First Tournament in over 7 Years - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Read a post from Mike at Life in the Rough called “My Best Learning Experience Yet” that inspired me to play in my first competitive tournament in over 7 years. It was a Mens Open play at Coyote Creek just west of Sundre, Alberta, Canada.
The course there is not long and the fairways are wide and forgiving but the greens are large with many elephants buried under them and fast. Leading up to the event I have only played 8 rounds all season and only twice breaking 80. And I could count on one hand how many times I have been to the range to practice and even less on the short game. I was unsure of how my short game would hold up.
Since I am in limbo where the RCGA does not recognize me as an amateur and the CPGA does as a professional since leaving the business in 2003 I was entered a 0 index. This put me into the Championship flight. The first round was match play format. Two matches in each foursome. And each match was 9 holes. The winners of the front nine matches played each other on the back nine where the winner of the second match played in the final match on Sunday. The losers of the matches on the front nine played each other on the back and the winner played the consolation final on Sunday. Losers of all back nine matches played a stroke play format on Sunday.
I was fighting a cold leading up to the event and did not eat a whole lot on Friday and had a small breakfast on Saturday morning. It was evident that my blood sugar was low on the fourth green because my hands could not stop shaking (No I was not drinking the night before). I could not hit a fairway on the front nine if my life depended on it. On the greens my speed was fine by did not have the correct line. In the end I was one down on the ninth tee, hit a poor tee shot again, and lost 2 down.
In between nines I got my self a quick hot dog and a Gatorade and ate most of it prior to teeing off on the back. Amazingly enough I began to find my rhythm on the back nine. This time I felt I was more competitive on the back nine. Made a couple quick hook on two holes and was one down on the 18th tee. My opponent hit a hook into the left rough and I hit a high draw down the middle. I birdied the hole to force extra hole but ended up losing the match. So I was relegated to the stroke play event to play for pride on Sunday.
Even though I played horribly on the front nine I kept my cool and gained confidence on the back nine with some solid drives and iron shots.
On Sunday I could do no wrong on the front nine. Hit the first six fairways and greens and was two under. Slightly missed the green on 7 and eight but got it up and down for par. Missed the fairway on nine with a block fade into a fairway bunker, hit an eight iron fat, then hit a 90 yard sand wedge to 2 feet for par to shoot 2 under on nine.
On 10 hit a quick hook into a fairway bunker, laid up by hitting an eight iron to the fairway, then made my only real mental error of the day on the third. Was left with 185 to the pin with the wind blowing right to left and a little into us, the lie was a little downhill and about my feet. I was set up to play the draw from that lie but changed my thought process at the top of my swing. I decided to play a cut back into the wind trying to be a hero. Resulting in an over the top fat smother that land in a water hazard 20 yards short and left of the green. Took my medicine dropped the ball in front of the hazard and hit a six iron to 20 feet and two putted for a double bogey. I bogied the 11th hole but hit a good tee shot to the green just misread the wind a bit hit the ball about 10 feet to far and short sided my self, landed my pitch 2 yards further than I wanted to kill the momentum to the short side pin and two putted for bogey. Proceeded to birdie the last par 5 and by the 15th hole I was tied for the Stroke Play lead. We exchanged pars on the next two holes. On 17 I still had the honor hit my drive solid in the fairway and the other competitor hit his drive into the fairway bunker on the left. Unfortunate for him he ended up double bogeying the hole where I hit my approach to 20 feet and made my putt for birdie. Parred 18 to shot a 1 under 70. My first sub par round in 2 to 3 years and first sub par round in a competitive round in at least 8. So of course I was flying high from that round. Even though I was not competing for the Championship due to play on Saturday.
I forgot what a thrill it was to play when every stroke matters. And how to for stretches at any point in the round you can play both brilliant and pathetic in a span of just a few swings. The week before we had the LPGA Tour stop in Calgary and I made it for the first round. Probably the things I took with me was their commitment to each shot, how they swung within themselves each time, and their demeanor after each shot whether good or bad. I could have gotten down on myself but the third hole and Saturday but I kept playing one shot at a time and accepted my bad shots and did not gloat on my good shots. Again I would like to thank Mike again for planting that seed in my brain and to get out and play.
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I’m humbled that you credit me for helping to re-light your competitive spark. Since the beginning of Life in the Rough, my intention has always been to create a motivational give and take between myself and everyone who drops by. I’m happy that you felt motivated, but now I, in turn, feel more motivated too. This is one of the beauties of the blogosphere. It’s great that we can all learn from each other and that we can also provide motivation and support, as well.
[...] See original here: First Tournament in over 7 Years - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly … [...]
Yes its great that somebody playing a tournament for the first time in 7 years . However I myself have not played a tournament since 1998 and dont miss it. I play withmy friends and only the people I like and it will remain so
It’s great that we can all learn from each other and that we can also provide motivation and support, as well
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it`s nice… you can learn from your mistakes to improve you on the future.
Hello,
I am a new golf player.After reading your real story I got a chance to learn a a lot.
thanks for shairng this educative event with all of us.
Great story! I’ve always had the same problem not eating before playing in a tournament. I’m too nervous to eat before teeing off, but when I don’t eat I run out of stamina quickly and when I get tired I hit tired golf shots. I’ve gotten into the routine of eating something, usually a piece of fruit, around the fifth or sixth hole. This seems to help, even though I still don’t feel hungry and I have to force myself to eat something. You’re never too old to learn something about this crazy game!
I was motivated at least after seeing your experience, motivation can make me more excited to get better again.
Nice and informative post It’s great that we can all learn from each other and get support from each other
Congrats for getting out there and competing again!
Way to go, I always enjoy good sports stories.
Very nice reading…I always enjoy a good sports story!
I always enjoy good
After reading some of these posts you inspire me to get back out there and improve my golf game to get ready for tourney play again. I miss it! Wonderful story
I to am new to golf any help is desparately needed here thanks Michele
Great article new to golf here-can use some inspiration
I am a new golf player.After reading your real story I got a chance to learn a a lot.
thanks for shairng this educative event with all of us.
Coyote Creek, an excellent addition for out golf GPS database.
Golf Tips,
Congrats on playing good on your first competitive tournament in a long while! It’s amazing how much of a roller coaster ride a round of golf can be, but I appreciate you making a good point about not letting those up’s and down’s get to you. Take the good, the bad, and the ugly shots all with the same demeanor and it can help to even you out as good player.
I enjoyed reading your play-by-play. That was awesome!
Chris
The mental aspect of golf is the most difficult part to overcome…way to battle through it.
thanks for the post!!
Golf … so humbling. Hats off for going out there and playing in the tournament when it had been quite some time.
What a story! I just got out on the course and played my first competitive round in months myself and found myself loving it - and doing pretty badly, might I add. I think taking some time off has really revitalized my appreciation for the game. Your play by play got me even more excited about hitting the links again - thanks!
Hey - hotdogs and gatorade - I will remember that next time my golfing is deteriorating! Thanks for a good post, I enjoyed reading
I have been debating playing my first real golf tournament and almost did it this past season. I am still an 18 handicapper so I’m pretty intimidated.
You must have been a little apprehensive after not playing a tourney for seven years, but judging by the way you played and kept your concentration, you are obviously a top-notch player.
I love watching tournaments and am dying to play in my first. Your post has given me inspiration to finally give it a go. Thanks!
i’ve just returned to competitive playing too, it has been kinda frustrating for the first month not being able to hit a ball like I used to but the adrenalin just seems to kick in after a while. Thanks for the entertaining read.
Congrats on getting back out there again!
“And how for stretches at any point in the round you can play both brilliant and pathetic in a span of just a few swings.”
I can definitely relate to this - but I think I have a tendency to play “pathetic” more often than “brilliant.” But, as they always say, it just takes one great shot to keep us coming back for more misery
Paul
Well done on competing again. Sounds like you played well after your cold improved. Must have been thrilling to shoot under again after so long out.
I’ve always had the same problem not eating before playing in a tournament. I’m too nervous to eat before teeing off, but when I don’t eat I run out of stamina quickly and when I get tired I hit tired golf shots.
Mark, didn’t you hear Gatorade and Hotdogs are the new rage. May be ads in the future promoting the GH factor.
7 years is a long time man. If that was me, I’d be very, very rusty. There’s no such thing as a competition - that feeling one gets and the adrenaline rush.
Good luck in many more tournaments.
I also grew up playing competitive golf. Your article got my competitive spirits going. I’m now thinking about qualifying for the state tournament this year.
Getting ‘back on the horse’ can be one of the most difficult thing to undertake, especially psychologically! Well done and good luck for the future!
Having low blood sugar is definitely something that you want to avoid. I have to sometimes force myself to eat so that I know I will have energy for peak performance. Gatorade and a hot dog will certainly do, but when I go out I like to make sure that I have a powerbar / energy bar with me just case I start to get hungry.
My stomach gets tied up in knots before a competition as well.
It’s great to get back into the competitive game again. Best of luck in your next tournament.
it`s nice… you can learn from your mistakes to improve you on the future