unlike Phil...

[Rafcin]

I figured I owe you guys a follow up...
So I played in my "biggest tournament of the year" today, the MGA Amateur. The stakes were high - if qualified I'd get to play 2 rounds at Baltrusol. Of course I focused hard not to blow myself out of it on the first few holes (for a change)... and I succeeded! I wasn't playing too good, my irons weren't crisp enough, so I finished the front nine 5 over : (par-par-bogey-par-bogey-bogey-bogey-par-bogey). Notice - no doubles or "others" this time. Realizing, that this won't cut it - I started to play more aggressive on the back (more driver than 3w off the tee, aiming right at the pins as supposed to "middle of the green", etc) - and it paid off. Estimating, that a +2 might have a chance ( 6 spots + ties out of 148 players) I got myself back into contention with a great sequence of holes:
birdie-par-birdie-birdie (2 birdies on par 5's and 1 on par 3). I think that was the point of time, where I lost it a thought crossed my mind, that I'm in it, that I've a shot - an immediate double bogey followed I'm willing to accept the responsibility for it as a mental letdown by thinking ahead instead of staying in the present, but I also have a perfect excuse ready it was a blind tee shot to a dogleg behind a hill (not visible from the tee!) - and my perfect (I thought) 3W tee shot ended up in the trees. Of course I sent off an angry email to MGA for accepting course for a tournament, which does not permit players to have a practice round... but it's too late now. Anyway - after that I managed to finish the last 4 holes in 1 over (bogeyed 18th after driving a fairway bunker 300yds away?!?!?) for a total of 77 (+6).
I think I might have my premature-blowyourselfupiation under control now

[thehillgolfer]

i usually mess up at the beginning of the back 9. my past two tourneys my front nines are respectable (37/38) but then i get thinking wow, i could actually win this thing, cuz usually the winning score is mid 70s, then i screw up. But the funny thing is i usually finish strong. just try to be confident.