Toothache and professional debut!!!

Hello again. Its been an eventful couple of weeks, so eventful that this has been my first opportunity to post an entry on here. As mentioned in my last blog entry, I have now fully turned professional. I received my PGA card yesterday so this makes it feel properly official now.

I received an email last week asking me if I would be interested in participating in the Assistant and Trainees Professional Championships. Obviously, I jumped at the chance. It was weird though because the tournament was held at Clandon Regis, where I have flunked playing tests twice by one shot! The day could have been reasonably succesful had I not completely screwed up the final 10 holes of my afternoon round. I learned a lot about myself and my potential because I can only describe my play on the day as 'dismal'. Despite that, to shoot 77 (+5) in the morning, and then to be stood on my 8th tee in the afternoon still at +5 for the day in my eyes was a gritty respectable performance. Unfortunately from that point on, the 'wheels came off' and a late treble bogey resulted in an unfortunate 81 and a very humbling tie for 49th spot!
Nevermind, the whole thing was great experience and I very much look forward to future tournaments. I certainly learned that I do have the ability to score when not at my best which is very good for confidence. Just wish I could put some decent form together and shoot some better scores, although at Hollingbury last week I did shoot 69 which is my best score for quite a while!

I have the Mid Sussex Pro-Am this week, which I would love to perform well in.

Also this week I am having a tooth pulled out. Last Sunday at work I was chewing some gum and suddenly I was hit with the most outrageously painful toothache! This persisted right through the night into monday and thus I got myself to the dentist sharpish!
The following statement is an example of the liberties taken in the dental industry and I was furious!

I checked into a local dentist and was given x-rays and a check up etc only to be told that I would need root canal treatment and a crown, which would all cost over £700!!! I barely have £7 to my name let alone £700!!! "That's ridiculous" I thought. I had to pay £60 for that shite information anyway! I thus promptly checked into another dentist on tuesday for a second opinion.
At the other dentist I was given the same diagnosis but told that it would be best to take antibiotics for a week to lear the infection in my gum and then have the offending tooth removed - £50!! No brainer really. Simpler and much much cheaper.

When I asked about root canal treatment the lady said it would be a waste of time on a back tooth that isn't visible, not to mention expensive! Also, she said that it isn't always necessarily successful either so I'd possibly end up needing it removed anyway!
When I heard this I was certainly relieved, but also livid that it was so obvious that the first dentist was out for my money and couldn't give a 'rats-ass' about my dental health!
I'm tempted to name and shame the dentist and dental practise but I won't.

That's pretty much it for now.
Will write about the pro-am, hopefully with good news....