Northeastern Mini-Touring

I've spent over two weeks back home now and it has been amazing. I enjoy sleeping in my own bed more than ever and during the first week back, my bed was about the only place I hung out. I was recovering from more than a 12 hour time change and a 24 hour flight; I was rebuilding energy lost from 9 months of globe trotting. It honestly took that entire first week before I began to feel normal.

After that recovery period, I played two Golfer's Warehouse Tour events on minimal preparation and finished 9th and 6th, raking in two checks for a total of about $2700. It was unfortunate not to have my "go low" game ready for those tournaments, but I took pride in knowing I can remain highly competitive in a scrambling mode. It was a relief to be able to scramble again after 8 tournaments in Asia on courses with twice as many out of bounds areas than holes. There is no scrambling when you're out of bounds.

In the Providence Open last week, I opened with 72 (E), a score that would have amounted to minimally, 4 strokes less than had I played that round on a Korean course due to wayward tee shots. I played a bogey free round in 68 (-4) stokes on day 2, and came off the course feeling that there were many improvements to be made in preparation for the coming stretch of events. It re-energized my motivation and commitment to shooting low scores.

Beginning tomorrow, I will compete in three straight State Open events: NH Open, Greater Bangor Open and RI Open. I've made a few leaps this week toward improving my ball striking and chipping and am very confident I will contend for wins in the coming events. Heading into these tournaments, I have a renewed energy for tournament golf and a new appreciation for the comforts of home. Both of which should aid making a few extra birdies.

There's No Place Like Home

It has been a week since my last post. During this time, I made my way across the globe and back to where the heart is. There is a lot of love back home. I've spent these past days trying to get acclimated to the time change and catch up on rest missed out during eight consecutive months of travel and competition. I think in response to that, I have been slow to adapt. I've only realized how exhilarating, yet exhausting this past year has been in the last few days.

I am home until mid-August before I return east for the second half of the Asian golf season. With 4 events between $500k-$1 million and appearances being made by KJ Choi, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk, infinite success is offered. A win or two would be the ultimate weapon to yeild at PGA Tour Q-School at the end of the fall.

I will play a few tournaments while I am home: NH Open, Bangor Open, the new Golfer's Warehouse Tour, (potentially) Nationwide Tour Qualifier. Competition is always welcomed, but is not my main purpose for being home. This month, I intend to visit my golf coach and make improvements in my swing. I want to learn as much about my swing as I can cram into this spacious brain of mine. The more knowledge I have, the easier it should be to manage my swing as I move through the second half of the season.

Goal Two consists of rebuilding my body. I lost strength and weight in Asia and intend to challenge myself to reach a peak fitness level.

Goal Three, but not of least importance, is creating the financial security to bring in the new year as a member of the PGA Tour. Pro golf is an expensive endeavour and while I have been making enough to pay my expenses on the road and am on the verge of reeling in two victories that yield financial stability, it is crucial to have the financing that allows me to pursue all these career goals until those victories come. That will be another priority.

It is spectacular to be home. The difference between sleeping on Taiwan's hard, cold bamboo and my home matress is the differential between a day's life and death; between productivity and a zombie-like state of sleep walking. Until you leave, you never know Dorthy was right: "There's no place like home."

World Golf and 'Family' Dinners

I was hoping to update the blog after the final round yesterday, but chaos and a lack of internet service won out over that idea. My apologies if this post lacks cohesion as I just arrived in San Fran and the light and time change is leading me into zombie mode.

I finished the Acebank Montvert Open tournament with 74 for a 32nd finish and made about $2k. As with the previous tournament, the final round outcome was not as I had envisioned, but after I opened the tournament with +5, 77 and hit my tee shot on the second hole of my second round out of bounds, battling back to make the weekend was an accomplishment.

After my finish, a Korean player told me how impressed many of the Korean players were with my performance in the first half of my rookie year. He said during the first hald of the season, where international players are trying to acclaimate themselves to food and culture change, extreamly unique and stressful golf course styles, while trying to manage transportation and accomodations in a land of limited english, very few are able to make cuts. Even most Asian Tour players who also have exempt status on Korean Tour, struggle to adjust to all the factors a player has to manage outside the golf course. He said my ability to make 5 cuts to start the year was impressive. It only gets easier from this point forward.

This week my gallery consisted of members of 'the family;' 'the dragon brothers.' I ate dinner with members of the Korean mob every night, one 'brother' was my transportation and caddy for the week, and another invited me to play an extra practice round on the tournament course. As the week rolled on, I had a few more spectators every day with dragon tatoos covering their upper torso. This nuance with the gunfire and explosions coming from the North Korean training camps a few miles away made for a unique week of golf.

"You in Korea, my family...caddy, hotel, car...give you," Mr. Lee continuously said to me. "No money, no problem, Brother," he continued.

On my way back to the airport I was concerned I was going to have to bump someone off to pay my tab. I breathed a sigh of relief when I unpacked the back of the 'company car' and said my goodbyes.

Before I left this morning, I met a hotel manager who had seen me play on t.v. and told me anytime I was in Korea, they would see to it I was taken care of. One fantasic component to playing here is the t.v. coverage. I get to play in primetime every week. It is great simulation training for my PGA Tour debut. It will be a few months before it's back to the SBS Korean Golf Channel, ordering 'Bugoggi' from the local soup holes and being a guest of 'the family.' I'll be home for two glorious months of preparation towards taking on the golfing world.

A Good Day

Today was the best day I have enjoyed on the Korean Tour. After my morning cut saving, 7-foot putt followed by an elated, tension releaving fist pump, I shot -3, 69 in the afternoon to get my total back to even par. I have moved up from 116th place to 25th in two rounds. It has been a grueling week. Day 1 was a 7:45 round of golf, the longest I've ever played. Day 2 carried over into Day 3 due to darkness, and my 3 am wakeup this morning made this afternoon feel like evening.

I kept my mobster caddie on his toes all day. I think he was more nervous than I. Everytime I'd hit a good shot he would yell "Good Shotie!" He had more enthousiasm than the entire 10 person gallery that followed our group.

It has been an exciting day. I am completely wiped out tonight. I left all emotions and energy on the course today. As I moved through the day, they lept from me with every swing I made and every putt I rolled in. I leave Monday to come home for the summer months. Monsoon season shuts asian golf down. A brilliant round tomorrow will be a fitting end to eight months of world travel, culture shock and hard work.

My scores this event reflect the journey I've been on: It began with high aspirations, took a few detours and left me feeling overwhelmed and came around to reveal success and fullfilment.

I Walk the Line Cont'd.

There is nothing quite as unsettling as sleeping on the cut line. After being taken off the course yesterday due to darkness on the 17th tee (a 230 yard par three surrounded by water), I went to bed at +3 (the cut line). I was the last player on the course. The other players that did not finish, withdrew because they did not have a chance to make the cut this morning. Par-Par would get me a minimum check of $1300 on my morning holes. Any score over par and I go home empty handed. I woke up at 3am and was restless until I went to the course at 5:50 to finish.

I hit a pure 4 iron to the back pin and left myself a 25 footer on 17...two putt. One par down. 18 is a 460 par 4 with o.b. left and right and water surrounding the green. Needless to say, these were not the two holes you wanted to have to finish with pars on at 6 in the morning to make a cut. But that's the job sometimes.

After two nervous swings and a misread chip, I had 7 feet straight downhill for par...to make the cut. My hands shook a bit as I stood over the putt. There could have been a million things that went through my head, I tried to focus on only one: my target. I struck the putt and watched it fade towards the right edge. It hit the edge, spun around the side and fell in the back of the cup!! I threw a Tiger-esque fist pump in front of the tour officials who cheered. I had made the cut. The putt was worth over a thousand dollars and I had come through in the cluth. It may have only been to make the cut, but it was an epochal personal victory.

I Walk the Line

When the darkness set in tonight, I was -2 with 2 holes left. My total score is +3 (the cut number). I will tee it up at 6:30 am on the 230 yard par three and need an even par or better finish to continue playing the weekend. I'm begining to play well again. Today I hit some flag busters and I am on the verge of going low. I will write more tomorrow after I finish off my second round. Good night!

A Long Round

I hit solid approaches into my first three greens today, narrowly missed my birdie putts, then the fog set in. It left five groups stuck on the fourth tee for an hour and a half. By the time we teed off, two hours had elapsed. I stepped up over my tee shot and pulled one o.b....double bogey. As we arrived at the fifth tee, five groups again waited on the short par 5. It took an hour for the groups to clear. I layed down for a 40 minute nap. When I stood over that tee shot, it had taken us 4 hours to play 4 holes.

I eventually found my smooth tempo, but my putting left me with a single one putt all day and 36 putts for the round. A weekend golfer cannot beat his buddies with similar putting woes, let alone a pro golfer on an international tour. As frusterating as it is to miss the hole time and time again, I hung tough. I stood on the final tee and said, "I am going to make birdie."

I lasered a wedge into 5 feet and snuck the putt in the right corner of the hole for 77. The only thing good about 77: it is better than 78. The round finished after 8 hours on the course, twice the amount of time it takes to play a normal round.

There were an abundance of opportunities I gave myself today. Although I wasn't able to capitalize and had some adversity on the greens, I am pleased with a few facets of my game. I struck many pure iron shots and mentally, continously reinforced that I would find a way to score my ball.

It is a fickle sport and while 10 or more strokes between one round and another can seem like a huge differential, I know the game I brought to this tournament can post a low score. It will have to tomorrow as I will start the day well outside the cut line. That is one of the many reasons golf is so addictive though; there is always the possibility that tomorrow will be better than today.