It's been a busy few months. I had a stretch of five tournaments in five weeks. I was not sure if five events were too many in a row, but I decided there was only one way to find out.
All five events were supposed to be Duramed FUTURES Tour events. However... when I was in Mason, Ohio for the Duramed Championship, after I had played my practice round and turned up on Wednesday morning for the Pro-Am, I went to registration and was informed that I had been withdrawn from the Pro-Am because I had just moved off the alternate list and was in the field for the LPGA State Farm Classic. After a few moments of stunned silence, I realized that it was Wednesday, which meant the tournament started the next day. I had to arrange how to get there, where to stay, get a Caddy, and I would not have time to have a practice round. It was not the ideal way to approach my first-ever LPGA event, but I was not going to complain. I was lucky that both tours were playing in the same state, and after arranging a vehicle, I only had a five-hour drive to Springfield.
I arrived at the course around 6 p.m., registered, and met my caddy. Since I had never seen the course and had no idea where I was going, my game plan was very simple. Off the tee, hit the ball where my caddy told me to, and then go from there. I was more excited about the experience than I was nervous about playing. It was cool to play in front of crowds and walk up 9 and 18 with the grandstands surrounding the holes. It was a weird feeling to be playing in my first event LPGA event with a total lack of preparation, so my only expectation for the week was to enjoy the experience. I played well but didn't make many putts. I shot 73, 73 and missed the cut at -2. The whole experience was great and I learned a lot about my game, about preparation, and what it takes to be successful.
During my break from competing, I have been involved with the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program in Houston. The LPGA-USGA girls golf program is a fantastic way to introduce girls to golf in a fun, supportive environment as well as to develop competitive spirit. A team of eight girls from the Houston area headed up to Dallas for the Texas Challenge. Teams from all over the state were competing for the Toni Wiesner Cup. Teams were made up of girls aged 7-17, split into four different age groups. The format was a best ball, and I was amazed at how good these girls are. Girls were busting drives 200 yards and making 20-foot putts. I'm pretty sure there were some superstars of the future playing. The Houston team played great as a team and won the event. The girls were so excited and I had a great day driving around being a cheerleader for the day.
After my break from golf tournaments, I'm ready to head back out and play. Once again, it's another busy time for tournaments. I'm looking for some consistent play and good results.
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Topics: Rookie Blog
