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.

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!