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Who Said Golf Was An Easy Game?

2006 is hopefully to be the year for me. My aim (as was last year) is to become a professional golfer this year and to document the journey, trials and tribulations! I hope this may prove useful to anyone going through similar experiences to me. Of course, my unique perspective on other things will manifest itself throughout too. Happy reading......

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Sussex Open - the final event!!!

I played the Sussex Open yesterday. This was the final tournament of the year for me so I was determined to do well as I have been playing pretty well and was feeling confident from making the cut at West Hove in the Sussex Pro's Championship.

Overall, to be honest once again my scrappy side came out, far from the me that eased around Hollingbury in 69 the day before. However, I threw a good battle together.
I got off to a great start by making birdie at the first 2 holes and from there on it was just a case of scraping it round and dropping the occasional shot.
When I arrived at the 18th tee (a par 5) I was +3 for my round and feeling pretty sure that while a par would probably get me in, a birdie definitely would!
I hit my best drive of the day and was stood in the fairway with only a 5 iron left to the green. I had been pulling quite a few of my iron shots left and I knew there was out of bounds up by the green on the left too so I knew that I would be risking it. I pulled my shot left but not by much and was completely amazed by the guys up at the clubhouse waving at me to say I was out of bounds! I dropped another ball and whacked it up by the green, chipped and putted for a bogey and finished with a four-over 75 which I still thought might have a chance of making the cut.
It's a strange game, if I had hit a crap tee shot like I had I had been all day, I would have had to lay up and would have made an easy 5. Instead I hit my best drive of the day and messed it up from there.
Oh well, I hung around anxiously for a while after to keep an eye on the scoreboard but eventually 32 guys came in at 74 and better and as I feared, my mistake on 18 cost me getting through. Thats life, and that's most certainly golf!!!

So, thats my golf season over for 2006 and now is the time to reflect on how it's gone...

To be honest, given the PGA Playing test failures of 2005, I had said to myself that my only goal of 2006 was to pass my playing test and anything else that happened was a bonus.
Thus, passing my Playing Test in such a confident fashion that I did was undoubtedly the highlight of my year. It really was an achievement to come back time after time with added pressure and then go out and blitz it. I'm still very proud of myself.
Other than my Test, the rest of the year has been pretty average really. It's only recently that I've felt any kind of form coming together. Having said that, I truly think I must have gone up a level with my golf though as my ability to score when I'm playing badly is probably my best strength right now and shows that I must be doing something right.
Maybe its because of pride not wanting me to shoot high scores but in the PGA Tournaments I've played so far, I feel i've definitely held my own and performed pretty well. I really enjoy playing in these tournaments and to make the cut in my first attempt in a pro tournament did wonders for my confidence and showed me that I have as much right to be out there as anyone else. I feel more comfortable playing professional golf than I did as an amateur, bizarre as that may sound. Its a shame that I turned pro as late on as I did as I can't wait to play next year.

That just leaves the winter now and my plans. I have long-term swing things that I need to start working on now with my coach in Chichester. Now the season is over I will dedicate myself to these. I am looking forward to working hard in the off-season although I feel like I might have a bit of a break or at least wind-down in the amount I play now. My biggest area to work on is undoubtedly putting as this let me down A LOT this year.

I look forward to improving myself in preparation for next year and truly feel that with some good work over the winter I can emerge strong for next year and not having to rely on an average long game and good recovery game. Its reassuring to know I can still perform when I'm not at my best.

Thats all I've got for this entry folks. Till next time.......