a pathetic tee shot, right up the gut. Sill have I believe 200 yards or so in. Hit a cut 3 iron into the bunker and failed to get up and down. 8 is playing 190 yards, into the wind, which is starting to back off a bit. Hit a good 4 iron that landed 1 foot left of the cup and settled 6 feet behind the hole in the fringe, which we canned for a 2. Ninth is a par 5, perfect time to hit a heeled cutter into the left side of the fairway. Ah no matter, I always try for the same shot here anyway, 90 degree dogleg left par 5, I put it 20 yards short and right of the green, up and down for back to back birdies. This game is easy. Hit the tee shot a bit farther right than I wanted to on 10 back into the wind, but pretty damn solid. We get out there to see that I'm 170 yards out. WTF? 255 yards, literally 40+ yards behind Rob who's in the fairway bunker left. Well, at least I'm hitting fairways. Again, I can't line up properly on this hole and in another brush with the concentration vortex I fan 5 iron right of the green. The 40 footer breaks 10 feet left, I played for 6, missed the 6 footer coming back for bogey.

11 has a lake all the way down the right side, hit another heeled cutter into the center of the fairway, 95 yards away. Rob and I both just knocked down this flagstick, me 8 feet right, him 8 feet left. I believe that flag is still shaking it was so scared of how close we hit it. This putt broke a full 12 inches, just more than I dared to play. 12 is sort of an island green, more fringe than that of the 17th at Sawgrass, but 176 yards, more like 17 at PGA West, without the rocks. I hit a held off cut 7 iron about 10 feet left of the hole and left it short, you know, because we lag them from 10 feet. Right? 13 is playing dead downwind, tees are up, hit it great, probably 100 yards farther than the last time I played here (not because I'm huge, because the tees are up 50 yards and the wind is in the opposite direction). Hit GW from 110 yards to I believe the exact center of the green (pin back left), you know, to "protect par" as we were saying, and we did. 14th is an uphill par 3, playing 145 yards, wind howling into us, I get the measurement, settle on 7 iron, ready to pull the trigger, wind dies down. I switch back to 8, get back in, and fan it right of the green. All that waiting to hit that shot? Could I concentrate for more than 30 seconds? Please? Hit the chip like a putt (I only wish that was intentional) to about 3 feet and made it for par.

Blocked the tee shot on 15, another 470 yard par 4, lame duck 4 iron into the bunker and failed to convert that one and made bogey. Hit my 2 iron hybrid Mizuno thing I have off of 16 tee, real poor, yanked it left and picking up my tee in disgust yelled for it to get right. I looked up and I'm in the fairway. Weird bounce to say the least. Put a 6 yard cut on a GW from 110 yards (I'm just commentating here, don't ask me how), left the putt literally hanging on the lip for birdie from about 20 feet. Blocked the tee shot on 17 into the fairway bunker, 160 yards left. I hit a pretty clean 7 iron out of there and as it's in the air, I remember that we're playing into the wind. Seriously? Get your head out of your ass. So we're about 5 yards short, I try everything to make the chip, 6 feet by, miss the putt for par, another bogey. 18 is another 550+ yard par 5, cross wind from right to left. Toe'd my driver dead straight into the heart of the fairway, easily 260 yards of bonecrushing power (yes, that was sarcasm). 3 wood to 110 yards and GW to 30 feet, yep, that's right, 30 feet. Birdie putt broke probably 3 feet more than I could have imagined, but made it for a closing par. 39 - 38, 3 over each way for a 6 over par 77.

So all in all a really fun round, was great meeting Rob. I've been sick and miserable for the last couple of weeks, hopefully not miserable enough to make anyone have a bad time. I look forward to being able to concentrate for a period of time longer than a commercial about enlarged prostates (Note to the Golf Channel, not everybody who watches the Golf Channel is 80 years old and afflicted with every health problem known to man, mix it up a little). I believe Rob shot even par for the day, beating my no-concentrating chop ass by a full 6 shots. Guess who's getting strokes the next time out?

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Phoenix City Amateur - Round 4

So yesterday I mentioned the shin injury, I was told it's the anterior tibialis muscle, but I just looked it up and that isn't it. Anyway, it's the muscle about 4-6 inches above the ankle bone, on the front / outside of my right shin. It has cramped up a bit in the past, but never too bad. It started up a bit late in round 3 and in round 4 it hit on about the 5th or 6th hole. By the time I got to the back side I was limping pretty bad. I actually had to step away on the 18th tee and tell myself that I only had to make 2 more swings. I drove home with the cruise control on as I couldn't depress the gas pedal on the car, couldn't put any weight on it at all. Man does this thing hurt. Ok, so round 4. A bit shorter drive to this golf course, and not hitting it all that well on the range. Pretty flat golf course, looks to be pretty short. Considering how yesterday went, surely I'm in for some good breaks? Here we go!

Stripe the tee shot on the opening par 5, nary a 4 iron in. Blocked it just short of pin high right, pitch to about 4 feet and made the putt for birdie. That's a birdie on #1 three out of the 4 days in this tournament. If only they only counted the first hole. Ah well. 2 is about a 200 yard par 3, hit a pathetic 4 iron short and right into the bunker, blasted out to a foot and saved par. Hit a nearly perfect cut driver on 3 into the heart of the fairway. Looking at the hole, it's cut on the right side, big swale and dropoff right of that. Obviously miss it left if anything, or hit a cut that starts at the stick if you are me. The pitch was 6 inches from perfect, par putt failed to drop. Back to even. 165 yard par 3 fourth, hit an identically pathetic 7 iron into the front bunker. Ball way above my feet and I could only manage to sneak it on the green about 20 feet short, missed the par putt and made my 2nd bogey in a row. Five is a 331 yard par 4, trees overhanging right, I opt for a cut 3 wood and thinned it, but perfectly shaped dead into the fairway. About 70 yards left but went a little deep. Left the 15 footer about 4 feet short (wow) but made the par putt. 6 is a dogleg right par 4 with water through the fairway left, hit a perfect 3 wood into the corner and a solid 9 iron about 15 feet left of the stick. Misread the putt for birdie, thought it broke left but went dead straight. I really can't remember number 7, it's a par 4 of some sort and I made par, but I can't remember the details. Eight is a 425 yard par 4 and I hit a decent tee shot but a bit right into the rough. Thought I kind of smothered a 9 iron out but it landed pin high about 20 feet left. Didn't exactly come close on the birdie putt, but it was an easy tap in for par. Number 9 is a short par 5 and we need one back. Hit a pulled tee shot but only left with 206 yards into the breeze. There's a bunker all the way across the front, so it's about a 200 yard carry, and I hit another pathetic shot, this time the thinned 3 iron, pin high right onto a dirt path. I tried to bounce it into the slope between the bunker and the green, but was a little agressive, flew the slope and over the green. Chip to 6 feet and couldn't convert. Out in 38, really not too sharp.

Re-compose myself on 10, another par 5. Hit a pretty good tee shot, again in the right rough. About 225 yards out and hit a nearly perfect chaser 3 iron into the heart of the green, about 15 feet away for eagle. The putt nearly went in but we settled for a tap in birdie to get back to 1 over. 11 is about a 165 yard par 3, hit a solid 7 iron about 10 feet right of the stick, pin high. A real good uphill right to left putt to get back to even, except as it turns out, it wasn't uphill and I ran it about 6 feet by. The par putt burns on the high side and we 3 putt for bogey to get back to 2 over. A little red ass on 12, another par 5, hit a low hook right into the corner, leaving me about 265 to the greenside bunker. Just on the edge of safe, we waited for the green to clear and I hit a perfect 3 wood, I mean perfect, that landed 10 yards short and stuck. Damn. Straightforward pitch shot, oops, I mean a nuked pitch shot over the green. A lame "I'm still dwelling on the pitch shot" chip to about 12 feet and we miss the par putt, another bogey. Great.

13 is a short par 4, hitting 3 wood great so I'll just..., nope, toe hooked it into the rough. No matter, 110 yards out, perfect GW. I don't know what happened here, caught it solid, felt great, just crept onto the front, pin all the way back, about 45 feet for birdie. Left the first putt 6 feet short, didn't even scare the hole for par, another bogey. 14 is a dogleg left par 4 around a lake, blocked 3 wood through the corner (hey, exactly where I wanted to miss it, look at that, a perfectly executed shot!), then fatted 8 iron short of the green. Half hearted chip to 10 feet, missed the putt, that's 4 bogey's in a row. 15 is a straightaway par 4, killed 3 wood leaving me right at 100 yards. Hit a perfect SW that landed about 5 paces behind the hole and zipped back to 5 feet. Now wouldn't you know that I missed the damn putt? Of course, great par though, break that bogey train! 16 is about 430 yards or so, dogleg left around a bunker, hit the tee shot low and left, right into it. I'm 155 yards out, on an upslope, so I pull 7 iron. Hit it perfect, I mean perfect, just left of the stick, lands in the fringe and bounces straight left. Hit what I thought was a great chip but it just skated by to about 6 feet. Missed that putt too, for yet another bogey.

Well we're officially pissed. We can't walk or put any weight on our right foot. We've made 8 freaking bogey's on the day and we're up to the 215 yard par 3 17th playing dead into the wind. I hit a pretty solid 3 iron and "bored a hole through the fuckin' wind" (Dead Solid Perfect reference for those not enlightened), settled at the back of the green about 30 feet away, pretty good shot considering the elements. Hit a great putt that stopped 2 inches short dead in the jaws. As I mentioned earlier, I had to actually step away on the te at 18 to talk myself into swinging and walking on my foot for one more hole. Hit a good driver but blocked again, just past the fairway bunker. Still into the wind and I pull an 8 iron from 140 and smoothed it up there to 6 feet, just a great shot. Unfortunately this putt lips out on the high side and we're 3 inches away from going birdie birdie to close out the round.

So there, in all of it's glory is the closing 78 we stank the place up with. Played number 9 just terribly and the 3 putt on 11 just killed my will to play decently. Obviously happy with how we finished the last 2 holes, but man is my shin muscle killing me! Just getting over this monster head / chest cold as well, it's been a rough couple of days. Finished 21st out of 39 entered in this flight, a mere 24 shots from victory. Looking back, this is literally the first 4 round tournament of my life and we made it through. We obviously could have played better, but in all, the front 9 last Sunday and the back 9 this Sunday is what kept this from being respectable. It's all a learning experience and we'll look to improve in the next couple of weeks in the next Golf Channel event. I'll be playing a casual round this Sunday so we'll try to put some things together to build upon. Thanks for keeping up with me and wish me luck!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Phoenix City Amateur - Round 3

Sorry for the delay in posting, this weekend was a whirlwind and immediately after Sunday's round I was down with a shin injury and a bout with the worst head / chest cold I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with. I'll post Saturday's round now then Sunday's round tomorrow. Here we go!

Drove about an hour to get to Cave Creek GC from my house, wind was up and I was hitting it pretty solid on the range. 3 wood off #1, left me about 90 yards in, just nuked my SW, about 25 feet above the hole but cozied it down there for an opening par. I hit a lame thin driver off of the par 5 second, so a 5 iron layup out of the rough, again about 90 yards. This time it came out real soft out of the wet fairway, barely cleared the bunker. Chip to about 5 feet but buried it for par. # is a 200 yard par 3, hit a good 4 iron to about 12 feet below the hole, just missed it for birdie. 3 Wood on 4, blocked it a bit but in a good spot. I fatted the 8 iron out of the cabbage short of the green, but nestled the chip shot to about an inch for another par. Fifth is a weird dogleg right, and all 3 of us blew our tee shots way right into the rough, no trouble except for a big palm tree, but easy enough to cut around it. Instead I hit a dead pull into the bunker. No spin out of there, to about 15 feet and somehow, some way the putt stayed out, I thought for sure that was in.

Hit another kind of lame driver off of the par 5 sixth, hit a monster 3 wood however to about 30 yards short, pitched it to about 3 feet and made it for birdie to get back to even. 7 is playing about 185 yards and I kind of smothered a 5 iron to the back left corner, about 30 feet away from the front right pin. First putt was low all the way, leaving me about 4 feet for par, but no worries here and we hearted it for another par. 8 is another weird hole, straight ahead, but the fairway runs out at about 270 down into a severe valley. Hit kind of a line drive driver up the left side, left me about 170 yards in. I hit what I thought was a short 6 iron but got up there to see it was just past pin high, about 10 feet. This pin was in a nasty spot, literally on the other side of a ridge and I'm not kidding when I say the putt nearly stopped 5 feet short, but kept rolling and rolling and rolling, finally settling on the absolute lip of the cup. Oh how in the world did that not go in? Great tee shot on 9, about 425 yards, a bit downwind now. Left myself right at 100 yards, right next to a goose. Luckily it didn't bite me and I hit SW pin high about 8 feet left. How this putt also didn't go in was a mystery, but another tap in par for even on the front.

10 is almost identical to #1, 3 wood off the tee, about a 70 yard pitch to 6 feet. Misread it and thought it broke left, dead straight, another tap in par. 11 is a par 5 with water about 260 yards out on the right. I aimed at the 2 geese in the fairway and promptly hit the worst 3 wood on the planet. I bet I hit this nearly 180 yards, oh well, it's safe. Hit a perfect 5 iron to layup, leaves me 100 yards on the number. Hit SW maybe 3 feet left of the hole, but I didn't realize how severe the slope was there and it spun back to the front of the green. About 25 feet up the hill and rolled it over the right edge of the hole, another tap in par. For those counting, my par putts on 8, 9, 10 and 11 added up didn't equal 6 inches. Dogleg right 12th, hit a perfect 3 wood to the corner, perfect that is until I see the tree over hanging the corner, hiding the stick. No matter, a nice high cut 9 iron is the perfect shot. Nope. How about a dead straight pansied 9 iron to 45 feet? Ok, we'll take that instead. Cozied the first putt up to about 8 feet (I only wish I was kidding) but drained it for par. 13 is 163 yard par 3, hit a solid 7 iron and was yelling at it in mid air to go in. Literally hits dead pin high 4 inches left of the cup. Big hop and I'm about 11 feet down the hill for birdie. Somehow I managed to leave it 3 inches short, dead in the heart.

14 is another hole with water about 260 out, this time both right and left. I hit a solid 3 wood into the right center of the fairway, 155 yards, pulled 8 iron a bit but it cleared the bunker, about 12 feet up the hill. Missed it low, kind of a weak effort really. 15 is about the same length but the wind has kicked up now. Another 3 wood to the middle of the fairway, 150 yards, back left hole. I decide on a held into the wind 7 iron, hit it very solid, but it upshot into the wind, left me about 25 feet, up and over a hill, right to left about 2 1/2 feet. I missed it by one inch on the high side.

16 is going the other way now, dead downwind, short par 5. Hit a pretty good tee shot but blocked it right through the fairway. No matter, only 200 yards in, sitting up in some rough. I have to go over a hill and some trees and a pond about 30 yards short of the green. Blind shot, but a perfect 5 iron, and I've been hitting my 5 iron great. I'm thinking about how short my eagle putt is going to be when I thin it into the trees and catch the pond. If memory serves, a phrase that starts with the letter "F" and ends with "uck me you stupid mother fucker" came out of my mouth after that one. I took every bit of punishment I could on that, after my drop, pitch short, chip on, 2 putts later we turned a sure 4 into 7. 17 is a 210 yard par 3, uphill, pin all the way left, hit 4 iron to the heart of the green. First putt caught the wind on top of the hill, nearly went in but skated 6 feet by, but we made it for par. 18 is dead downwind, I hit a rope hook 3 wood that rode the wind to about 70 yards (that was a big 3 wood). Pitch to about 20 feet and nearly made that one as well, but another tap in par.

So Saturday was a day of near misses. We turned a pretty straightforward 68 into a 74 with that double. It's almost like I talked myself into putting it into the lake on 16, just pathetic. On to Sunday.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Phoenix City Amateur - Round 3 coming up

They just posted the 36 hole results from the Phoenix City Amateur and I'm actually only 6 shots back, leader is at 143, I'm at 149. Wow, that's pretty encouraging considering how badly I played in round 2. I have a putting and checkup lesson with Jeff tomorrow and then I'm off at 7:54 at Cave Creek on Saturday. I was pretty disappointed at where I thought I would be, but I'm a full 4 shots ahead of where I expected to be in the best case scenario.

I put a new grip on my putter last night (Scotty Cameron Baby T) as it was the grip on a putter a friend of mine lent to me to try this week, and I fell in love with it. I'm sad to let the Oklahoma Sooners grip go, but it's all in the name of progress. Wish me luck and I'll post results of round 3 on Saturday!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Phoenix City Amateur - Round 2

A tale of two nines today as I shot 76, 6 over, all of which occured on the front. I went 41-35 and was actually 8 over at one point, but played the last 5 holes 2 under to get it back to even for the side. Wind blew pretty hard on the back and the pins were again tucked in some locations, but overall more fair, not conducive to my scoring, but more fair. Here we go!

Oh, and I found out I wasn't T-3rd after yesterday as one guy shot 69, posted after I left the course yesterday. I think that was the only other score lower, wasn't in the mood to scan the board after the round today.

I don't have a scorecard, so yardages are approximate. Hit it horrible on the range warming up, I literally hooked my first PW 25 yards, yikes. Hit a great tee shot on the par 5 first, ran just through the fairway at the corner, 3 iron just short and a great pitch to 4 feet, canned it for an opening birdie. #2 is approximately 330 yards with water right, hit driver to clear the fairway bunkers and yoked it left. I was able to pitch it around the palm trees but at the last second mentally feared pulling it into the tree so the pitch shot went straight over the bunker, barely cleared it but left me about 12 feet uphill right to left. In the middle of my stroke I thought "wow, this is great, hit it bad on the range and now have a great chance to go 2 under through 2". The putt broke so far left it amazed me. About 3 feet for par and I literally watched the hole the entire stroke, missed it, bogey. 185 yard 3rd, pulled 5 iron pin high left, mud on the ball, tentative chip to 3 feet, downhill left to right, wuss stroke and missed it. Now I'm thinking "great, another day like this" Good thoughts to have moron. Pulled driver on the 4th into the trees and had to punch out with a 7 iron, hit it real well and bounced it in front, but it just skated past the hole, about 30 feet downhill right to left, didn't play enough break and left it 4 feet away. Now I'm thinking "If you are going to ever have a chance to hit a confidence building putt, this is it" 4 feet uphill right to left and I jammed it in there for par. 198 yard par 3 fifth, a little breeze into us and I hit what I thought was a decent 4 iron, but it ended up a bit short, fat part of the green. Literally looks like there is an elephant buried in the green, up the hill to the hole then it drops off sharply, first putt was 4 feet short, hit the 2nd putt with authority but not enough break and missed it high, another bogey.

Sixth hole is about a 420 yard par 4, hit driver and cold blocked it. Ended up about 3 inches away from the fence lining the street. I did the old "aim right with the body and left with the clubface" and hit a phenomenal punch hook PW from the fence into the greenside bunker where I was aiming. Remember all the golf courses that don't have enough sand in the bunkers? Well I found it, all that sand is at this golf course. Ball is buried, I step into the bunker and sink 4 inches. Swung as hard as I could just to get it out, great shot but it went left and rolled off the front of the green. Chip to about 4 feet and missed that putt too, double bogey. Par 3 seventh, only a 9 iron. Thought I put a great swing on it, felt real good, looked up and it upshot into the wind and faded, into the greenside bunker. I almost couldn't find the ball it was buried so bad. Swung as hard as I could again and blasted out to about 15 feet, which was a great shot considering the lie I had, missed the putt but it was a great stroke, another bogey. Par 5 eighth hole, absolutely block fanned the tee shot, but had an opening. I had to cut a 5 iron out of the rough / trench around a very large tree and almost slid it far enough right to make the fairway, but didn't. I had 151 to the stick, hit 8 iron and the ball just mushed off the face out of the very lush weed / crabgrass I was in, barely made the front edge. Probably 50 + feet to the hole, hit the putt and immediately knew it was way short. By the time it stopped rolling I was about 1 1/2 feet left of the hole, hmmm, great putt sir! First guy nearly blows it OB right on 9 (430 yards, into the wind), second guy hits an iron and says he hates this hole. I put a "please don't go right" toe hook driver move on it and bounce it off the fence lining the range left. Free drop from the range fence (it's on the rules sheet) but couldn't make myself hook 5 iron enough for fear of hitting the palm tree 10 feet in front of me. Pin high right, stubbed the chip shot, still in the fringe about 8 feet away for par. I rammed that putt real hard, lipped out low, 3 feet downhill left to right for bogey and somehow made it. 41, 6 over on the front.

10 is a 304 yard par 4, into the wind, first guy landed on the green and bounced over (pin cut right behind the bunker, that was ALL carry, very nice), I'm not carrying it that far so I'm aimed left figuring miss it right if anywhere, and I did, ended up in the greenside bunker. This sand is a COMPLETELY different texture, hit a great shot onto the green, should have been stony, no spin, rolled about 20 feet past, missed the putt low and made par. 161 yard par 3 eleventh, hit 7 iron, at the last second thought "don't hit it over, that's dead!". Let up and landed it right on the front, about 40 feet away. Hit the putt hard but was still 3 feet short, dead in the heart for 3. Par 5 twelfth is probably 550 yards or so, and the wind is kicking up now, dead into us. Hit driver into the right trees, but pretty sparse there. Hit 3 wood about 40 yards short in the left rough. Lined up for another pitch shot and came out of it, left it pin high on the bank short of the bunker. Pulled the pin as this is a chip shot you can make, flat out chunked it, about 8 feet left for par, missed it. 13 is about 410 yards or so, blocked my tee shot into the right rough, dead behind some of the widest and tallest trees I've ever seen. Punched 5 iron under it into the bunker where I was aiming. Fluffed it out of there, 20+ feet left, ran it 5 feet by and made it for bogey.

Pretty pissed off now, 8 over after birdieing the first hole of the day. Not going well. Par 3 14th, 215 yards, wind is howling off the left. I hit one of the best high towering drawing and held into the wind 3 irons of my life, about 12 feet left of the hole. Putt was 3 inches short, dead in the jaws. 15 is 450 yards, playing dead downwind, lake on the left. I aimed right and hit a great tee shot into the right rough by a few inches. Smooth 9 iron up into the wind and rode the fade, ended up about 3 feet left of the hole, canned that for birdie. 16 is only 413 yards, dead back into the wind, hit a good tee shot to the right side of the fairway. I had 167 left and hit 5 iron into the wind, at the last second thinking "wow that's a lot of club" let up on it and ended up a bit short of pin high in the right fringe, 40 feet away. First putt to about 3 1/2 feet, made the putt for par. 17 dead downwind, probably 410 yards or so, good tee shot, but still missed the fairway by 6 inches. Hit GW and it just mushed out of that same type of grass that was on 8. Maybe just under 20 feet, downhill downwind putt, hit it fairly soft and it just kept rolling and rolling, in for birdie. 18 is about the same length, but OB right. I setup to take it up over the trees on the left dogleg and cold blocked it again. I was in bounds by an easy 8 feet or so, moron. Pin is cut right in front, 110 yards to go downwind, hit SW and pulled it a hair but only 10 feet left or so, it takes one hop in front of the green and squirts left on me, ends up pin high about 25 feet away. I about puked my guts out trying to make that putt, but alas it was not to be, but an easy par. 35, even on the back.

So going by the cut of the grass, I hit exactly 1 fairway today, and that one by less than 3 feet. Probably 3-4 that missed by less than 2 feet. Hit 11 greens and had 34 (official) putts. I played 2 through 13 in nine over par, finished the last 5 holes 2 under. Just like the front nine yesterday, I couldn't get the ball in play on the front nine today. Obviously I'm pretty frustrated right now, spoke to my uncle and he suggested that I change my attitude for the rest of the tournament, play pissed off. A little, not a lot, but this tentative "please get in the fairway, please go in the hole" bullshit isn't getting it done. Man I wish I could have that front 9 over again. I'm probably an easy 10 shots back after this fiasco.

Rounds 3 and 4 are this coming Saturday / Sunday, so we'll be hitting a lot of pent up anger laden drivers at the range this week, as well as rubbing chicken bones on my putter. If anyone has any voodoo rituals or sacrificial ceremonies that work, please let me know.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Phoenix City Amateur - Round 1

Played in the first round of the Phoenix City Amateur today, a four round event, first round held at Papago today. I shot 73, 1 over par, which puts me T-3rd, 2 shots out of the lead. 1 guy at 71, 1 guy at 72, and 3 or 4 of us at 73. I believe there was one more group left to post when I left, but that's where it stood when I left anyway. Wind was up a bit, quite gusty at times, and the pins were tucked behind nearly every bunker, really setup pretty strong, as can be judged by the scores. I played out of the trees on the front 9 but put got it around better on the back. Here we go!

Number 1 is a 552 yard par 5, and I didn't remember a single whole all day (played this once 12 years ago). Blocked it right but found it on some hardpan, 5 iron over the junk into the fairway and what I though was a too deep GW, which ended up about 5 feet past the hole, and we jarred it for birdie. We're already stuck on the 2nd tee box, group in front is in the trees in the left searching for all their balls. They clear and I hit 3 wood dead left right where they were. Great, but I actually find my ball, literally stopped from going down the desert embankment by a small rock. I can't move it as it's literally holding my ball on hill, it's about 2 inches by 3 inches, but I have a punch shot. I pull 6 iron and hit it and hope, ball squirts dead left about 30 yards, but still playable. I punch out from there just over, chip and a putt for 5, and a good 5 for nearly losing the ball twice really. Toed the tee shot on #3, right at 150 in, I yanked it but thought it would clear the bunker on the left, nope, dead into it. Pin cut behind the right bunker, sitting on top of a shelf, hit a great bunker shot to about 18 inches, par. 4th was playing about 208 yards, hit a perfect 4 iron to about 5 feet, above the hole, breaking left to right, just pushed it a bit and lipped out low, easy 3. Fifth is 390 yards, yanked driver dead left into the trees, 3 feet from being ok, tried to slide a wedge right of it, nope, dropped straight down. Hit a great Stan Utley pitch shot to 4 feet, canned it for par (I didn't deserve that). Yanked another driver on 6, sitting on some nasty rocks / hardpan in the desert, got cute and "el hoseled" the SW. Another Stan Utley pitch but too far, about 15 feet, lipped it out and made bogey.

Finally hit a good tee shot on 7, 417 yards, 9 iron in, pulled it a bit, left me this ridiculously fast "looking" put up and over a ridge to a pin in the valley, somehow left it 6 feet short, buried that one for par as well. 198 yard par 3 8th, another pin ridiculously tucked behind a bunker, 4 iron to 40 feet and 2 putt par. Par 5 9th, here we go, let's get some! Good tee shot, just in the right rough, 240 out, a little downwind, decided on a chaser 3 iron, worked it all out, cut it around a tree from the hanging lie, fan it a bit, chunk. Great layup to 90 yards though. SW too deep to 20 feet, 2 putt par, out in 1 over 37. Ten is another par 5, ok NOW let's get some! Great tee shot to the corner, great 3 wood to I thought the middle of the green, nope, wind gust knocked it down, just short. Stan Utley pitch to 2 feet, made the putt, back to even. #11 is a 190 yard par 3, over water, over a gaping steep face bunker, just scary and ugly. Pin back right corner, hit a perfect 5 iron 15 feet short left, right where I drew it up, lame ass putt short and low but easy 3. Good 3 wood on 12, 99 yards to clear the high lipped bunker where the pin was tucked, as soon as I hit it I knew the GW uphill into the wind was not going to make it, so I did what any reasonable golfer would do, I begged please. Just made it but hopped left, 25 feet, great speed just didn't see it breaking left at the end, but good par. Great 3 wood off 13, 408 yard par 4 (playing a bit up), pin is accessible, but on a shelf just behind the corner of the front bunker, so I bailed at the last second, 20 feet short right, 2 putt par. Hit the bottom groove of the 3 wood on 14, right into the middle. Yet another ridiculously tucked pin, 142 yards to clear the lip, just a hair over comfort zone for 9, but too much for 8, hard 9 was tugged a hair, cleared the bunker, but kicked straight left and funneled down the slope to 40 feet away. What a ridiculously bad hop. First putt went 8 feet by, yowza. 2nd putt went right in the middle, 2 putts is 2 putts right?

Out of position with my bag leaving the green to go to the par five fifteenth, went back to get another guys towel he left on the green, the other 2 guys went first to let me catch up, out of breath and hurried to hit it, blocked it. The good news is I hit it so bad that I stayed short of the trouble. Pissed off though, and fat/hooked 5 iron into the left rough. 115 to go, perfect GW but the grass was a bit thicker than I thought and it fluffed out. Made the green but about 25 feet short. Ran this putt about 6 feet by, and I swear this green was faster. Not as fortunate this time, the par putt lipped out low and I made bogey. Great tee shot on 16, 8 iron in but the wind caught it a bit and I ended up pin high about 15 feet left, and left the putt 2 feet short, just pitiful really, but a solid par. 17 is a 227 yard par 3, no trouble around the green though, but I hit a lame chicken 3 iron pin high, 50 plus feet away. First putt was about 6 feet short, but that's about as far as I can hit a putter, I think I pulled something there. Anyway, 2nd putt was the purest putt ever, center cut for par. Thought I blocked my tee shot behind the trees in the corner on 18 but got up there and got a favorable bounce left past the trees into the fairway, 140 yards left, a bit downwind, hit 9 iron well, but it started going a bit left, hit pin high about 8 feet away and spun back down the hill into the fringe leaving me about 15-20 feet back up the hill. Great putt hit hard as hell, just missed it left and a tap in par to close the day.

So 37 - 36, and a miracle 37 considering how bad I was hitting it off the tee on the front. I hit 11 greens in a row starting on 7, streak busted with the zipped 9 iron on 18, 2 inches into the fringe. 31 total official putts, but without making birdies and not really missing greens on the back, they add up quick. I hit 1 of 7 fairways on the front and 6 of 7 on the back, swinging much better off the tee as the day wore on. By my count, there were 10 really hard and tucked pins, what happened to 6, 6 and 6? Tomorrow is at Encanto, which I've never seen before, of course I didn't remember anything about today's course either. I heard it's 300-400 yards shorter, but a par 70 instead of 72, and dead flat. On to tomorrow, wish me luck!

Friday, March 28, 2008

Phoenix City Amateur starts 3/29

I entered the Phoenix City Amateur, a four round event that starts tomorrow, 3/29. This event is 2 rounds this weekend and 2 rounds next weekend. Of the 4 different courses, I've only played one of them, Papago. 12 years ago. Should be fun. We play Papago tomorrow, I go off at 8:21 AM. Stopped by after work and hit some balls and some putts, hitting it very well. Worked again on moving my right shoulder under my chin through impact as I'd gotten away from that a bit over the past week or so.

Should be a great weekend, high of about 84 degrees both days. Wish me luck!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Company Founder passed away today

Today, the founder of the company I work for Kurt X (name removed to keep business seperated from personal), passed away after a long bout with cancer. I'd known Kurt for about 6 years, played golf with him several times before going to work for him at my company. Approximately 30 seconds after the notification went out to the company about him, the office went completely silent, it was eerie, all the background noise just stopped. It's just complete bullshit that the good guys get dealt bad hands.

Here's the text from the email that went out from our CEO today:

Good afternoon everyone,

It is with extreme sadness that I write this email.

Kurt X, our good friend, company founder, and all around phenomenal person passed away about an hour ago at his home in Phoenix. As most of you have known for some time, Kurt fought a courageous one and a half year battle with brain cancer. He was 49 years old. His mother, father, daughters, and brother were at his side when he passed. I’m confident he was at peace to have those he loved with him as he entered into Heaven. Like all of you, I am really going to miss Kurt. Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts today.

Services to say goodbye to Kurt are being formulated and I will pass on the information when available.

Respectfully,

Gene


Godspeed my friend, you will be missed.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

San Tan Amatuer results - Round 2

So after Friday's putting fiasco, I spent about an hour on my putting green at home, and I must say, putted even worse. I finally just went to bed and said the hell with it. It's not like I can have 41 putts again. Tee times on Saturday, I'm off at 8:40 AM. Here we go!

Started on #10 again (split tees). As yesterday, we're aiming for the right corner rough, oops, blocked it into the fairway on #1. I hit a perfect 7 iron, only to find it was actually pulled and just a bit short. A lame chip to about 10 feet, and a short putt, 3 feet left. Uh oh, remember yesterday? Well I made this one, Yay me. Bogey. Blocked 4 iron on #11 but hit it so bad that I actually ended up in the bunker, dead. Pin is in back, on the other side of this ridiculous slope. Hit it out of the bunker up into the rough, trickled down onto the green to about 3 feet, great shot. Damned if I didn't make that putt too. Sort of ok tee shot down the left side on the par 5 twelfth, but into the wind today, so about 270 in. Decent 3 wood just short, but have to pitch over the bunker up to the back shelf. Thought I hit it short but it bounced hard and ended up about 6 feet long. Got a great read from the first guy to putt nearly on my line and I made mine for 4. Hit another baby cut driver on 13, just a short pitch in. Fatted it a bit but got lucky with a hard bounce, about 12 feet below the hole. Just left it short, knew it as soon as I hit it. I have to think that yesterday had something to do with that tentative stroke. Hit 5 iron on 14 today (4 iron deep yesterday) and got sooooo lucky, hit it like a girl but got a good bounce out of the fringe and had about 15 feet left, uphill right to left. Other guy holes his from about 25 feet, nearly on my line, and I go after mine especially after leaving it short on the last hole. Well too much gas equals not enough break, miss it high left, about 3 feet downhill right to left to go. As I'm taking it back I think "don't hit it too hard in case you miss so you have an easy tap in for bogey". Oh, great swing thought, missed it low and left.

Decent tee shot on the par 5 fifteenth, dead in the middle of the fairway, 250 yards in, and topped the damn thing again. That's twice in 2 days, what in the h-e-doublehockeysticks is that about? 127 yards left, perfect PW, blocked it, left myself 35 feet for birdie. Missed it low, made the par putt. Group behind us is on our ass, and I want to get moving. I stand up on the next hole, look behind us to confirm that the group is pressing us and blocked the tee shot OB. Good job. 3 from the tee is right down the middle, hit GW to the back right top shelf pin and missed the green right, dead. Pitch to 20 feet and 2 putt, triple. Nice 7 dude, really, great course management there. No wind today on 17, hit 7 iron again, about 20 feet right, just past pin high, lame first putt, make the 3 footer for par. I hit a low hooked tee shot on 18, into the left rough, but about 135 yards left, and fatted a 9 iron short of the green. This game isn't that hard is it? F me again. Hit a great chip shot, nearly went in, then went 8 feet by. I was thinking "don't pull this" and missed it right. 39 yesterday and 40 today? I mean come on, who's dog did I run over? I don't deserve this do I?

Didn't hit the tee shot nearly as well on #1 today, but had about the same yardage in. Since we're not into the wind and the pin is in front, I try a little 3 iron chaser, hit it great, but it sat nearly in place when it landed, about 15 yards short. Hit another great chip shot, about 2 feet low and left though, but made it for birdie. Piped the tee shot on #2, 104 yards left. Now this is just a bit much for the ol SW, but I think we can get it there. Been hitting the GW like crap anyway. Pin is all the way left, green is split by a big valley, not much room for error. Thought it was perfect but landed about 6 inches short of flat and spun back down into the valley about 15 feet away. Good 2 putt from that bottom tier. Absolutely yanked the tee shot on #3, but it ran forever and got past the tree on the left. Had nary a SW left into the hole (55 yards farther than yesterday, I'm so huge). Blocked it and had a nasty right to left putt, one of those where the more break you play the more it breaks. Somehow I got it to within 6 inches and walked out with par. Absolutely nutted the tee shot on #4, had only 102 yards left. Hit GW this time (uphill) and 2 putted for another 4. Just a so so tee shot on the par 5 fifth, so so 3 wood just short, and a so so pitch shot to about 10 feet. Got another great read from a guy who was putting nearly on my line and made mine for yet another 4.

5 iron again on #6 but pulled and ended up about 35 feet and a bit short of pin high. This nearly would have been holed for yesterday's pin, hey, small battles right. First putt was tentative and was about 4 feet short. I never felt better over a putt though and stroked it perfectly. Oh yeah, it missed. Hit 3 wood again on #7, perfectly placed, just a nice pitch shot from there, but way too tentative, God forbid I attack the stick from 70 yards or anything. 2 putt from there for my 7th 4 in a row. Hit 5 iron again on #8, beautiful cut just like I planned, I just started it at the hole, ended up pin high in the fringe, felt really good about it, pulled the pin and nearly chipped in, tap in par and my first 3 of the back side!

As we're standing on the tee on 9, we see a guy in the group ahead make the longest walk in all of golf. He hit it OB and had to walk back to re-tee. We told him to take his time, he nutted it and went on his way. As I'm pulling my driver back after the fairway clears I think "you've already hit one OB, let's not be like that guy", hey look at that, I missed the fairway left! 106 yards in, a shade downwind. Hit a perfect SW, I literally was yelling for it to go in. One hop and zipped back a few feet though, about 10 feet left. Pured the putt and made it for a closing birdie and a 2 under 34 on the back. Can we start the golf tournament now?

I walked off after 32 putts feeling like I putted lights out, that's how bad Friday was. So 74 with a triple on day 2, and a lot of missed opportunities to look back on. Breakdown by nines goes 39-40-40-34. Maybe I need to play 27 hole practice rounds or something. At any rate, it's movement in the right direction. I spoke to my instructor and he's got some ideas on drills with a belly putter so we can target some isolation in the stroke. I'm not going to a belly putter, just drills. He and I agreed that perhaps an equipment change with the putter isn't out of order. I've had this putter or 10 years now, and it's not like switching is going to cause me to go out and putt worse than I already have. I'm looking for something now, I just can't find anything I like. I was thinking a mallet, but they just don't look right to me. The search goes on.

San Tan Amateur results - Round 1

I played in the San Tan Amateur last weekend, a 2 round event that also served as one of the Arizona Stroke Play qualifiers. Tee to green I hit it pretty good, but I've never putted so bad in my freaking life. 41 putts Friday, 32 putts Saturday, 79 - 74 respectively. How does that happen you ask? Good question. Here we go!

We started on #10 (split tees) in a shotgun format on day 1. #10 at Las Colinas is a dogleg right par 4 that sets up better if you cut the corner, even if you play out of the rough. Hit it right into the corner, ended up in the rough, right where I wanted it. Thinned PW out of it but bad enough to still leave it on the bottom shelf, pin back left. Hit a tentative putt to about 2 1/2 feet and yoked the par putt left. So bad I had to check the grip on my putter to see if it was crooked. #11 is 190 yard par 3, solid 5 iron about 30 feet left, just past pin high. Hit a great putt, downhill left to right, lipped out on the bottom edge, 3 feet left for par. Yoked it again. Decent tee shot on the par 5 twelfth, had 245 in, pin up front. Downhill lie and I literally topped it. Ok, now we're having fun. I have 150 yards left, solid 8 iron to about 10 feet, missed the putt. My first par though, yay.

Thirteen is a short par 4, hit a baby cut driver right down the middle, 105 left. Hit a smooth GW to about 8 feet, pulled the putt left (again) and then pulled the 18 inch tap in left. Again, I look at the putter grip to see if it's crooked. Still straight. 192 yard par 3 14th, hit what I thought was a PERFECT 4 iron, into the wind, drawing dead onto the stick, landed over the green and I was very fortunate it stopped there rather than rolling down the hill, which is dead. Good chip to about a foot and made the putt. Decent tee shot on the par 5 fifteenth, if just a hair right of where I was aiming. 250 yards in, hit a weak cut 3 wood about 20 yards short, eesh what a bad swing. Hardpan lie, bounced the pitch shot into the ball, ended up just over the green. Straight downhill putt, about 5 feet by, missed it, bogey. Good tee shot on 16, PW in, caught it a big heavy, about 20 feet short, but 2 putted by God. 167 yard par 3 seventeenth, the wind pick up just a bit as I was about to go, but thought I'd just muscle a 7 iron anyway, short. Chip and a putt for par. I swear to God I aimed for the left side of the fairway on 18, a tree, a big ass tree, is planted right in the middle of the fairway here. I cold blocked it, dead into the middle of the right half of the fairway. Phew. Pulled an 8 iron pin high, about 20 feet left. Another 2 putt that had my knee's knocking on the par putt. Out in 39, F me. Now I'm pissed, thirty fucking nine?

Absolutely killed the tee shot on the par 5 first, 250 yards left. Hit a solid cut 3 wood, just onto the back edge of the green. Nearly holed the chip shot, 1 inch tap in birdie. Cold blocked driver on #2, got a drop from casual water, then thinned a PW over the back, dead. The best I could do was 10 feet from there, missed the putt, gave back the momentum. Hit a piss poor weak cut tee shot on 3, 149 yards left. Hit a ho hum 8 iron about 20 feet short, first putt about 4 feet short, missed the putt. (New storyline). So one of the guys we're playing with comes up to me and whispers in my ear that instead of asking one of the other players if he wanted me to move my mark, I should have just looked for myself, rather than letting doubt creep into his mind that my mark might be in the way. Ooookay, sure thing brother.

Good tee shot on 4, about 135 yards left, pulled my 9 iron pin high left. Chip shot took off on me, 12 feet to go for par, missed it (that's 3 bogey's in a row for those keeping score). Not a great tee shot on 5, a par 5, left me about 270 yards in. Hit a decent 3 wood, about 10 yards short of the green. Now Mr. Ball Mark etiquette is in the bunker short about 2 feet in front of me. As I'm walking around the bunker I say to him "hey, go ahead if you're ready" as he's already in the bunker. His response? "I don't give a shit who's ready, who's turn is it?" Ummm, dude, are you going to be ok, cause I think you're about to have an aneurism. "It doesn't matter who's ready, it matter who's turn it is." Ok, now at this point, this guy can officially kiss my ass, as he went first on this same Goddamn hole, and it wasn't his box. Which I remind him of, and he replies with "I was asked to go first". So I fire back "Well I just asked you to go first, how in the fuck is that any different?" It goes deathly silent now, and we don't speak for another 2 holes. More on that later. (Sorry about the language, but this is how it unfolded).

Back to it, ok so I stab the chip shot (big surprise), and miss the 25 foot birdie putt by about a mile. I made the 8 footer for par though, jackass made 4 out of the bunker though, where's the justice in that? Pulled 5 iron on #6, just past pin high, hit the chip to about 4 feet and missed the putt. I pull 3 wood on #7 and as we're waiting for the group in front of us, my man actually apologizes for the outburst earlier, we kiss and make up, all is well. Great 3 wood, if not a little too far, on a downslope now. Hit SW but hang it out to the right, just in the fringe, about 8 feet away. The first putt breaks wildly left, about 18 inches for par, and pulled that one too. For the 3rd time, I check my grip to see if it's crooked, nope, still straight. Great 5 iron on #8 to about 6 feet. Another guy in the group however hits it to one foot, so mine doesn't look so great. I am so out of my mind with the putter that I actually left the uphill left to right putt 6 inches short and low. Great 3 you putz.

We get to 9 and there is a community outreach program of some sort papering the neighborhood with flyers. Well about 15 mothers and children are on the teebox on 9 in the shade, talking and laughing and playing tag. They quiet down enough for the first 2 guys to go, but when I stand up it starts getting loud again. I actually backed away and said "Excuse me" 7 times (yes seven) to get their attention so I could ask them to quiet down. After seeing me ask them, they all got up and walked away, right in the middle of my backswing. My God did I hit that tee shot good, absolutely pured. They should have been talking while I was putting all day. I hit some wedge from there and 2 putted, for the life of me I can't remember now. It was all a blur.

And that folks is how you shoot 79 with 41 putts. Pretty damn easy if you ask me. Somebody shoot me now please.