Well my accountability team! :)
Yesterdays league play and match play wasn't all good and wasn't all bad.
Weather wasn't terrible nice sunny day around 60 or so, but sustained winds of 20 MPH or tad more with bigger gust. Made it interesting to say the least and definitely educational with new clubs and swing.
Shot a 47 in league 9 :( and 93 overall. handicap now at 18 down from 19 at start of season. As I look for the nuggets I can get even from not the best rounds I stay positive and will be disappointed if I learn nothing and don't address it and correct the mistakes.
I will say it never fails to amaze me and sometimes get upset that most, yes most of miscues come from lack of focus and lose of concentration (mental).
Now for biggest and most costly mental and rushed miscue of the day! UHG!!!!
Although I am moving to quarter finals in 50+ match play!
I blew it yesterday in open class , yes blew it! Have to face the medicine and as I like to put mistakes behind me, I will keep this one in the hip pocket because I do not and will not do this again!
Recap of 18 hole match play and HOPE THIS IS INSPIRATION !
Had to give 5 strokes on the 5 lowest handicap holes. This is what handicap golf is about but they do loom bigger it seems when conditions are as they were, yes they were same for both of us but sometimes it is an equalizer more then you realize.
Anyway was down one at the turn.
Was struggling to start back 9 and will admit it, let wind get in my head and get the best of me.
So with 4 holes left I was down 3.
So before teeing off on 15 I took a breath and reset and surprised I didn't give myself a headache with how intense I got(why can't we keep that level all the time)?
Proceeded to go par, par and cut it to 1 as we hit 17 2nd longest par 4 and was giving a stroke going straight into the wind.
This pains me to recount even now (guess I am human and will use this like I said to motivate me and not make same mistake).
Absorb his one stroke as I was striking the ball KFC on the last 2 holes and this one!
Even into the wind on 2nd longest par 416 into the wind. I had a long par putt , didn't leave it short but past and little right 2 maybe 21/2 feet, gave it a chance.
Here's the mistake, didn't mark it! Went up, didn't take a breath and just hit it and missed right! UGH!!!!! Still hurts in my chest! Gave away the stroke absorbed and lost the hole. I gave him a no pressure put that he sank from 10 feet , he misses it don't matter still have final hole to play for match! Different putt if I mark it and he needs it needs it to put pressure on me, big competition error there for me.
Then, even though it was over go on and birdie par 5 18th.
Sucks( excuse language, therapy) losing.
But upside made the big charge down 3 with 4 to go par, par. dumb double, birdie!
From now on mark and take a breath, period!
Thanks,
Yes, conditions were a test. But looking back and reviewing, I am so grateful I found Saguto Academy and this Forum. I feel going forward will never be in the dark. I have new points of reference and a path forward!
I thank you for pat on the back, last year would have been more than satisfied with this round(again in review) I like the fact that am I not satisfied with 93 or 88 for that matter. And all in all having the most fun playing this year than in a long time. I have a path forward and that is AWESOME!
Don't kick yourself too hard, @Steven. We've seen the best in the world miss from that length in the heat of battle. Learn and move on - which, even though it still might ache a bit - it sounds like you did.
Seems like you played quite well in some challenging conditions, and it's always sweet to finish with a tweet!