Mini Tour Play

[Quinn07]

Sounds like things are back on track. Hopefully you carry some momentum going forward. Good luck!!

[Ben]

Good and bad today, but, mostly good. Kinda.

Golden State Tour on one of my favorite places, good 'ol Temecula Creek Inn .The Creek and Oaks nines

The good: Kept it under par, 1under 71. The bad: Missed the money by 2...

Started off hot with a tap in birdie on 1 after hitting a cute PW from 115y off a hard-pan lie. Bogeyed 2, whatever. Was really nailing tee shots and giving myself good looks on the front 9. Snuck in another birdie on 6 and finished 1under on the front. Then things just kinda went stale. For a few holes I'd get off the tee alright, then jack up my approach and make a good putt for par. Then from 14 on, I didn't hit a single good tee shot, and I was struggling to make par, which thankfully I did. But it was a real pain in the butt coming down the stretch.

My putting, which I have been spending the majority of my time practicing lately, was spot on. Really great actually! I gotta put in a little more work on the range.

That all being said, my last four rounds at TCI have me at 8under. 4under, even, 3under and 1under today. This place is really fun. If you get a chance to play it, go for it.

Here's the Leaderboard: http://www.gstour.com/results.php?to...EEK+INN+081610 That Kevin Kim guy has been tearing it up lately. In his last three events, he's shot 62, 62 and 63 today. Crazy! Justin Itzen has gone 62, 64 in his last two. Some serious golf being played on the GST lately.

Thanks for reading!

[TN94z]

Wow!! Those are some serious scores! Sounds like a really tough tour. Good to hear that it's turning around a little.

[Ben]

Its been a while, finally jumped back into action last week. Played in the 3-day Golden State Tour event at PGA West's Norman course . (7156y - 75.1/139)

I've been saving my money in order to make my trip to Korean Tour QSchool this year, so to plunk down $700 for this thing wasn't exactly high on my list of priorities. But, this girl that I'm seeing convinced me otherwise. She's a mystic type and did a reading for me which more-or-less read that I need to disregard my worries and follow my through with my plans (dreams). The cards were right. I finished at even par and in a tie for 10th.

A few other determining factors that led me to play was, I love PGA West and I love La Quinta, CA. The courses are nice, the scenery is great and the weather is always perfect. Also, two week back I caddied for my buddy at this very course for his PGA QSchool so I still had the course fresh in my head.

Day 1 - 1under, 71 Pretty lack-luster start, already picking up a bogey on the second hole, a par-5 none the less. Got that stroke back on the 5th but preceded to bogey 6 and 7. Six I was actually alright with, that's the hardest hole on the course (481y par-4 dead straight, bunkers in the landing area and playing slightly into the wind) and when I drove my ball too far left into the desert I was really looking at bogey 5 at the best. In anycase on 8 and 9 I have some really good looks at birdie but miss and finish at 2 over after 9. Then it starts. 10, birdie. 11, birdie. 12 a par-5, I'm pin high but off the green in two, but end up with a par... But, back to even. Little faulter on 13 when I bogey, its a tough par-3 with water guarding the right side. It was playing into the wind and I misclubbed. We get to hole 16 and I'm still at 1 over, here comes a reachable par-5, and what do I do with my drive, hit it into a bush, have to take an unplayable and wind up with a 15' par-putt, draino! I was pumped and actually thought to myself, there's two holes left, I should be able to birdie one of them. 17, is a par-3, I practically holed my tee shot, it rolled passed the hole and stopped at around 10' drained that one! Number 18 is the #2 hdcp hole. 461y par-4 with a sliver of a green. Thanfully I found myself with the exact club in my hand and practically the same distance as the shot on the par 3. This one I stuck to 3' and I couldn't have missed that putt. It was going in no matter what. Birdie birdie finish to get myself under par and into 6th place. I was really riding high after that!

Day 2 - 3over, 75... A little better start, kinda. Holes 1 and 2 I had birdie putts of 4 feet and missed both of those. But did drain a 12footer on 3 for birdie. Hole 5, 2' for par, missed. Couldn't believe that one, stupid! Hole 8, a par-5, drove it into another bush another unplayable, but this time no par, bogey... Number 9, fairway bunker to waste area to short to 2' to missed putt to double freakin' bogey! 3-over after 9 this time. A glimer of hope as I continue to rip 10 apart and hit another approach to inside 4' (like the day before). A chance to get another one back on the par-5 12th, front edge of the green in two, chip to 4 feet, but miss that putt! damn. 13 gets me again, when I hit my tee shot to a bunker, make a great out to about 3' and miss that one! What is going on?! After that its par par par par par par par... Bleh. The day of the missed putts! If you were counting that was six from 4 feet or closer, SIX!

Day 3 - Sitting in 10th place and the top 10 get paid Today, the front 9 was mine! Birdie, par, birdie, par, birdie, birdie start. 4-under after 6 holes! Just knocking shots in stiff, which I had been the first two days, but I was making the putts this time too. The birdie on 6 was out of control. The pin was back left and I was in a bunker front right. About a 30y shot, I holed it! So I finish the front with solid looks at birdie on 7 and 8, no go, but do finish at 4under. Oh man I had another great chance on 10, but miss and 11 too. Number 12, Par 5, this time I think I'm gonna birdie for sure. Mini pull off the tee, into, a bush! Unplayable penalty, hit my 4th shot to 3' and miss the par. Ohhh I was pissed about that. But it doesn't phase me. My laser irons are on, and I hit approaches on 13, 14 and 15 all to within 20', but miss eash putt, and just barely on each. 16, par-5. Pull, water, penatly stroke, bogey. Great. I really hurt myself on the par5s, I just checked my cards and I was 4over on the with no birdies. Totally unacceptable! So, instead of really going low after that front nine, I finish at 2-under, not bad. I was happy with that, but oh, what could have been!

The Stats

Day 1: Fairways: 11/14 - GIR: 12/18 - Putts: 28 - Birdies: 5 - Bogeys: 4 - Penatly: 1 shot
Day 2: Fairways: 10/14 - GIR: 12/18 - Putts: 31 - Birdies: 2 - Bogeys: 3 - Other: 1 - Penalty: 1 Shot
Day 3: Fairways: 11/14 - GIR: 13/18 - Putts: 29 - Birdies: 4 - Bogeys: 2 - Penalty: 2 shots


http://www.pgawest.com/club/scripts/...RP=13092&NS;=PG

http://gstour.com/results.php?tourna...+Norman+100610

[TN94z]

Great job!! I was wondering when we would hear back from you.

[jwolf02]

Nice job Ben. Good luck at the Korean Q School.

[wubskis]

I'm still waiting until I see your name on my TV. Good luck in Korea.

[Ben]

Yesterday I had my qualifying round for the Cal State Open at Oak Valley GC in Beaumont . Site of First Stage of PGA Qschool . 84 guys playing for 16 spots. Oak Valley is one of my favorite courses around and has had my number so far, my best score being a 3over 75. I've been playing really good lately so I was confident going into my round, but the conditions could have proved too much of a match. Only one week after QSchool came through, the rough was still up and thick and the greens still lightning fast. On top of that, the wind was really blowing. a steady 1-club wind with gusts up to 3-clubs.

I had a short but really sweet warm up session on the range and was really feeling good for my 7:39 tee time on the back, the second group out. I kinda breezed through the back with one birdie and no bogeys. Fairways, greens, good touch with the putter. I only missed one green and that was on a par-3 that I nuked a 5iron straight over the pin and rolled just off the back of the green. The 14th playing 210y to the pin, it was a little downwind, but I still don't know how I flew that thing 215y??! Anyway. One minor slip up when I missed from 2' for birdie on the par-5 16th after playing an awesome flop from 55y.

To the front nine. And the wind was really starting to blow. The entire nine there was no more steady 1-club wind, but a steady 2-club wind with gusts. The first hole, I hit an alright 3wood that squirted into the rough leaving me with 88y and a slightly downhill, crosshill lie. I straight up shanked my 58* wedge, it was great! I left myself way right of the green with a pine tree to navigate under, some swails with a bunch of rough and about 30' of slick green to work with. Shot of the day as I punched an 8 iron through the rough, the ball trickled on the green and rolled rolled rolled out to about 5' and I made the putt for par! On the par-3 12th I chipped in from just off the back of the green far a nice little birdie. Then the next hole, the green is elevated well above the fairway and the wind was really howling. I had an even easier chip then the last hole, but I totally flubbed it. I got knocked by a gust, on top of that I had the wrong club in my hand. I totally should have used my PW instead of my 58*, took a bogey, knocked myself down to 1under. Oh well. The next two holes were straight into the teeth of of the wind. the first a par-5 where I smashed a driver, hit a solid 3 wood and had to get creative with a little punch chip 9iron from only 110y. Squeaked out of there with par, then the wheels started coming off. Two bogeys in a row, the first on a par three that was 174y but with the wind I played it 205y and totally skanked my tee shot. Didn't get up and down. The next on the hardest hole on the course, and that was a heck of a bogey.

With only two holes to play and sitting at 1over par, I was thinking to myself, just get myself through with two pars and I should be alright. I really made a go of it, leaving myself in some crazy positions with my approach shots and some real tests for par with some unconventional looks at birdie. Both holes that long birdie attempts rolled out to about 3', but center cut both the par putts and finished at 1over!

What a freakin' battle! Needless to say, today I'll be at the range working on my 3 wood and driver. The Open starts next week and is played over two courses. Oak Valley, and Soboba Springs, where the Nationwide Tour was a few weeks back. I'll be there on Monday for a practice round.




http://pgatq.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/p...1020/index.htm

http://www.oakvalleygolf.com/golf.jsp

http://scpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/s...eaderboard.htm

http://scpga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/s...0134/index.htm

[Quinn07]

Congratulations on qualifying for the SC Open.

[walk18]

Holy crap the winner shot 8 under 64. He must have been unconscious!

[Ben]

Holy crap the winner shot 8 under 64. He must have been unconscious!

Carazy huh! He must have been hitting a lot of fairways. Miss them and its tough to get within 15'. The greens were receptive and rolled absolutely perfect, so long as you found the right line putts dropped. He must have been draining tons of putts! A look at the scorecard and its really what pros should be doing. Birdie the par 5s and throw in a few other birdies. There are some atackable par 4s on this course. His birdie on 4 is pretty impressive though. That's a tough hole. But yeah, to blow away the field like that is pretty dang impressive!

[Shindig]

That's awesome news, Ben! I hope to hear good news from you at the Cal State Open.

[rogerw]

Congrats on qualifying Ben! Best of luck in the Cal State Open!

[alf174]

Yesterday I had my qualifying round for the Cal State Open at

Nice job shooting your PB on that course!

[zeg]

Congrats, knock 'em dead next week!

[Ben]

Cal State Open = Fail

Day 1, Oak Valley. Started off great. Almost holed out for eagle on 2, made the birdie putt. Bogeyed 4, but came right back on the par-5 5th for birdie. Got to hole 7, the hardest hole on the course, sitting at 1under and pumped a perfect cut fade to 8iron distance. Got a little aggressive with the approach and missed the green left. In between my shot and going to the green to get up and down, we had to search for a competitors ball in the rough. That's when disaster hit. I used to run and quit because I would always pull a muscle in my right calf, well, as I started to trot down a hill on the search, sure enough, there goes my calf. And this time was the worst i've ever felt it. Thankfully, I pull myself together enough to get up and down for a nice par, but, I just can't shake the pain from my head and I go on to bogey three of the next five holes. I get one back with a birdie on the par-5 13th, but then go on to bogey two more holes and finish at 3over.

Day 2, Soboba Springs. What a joke. I just had absolutely nothing. I have no idea how it went so bad so easily, but it did. My calf was fine, so I can't use that as an excuse. It was simply gone. Wasn't sharp anywhere, off the tee, approach shots, chips nor putts. It was all gone. That being said, I did manage to get around at 3over. So, under the circumstances, not that bad a result for a horendous day! The one and only highlight of the round was holing out for eagle from 92y on the par-5 5th.

Finished at 6over, five off the cutline. Thanks for coming.

[TN94z]

Tough luck man! Timing of things can really be a killer in this sport.

[zeg]

Sorry it didn't go so well. You'll get 'em next time.