Good golf isn't enough anymore...

So today I played my first Open sanctioned event. I'm officially done with the Advanced ranks so I'm willing to try to get some cash and accept now. Overall I guess I played some pretty good golf, I came away with 988 and 989 rated rounds on the day. Unfortunately that wasn't good enough to cash at the C-Tier I went to in Columbus. I managed 9th of 20, one stroke out of the cash. Some great players showed up including 7of Ohio's top 10 players plus Barry Schultz. It was the Discraft Westside Challenge, more a warm-up for the Brent Hambrick Memorial Open than anything. This course will be used for the Hambrick in July.

My rounds were both 52s on the 18 hole course, and they couldn't have been more similar in their inconsistencies. During the first round I had seven birdies and five bogeys, with three OB penalty strokes. During the second round I had eight birdies, two bogeys, and two double-bogeys, with four OB penalty strokes. Totaled 15 birdies on the tournament, but only finished at a 4 under 108 total. Yikes. Definitely have to consider them both warm-ups for the Hambrick, where I feel certain I'll play better with a better handle on the out of bounds situation.

Each round I took some really weak out-of-bounds strokes where I hit trees over OB that I misjudged the placement of. My disc was headed back in-bounds and then came up on a tree that I thought was deeper than it was. But there was a lot to like from each round as well. During the both rounds I played hole 1 (postage stamp green) well. I had putts at the 450+ hole 8 both rounds. It is only reachable with a dead straight low line drive shot or a roller. First round I put it 35 feet right and the next round right on the pin with backhand rollers. I managed to get hole 10, a blind skip shot, both rounds. I managed to go over the top and get hole 13 during the second round, a 410+ foot hole that requires a lot of hyzer height to get to. I got 16 in the rain, the only hole we actually played in any rain, that was nice.

Additionally I feel good now about how I retained some measure of composure. I've had issues with the past with retaining composure amidst bogey runs. I followed up bogeys with birdies five times on the tournament, including following an OB 4 and OB 5 with a pair of birdies during the second round. Though it is kind of sad to have a nine hole stretch with no pars that is only 2 under (2, 2, 2, 4, 5, 2, 2, 4, 2). Hopefully when the Hambrick comes around I've got a better grip on how these holes play with these warm-ups under my belt and a round or two the day before the tournament.

The final good note, I didn't feel like I got beat by anybody that I should have beaten and I beat a lot of competitive players. Thats one thing I'm happy I left behind with Advanced, right now I'm the guy beating guys and making them feel like they lost to some guy they should beat. Its rough playing in a division where 988+ golf isn't enough to cash, but it feels better.


-Chris.

[Justin Gill]

if you keep on taking my lunch money... :(

[Chris Wojciechowski]

Got some gas money for me?

[Justin Gill]

well go to those then.. ya know?

[Chris Wojciechowski]

I believe there were 3 tournaments in the US this weekend, maybe 4, where I would not have cashed. Many where I would have cashed solidly.

[Justin Gill]

well you would have been 3 spots out of cash at DGLO... shooting what you shot... lol...