Time for setting goals for 2010. Here they are: 1) Win a major tournament. This can be a Carolinas PGA major and/or a PGA Senior Tour event. 2) Have a 70.5 stroke average or below at the end of the year. That stroke average was top 20 for the Senior Tour in 2009. 3) Average 29 putts or below for the year. That was good for the top 11 last year on the Senior Tour. 4) Play in least two PGA Senior Tour events, one of which is a major 5) Finish top 10 in one of those events 6) Qualify for Senior Tour for 2011. 7) Weight down under 170. There they are for everyone to see. I have to really step it up this year and "get er done". Workouts have gone well so far this winter and the hard work begins in Florida next week. It needs to be physically the hardest practice month of my life. I will begin posting around the 8th of January with the first of four events beginning on the 12th.

Merry Christmas to all!

Reflecting back on 2009, I have to to a hard look at what I have to do to get better. I really felt close going into the Senior PGA Championship and Tour School at the end of last year. However, back problems surfaced after just one round. That means the first goal of 2010 is to get stronger, more flexible, and thinner to give my back a chance. Putting was much better in 2009 but still can get better. Irons were decent but I need to hit them closer. Lastly, I need to increase distance which I feel getting in better shape is a good start.

This opportunity that has been given to me is one that may never come again. The effort to take advantage of this has to be second to none. You can hold me accountable that every fiber of my being will be spent going all out. Physically I have to be able to handle that. That is my prayer is that I will be able to hold up to this effort as well as be a good example. Thanks for all your support, and I look forward to sharing what happens in 2010 with you. Florida starts January 7th so stay tuned.

Played today in the last of three tournaments. In a unique irony, I played golf and rode in the same cart with Bob Darling. Bob Darling was driving the car when I had my bad accident 27 years ago. He was telling me a few more details that either I had forgotten or had never heard about. It was interesting hearing about the accident from his point of view. The car that hit us hit right where I was sitting which was right behind Bob. His door flew open and the car spun several times before hitting the curb. When the car hit the curb Bob was ejected but fortunately landed on a strip of grass that saved him. He told me more details about the scene I will spare you in case you are having dinner.

Today I was four over par after 12 holes and had only hit one bad shot. Fortunately I birdied four of the last six to shoot 72 and keep me in decent shape. Tomorrow is the last round for 2009 and I am looking forward to getting home. Hope all of you are well and will hope to post before heading home.

Had one of the strangest rounds in a while yesterday. Played at 7AM which means our group had 15 minutes of light to practice. I actually had more good shots than the day before but every shot I did not hit well, either ended up unplayable or in the lip of a bunker. Very disappointing round and definitely a step backwards. Need to turn things around soon.

69 today. Putted much better. Looking forward to tomorrow except for the 7AM tee time. Only one shot back when I left. It rained hard for three holes and was blowing around 20 most all day.

I am excited about playing tomorrow in the Grapefruit Pro-Am. This Pro-Am has been around some 60+ years and has both PGA Tour players as well as Senior Tour players playing. Vero Beach Country Club is a great golf course very near the ocean and the wind almost always blows. I've had three very intense practice days so I am looking forward to playing. I play at 11 so will post tomorrow evening.

I shot 75 second round. It was the worst I have putted this year. The grain really was tough for me yesterday. I have a couple of days to get ready for this weekend's tournament so a lot of work in store. I will post after Saturday's round.

71 today. Solid round that really could have been much better. Hit it well enough today to be confident for tomorrow. 82 degrees today. Sorry everybody, but the weather is great down here.

Begin toughest challenge yet as far as quality of field. Between playing the back tees, wind, and Bermuda greens, I will have to step it up to compete. However, it will be great training and good practice for bigger events in January. I am using these two weeks as intense training for both getting in shape, but also working extremely hard on my short game (chipping and putting). I play at 8AM in the morning so should post before evening.

We shot 62 today to finish 3rd and one shot out of first. We were rained out yesterday after playing seven holes in pouring down rain. This was a thrill for us to be in the hunt the year after playing in the senior division. We really felt we were giving up too much distance to compete with the young guys but today was a neat experience. It is such a rush to play with your buddy and have a chance to win. Next is Port St Lucie Florida starting Monday. I'll play in four events in a two week period. I'll try and post Sunday before the first round if internet is available where I am staying.

We shot 65 in the modified alternate shot format today. We are in 6th place on our wave and in decent shape. They are calling for heavy rain all day tomorrow so it could be rained out. In that case we would play best ball Thursday in the final round. Hope all of you are well and will post again tomorrow night.

Greetings! First round of the Carolinas PGA Section Pro-Pro begins tomorrow. The first of nine tournaments in a two month stretch. The tournament tomorrow is the most fun of the year. We play alternate shot tomorrow, a scramble on Wednesday, and best ball on Thursday. It's the 17th straight year with Robert as my partner. We are competing against the young crowd this year after a playing in the senior division last year. It is supposed to rain all day Wednesday so we need to play well tomorrow in case the tourney is shortened due to weather. Will post tomorrow after round.

73 yesterday to finish 6th. Not what I was looking for but at least getting into position to win. Usually the more you get in the final group the easier it gets to be successful the next time. I do not play again until December 1 when I play in the Carolinas PGA Section Pro-Pro. Then to Florida for two weeks and four events. Need to get in as good physical condition as possible to be ready for next year. Hope all of you are well! I look forward to seeing a lot of you over the Thanksgiving holidays. Take care.

68 today. One back with one round to go.

Greetings! Back for more punishment. Play in the Greensboro Senior Open beginning tomorrow. Ready to get back to the grind and keep trying to get better. Need to get stronger and more flexible for this upcoming year. Hope all of you are well. Will post after tomorrow's round.

Sorry for the delay. No internet at airport in Houston last night and had lessons this morning. Shot 73 final round and missed by two shots. Had a lot of time to think about what transpired, what I could have done differently, and what I could have done better. Looking back I really feel good about the effort and the preparation. I wish I would have had more time in Houston before hand to prepare for those type of greens, but scheduling did not allow that. My first two rounds put me in a hole that would not allow any mistakes at all. The tough part is being so close.

It was an intense two weeks and I had a lot of thrills. The heart was pumping and I was able to stay still. The nerves held up with a lot of help, and was right there in both tournaments up until the end. A lot of things we cannot control and I am able to accept the final results. One shot the first week, and two shots the second week would have been a different outlook from where I sit. I have to just trust the outcome is the path that was chosen for me.

Not 100% sure at this writing what is next but I will keep you posted. Thanks so much for joining me on this first ride and for all the prayers. It was a special time and my faith was certainly strengthened through these trials. My hope is that the journey will continue to be as rewarding as it has been so far. God bless.

Wow! What a ride! I know in my opening statement I said there will be good and bad days but I never expected this. 68 today. Totally different person out there today. I am humbled and excited to still be in the hunt. Any round in the 60's tomorrow should do it. These are by far the toughest greens to putt and read I have ever played. The scores should be very high tomorrow with the pin placements. Specific prayer is for me to be still tomorrow, and to be relaxed.

It has been an emotional rollercoaster the last two weeks. The number of text I have received has been 85 in the last two days alone. Honey, hope we are on the unlimited plan. Just kidding, they have meant a lot. Bev, your text was perfect timing this morning and I really appreciated it! I have to thank Robert for his timely swing tip yesterday afternoon when I was lost. This has been a definite team effort as you can see. Again, tomorrow's result is not in my hands. Regardless of the result, I pray that I will become smaller and He will become larger. Hope you all have a great evening and thanks for tuning in!

Sorry to have to post this again today. Shot 74. I had nothing today. Had to fight all day just to stay somewhere in reach. I am definitely in trouble as far as qualifying. Have to find something by tomorrow. Have played well for quite a while but today just was not there. Irons were horrible today and worked some of that off practicing after playing. Need plenty of prayer and help the next two rounds. Not fun having to be this far back. Hope to have better news tomorrow.

OK. Had time to have my pity party for what happened today. I here to tell you ahead of time that God has a great day in store for tomorrow. This thing is bigger than me and tomorrow is hope. Golf is so much like life, you have your ups and downs but you always have to look forward. So no matter what happened today for you, tomorrow is going to be great. Do I hear a yes?

I see scores are not up yet. I did look at scores after I played because I needed to see how far back I was. I'm in about 20th place. There was only one score under 70.

Would like to give you better news but I shot 75 today. Extremely tough greens and pins today and I played well until the last two holes. That's the bad news, however the scores were high because of the diabolical pin placements. The greens were even faster and more firm than in the practice round. Its hard to describe what we went through today but it was intense.

It was so completely different from Florida greens that it is really tough to adjust to. Regardless, I really played well today and felt calm the entire day. I am very confident that the end result will be favorable. Scores will be posted on PGATOUR.com. I play at 8:50 Houston time so post should come a little earlier than today. Thanks for checking in today and I will have better news tomorrow.

Greetings from Houston, Texas. Arrived at 8AM Houston time, checked in hotel and played my one practice round at Woodforest CC. Totally different conditions from last week. Last week was hot, and the greens where slow and grainy spongy bermuda. This week the temperature is perfect (75) and the greens are fast and firm. They are still Bermuda greens but not nearly as grainy.

Practice round went well and tee time tomorrow is 10:30AM. We are playing I believe for 9 spots. Scores may be posted at PGAtour.com but it is hard to tell whether they will post or not. Since I do not like to look at scores after the tourney has started I'll just let you know how to find them afterwards. I'll try to post when I get back from round one and finished practice. Back is better so far. Hope all of you had a great day.

I shot 72 today and finished tied for 37th. Top 35 got into the Senior PGA Championship. I am an alternate and some people say I have a good shot at getting in, some not. I could feel sorry for myself but what I experienced this week leaves me feeling blessed. I was still and let God take care of the circumstances, no matter what was the result. I have a peace about what transpired and really felt I did the best I could and handled the pressure well. The Bermuda greens proved a little to tough for me to read. I felt I hit the ball well and putted well. It just didn't work out.

Thanks for all the text this week. It was one of the most special weeks of my life for all of the support. It certainly could have been a disaster early Friday morning but sitting where I am, the prayers worked. I was 100% sure it was over at 2AM that morning. It was a tough night and you could not convince me that prayers do not work. Thanks again for all you meant to me this week and remember, this was just week one of the journey!

Oh by the way. Tour Qualifying starts Tuesday and my back just this afternoon feels good. You guys are the best.

72 today. Could have been really good but putts just wouldn't drop.

Still trying to nurse back into shape. Have two more rounds here, drive to Orlando Sunday night, and fly our of Orlando to Houston at 6:30 AM Monday morning. Play a practice round Monday and tee it up Tuesday morning at Tour Qualifying. However, if I can somehow finish top 5 I get exempted into the finals of Tour Qualifying. That would give me two additional weeks off for my back to heal. A lot of dynamics in play here.

Shot 73 today. Not my best but considering everything that happened this morning I'm pretty pleased. Thanks so much for all of your prayers because I just do not know how else I got to play today with my back. Need to run so will update later.

Have to post this less than 3 hours before I attempt to play. I have done the research and talked to my brother who is a doctor, accupuncturist(which I have never used), etc. and all say to keep ice and heat to the back with Aleve. Feels like right now a 50% chance to play. However, right now all I can think about is the support and prayers that everyone is giving. It is humbling and I can tell you that right now that is more important to me than how I do in this event. Just know how much that means to me, and whatever God has in store for today is all good. No matter what. Thanks and I hope your day is a great one.

In my opening statement it said I would take you through the highs and lows of professional golf. It is 3:28AM and it is definitely a low. I woke up at 2AM after turning the wrong way in bed and was sure that my tournament was over. Not sure what awaits for me tomorrow but I am alternating hot baths and ice packs to try and relieve the pain. Prayer right now seems to be the only answer.

Greetings. Good day today. Shot 68 on the tougher of the two courses. Shot 31 on back nine so confidence is high. Definitely felt the prayers and will need plenty more for the week. Hope all of you are well. I do not play until late tomorrow so post will come late. Have a great day.

Ok. It's time to dance. The beginning of our one year quest. At 8:42 tomorrow the journey begins. I'm real pleased with the preparation and feel as ready as possible. Now its time to be quiet and let God be in control. I know in the past I have tried so hard in these events and know that I cannot do this on my own.

That leads me to a point that is very humbling to me. This opportunity has come with a tremendous amount of help from my friends and family. Please bear with me as I thank all that have brought me to this point. Since this is on the internet I will just use first names.

First of all I have to thank my wife for her encouragement and support. All of those text asking me how I played, helping me make tough decisions, and just being there through thick and thin. My mom and dad for all of their support and encouragement through the years, and Dustin, Alexa, and Ashley. There just is not anything better than to hear from your kids and just corresponding with them. And Ken, for all of his legal/accounting help and support.

Then there is Bill. My friend, pastor, encourager, and mentor. Robert, my teacher and good friend. Allan, Robin, Mike, Mary Lou, Judy, Dennis, Leah, Eric, David, Marsha, Chipper, Don, Jay, Ted, Simon, Sindo, and many more who have been there through the years. Last and not least, all my students from school who gave me a reason last year to play again. Payne, Brett, Jacob, Gabe, Jacen, Davis, Billy, and Justin. You guys are the best.

During events like tomorrow I do not look at leaderboards to see how I am doing, I probably will not comment too much about the round. I will do most of that after it ends. You can follow this tournament at PGAtournaments.com. Thanks for this longer than normal post and know that I love and appreciate you all. God bless!

Two practice rounds down and one more to go. The practice was rough yesterday but much better today. They are having a heat wave down here so it takes getting used to. Final thoughts coming tomorrow. Thanks for checking in!

Arrived in Florida today. Played at Interlachen in Orlando, worked a lot on putting and chipping and getting used to Bermuda greens. Probably the single most important transition to having a good week is getting used to all the grain and reading the breaks on the greens. Then drove to Port St. Lucie. Will sleep well tonight.

Fly out Sunday morning to Florida to prepare for the PGA Senior Professional National Championship. Event starts Thursday Oct. 29th. You can follow on PGAtournaments.com. Top 35 get to play in PGA Senior Championship next year. Top 5 gets an exemption into the Senior PGA Tour School Finals. 284 pros compete with top 70 after two rounds making the cut.