Practice Makes...

[Fairway_CY]

... one confused? I visited the range on Tuesday to attempt and fix the issue I was having with suddenly hooking my driver. It was a form of yips and I was petrified to pull that club out of my bag because I didn't have ANY idea how it would go. The work on Tuesday ENDED well, leaving me with SOME semblance of confidence with that club... but still knowing that I wasn't 100% with it yet. My intention was to visit the range again on Wednesday, but instead... I got an invitation to play a round Thursday on a course I'll be playing later in the year for a tournament, so... I took that opportunity instead.

It was a MUCH better result than Sunday, but I still am not where I need to be when I'm on the tee. I'm still 'wondering' instead of KNOWING... but I'm back to posting red numbers for net scores, which is the goal. Below is a hole-by-hole breakdown:

Hole 1 - 151 yard par 3 that I hung a thinned 7 iron out to the left and it never came back. Landed in a greenside trap. Blasted out of there to 9 feet and missed the par putt. Bogey.

Hole 2 - Par 5 of 523 yards where I pulled my driver well left of where I needed to be, but it worked out okay. I punched a 5 iron below some trees... then left another 5 iron short. Chip up and 2 putts from 12 feet for another bogey.

Hole 3 - 181 yard par 3 with water running across and up the left side. My 21 degree hybrid came up WELL short and just to the right of a cart path. I punched a wedge out of nasty rough to 18 feet and made the par putt.

Hole 4 - 340 yard par 4 where my 3 wood was blasted right and ended up beneath a pine tree. Enough room under there for me to hack a 6 iron to the right of the fairway and then blast a sand wedge from there to 13 feeet. 2 putts left me with another bogey.

Hole 5 - A longish par 4 of 413 yards. Driver was pulled but still found the fairway. My 6 iron was WELL left of the green. I pitched up to 16 feet and 3 putted when I missed a simple 3 footer for bogey. Ended up with double bogey instead.

Hole 6 - Another par 3, this one 126 yards. My pitching wedge fell just short but carried the water. I chipped up to 7 feet and 3 putted when I missed ANOTHER easy comebacker. Second consecutive double bogey.

Hole 7 - 389 yard par 4 where I bombed my driver but it ended up just outside the fairway to the left. My 8 iron was blown right and ended up in a trap. Out of there to 22 feet where I took 2 putts to finish with a bogey.

Hole 8 - 459 yard par 5 into the wind. My driver hooked into the pond on the left side about 180 yards up. Drop from the hazard and an ugly 3 wood left me about 185 to the green. Fat 5 iron to the front and then a chip up to 7 feet. Missed the bogey putt by centimeters and ended up with a double bogey.

Hole 9 - Easy finishing hole to the front... 325 yard par 4. Driver was hammered but hung up in the wind. Caught the fairway and then put my 9 iron on the front of the green... 57 feet away. 3 putts from there for a double bogey to close out the front side.

NOTES: Posted 46 going out hitting 2 of 6 fairways and just 1 of 9 greens. Good scoring for me... but COULD have been better by a few if my putts were dropping.

Hole 10 - Short little par 4 of 345 yards. My 3 wood was striped, but didn't go very far... only about 204 yards. 8 Iron to the green left me 22 feet. 2 putts from there and I recorded par.

Hole 11 - Another shortish par 4 of 350 yards. This time, my 3 wood started left and kept going left. I ended up over a trap, but beneath some trees and behind some others. I punched a 5 iron across the fairway to the rough. Hacked a sand wedge up from there to 21 feet and took 2 putts for a bogey.

Hole 12 - 151 yard par 3 that was playing a little longer. Closer to 165 or so. My 6 iron was pure but a little left. Chipped up from there but the ball ran much further than I anticipated. 2 putts from 17 feet for bogey.

Hole 13 - Real short par 4 of only 310 yards. Tee shot was blind up a hill... once to the top, it was all downhill. Spanked driver but it stayed out right and ended up in the rough. Pitching wedge got a good kick off the back of a trap but left me 38 feet from the hole. 2 putts from there for par.

Hole 14 - 138 yard par 3 that looked longer, but played shorter because of a big helping wind. My 8 iron went to the back of the green, leaving me 33 feet down a HUGE slope. Initial putt ran by about 15 feet and I took 3 putts to post bogey.

Hole 15 - 549 yard par 5 ALL downhill. Initial drive was KILLED but again stayed right (I was back to hitting straight drives but I was playing for the draw/hook) and ended up OB. Next drive was hit equally hard but left me still about 270 to the hole. Topped my 3 wood just short of a creek and then hit an ugly 5 iron that worked well and ran to the back of the green. 2 putts from 25 feet for a double bogey.

Hole 16 - A second consecutive par 5, this one uphill and into the wind. Hit my drive really low (the result of a poor swing) but it was perfect for this hole and left me in the fairway. Topped my 21 degree hybrid... then chilli-dipped my 5 iron about 30 yards up the fairway. Pitching wedge from 100 yards got caught in the wind and ended up right of the green. A chip from there to less than a foot. Tapped that in for a bogey.

Hole 17 - 338 yard par 4 that LOOKED really reachable, especially with a helping wind... but there was water left, so I played a 3 wood out right and it stayed out right. 217 yards up into the right rough. Pitching wedge from about 125 (I expected more help from the wind) came up just short. Putted from off the green to about 7 feet. Putt stayed out by a few hairs so I tapped in for bogey.

Hole 18 - Closing hole is a 355 yard par 4 with trouble about 250 yards up. Wind was in to us, so I played my driver. I pulled it left and it hit a tree and sat in some ground-under-repair. Dropped from there to a REAL bad lie and absolutely disgusted myself with a 6 iron that bounced about 35 yards up in to the rough. 9 iron from about 130 was a little heavy, but stil reached the green and left me a 16 footer uphill for par. Again, maybe the width of a quarter from dropping, but it stayed out and I tapped in for bogey.

NOTES: Again... my score could have been MUCH better, but I posted 44 coming in. At least 2 putts that should have dropped but didn't... and a drive OB on a par 5 that hurt.

Overall... I'm happy with my score. I've gone 89 - 101 - 90 in my last 3 rounds. Today's round is a net score of 68 (-3) which is right about where I feel I SHOULD be right now.

My next round isn't until 5/16 at a course I haven't played for years. It's a big match in my club season... both singles and doubles. More importantly... it may not be much longer before I've peaked and my net scores begin to level out. When that happens, it will make it tougher and tougher to post a winning score and gain entry to the Players Championship.

As usual, I'll post next Friday or Saturday with a preview of that week.

'Til then...

CY