This year the US Amateur Public Links is being played at Bryan Park Golf Club near Greensboro NC.  In some delusional state of confidence I entered the tournament. All you have to do is have a handicap under 4 and not belong to  a private club. Check and Check.

What I thought I would do (to hold myself accountable to some form of preparation) is begin tracking my progress towards competing in one of our national championships.

Stay tuned if you wish to follow my journey. Let the prep begin.

This time of year golf slows down for most of the world and yields to the gridiron of the NFL or College Football bowl season. Some dream-chasers however, are making a final stride towards realizing life long goals to compete on the PGA Tour. Christmas will come early on December 7th for the 40 or so golfers making it through the arduous six round marathon.

The fall classic, as it is affectionately called, always produces some of the year’s best stories. This year will it be David Duval’s rebirth (I thought it might come at Bethpage) or the right of passage for Rickie Fowler?

One player I will be watching is Chris Mundorf. He and I played Jr. and collegiate golf around the same time but became friends while students of the same coach, Robert Linville, at Precision Golf School. Chris has been looping for Troy Matteson this year on tour. As timing would have it, Troy won the Frys.com Open the week Chris took off for the first stage of Q-school.  Chris figured going to first stage cost him six-figures.

I think it will be a good opportunity cost if he makes it through this week. You can can follow Chris here as he chases an early Christmas.

Recently, I was invited to play in a Scramble Event. The format also falls under the aliases of Captain’s Choice and Superball. It is very common for charity events and corporate outings. The rules of a scramble allows each member in a team (usually 2 or 4 golfers) to hit each shot and play the best one. The four person teams usually consist of A, B, C, & D players, with the “A”having the lowest handicap and the “D” player with the highest. I have played in numerous superballevents and believe this strategy will bode well for you.

Here are three keys to going low in the Scramble format:

1. Choose the right playing order. Most of the time I have found teams do not give this all important decision any thought. As a result numerous birdies and eagles are left on the course. Think about a 4×400 relay in track and field. You have a first leg, second leg, and so on with the anchor as the strongest closer but not always the fastest runner. Many times the fastest runner will go first or third. In the scramble I believe the same holds true. For example, on the greens, have your second best putter go first. This will allow the weaker putters to learn from the line and speed of the first putter if they do not hole the putt. The same principle can be used for tee shots and approaches. Just remember the “A” player isn’t automatically the best at each part of the game and every player should have a role to play.
2. Play the percentages. It is very easy to pick the shot that is closest to the hole or longest off the tee. That ball however does not always give you the highest percentage of making a birdie or an eagle. There are numerous examples I could use here, but two that are very common. The first is a situation when there is one tee shot which is the longest and in the fairway but leaves an awkward yardage or angle into the green. The percentage of getting it up and down are less than a ball that may be yards farther from the hole but allow the team the best chance of hitting it close and making birdie. The second example is found on shots around the green. Just because it is “on the dance floor” doesn’t mean it is the best shot to choose. I would rather have a 30 foot uphill shot from the fringe than a 15 foot downhill putt with 4 feet of break.
3. Ride the MO’. The Scramble format is a shoot-out with the motto, How low can you go? Red numbers are a must. A lot of red numbers. To get on a run where a team can rattle off birdie after birdie momentum is crucial. How do you get it? Hit one good shot at a time and give yourself a chance for birdie on every hole. Sometimes you may have to switch up the batting order to overcome the inertia of making pars. Have each team member contribute. When players feel like they are helping, they perform better and excitement is transferred within the team. Once momentum is created, ride it like a wave. Let it carry you from birdie to birdie. Then get out of your own way!

I believe these keys will help you shoot lower scores at your next company outing or charitabe fundraiser. Tell me about your strategies for Scramble success. No one strategy works for every team. Choose the game-plan that helps your team function as the best combined player of your talents.

Tiger is back ! I must have heard this ten times yesterday as he made a triumphant return to competitive golf at the Accenture World Match Play.

I love match play. It is the only time in golf where it is truly mano-a-mano. In most other sports like tennis, boxing, ufc, basketball, and football athletes play against one competitor. Competitive golf is usually played by score against par, called medal play. In medal tournament play the field plays the golf course. The golfer who has the fewest strokes relative to par wins. In this format, SCORE, is what matters.

Not so in match play. Holes won against your opponent is what matters. Win more holes than your competitor, and you win!

This proposes new strategies for course management and risk taking. Here are three keys to help you succeed in match play. You may not be playing in a World Golf Championship or even a Ryder Cup, but chances are you will tee it up against friends for lunch or a county amateur.

1. Micro matches- Play each hole as a match. The goal is to win each hole not break par. Play the man not the course. Win the hole with a par, birdie, bogey, or whatever you need to beat your opponent.

2. Value of one- If you make a triple bogey and your opponent makes a birdie you only lose one hole, not 4 strokes like in medal play. Keep fighting!

3. Agile Strategy- It is important to have a game plan to attack each hole. However, be flexible  to adjust that game plan as circumstances change. For example, If your opponent hits it out-of-bounds then you may want to change clubs off of the tee to ensure putting the ball in the fairway giving you an advantage to winning the hole. Conversely, you may want to take a risk not normally taken if the reward will save or win the hole. The key here is THINK and ADAPT.

Watch the tournament this weekend and find these keys evident in thier matches. Implement them in your saturday nassau and enjoy the spoils of victory!

The course was set up perfectly. The rough was about 2-2.5″ of thick Bermuda grass which is playable but penal. The fairways were plush and competitors played the ball down (as it lies) through the green. Now this brings us to the greens. Well, some would say they were quick. Others might even say slippery. I even heard one player call them fast.

I’d say quick… like how quick Michael Phelps takes a shower.

I’d say slippery… like how slippery sliding down black ice is with Clark Griswald’s sled.

I’d say fast… like how fast you head to the baño after eating a Rochester garbage plate.

Bogies:

Hence there were a lot of bogeys. In the 36 holes of the tournament I carded four bogies, two double bogies, and two triple bogies which also included 4 three-putts.Ouch! Others didn’t even fair that well. There was one stretch of holes that I scored double bogey, bogey, triple bogey, par, bogey… but not to whine.

Birdies:

Finally with six holes to play, my mind kicked in gear. If there is one lesson I re-learned, it is that:

On my 13th hole, the 520-yard par 5 fourth hole (I started on the back nine), I hit a good drive into the wind down the left side of the fairway which left me 230-yards to a back hole location. This is normally not an issue, but I was semi-blocked by the trees guarding the left side of the fairway which left me a high draw shot shape to the green. Out of bounds, just right of the green, did not leave me a high percentage shot. My goal was to make birdie and get the momentum swinging back in the right direction. I decided to lay up with a 7-iron (I know, wimpy, right?), and swallow my ego. This left me a perfect sand wedge into the hole and set up a 10′ putt. Drano! I got one back!

I pared the 14th and smoked a drive splitting the fairway on the 15th, pitched to about 12′ and made another birdie.

The 16th hole was a 272-yard par four with a pond protecting the front-right part of the green. I hit a high fade driver off the tee to the front of the green about 50′ from the hole. Like I alluded to before, the greens were on the speedy side, so a lag putt below the hole was critical. I two-putted for another birdie.

The 17th hole is a short par five. I chose to hit 3-wood off of the tee and stay short of the pond, which loomed about 270 yards from the tee. This set up an 8-iron approach to about 8.’ I read my putt, visualized the line, and stroked the ball in the hole for an eagle three. Sweet!

Eighteen was an easy par 4 of only about 320 yards. In my attempt to hit the greens I double-crossed it and pulled the ball into the trees just left of the fairway. As I approached my ball, a little steamed from the miscue, I was faced again with a choice. I could try a miraculous shot around the trees, while keeping it under the limbs or punch it to the left side of the green and have a tough pitch to get up-and-down for par. I chose the latter, which left me a side-hill pitch to the green that sloped up to the hole and then downhill past the pin. I hit the best shot I could, but it ran about 10′ past the hole. I did manage to knock that one in for a par.

Five under par on my last six holes! All because I made good decisions. Too many golfers throw countless shots away due to poor choices on the golf course. That usually leads to impatience, which in turn, produces big numbers. Decide your goal for each shot and make the decisions that will most likely achieve the desired result and watch your scores come down.

Ducks:

That finish secured my first Seafood Invitational Duck, which are awarded  as trophies to the winners of each flight.

I know you want to see my duck. Here is a picture:

This past Tuesday I played in a qualifier for the NC Mid-Amateur golf tournament. It is one of the Carolinas Golf Association Majors, and there are several qualifiers throughout the state to complete the field of 100+ players. It is being held this year at Sedgefield CC , which was host to the PGA Tour’s  2008 Wyndam Championship. I am eligible this year since I have been reinstated to the amateur ranks and have celebrated the 30th year since I took my first breath. I guess they call it “Mid-Am” for mid-life, because we are too old to compete against the teens & 20 somethings (protect ego), and too young to tee it up from the Gold Tees(50+ crowd). I am just getting warmed up! 30 is the new 20! At least that is what I tell myself even though my body seems to argue sometimes.

but back to the tournament

I played the one day shoot-out against 88 other guys for 20 spots in this year’s championship. The qualifying round was contested at Chapel Hill CC. The course was stretched to approximately 6,850 yards, and the par 72 Gene Hamm layout was in perfect condition. The bermuda rough was up (about 1.5″-2″) and the greens were rolling true and quick (that speed where putts can get away from you easily). The weather was soggy, humid, and rainy as three other gentlemen from the Greensboro and I strolled the fairways. Also joining us was Justin, my caddie. He is a great friend, and said he would be my looper (he once caddied for the the Lama I am told, but that is another story).

I am a pretty low maintenance golfer as far as caddying goes. My main expectations are:

• keep the ball and clubs clean
• keep the grips dry
• help with yardage from time to time
• provide extra pair of hands in wet conditions (holding the umbrella, etc)
• be a sounding board and security blanket for decision making

That is pretty much it…Oh! one more thing, pull the pin when I putt.

Justin learned this, Caddy tip #106, on the ninth hole as I putted from about 60 feet.  Justin was a little startled as all four of us yelled PULL THE PIN! in chorus as my putt rolled end-over-end towards the cup. Fortunately, my ball rolled over the left edge of the cup and all was well. Had it struck the pin while putting on the green I would have incurred a two-stroke penalty. Whew! That was close.

Other than that incident, the round went well. Justin did a great job, even though he was annoyed I did not let him do his job sometimes when I pulled clubs from the bag myself. I played well, carding two birdies, one eagle, and a bogey to finish with a three under par, 69, to take medalist honors. I believe 74 made it through the cut. It is now off to Sedgefield in mid September for my first NC Mid-Am Championship.

Wish me luck!

Round two was shotgun started like the first. The 70 players would begin and end around the same time. I strapped my bag into my cart assignment, which read, “Hole 1A.” I was in the second to last group 2 off the lead with 18 holes to play. My playing partners today were Ashley, Steve, and Steven. Ashley is local to the triad and like myself had tried the pro ranks and reclaimed his amateur status after a semi-successful tour on the satellite circuits. Ashley’s wife come to find out graduated from the same high school I did- what a small world. Steve is one of the best players in the area and has been ranked highly in the state for many years. Recently he qualified and played in the US SR. Open. Steven, from High Point, owned a landscaping company and knew how to “golf his ball.”

This day I chose to use a new ball, the Pro-V1x., which proved to be a bad decision. (I would recommend not switching to a different kind of golf ball in the middle of a tournament.) After 4 holes I was at 3 over par for the day. Throughout the round I struggled with distance control. I needed to get up-and-down from past pin high on 10 of 18 holes. I shot 76 with no birdies. It is less fun when you get shut out in birdies. It would be similar to a baseball player going 0-18 without a hit. Anyway, I finished in 5th or 6th place for the tournament with a two-day score of 146(5 off the winning score).

I did however remember a lot I had forgotten about playing competitive golf. Here are three of the key things (I learned from the greatest coach in the world Robert Linville) that were brought back to my attention that will help you play your best when the strokes count.

We only have control of our actions and attitude so Stay Positive

Always, Always, Always pick a target (Aim Small – Miss Small)

Swing without fear

I pulled into the parking lot and parked along the far side of the clubhouse. My Invicta read 7:00 am. I opened the door and stepped into the warm and humid Carolina summer and  popped open the trunk. I retrieved my bag and laced up my Footjoys like I have done thousands of times before, but this morning was the first time since 2001 they would carry me around the course in competitive play.

The Gillespie Invitational is held annually in Greensboro NC at (you guessed it) Gillespie Golf Course. In its 23 years and counting, it has attracted some of the top amateur golfers in and around the Piedmont of North Carolina. The course is a unique 9-hole layout with 18 tee boxes stretching a little over 6,400 yards in length and a par of 72. Don’t let the $15 price tag and address off of MLK blvd fool you. Difficult hole locations and sneaky tight tee shots provide players the opportunity to go low or go home humble. The most interesting characteristic about the course is the 9 extra tee boxes that produce the back 9 turning some par 5′s into par 4′s and par 4′s into 3′s.  Now, back to my story…..

When I crossed the parking lot I checked in at the first tee. Billy sat behind the table and greeted players with an enthusiastic “good morning”. The first day was a shotgun start.  For non-golfers out there, that does not mean any firearms were used. It is simply when all the players begin at the same time on different holes so that everyone can finish at the same time. I started on number 3, a 560-yard par 5 with a sharp dogleg right, and a water hazard running all the way down the right side.

I was paired with two good players, Chris and Brent. Chris, oddly enough played at Methodist College with a guy from my hometown back in the early 90′s. He hit the ball very consistently and could putt lights out. Brent was native to eastern NC and had played with a lot of the guys I had competed against over the years. He BOMBED it! Brent was 6′ 3″, built like a linebacker, and hit the ball extremely long (including driver and 9 iron into the 530 yard 18th). Brent shot 69 and was one stroke off of the lead after day 1.

I played pretty well considering the rusty competitive gears. I was 1 under par through 13 holes despite missing sub 10-foot putts on 7 of the holes completed. No bogeys though which kept the round in check. My 14th hole was dogleg right par 4 and I opted for a 3-wood off the tee. I picked my target, set up, and swung. As I watched the ball sail over the fairway…. and the out-of-bounds fence…and the MLK blvd I reminded myself that a practice round would have been a good idea. Double Bogey.  I stood 1 over par on the 14th, with the competitive fire burning like white flame as I hit a driver down the left side of the fairway finishing around 280 yards removed from the white peg it sat on seconds before. With a wedge in my hand, I manufactured a shot to within 8 feet. My putt rolled to within a rotation of diving into the cup but once again denied. My 15th hole I hit a 9 iron to about 30 feet on the downhill par 3. I addressed my putt with all the determination I could generate and rolled the ball into the cup dead center. Back to even, and on to the 16^th. After a three strategic shots I had left myself 15′ for birdie. “One more,” I told myself, as I lined up and stroked the left edge putt. Yes, back to red numbers. “One more” as I stepped onto the 17tht ee and hit a tee shot down the middle of the fairway. A mediocre second left me with a 18′ for 3 birdies in a row.  I read the line addressed the ball and rolled the putt at the left center of the cup. It expired over the lip on its last gasp like a marathon runner crossing the finish line. I pared the final hole for a 2 under par round of 70.

I was pleased with the way I finished, two off the lead going into the final round. Final round results coming soon…

A few weeks ago I made my return to competitive golf at the Etowah Valley Charity Pro-Am held at Etowah Valley CC. I was invited by my friend Simon, who is a pro, to be his teammate in the event.  I was excited to tee it up in a tournament for the first time since q-school back in 2001. We arrived at the Hendersonville NC course, checked in, and hit the range. The Charity being supported was the Boys and Girls Club of Hendersonville NC.

They paired us with two interesting and what proved to be delightful playing partners- Ed and Chris. Ed was 80 years young and moved around with energy and enthusiasm of someone 30 years his jr. (not to mention he has 10 kids and 40 grand-kids!!). Chris worked in Hollywood as a camera operator and spent his down time in the NC mountains.  We laughed and swapped stories of past shots and rounds we had played (because that is what golfers do). Chris had some cool stories of hanging out with movie stars all over the world. One movie he recently did was Shooter- Excellent Action Film.

The course was slightly above average with a few really good par 3′s. Playing the course blind is always tough especially when you are facing doglegs that can lead to a “re-tee” as your ball sails down a mountain side. We played well as a team shooting -10, 62. I shot even par 72 on my own ball even though I played the par 5′s +1. Simon finished at -4, 68 for a T2 finish.  We finished T10 as a team but made some great friends and enjoyed perfect weather.

If you want to follow Simon as he pursues his dream of Playing on Tour I have linked his site. He is currently across the pond qualifying for the Open Championship

http://www.simonmcgreal.com/ontour/

Later.