As the title suggests, I was DQ’d for the first time ever in my golfing life this past Monday.  Not exactly the return to competition I was anticipating after Q school.

Monday was the first round of a 36 hole platinum event on the Great Lakes Tour.  Thanks to overnight and morning rains, the round was delayed and my tee time was pushed from 10:50 to 1:20.  I was actually quite happy with this since I have been battling a terrible cold since Sunday.  We played 5 holes before the horn was sounded and we had to come in and wait out some more weather passing through the area.

This is where my DQ fell.  When the horn sounded, my two other playing partners had already holed out and I was the only one left to putt.  We were all unsure as to whether the horn was signaling us to come off the course or hit our next shot and take shelter.  I erred the wrong way.  I made my par putt after the siren, which promptly disqualified me from the event.  5 holes in and I was playing well, it’s very unfortunate to say the least.

What’s more is the fact that the second round was cancelled due to an unplayable course.  I was in prime shape to post a solid first round which would have cashed me a nice check and moved me up the order of merit.

I held my place on the order of merit and need a great show at the year end tour championship next week to finish in the top 10.  This was one of my goals for the year on this tour.  Considering that I will only play 10 events compared to most others playing 15, this would be a respectable campaign out on the GLT.

The tour championship is in Brantford on the 6-7 of Oct.  I’m heading for a 4 day getaway to Calgary tomorrow.  I’m excited to head out there and spend some time with one of my closest friend and his family.  It’ll be a nice change of pace to not be in the same city as my golf clubs for a few days!

I’m back home in Ottawa enjoying some rest after the grind of Q School.  I’m happy to report that I got my Can Tour card for next year!

The week was a long and stressful one to say the least!  I did a very good job of dumbing down the importance of each round of golf and just focused on having fun and enjoying the pressure that Q School brings.

out of the bunker in round 2

Here’s a brief recap of the week:

Round 1
I shot a two under 69 and was sitting in a tie for 12th.  This was a great way to start the tournament.  I was very calm and patient all day.  Some adversity came up after a double on the 7th but I handled it well with a birdie on the 8th and 3 more coming home.  The week started in the right direction!

Round 2
I shot 70 and moved up to a tie for 9th.  I was so happy to break par in this round!  I started off very slow with 2 bogeys in my first 4 and shot 2 over on my front nine.  I drew upon my patient play form the first round and just plotted myself along my second nine and finished with two straight birdies to shoot 70!

Round 3
Much like round 2, I shot 70 after a slow start, being 3 over through 8 holes.  I stayed patient and battled back with 4 birdies in my last 10 holes to post 70 and climb to a tie for 7th.

Round 4
This round didn’t go like the first 3, which was the plan! I hoped to start strong and finish strong for the final round.  I knew that no matter what happened, my strong mental state and putter would keep me in it and ultimately get my card locked up!  I was tested all day on how well I could stay focused on never giving up.  I never seemed to get any momentum and also got a handful of very poor bounces on the rock hard greens.  I finished bogey-bogey to shoot 75 and finish at even par for the tournament.  I was very disappointed to finish so poorly, but nonetheless I still hung on to a card for next year with a tie for 22nd.

I was very proud of myself on how I managed the struggle in the final round.  I could have easily gotten frustrated, lost my focus and missed a few putts and completely missed a card for next year.

My tie for 22nd gives me a conditional card for next year, which isn’t all bad.  If I play well I will shuffle out of my category and be granted more starts as the year goes on.  I’m excited at the fact that I have a card for next year.  I’m also excited that my card is conditional because it will force me to keep working hard and keep me focused on improving and not taking anything for granted like I did in 2008.

Thanks to all of you who’ve been encouraging and supporting me through your comments and emails! It’s all really helped me stay motivated and focused on working towards this goal.  Now I’m excited to make some new goals for the off-season and 2010 and look forward to sharing them with you all!

I hope this blog finds you well,

I’m sitting here on a rainy Sunday afternoon, reflecting on what’s taken place in my last month of competition.  I’m very very pleased with the progress that’s taking place in my game, and I’m also very determined to continue improving and working on the things that haven’t been so great this past month.

Most recently, I had my best finish in a Great Lakes Tour platinum event last week in Burlington.  I fired two 71’s and finished in 9th place, 6 strokes back of the eventual winner.  It was nice to have a top 10 finish, but I was not totally pleased with it because I putted very poorly both rounds.  My ball striking was great and really kept me in contention; unfortunately, my putter was ice cold and didn’t want to cooperate in letting me make a charge for the win.

I’m very encouraged and confident after this event.  I hope to carry this confidence over into this coming week’s event on the Canadian Tour outside of Toronto.  I’ve worked very hard on my putting over the past few days and feel very confident with the progress being made.  I hope to continue hitting the ball as well as I’ve been lately, and follow through with a few more dropped putts.  If the putter falls in line this week, I really think it can be a very great tournament!

I’m heading down to Toronto tomorrow and I’m very excited to tee it up Thursday.

Here’s to a great week!

Well, the Players Cup didn’t go as well as last year!  I missed the cut by 4 strokes this year in the difficult high winds.

My head is still held very high.  I hit the ball great both days!  Fridays round was the most fairways I hit all year, which is a great feeling.  I still missed a few greens from the center of the fairway thanks to a lack of commitment to the shot, which is never fun.

Again, my putter let me down.  I felt much better over the putter Friday and my mind was much clearer than on Thursday.  All that translated to was more putts!  It’s very frustrating to be in great position to make birdie or even save a good par, and not convert.  Over the two days I had 67 putts, which is terrible!  My goal is to be under 30 putts every time I play and I was nowhere near that this week.

It’s extra frustrating because I’ve been putting great all year leading up to the event last week in Saskatoon.  My average was hovering just over 30 putts per round, which is okay.  In these last 5 rounds out in the prairies, I never putted better than 32 putts per round!

I have to keep telling myself that it’s just a phase that will pass and to keep working as hard as I’ve been.  Now more than ever is the time to focus on the process and trust that good practice, good attitude, good routine will get the ball in the hole.

I’m so close! I can feel everything coming together and preparing to burst out in the form of great rounds of golf.  I’m remaining patient for that time to come, because I know it will very soon!

Next on the schedule is 2 Great Lake Tour events before the next Can Tour event in Milton on the first week of August.

It’s Tuesday, and I find myself in Winnipeg this week.  Needless to say the last week has been quite the whirlwind of excitement and last minute travel.  As I wrote last week, I got into the field in Saskatoon for the Can Tour event held out there.  Unfortunately, I missed the cut out there.

Missing this cut was different than all my missed cuts last year.  This time around, I accepted it, kept my chin up and moved on to what was next, never did I dwell on the fact that I didn’t play four rounds.  This is a huge step in the right direction!  Last year, a missed cut was devastating for me.  My confidence was shattered every time I played myself into a weekend off.  It was a fight every Monday to re-gain confidence and proper focus for the next tournament.  It’s no wonder that the 3 cuts I made all year all came at the end of a stretch of events.  I had nothing else to focus on, so I was free to just play golf and not stress about next week.

Last week, I did much of the same.  I was focused on Saskatoon and Saskatoon alone.  Never did anything creep into my mind about what I would do next week.  Unfortunately, I didn’t transfer that head space into made putts and low scores.

After the missed cut, I arranged to come to Winnipeg and Monday qualify for the event here at Pine Ridge.  Pine Ridge is my favorite course the Can Tour plays so I was excited to have a chance to play this week.  I played well in the qualifier, but just like in Victoria, started poorly and followed it with awful putting all round!  I missed by 4 strokes and was severely frustrated with the outcome.

I’m now hanging around the peg and waiting to see if I get into the field.  I’m the 4th alternate this week, so there is an outside chance I might play, but I won’t be finding out until tomorrow evening.

So, my focus is on hold for what’s next.  This is a far cry from my focus last year.  Last year I would be focusing on any and everything past and present, and consequently never be fully present during a round of golf.

I’m here now and that’s it!  I love this feeling!  This great focus will translate into great golf, there’s no doubt in my mind!  I’m just remaining patient for that time to come!

I hope this blog finds you well!  I find myself sitting in the Toronto airport en route to Saskatoon, to play my first event on the Can Tour of the year!

It’s very exciting that my affiliate member status got me into this week.  I had no idea where I was on the list until I got a call yesterday from the tour asking me if I wanted to take a spot in the field.  It was a no brainer!  This is a great unexpected bonus to my year!  I’m so excited to tee it up tomorrow and play great! I got the call while I was on the course at Royal Ashburn, playing the final round of the third platinum event on the GLT.

The tournament was a great time, with the exception of my first 9 holes on Monday!

Playing Royal Ashburn in a non Q School event was very weird to say the least.  All of my memories of that course are associated with Q School.  This is where my problem came from on the front nine monday.  I made 2 early bogies and freaked out!  I started replaying last year’s Q School in my head and panicked!  I tricked myself into believing this was Q School and that I was screwing up again.  I shot 43 on the front, making every sloppy, stupid, rookie mistake imaginable…it felt like the twilight zone.

Walking across to 10 I identified my mental state and slapped myself out of it and got the focus back and shot 35.  My 78 left me miles back from any kind of placing.

I went out in the second round with the goal to re-capture my confidence and get some good visuals in preparation for Q School this September.  I turned in 34, and played very solid in the windy, rainy conditions on the back and shot 70.  The conditions were very difficult and my 70 was the third lowest score on the day.  I jumped up the leader board, but still managed to miss getting paid by one stroke(for the 4th tournament in a row!)

I left the course very happy and very confident in my game.  It was great to check my phone messages and learn that I got into the Can Tour event.  So my confidence is back up and I’m playing on the tour I really want to play on this week!  I plan on playing fearless this week and taking advantage of this opportunity!

Here’s to a great event!

I’m here in Welland, On playing another Great Lakes Tour platinum series event.  We’re hosted by Lochness Links, a course that I really enjoyed playing today.

Today was an up and down round that really tested my patience and self belief.  I was 2 under through 5 holes, 2 lip outs from being 4 under through 5.  I proceeded to run into some poor luck and a poor swing; and 3 holes later I was 1 over.  The ninth hole is a great risk reward par 5, and I hit two great shots and was about 40 feet from the pin just off the green faced with a flop shot that was impossible to get inside 15 feet!  I made par and turned in one over.

The back nine started very poorly, I made two bad swings on 10-12 and hit my ball in the worst possible spots around those greens imaginable!  I doubled 11 and bogeyed 12 and was sitting 4 over through 12, thinking that this event might be gone down the crapper!

I proceeded to birdie 13, leave an eagle putt on 14 two inches short, and then hit it an inch away from an ace on 15!  16 was a 300 yard par 4, dead down wind.  I didn’t take advantage of this birdie opportunity and the birdie train stopped at 3.  I left my downhill birdie putt on 17 two inches short yet again.  I hit two great shots on 18 and left myself 20 feet for eagle and a sub par round.  I missed it and tapped in for 72.

I’m happy with my comeback, and hopeful that I can ride the birdie train into tomorrow’s final round and give myself a great shot at closing the 5 strokes between me and the leader.

I’m hitting it well and putting great!  It’s just a matter of time until I break through and shoot some crazy low numbers!  Until then, I’ll stay patient and keep telling myself that it will come, much like Lucas Glover did over the past few months, which seems to have worked out just fine for him!

Well, I played in another GLT one day event yesterday and it was yet another learning experience.  I started off my day so steady; fairways, greens, and patience!  I shot 33 on the front and headed to the back nine tied for the lead and much more comfortable than last weeks event.

Unfortunately, the back nine was another struggle.  I shot 40 and finished in a tie for 20 with a 73(+1).  This time around, I felt much better than last week.  I stayed patient and calm and tried all I could to keep the round alive.  I had a couple poor breaks and a few lip outs that really tested my patience.  On the positive note, I handled the pressure of leading the tournament much better this week.  Sure, I didn’t come through and win, but I certainly banked a great lesson and priceless experience.

Like I said last week, being in the lead is where I want to be.  It’s just a matter of time until I’m comfortable in the lead and comfortable maintaining it!

One major positive to take away is the fact that in my last 4 events I’ve been in the lead after the first nine holes in every one.  Wether it’s an 18, 36, or 72 hole event; I’ve been coming out strong.  This is a far cry form last year.  Last year, I would start off struggling and then grinding back to something around par.

I’m very encouraged by all of this.  I’m making all the right moves and putting in the right work.  Again, it’s just a matter of time and repetition until I’m comfortable enough to take a 9 hole lead and turn it into a victory at the end of the day or end of the week.

I’m planning on digging deeper into all of this with my coach and sports psych in an effort to come out strong next week in the 36 hole event taking place monday-tuesday in Welland, ON.

Today was the first round of my first Great Lakes Tour, 36 hole Platinum event.  I’m playing in scenic Niagara Falls.  The day started very well in cold windy conditions.  I played pretty flawless golf on the front and turned in 3 under.  Things were looking very promising….

Upon giving my scores to the scorer at the turn, I was greeted with many well wishes from the volunteers thanks to my 9.  I was also informed that no one has come through better than 3 over!  Fact or fiction, this was information I could have done without!  I proceeded to get very tight and tense, knowing I was apparently leading by 6 strokes.  I played the next 6 holes 6 over.  It was very frustrating to say the least!

I birdied my last hole and shot 2 over.  I sit in a tie for 12th; 5 back, with one round left.  I’m excited about tomorrow because I know that I can make birdies on this course and hopefully plot away at the leaders and climb the board.

Today was a valuable lesson.  I’ve never been in a situation where I’m leading the tournament in the early stages.  As expected, I got spooked and was ripped from my comfort zone.  Leading is what I want; it’s what I work for, but it was still foreign to me.  I’m very happy this happened today and that it’s out of my system.

I seem to be learning something very valuable with every round this year, and it’s great!  Here’s hoping that tomorrow will bring some great play and more valuable lessons about myself and my game when forced to come from behind.

I’m sitting here on the outside looking in, yet again.  It’s very frustrating to have done what I did today.  I shot 77 today and in the end missed out on a card by 3 strokes.

Today was my chance to go out an play well and lock up a card…and I didn’t.  I’m disappointed and that’s it.  I’ve learned to not was my energy thinking about what could have been.  Right now, I’m evaluating my stats and my rounds and trying to figure out what went wrong this week.  The thing that sticks out the most is how few fairways and greens I hit this week.  Normally, this is the best part of my game.  My only thought is that trusting the changes I’ve made this off season was difficult over the course of 4 rounds.

It’s a bummer, but I’m far from discouraged!  I’m handling this better than any of the previous failed attempts at Q School.  My focus is on great practice over the weekend and the Monday Qualifier for the Times Colonist Open in Victoria.

I don’t have status on the Canadian Tour, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still work hard and play great golf this summer…it’ll just be a little more spread out where I’ll be playing.

I’ve dealt with much worse things in my life and I’ll be just fine in the wake of this poor round of golf, because that’s all it was… a poor round of golf.