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?
Just goes to show, practicing is for the birds. I’ve played my best matches hungover AF, rolling up to the tee 5min late and swinging away