….ME!!
My View of the Nicklaus Course on Day 1
YES!! I’m still slightly in shock that I was able to win the tournament in Palm Springs this past week! It was my 3rd time attending the tourney and ever since my 1st a few years back, it has been a big goal of mine to get my game good enough to try and win, so this is a big accomplishment for me mentally. It proves to me that hard work and dedication really do pay off. I did not play as well as I know I’m capable of, left a lot of shots out there due to short game, yet it was still just enough to get the job done as I beat the field of 85 by just 1 shot by the end of Sunday!
**I have been putting off writing a post about the tourney yet because I have been waiting for them to post the pictures, but I think it’s time I at least clue you guys in and let you guys know that I actually won the thing!**
It was a 3 day tournament in Palm Springs
…Day 1 we played at the PGA West Jack Nicklaus Course
, it was 110 degrees and I shot a 79 (+7), putting me tied in 2nd place after day one (low score of day was a 75). This round was actually really disappointing for me, we started on hole #5 on a shotgun start and I was at Even par through my first 11 holes and then went +7 over my last 7 holes to finish. I think the heat got to me near the end. I was hitting the ball great all day, but near the end I started missing greens and could not get up and down to save my life. Went 0-5 on up and down over my last 7 holes and had a 3 putt. So even with the very disappointing finish to the first day, I was still only 4 shots back from the lead and feeling good.
Final Stats for Nicklaus Course: Score: 79 (+7) Fairways Hit (FW) 7/14 50% Green in Regulation (GIR) 8/18 44% Up/Downs 2/9 22%. Sand Saves 0/0 0% Penalties: 0 Putts: 33
Day 2 we played at the La Quinta Dunes Course
and I tied for the low round of the day with a solid (+3) 75! We started on hole #14 on the shotgun start and something amazing happened…..the first two holes, back to back, I chipped in for birdie! Both were great chips that one hopped and fell into the cup, it was crazy and missed a 3rd on the next hole by an inch. So that start was a nice treat, but unfortunately I was not able to make another birdie the entire day, but played solid golf to only finish at +3. I doubled #17 which is the #1 handicapped hole, perfectly in the fairway, but I blocked my 7 iron and it found the water left of the green. I did not hit the ball well off the tee this day, but my short game was a lot better and as a result I finished the day tied for the lead going into Sunday!
Final Stats for Dunes Course: Score: 75 (+3) Fairways Hit (FW) 4/14 29% Green in Regulation (GIR) 9/18 50% Up/Downs 5/7 71%. Sand Saves 0/1 0% Penalties: 1 Putts: 27
Day 3 (Final) we played at the La Quinta Mountain Course
, my first time ever playing at this course. It is a beautiful course, literally carved into the la quinta mountain side and it even features an island green, only it’s surrounded by rocks and not water like at Sawgrass. We started on #14, the 2nd handicapped hole and I hit it to about 12 ft for birdie…..then I promptly 3 putted for a bogey, ridiculous! I was very upset at myself, but I think in a way it almost freed me up to just go out and play and not worry about score or winning and just let the chips fall where they may. I hit a lot of close shots for birdie, but could not convert a lot of them, missed 10 ft birdies on #15 and #17 and even a 3 ft birdie on #1, horrible! I was +4 after my first 7 holes, but still striking the ball well. I was able to make some clutch putts coming down the stretch, a few birdies and finished my last 11 holes at just +1. I had no clue that my score of 77 (+5) was going to be good enough to win the tournament. We all gathered back in the clubhouse to hand in our scorecards and that was when I was told that I had won the tournament by 1 shot! I was in shock as the other person I was tied with on the final day had shot a 78. Needless to say you can tell that this was not the most difficult tournament, as my final 3 day total of 231 (+15) won, but I’m still extremely proud to top the field of 85 players and happy to accomplishing a big goal of mine. We played on the same courses where they play the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, the rough was long and fluffy and it was 110 degrees + every single day. The Golf Channel Am Tour events will be more difficult and significant to win, but this win is a real confidence booster for me and a big stepping stone in my journey to become a scratch golfer. My goal for next year at this tournament is to shoot an under par round, I believe if I keep putting in the time and effort, I can make it happen!
Final Stats for Mountain Course: Score: 77 (+5) Fairways Hit (FW) 9/14 64% Green in Regulation (GIR) 10/18 55% Up/Downs 1/5 20%. Sand Saves 0/1 0% Penalties: 2 Putts: 32
**I will be posting pictures of the tournament when they release them so stayed tuned in the next week.**
My Journey 2 Scratch 