State Mid-am qualifier?

[PhilsRHman]

It is by far the hardest course I have played. Although, I now know where to put the ball. The problem is my irons are not there and it is really making it tough. I had a terrible cut with my driver and I was pushing all of my irons which is very unusual for my irons. Today was the first day I have swung a club in a week and a half though, so maybe the rust will be worn off tomorrow. Everything was off today. My woods were cutting, my irons were pushed, and my putting was off. Just a bad day all around. Hopefully the course will dry out a little by tomorrow. I should be okay if my irons at least get back on track. I don't plan on qualifying but I would like to have a respectable round.

I think you need a crash course in the mental game. You're currently falling into every pitfall possible. Forget about qualifying or not. Since you don't know if 74 or 84 will qualify, all you can do is play your best, keep sharp focus on each shot at hand, and see what it adds up to at the end.

Also, the time to overhaul or fix or tweak your swing is obviously over. You don't reach a handicap like yours without having a solid shortgame, and that's what will matter, regardless of how you hit the ball. You need to make a very concerted effort tonight and tomorrow to put all thoughts of mechanics out of your head and trust that the game you've honed over years will deliver you results. On the range tomorrow before your round, forget all the mechanical stuff and think of hitting targets. Give yourself a nice amount of time at the putting green and think only of making putts, and chipping to very specific targets. If you need a shot of confidence, the entries are open to anyone up to 10.0, which means you're twice as good as some, if not most, of the field. You just need to play your game, take dead aim, and see how it all works out. Best of luck, and make sure to stop by with an update!

[TN94z]

I think you need a crash course in the mental game. You're currently falling into every pitfall possible. Forget about qualifying or not. Since you don't know if 74 or 84 will qualify, all you can do is play your best, keep sharp focus on each shot at hand, and see what it adds up to at the end.

Good advice!! I am not thinking of qualifying at all. I signed up with no expectations and only to get the experience. I have made my mind up to take whatever comes my way and play my game as you said. If it works out then it works out. If not, then I got a ton of experience from it! Thanks for the advice though...I'll keep that in mind for sure.

[TN94z]

Well, the conditions didn't change much with the exception of the rain. I hit the ball better but couldn't get any putts to drop and just couldn't get it together. I am not going to blame it on the course or the conditions though. It was just my swing. Something is off again and I was coming over the top...which I haven't done it a LONG time. I shot a 93 today!!! That is my highest score all year. Some of that was stupid stuff on the last few holes when I had kind of given up and was ready to go. My 2 handicap buddy shot an 87 for comparison.

But overall the experience was great. I found out that scores don't mean as much to me anymore unless they are shot under tournament conditions! You shooting a 76 with your buddies is cool...you shoot that in a real tournament then you are doing something! My biggest thing wasn't really nerves as much as adrenaline. I was swinging way too hard and my tempo was way off and I could not make myself slow it down. That basically through everything about my swing off and it wasn't pretty.

[plugged]

What was the winning score? What score advanced?

[TN94z]

What was the winning score? What score advanced?

Not sure yet as I left after I was done. I was the 3rd group out. I was going to wait until everyone got done but it was coming a flood and I was 2hrs from home, so I cut out. When I left, there was a 72 (which everyone was talking about how stout that was in the conditions). There was a 75 and 77 and the others were in the 80s. I'll post up the results once they post them. They were only taking the top 9 positions and then 4 alternatives.

[plugged]

Not sure yet as I left after I was done. I was the 3rd group out. I was going to wait until everyone got done but it was coming a flood and I was 2hrs from home, so I cut out. When I left, there was a 72 (which everyone was talking about how stout that was in the conditions). There was a 75 and 77 and the others were in the 80s. I'll post up the results once they post them. They were only taking the top 9 positions and then 4 alternatives.

Well, in that case I think you should be pretty happy with your score, especially since its your first big tournament. I think it says that next year you could be in contention.

[TN94z]

Well, in that case I think you should be pretty happy with your score, especially since its your first big tournament. I think it says that next year you could be in contention.

72 won it and 78 was the last qualifying position. I wasn't last place so that is a plus. Had I continued to really press then I would have shot an 89. I am very happy to be honest. The experience was worth every penny. Now I know what to expect and what to work on.

[enis750]

thanks for keeping this thread alive bro
its neat to see an average guy like me, competing in a tourney like this
I too have a tourney I am training for, for next year - although it has changed
I was going to try and qualify for the SK Mens Open (Canadian Tour Event) - but i might be setting my goals a little too high

winner in qualifying last year shot the course record 64, final score was 72 - they took the top 4 and 4 alternatives
the course is 7200 yds from the tips and tough - my best round there is a 76 from the blues (plays 6900) and 78 from the tips
so i have a long way to go for that tourney - i think it will be a 2 year goal

i am now going to try and get in at least the championship or 1st flight at a different tourney, 2 hrs north of me
pretty big event, match play and some good players
this will be a more realistic goal and i have played the course well - best round there is par (72) and it plays 6850 w a rating of 72.1

anyways, thanks again bro, congrats on the tourney and hope next year you make it!

[Saig55]

TN94z...dude, good job playing in what had to be bad conditions. It's been raining here for a month and everything is sloppy. Nothing beats experience.

Now, quit thinking so much and have fun!!!

[TN94z]

thanks for keeping this thread alive bro

Match play is a great equalizer. If you are like me, then a big difference between me and the scratch player I play with is he never has big holes. So, the other holes I can compete with him on. Match play helps with the big holes and makes it much more competitive! Good luck man...it sounds like we have the same goals.

This was the last big state tournament of the year. There is a state championship series but many of those are 2 day events and I am out of vacation. But I will continue my practice and lessons and get ready to hit them all next year.

TN94z...dude, good job playing in what had to be bad conditions. It's been raining here for a month and everything is sloppy. Nothing beats experience.

I see that you are from that area pretty much so you can actually attest for the conditions. They were just plain horrible. It was sloppy enough on Tuesday during our practice round, but to go out and play that same course in the rain was just brutal man!! But with that being said, there were some guys that really layed down some good scores. I am not going to blame my entire performance on the conditions as my swing was terrible. I would say that on a good day I am good for a low 80 there with average putting. The weather has just been so bad leading up to the event that I couldn't practice or anything. There was just a lot of bad timing weather wise. But I am happy..the nerves were there!! I had so much adrenaline pumping, it was crazy!

[PhilsRHman]

I'll second the post about thanks for keeping this thread alive and keeping us posted.

I've been trying to plot out a calendar for getting into more competitive golf. First step was joining a club, where next year I'll take advantage of even the weekend tournaments just to get my game used to playing with something on the line.

Tentatively - since I need to shave another 1.5 strokes off my handicap in the next couple of months - I'm looking to play in the NJ Mid-Am and NJ Am qualifiers. I think they both required qualifying scores in the upper 70s this year, which isn't beyond what I can do on my best days. More importantly, I want to use those spring tournaments as a barometer for where I need to get to for the 2011 season, in which I hope to be competitive in state-wide amateur events. The long-range goal is to have my game in shape to play in the USGA mid-am by 2012. I've got a long way to go until I get my handicap to the required 3.5 for that one, but hell, it's 2-plus years away. I feel like the fact I brought my index from 13 to 8 this summer without a ton of work other than playing a lot means there's still a lot of upside. Although I feel like I'm 62 some days, truth is, at 32, it seems I've got lots of good golf years left.

Of course with my luck, my soon-to-be wife will pop out a kid next year and I'll be back to playing once a month and on special occasions! She great about me getting out of the house and playing now, but I'm sure that'll chance when Jr. arrives.