This week I played a 54-hole tournament on the Peach State tour in Monroe, GA at Monroe Country Club. It was a really fun old-style golf course that while short demanded precision to go low. I got off to a very hot start in my first round shooting a bogey-free 64 to take the overnight lead. I hit the ball beautifully, made most of my putts inside 10 feet, and did a phenomenal job of staying out of serious trouble. The round felt absolutely effortless and gave me lots of confidence heading into the second round.

The next day was a complete grind. My long game left me, and it was a struggle just to save pars. I made a lot of good putts from 5-10 feet to keep myself in the round, but I just never hit enough good shots to get under par and finished with a 73. My final round I didn’t play very well but actually hit more good shots than the second round, I just didn’t make as many of the 5-10 foot putts and fired a closing 74. My poor play the last two days dropped me from solo first place to 20th.

Overall I’m still going to take a positive from the week. I got off to a stellar start and put myself in contention for the first time all year. I didn’t follow that up with great play the last two days, but posting a really low score felt good. I’ve also again proven that if I can just get my ball-striking more consistent then I could really do some good things. I’ve developed my ability to take it really low when I’m feeling good, a facet of my game I never had during my amateur or college playing days, but I have to find ways to turn the 73′s and 74′s I’m shooting into 69′s and 70′s. I think ultimately improving my ball-striking will save those key shots going forward.

It’s looking like I’m going to play next week’s Peach State event, but instead of it starting on Monday as normal it looks like we’ll be playing Tuesday and Wednesday in southwestern North Carolina. It’s supposed to be a fabulous new golf course, and I’m looking forward to a trip where it’s a little cooler than the last few weeks. Check back in next week to see how it goes. Thanks for watching.

Tim