Wish me Luck

Since I finally got my handicap index low enough last year to enter some USGA events, I decided to go ahead and enter the Sr. Open. (How many chances am I going to get at this anyway?) Since there are only 160 total spots, half of which are filled by exempt players, and ~3000 entries, a Sectional Qualifier is involved. So, I'll be in Columbus on June 7th playing for 2 open spots out of a field of 90. As I said, wish me luck.

I was sitting on the fence about doing this, but I have been hitting the ball well and I am showing signs of scoring well too. This weekend was very encouraging. I'm looking forward to doing this. Now matter what, I think it will be a great experience.

Thanks!

Thanks for the encouragement and the tips. I'll be about 50-50 short game/ long game between now and then. (June 7th) I think the biggest thing for me is to stay fresh. It also would be a good time to get out the Rotella books and do a little mental game practice. I like the first thing in The Golfer's Mind I think the most important thing I got out of his books is to have a plan for every shot and play it with confidence. Now, if I could just learn not to keep score in my head.:

I may give some other events a shot this year too. My index is low enough to enter the Am and the Mid-Am too. One more year and I can enter the Sr. Am.

Sr. Open Sectional

Mark,

I'll PM you with the course and tee time when I get it.

Mike

Rotflmao

Thanks! The crazy part is I am hitting the ball great right now. I need to improve my putting though. I got in 9 last night and shot 37 w/ 19 putts. Statistically that sucks; however, only a couple of those putts were really makeable. The one green I 3 jacked, I was putting with my back to the hole on the first putt. I was killing it off the tee averaging 270+ (fast fairways) and hitting it pretty straight too. The putting will come around. My game is in the best shape it's ever been in this time of year.

Thanks for your support!

Where to start - so little to say, so much time. Oops reverse that.

I managed to get over to the course Wed. afternoon for a practice round. Wedgewood GCC is a fair track, but it is demanding. There is a little room off the tee, but off the fairway is not good. The approach shots are demanding. I started the practice round as a single and i caught the threesome in front of me. We had a good time. Weather was perfect too. Wish we had played Wed.

Thursday I picked up my caddy and drove over from Dayton to Wedgewood. I was a little over an hour drive and I had a 10:33 tee time, so I wanted to get there between 8:30 and 9:00. Us 50 yos need a little time to get loose and for the vitamin I to start working. However, stiff joints were not going to be a problem this day with highs forecast in the 90s.

The warm-up went well. I was putting well and hitting the ball well. I had good speed on my putts and I was stroking it well. I figured I was good to go.

I got to the first tee just as the group in front teed off. I got the pin-sheet, the local rules sheet, the USGA CoC and the clarifications from the starters. I mentioned I had a caddy. He had it made. He got to drive my clubs on a cart. However, since competitors had to walk, I could not even sit on the cart. My caddy did earn his keep - more on that later.

It's time. The start announces us, "This is the 10:33 tee time. Teeing off first from Dayton Ohio..." That part is pretty cool, even if no one is around to hear it.

I got a pretty good indication of how the day was going to go right off the bat. I hit a really good drive about 5 yard left of my aim point, with a little draw on it, right in the left bunker. The next shot hit the lip and just got out onto a downhill lie in the rough. I tried to punch a 6 iron up the fairway onto the green, but I hit a pull hook left of the green. The pitch over the bunker went long and I went over. The next pitch went to 6' and I made the putt. After that, I had stretches of OK play, but I never got it going. By the 5th hole the wind was howling, which was going to make things really interesting.

In the end, I shot 80. 68 and 70 qualified. There is good news in that though, I did play well enough to avoid the dreaded letter. After a post round analysis, I figured I turned a 74 into an 80. Way too many putts. (35). The stats were 10/14 fairways, and 11 greens. I also was in 1 fairway bunker and 4 green-side bunkers, so my caddy got good at raking traps. I made some mental errors, some were just plain silly. Live and learn.

Did I mention it was windy. It was so windy the ball was oscillating on the greens and on the tee. On the greens I had to press the ball into the green to keep the wind from rolling the ball off it's placement. The wind was a factor on putts too. When it's that windy, golf gets really interesting. The wind was swirling a lot too. I hit one approach that went 40 yards right, the came back 40 yards left. Wow!

Still, I was glad I went and tried. I will definitely be back next year if I keep my index low enough. Plus next year I am old enough for the Sr. Am too. (Sr, Open is 50, Sr. Am is 55 - figure that out.) My game is really coming around tee to green. My short game is good too. My putting leave something to be desired, but it will come around. I have been a good putter and I know most of my problems on the greens are mental. I CAN fix that. Just takes a little practice.

That's the scoop. I've got a whole bunch of stories about this I can tell if anyone is interested.

Thanks again for rooting for me.

Some story examples: Trouble managing my LOFT,
Nice drive, can you put a silencer on that thing.

With the heat and wind the greens were firmer and faster than the parking lot. How many 6' putts can I miss anyway. Head pro from Oakmont qualifies. (Playing the US Open there next week) Seeing old friends. and more.

Gotta run out to play golf

A story or two

As you may know, I play a Cobra driver and it's a little loud. At Wedgewood the 6th and 13th tees use the same back tee. I'm teeing off on 6 and I piped it. One of the guys coming off 12 green said, "Nice drive. Can you put a silencer on that thing."

We're on the tee at the last hole and my playing partner says his problem today is managing his LOFT, if you know what I mean. I replied me too. My caddy says what are you talking about. I tell him, it's managing our Lack Of Friggin' Talent.

I'm thinking of going to sectional qualifying for the AM later this summer. The index limit is 2.4 and I'm a 1.5 right now. I think I'm going to go up a little though. The main reason is getting more competitive experience. The other is I would get a chance to play a good course is Cincy that is impossible to get on otherwise. Plus I get more high level competitive experience.

I think that getting competitive experience is the key. I think it's easier to handle that situation when you've been there a few times. In the meantime, I need to work on my putting. I corrected something today that I think will help. In the mean time, I just have to keep playing and practicing.

Thanks Harry!

I've been a single digit handicap most all my adult life. I was up a round 9 most of the time though. I was never low enough to be able to enter any USGA events though. It's been in the last couple of years, since turning 50, that I have started to really be able to play well. Try and figure that one out.

It's good to have dreams and set high goals. I think it pushes you to be better than you think you can be. It's a neat feeling everytime you can learn to take it to the next level.

Hopefully, I'll come back next year loaded for bear. I have my course notes if the sectional is in the same place. (it should be) In the meantime and can just keep trying to get better.