A Breakthrough or Just a Hot Round?

Your boy went low... well for him.

I think over the last six weeks I made it clear I wasn’t playing well.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Western NY to attend the PGA Championship at Oak Hill. I grew up in the area and made it a point to golf with friends and family leading up to going on Saturday. While I didn’t play particularly well, there were some flashes, I had a birdie each day I was there, and I kept all my scores under 100 after weeks of flirting with it or being above it. It was progress. After playing 4.5 rounds in three days, I didn’t touch a club for three days.

When I returned, I played two times in two days at my home course, both rounds at 100 even. I took a lesson that focused on aiming and what I need to focus on while playing versus some things I need to work on. After that, I went to the course to practice, sneaked out for a round, and shot a 101. The demoralization was ramping back up.

Friday morning, I snuck out early, played a different course where I was under 100, and shot a 46 on the back. It wasn’t good golf, but very consistent. While golfing, I got asked by a couple of people to play on my home course that afternoon and went out and shot an 89, my first round in the 80s since the start of posting season. I was a little lubed up for that second round, but both rounds felt loose and fun.

Then Saturday, I got to the course a little late. I was starving, so I got something to eat versus warming up. I got out to the tee and birdied the first hole. I went out and started one under through 6 holes. I’m fairly sure I have never been under par that far into the round. I shot a 39 on the front of Pumpkin Ridge, which isn’t an easy 9 holes. I had a couple of blowup holes on the back to shoot a 46 for an 85, by far my best round of the year and my second-best round ever.

So now the question is, was it a breakthrough or just a hot day? How do I keep the confidence from this round but not put expectations on myself?