Aug 11
31
August 31, 2011 Just 1 Stroke Short
What a great round today.
Played with Jim, Roger and Dooley at our home course (Fort Mill Golf Club).
This is one of those days where things I’ve been working on have all come together. Was able to play a steady round with only 1 birdie (18th). Most of the rest were steady pars or as some would say boring pars. You know the kind: on in regulation and 2 putts.
Had 3 bogeys on the front finishing with a 39. Great so far.
Then I got to thinking about how I was on track to break 80. I knew I couldn’t focus on that or get too excited about how well I was playing. I knew that if I did I would begin to get off track, loose focus and allow tension to create bad swings.
But I did find myself struggling to stay on track on the back.
So here is the break down of the back nine hole by hole.
10th – par 3 Bad tee shot leaving me with a short pitch over the front bunker to a back right pin. Pitch shot ran out too far leaving me about 15 feet downhill. Two putted for bogey.
11th – par 4 Pulled the tee shot too far left but got lucky since it got through the trees leaving me 118 yds (I use the SkyCaddie SGX). The ball was laying above my feet in the rough left of the cart path with a pine tree just ahead about 15 feet or so. The pine tree prevented a normal pitch shot. Chose to hit an 8 iron bump and run type shot. The shot finished middle of the green about 20 feet from the pin. 2 putts for par.
12th – par 5 Another pulled tee shot left me in the woods on the left. Chip out to fairway was the only option. Played for bogey from then on. I reached the green in 4 but with the longest putt of the day. I don’t know it was probably over 50 feet. 2 putts for bogey.
13th – par 4 This is a short par 4 so I always play a 3 hybrid off the tee box. Hit the shot very well leaving me just 80 yds to a front pin. The pitch shot came up say 10 yds short. Chipped just past the hole and made the putt for par.
14th – par 4 Good tee shot here and a pitch shot that was wide of the intended line leaving me another long putt for birdie. This one finished below the hole. 2 putts for par.
15th – par 4 This tee shot saw one my major swing faults, up and out, leaving me right of the cart path with an uphill lie in the rough. It was just a smooth 9 iron shot though but the rough caused me to top the shot and the ball ran up along the ground to just short of the green. A bad chip just barely reached the green. 2 putts for bogey.
16th – par 5 Another up and out tee shot went high right only this time it finished out of bounds. Took the drop and the next shot left me just over 200 yds out. Chance to still make bogey but the shot was pulled left to the lake short and left of the green. Chip up and 2 putts later I made triple. This is one of those “if only” holes. A blow up hole that cost me big time.
17th – par 3 This is a long, uphill tee shot. My tee ball finished left of the green; pin high. A good chip and a putt left me with par.
18th – par 4 This is a hard dog-leg left. Great tee ball; both for line and distance. I was left with just 60 yds to an uphill green with the pin back right. The shot was into the setting sun though and I couldn’t see it at all. The guys said it looked good. They were right it was pin high about 8 inches from the cup. 1 putt birdie.
I finished strong. It was like once the pressure of breaking 80 was gone (after the triple on 16) I could play free again.
So I failed though to break 80 due to faults in my mental game more than my swing. I hope to get more comfortable mentally with the idea of shooting below 80. I have some techniques for that which have helped me a lot up to this point. Just got to get to the next level.
Round Score – 80 Front – 39 Back – 41
