Lafayette
*Please Note* This blog was written Monday March 24th.
I’m given you the heads up of the day I wrote this because I don’t know when I will have internet access to post it.
I am in Lafayette, Louisiana. I got in yesterday afternoon, and will be leaving tomorrow morning. I’m here playing in a Monday Qualifier for the Nationwide Tour.
I did not qualify. I shot and even par 72 and missed by 4 strokes. I played well but never got anything going to get me sub 70. 5 birdies were offset by 5 bogeys.
The bogeys were all sloppy ones. My focus slipped and a bogies bit me. Bogies happen, but a real shortcoming of the round was my play on the par 5’s. I had irons into all 4 of them and only managed to birdie 1 of them. Those 3 iron shots could have been enough for me to get into the tournament this week.
All that being said, I am happy with my play. I feel that my game and head has come along lots from the qualifiers played last month in Florida.
While here, I had lunch with Brad Fritsch and he gave me a lot of inside information and pointers for my year. It was really great to see him and spend some time with him. Brad was 68 today, birding the last 3 to get to that number. Good playing.
I had a great moment today where I realized how lucky I am to be a professional golfer. This amazing game of golf has allowed two boys from small town Manotick, Ontario to be eating lunch in the deep south of Louisiana. How cool is that!
This game is so cool, I love it.
Next up is a Monday qualifier for the Nationwide Tour in Livermore, California next week.
With that being said, I have just under a week to get there. I will take my time and take in the sights along the way. The main attractions will be Dallas, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas.
With my birthday coming up on Friday, it will be a great gift to spend the day in the Grand Canyon.
Vegas will be fun to see. I promise to make it brief, just enough time to play a few hands of hold’em. When in Rome!
For those of you keeping track, my job has now brought me through Alabama, Mississippi, and now Louisiana, states I would never have seen if not for this great game.
The next leg will cover: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and finally California.
Until my next pit stop…
Hi Andrew,
I am a long-time friend of your older brother Al(jr) as well as
knowing your father when he was the head pro at Hylands in the early eighties. I played alot of years on the Cdn Military national team(cism) with Al, we had great times and were great compeititors against each other as well as the Americans and South Africans. It was a great time in our careers. I played on the Gateway Tour last year and just recently tried a monday qualifier for the Hooters Tour two weeks ago. I missed the cut, but i have learned that
each time you step on the tee in each event you will get better. It gets easier, the nerves will disappear and your potential will come through. Last year, while in Florida I would go out and watch the final round when I miss a cut, just to see how and what it takes to win. I learned alot just by watching the best players get it done. I played with Per Ulrik Johannson(ex-pga,now european player) and he said that if you are here just to make a cut, you will not! You have to think you can win!!Play well next event. Get your father to give me a call when you arrive in Ottawa in May. Would like to meet you.
John Kelly
613-791-0044
John Kelly
April 14, 2008 at 7:15 pm