The Journey Continues

I've frequently received the same question lately: "why aren't you at Q-School?" An update on the Mark Baldwin golf journey...

I'm in Birmingham, AL making some swing changes with my coach that will make me a long term, consistent and successful player. After some great advice, I decided the time to risk who I was today for who I could become tomorrow, had come. We've been working on these changes for a couple months now and I am beginning to see the the light at the end of the tunnel. I played a round where I hit 18 greens in regulation this week and I am planning a competition trip to Florida this month. When all goes well, I will up the anti.

I've never been more committed to and faithful about the successful outcome of this journey. These minor breaks in competition are essential to improve the areas that have lacked in the last year and a half. This will be an exciting year and I look forward to breaking through on the BIG Tour.

Korean Tour Dreams

As the 2009 PGA Tour Q-School tournament approaches, I have been preparing my game. There are a few essential components to a successful professional golf career. The first is the continued and ever-improving ability to shoot low scores; the second is unyielding patience and self-belief, especially in the face of challenge and adversity; the third is the financial support that provides opportunities to remain competitive.

As many of my friends are aware, I spent 2008 playing pro golf in Asia. Every few weeks I found myself in a different country. It was a brilliant adventure that required me to constantly learn and adapt to survive. One such adventure took place in South Korea during the Johnny Walker and Heavenland Opens. My camera was rolling and a documentary has been created titled, "Korean Tour Dreams."

In the film, I give you the rare opportunity to travel with my caddy Christine and I, to the exotic island of Jeju; tour street sights and marketplace sounds in the capital city of Seoul; experience simmering, steaming hot bugs as delicacies and play the challenging host courses of the Korean Tour.

For a preview of the film, check out the Youtube clip on the right side of this blog or visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXqans30PZM.

As PGA Tour Q-School draws near, I am launching a new fund raising initiative as a means to pay expenses for my coming bid. By contributing an amount of your choosing, with a minimum donation of $10, I will send you a copy of my documentary, Korean Tour Dreams. Your support will greatly help towards giving me the opportunity to compete for a spot on the 2010 PGA Tour and you will get an exciting and unique perspective of international tour life on the DVD.

You can easily and securely contribute by clicking on the PayPal icon on the right side of the blog. Please send me an email with your mailing address and I will send your copy of Korean Tour Dreams. The DVD will be available for distribution Monday, August 24th and will be sent out within 3 business days of your donation.

The competitions that await give me the opportunity to turn a childhood dream into a reality. Thank you for your support and being a part of this exciting time.

~Mark
markbaldwingolf@gmail.com

Final Round Providence Open

I was so thrilled with the result of my final round, it took me three days to post it. I scraped my way to a score of 73 and a disappointing finish at the Providence Open. I have driven straight from the tournament to my coach's house in Birmingham and am on a mission to be ready for the 2010 PGA Tour Q-School. I am here indefinitely as I improve my game and my life towards becoming a world's best golfer and competitor.

Providence Open Round 1

I shot -2, 70 in the first round of the Providence Open today at Triggs Memorial GC. It was a solid round considering I played the par 5s worse than normal. It is impossible to shoot winning scores without taking advantage of the par 5s, so its my goal tomorrow to birdie every par 5. I am tied for 14th now heading into the final round tomorrow and with a great pairing in my corner (an Australian Tour player and 2008-2009 US Open participant), tomorrow holds alot of promise. Catch you then with some good news.

Maine Open

After a round of -7, 65 and a second place finish in a one day event filled with 32 of the northeast's best pros, I entered the first round of the Maine Open today high on confidence. Three straight weeks of rain bombarded Riverside GC in Portlantd, Maine leaving it nearly flooded for the opening round. I struggled adjusting to the very slow green speeds and finished with a round of 69, leaving me tied for 12th out of the 162 player field. With the leader at 65, four shots ahead and one round to play, I plan to play an aggressive round tomorrow and making a charge at the lead early. I have two consecutive 2nd place finishes and believe my time to win is imminent. Check back late tomorrow night for final results as I do not begin my ascent up the leaderboard until 1:41 pm.

Johnny Walker Tour

I finished tied for second place this week on the Johnny Walker Tour with scores of 73-68. I made two bogeys in my last four holes that cost be the chance to contend for the win. Despite that, my second round was an improvement on my play for the last three weeks. This road to winning on the PGA Tour is long and treacherous. It will take tenacity and patience to complete the mission. It took Einstein thousands of "failures" to create the light bulb. It took Bill Gates 10,000 hours of computer tinkering before he was founded Microsoft. A great friends recently informed me it took Odysseus years to return home from the Trojan War. He overcame obstacle, adversity and constant challenge before returning to his land. Great accomplishment comes from the virtue of motivated patience and love: this is vehicle that will take me to the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Moving Forward

I shot rounds of 73-75 in my Sectional US Open qualifier, leaving me in the middle of the pack. My heart was set on making this the year of my first major. Unfortunately, the stars were not aligned properly and neither was my golf swing. I spent the day battling missed shots and deep rough en route toward the disappointing finish.

I am back on the road in Newport, RI this week for a Johnny Walker Tour event. The tournament is a 36 hole competition on Monday and Tuesday. I believe my hard work coupled with patience and desire will yield great success. This could be the week that yields a new era in my career; one in which I challenge myself on a weekly basis and play without fear, only feeling of enjoyment and visions of success.