Bagger or not???

i recently got my pdga #, 3 days later i played a sanctioned tourney, my first ever tourney so i played in the am 4 div. and won by 15 strokes or so and tied am 3s first place finisher. so heres my question was it wrong to start in the lowest division not knowing the competition or should i have just jumped in to am 3 or 2 not having a rateing? or was what i did ok?                         and now that i know what the rounds are rated i can go to am 2 now

[Jim Coonradt]

Looks like it's time to move up for your next event. Or we can call you a bagger.

[Donny Olow]

Always start low and work your way up !!! Just don't be a Am forever though !!!!

[Jim Coonradt]

If you win by 15 strokes you need to be in a different division.

[The Monster]

It is perfectly fine to start at the bottom. The same thing happened with my buddy. He won Rec. one weekend and then won Int. the next. He has been throwing in Advanced since then. You dont want to start too high, Get creamed and then be discouraged from tournament play.

[J.D.Guy]

Regardless of tourney experience, i think you should talk to the TD regular at your course and tell him what your average is on the course or other courses. I have a friend of a friend that's been playing 6 yrs, decided to play Rec just because he never played a tourney, but regularly shoots -2 on the course. Guess what?, he shot -2 in the tourney and beat everyone in Rec and tied Intermediate 1st place. you're a bagger if you play rec again, IMO.

[Justin NUDGA#15]

Baggers don't win once, they win a lot. You havn't earned the title of sand bagger yet. Lets keep it that way.

[Rescue]

Totally cool. I did the same thing. I had noooo idea what my level of play was in regards to a tournament setting. Now you know. Now if you stayed in that div. for the rest of the year ( I don't even think playing another tournament or two in the same div. would be wrong imo). Then, maybe, just maybe you would be considered a bagger.

Oh, and congrats on the win...bagger! ;)~

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

I agree with Justin, technically you haven't earned that accolade....yet! You probably could skip 3 and move right to 2.

BTW, what's with all the levels of AM? what's considered 4...Novice or Rec?

[norm]

i am playing in the D.G.L.O here in Mi in Aug and im playing am 2. so i do plan on moving up quickly. i just didnt know what to expect from a tourney (competition level etc...). now i do sort of

[Joe Arnet]

I called you out on that because *I* do know what you're capable of; you are not am4 caliber. But - yes it was your first tourney, that's understandable. No excuses for now on :P Now give me a shout and we can get some rounds in @ hudson.

[Pat Burke]

You did fine, But if you would have tied for first in am 3(rec) You should probably play am 2. If you feel that your skill level is good enough to compete in am 2 do it. Otherwise try am 3 and see what happens. If you win that than move up. I say win one first than move up. If you play am 4 again your are for sure a bagger.

The better players in higher divisions will teach you some things down the road. You will not learn anything from playing with beginners.

Best of luck in the higher divisions.

[josh wieschowski]

Congratulations on stomping the field......LOL. Hey man, start at the bottom and feel things out, thats normal. Just because I might think Im good, it would foolish to play in my first tourney and say Im a "pro" or "am1" to find out that Im really playing like an am4000 and get smeared into the dirt, that would just cause intimidation in future tourneys.

I think its a great confidence builder and you should think about moving up a notch.

Dont be hard on yourself for winning by a landslide.........just congratulate yourself and go out and win the next one too!