This past weekend I slammed smack dead into that wall called reality. I played in the Virginia State Amateur qualifier at Kingsmill on their woods course (not the River that the LPGA plays on) and to be kind to myself it was not pretty. I have got my handicap index down to 7.3 from a 12 a year ago and have been consistently in the low 80′s high 70′s thus far and to be honest I did not expect to qualify but I did expect to post some decent scores.
Well I wish I could say that was the case but it was the exact opposite. I have to just get it out…97, 85. Ouch! But you know the one thing I can say is that I am in a good place mentally and to my credit after posting that 97 after round 1 I went back out there unlike every other person who posted in the 90′s….they all WD’d. I absolutely would not even consider that…never quit…it is NOT an option!
I just don’t know what happened but the only thing I can say is that I was Tiger on the range and Barkley on the course…at least that is how my swing felt. I know that tournament golf is very different than playing on the weekend and I have preparing for that for the last 2 months. I have immersed myself in books on the mental game and have even been working with a local coach with guided meditation techniques which I have to say honestly is probably the only reason I was able to press on.
I woke up early and took my dog for a walk to warm up and then spent about a half an hour stretching and loosening up and then drove to the course. Once at the course I took my driver, a hybrid, 8 iron and wedge to the practice tee to loosen up and as I said I felt like Tiger. My swing felt great…very relaxed with a great tempo and I was throwing darts and nailing every target with a great strike and a baby draw. I spent the final 30 minutes chipping and putting and after the great warm up I was excited about what lay ahead.
Well I get to my first hole (#10) and yes I had some butterflies but I have trained myself to channel that into positive energy. They weren’t “oh please don’t shank” butterflies but they were more like “Thank you God for giving me this opportunity…this is what golf is all about” excitement butterflies. Well…I stood over my ball and executed my routine flawlessly and proceed to hit a snap hook through the trees on the left which I couldn’t see but there was the 18th green on the other side and a lake there so I hit a provisional and did the exact same thing only this time the snapper went farther up the treeline and I knew that one would be in play. Anyway long story short a few chunks and chili-dips later I put the ball in the hole for a quad. And that is pretty much the way the rest of my day went. I can honestly say that I felt like I was able to stay in the present on each shot (and there were many) and I didn’t feel as though I dwelled on the bad ones (and there were many) so I am not sure what went wrong. I do know that my swing felt tight and rushed the whole day and it was no where near the smooth rhythmic swing I had on the range.
So here I am left to wonder what had happened and why things went the way they did. I have received a lot of great input from my brother, who is an excellent golfer and athlete, and other good golfers that I know and I am very excited to get together with my pro and discuss what happened so that I can learn why things went the way they did so that at the next one (yes there will be a next one…and soon) I will be better prepared. I feel that the only way this can be a failure is if I do not learn from it and believe me when I say that I will take the time to digest every stroke of the 182 that I took this weekend to understand what happened and why. And although this bull really tossed me off pretty hard I have already dusted myself off and am ready to get back on for another ride.
Mike,
I have done exactly the same types of things. It’s one thing to feel like you have prepared beforehand but for me, nothing prepares you better for tournament golf than playing tournament golf. You are now going to be more prepared for the next one because you have played in this one. Yes, the scores weren’t to your expectations but like you said, you finished. That in and of itself makes a strong statement as to your character. It’s hard to describe it exactly but tournament golf takes some “getting used to” just like the first time that you played with a “better” group of golfers at your home course. As you gain experience and get more comfortable, the fact that you are playing in the “whatever qualifier” won’t make as much difference. The thing that will interseting next will be how you handle yourself later in the round when you realize “hey, I am actually going along pretty good”. That time will come as well and you may not do so great then either but, by playing yourself into that position you’ll be more ready the next time out. Keep at it and keep us posted.
Greg
Mike,
Days like that happen. I had an 84 (playing as a professional at my home course!) in the Mass. Open qualifier back in May. The previous day I had shot a -2 70 on the same course. I woke up that morning looking forward to having a solid round of golf. I got to the range to warm up and didn’t even recognize my swing. I went to the first tee with no idea what was going to happen. I just had to put my head down and try to grind through it. Needless to say I hit the ball all over the lot. Afterwords, some of the members asked what happened…I just told them “I didn’t have it today…I just didnt feel right at all”. Most of the better players knew what I meant, and said they’ve been there before. Others had to get their comments out behind my back…which ultimately got back to me. Truth is, I shot 84 and I really don’t care what anyone thought. I’ve shot great rounds in tournaments, qualifiers and casual rounds. I’ve shot horrible rounds too. Take it in stride. Next qualifier, go out and play golf. Dont worry about numbers, and don’t rush cause its probably gonna be a 5 hour round anyway (at least most of the ones I play in are). Take a few extra practice swings to keep things loose. And most of all, if you’re afraid of embarassing yourself, don’t be….screw what everyone else thinks. You’re gonna do great in your next one. Good luck!
-Brian