Friday, May 28, 2010

Not the Cinderella Story but I have to just appreciate the opportunity. I did tee it up in a major and I had my chance. I really hit the ball well today but the putter again let me down. I'm not quite sure where I go from here but I will keep learning and keep getting better.

The crowds were large today and it was my first experience playing in front of that many people. The two players I played with were great and both showed me where I need to be. I actually hit the ball tee to green about as well as Boonchu R. who is the number 1 player on the European Tour, but he got up and down from everywhere.

There are so many good memories from this week that I cannot possibly write them all down. My favorite is when an entire school of kids asked me for my autograph and 20 minutes later I had finished signing them all. It's too bad they when they find out that no one has ever heard of me and the autograph makes the other signatures worthless.

I almost was emotional on the last hole when I realized that this was both a dream and just possibly my only major that I will play in. But after wearing a pink shirt last week in the Rex Hospital Nationwide event, I thought it best to keep my composure.

It is a week I will always cherish and at the same time, reconstruct why it did not go better. The opportunities are limited in my position, so not taking advantage of them can be tough. Thanks for all of the support and hopefully there will some more productive ones to come.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Very disappointing first round. I actually hit the ball fairly well today but I had a hard time judging both the wind and the altitude. I was speaking to Joey Sindelar for quite a while on Wednesday and he gave me a lot of good input about the altitude and how much further (ten percent) that the ball goes out here. The problem is when the wind blows as hard as it did today, trying to figure out the distance is really tough. I hit a lot of good shots that ended up long, and then several that went short. So it was very frustrating to finally hit it well and then not score well. The good news is that playing early tomorrow will reverse the wind conditions. The wind is coming in strong every day in the afternoon. It looks like if I shoot 72 tomorrow I can still make the cut.

The crowds were great and fun to interact with. If I start playing and scoring well, then I could get used to this lifestyle.

On another note, I did not get to hear the spot on the Golf Channel last night. I did see the closed caption of the interview. I was extremely upset that they left out everything I said about my wife and kids and how the Lord was always in control of our lives. I was really excited about that part of the interview. I guess though I should not be surprised that the media left that out. I felt cheated though when I realized none of that was included.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Today was everything I have dreamed about. From the start of the day to the end of the day it was great. Bill Smith, who is a pastor at Carmel Baptist and helped start this dream, flew in today and is caddying for me. Today is what we both dreamed about and sharing this experience with him was really special. They gave us a Mercedes Benz for the week and I am really glad my kids and wife were not around to see how much I struggled to figure out all the gadgets that are in this car. I do not think I was in mind when they designed this vehicle.

When you get to the course you drive up to the clubhouse, get a 100 yard ride in a cart to the locker room. With security guards watching your every step, you go into the locker room and are greeted by two attendants that meet your every need. You have a full-length locker with your name on it, and your changing shoes beside Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Hal Sutton, Fred Funk, and etc. It really does not seem real and you just wait to wake up. I feel uncomfortable with all the attention but it is a great look into the lives of these legends.

These men on this tour have been phenomenal at making feel welcome. I am really thankful for how they have treated me. It is a huge difference from playing the Nationwide Tour where the players keep completely to themselves.

Companies like Titleist and Taylor-Made go out of their way to give you their products. For the last 20 years they would not give someone like me the time of day. I never complain about this but point this out just because of how special you feel at an event such as this.

Denver has really embraced this tournament and the crowds are large. It is a different feeling to be teeing off with hundreds of people watching. I am playing with a former major winner Edwardo Romero as well as Boochu (R something) from Thailand who won the first three Asian Tour events this year. Normally I would be intimidated but the last two weeks have really prepared me for this moment. I can see God in everything that has happened up to this point. So from here on, its all about Him. I appreciate all of the support and encouragement but now I have to take a backseat and be quiet. If you believe in prayer as I do, pray that I can be still and let God work through me. Pray that I can stay out of His way and not try to do this myself. This is special but it won't last long. This will wither but the Word of the Lord will last forever.

I probably will not go into much detail after play has started to try and stay quiet. I will go into much more detail after the event is over. thanks for the interest and I hope all of you have a great week.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Heading to Denver for the PGA Senior Championship tomorrow. I am first alternate now and it really looks good. I can honestly say it is the most exciting news I have received since the birth of my two children. I have figured out through a good friend Robert Linville what was wrong swing wise the last couple of weeks. That gives me new confidence for this upcoming week.

This is what I have dreamed of. This is the ultimate challenge for me at this stage of my life. No matter what happens, I have my opportunity. I just need to take advantage of it. Many thanks to all who have made this possible. I will post again Wednesday night.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Played awful yesterday. I have a flaw that shows up every now and then and it started on the first hole. I believe this same flaw in my swing has been slowly getting worse in the last few weeks and it was very evident in this round. Usually I can figure out what is happening and correct it mid-round but that was not the case yesterday. Very disappointing round considering the PGA Senior Championship starts next week and if I get in, I need to figure this out.

I had a TV crew follow me around all day and I have to admit it was a little disconcerting. The Golf Channel is doing a little piece about my story this Wednesday at 6:30. I would feel a lot better about this story had I played better.

Over all, the last two weeks helped me out tremendously to get used to playing in this environment, and to give me a barometer of where my game is. I have a lot of work to do and feel like I know where to go from here. Hopefully, this will help me get some exemptions into a couple of Senior Tour events later this year. I will keep you posted on my PGA status for next week.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

73 today. The course played incredibly long for me today. Putted really well but drove the ball not quite as well. Incredibly impressed with the top to bottom talent on this tour. I still had a really good time and was a whole lot more comfortable out there today. Played with a really good player who has been on the Nationwide Tour for two years and the PGA Tour for two years.

I am forth alternate next week for the PGA Senior Championship. It is really going to be close because I know of two or three PGA players that will probably not play. Unfortunately I will not know until the last second.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

In Raleigh practicing for the Rex Hospital Nationwide event. Practice went well but the golf course is playing unbelievably long. Not great for someone who just finished close to the bottom of the distance category. Definitely feel more ready for this week. I play at 9 on Thursday and 2PM on Friday.