I have been here in South Carolina for more than a month preparing for a big summer but sometimes there is no substitute for a tournament atmosphere to help get you sharp.  I just finish my first event of the year, which took place in Statesville, North Carolina.  It was great to be able to compete again, and it brought back the good feelings that I enjoy about the game.  I have to admit I was a little nervous on the first tee, but it quickly left me after I ripped a 4 wood down the middle.  As I continued to play, it was coming back to me that mentally; playing in a tournament and playing recreationally was very different.  I continuously found myself second guessing which club to use and my stroke/ pace on the greens.  I would be standing on a par 3 with 3 clubs in my hand contemplating which one to use, almost over analyzing every little thing.  When it came time to hit the ball I had so many different thoughts in my head it almost became impossible to make a confident, loose swing.  I tried my best to just trust the process and do what I have always done, as if it was just another recreational round.  When you haven’t played in a tournament since September it’s much harder to be confident when you have little results to pull from, but it will come as I play more events. 

I ended up shooting 2 over the first day and 1 under the second day which put me a 1 over par for the 2 days.  Unfortunately the cut ended up being even par for the 2 days, so I was going to sit the final day out.  This is a very disappointing start to the year, but I was able to pull some very positive things from this event.  I am looking forward to building on this for the next event!

Unfortunately at 750 dollars a tournament I’m not sure I can afford to play anymore events down here in the Carolinas.  When pursuing Golf as a job, “work experience” comes at an expensive cost, with tournaments costing anywhere from $250 to $1350.  At $1350 a tournament, if you have a poor stretch of play you could spend $10000 in 2 months no problem and that’s not including hotel, food and activities to help keep you sane when you’re not on the golf course.  I hope this helps you to understand the costs involved in the world of professional golf.  Golf really goes with the saying “you need to spend money, to make money”, because if I don’t have the money play in events I have 100% chance of making no money and becoming less prepared to play tournament golf.

My next event is in Burlington, Ontario and is a Great Lakes Tour Event.  I am excited to see all my friends from the Ontario golfing world!

I would like to remind everyone, we are still looking for players, hole sponsors and prize donations for the Tyler Martin Classic.  So sign up today, it’s sure to be an amazing day!!

I have arrived in South Carolina safely after a 1400 km drive which I did with a friend, Don Shaw.  Don and I convoyed with Will Mitchell through the boarder and down to South Carolina.  We were thrown a little curve ball when we arrived at the duty free for a washroom break when Don realized that his passport was expired… typical Donny.  We decided to risk it and it paid off, they didn’t notice and we cruised right through the boarder.

This year we are staying at a cottage on Lake Wateree in Ridgeway, South Carolina.  The cottage is truly a cottage, which has great fishing and a beautiful view.  Thus far we have taken advantage of all the amenities and luxuries that come with a cottage setting.  We have caught a ton of cat fish and a few bass.  I managed to pull in a 6 pounder, it was great eats!

We got out and played the second day we were in the state which was fun and exciting.  We played a course called Carolina Crossing which was nothing special but enjoyable.  There was definitely some rust after the 2 month layoff, but I’m not too far behind were I was in Florida.  I shot 76 out of the gate with lots of wind.  I was not to upset and could see my improvement as the round progressed.

I have been in South Carolina for 3 weeks now and have seen lots of improvement in my game.  I am back to where I was in Florida and am shooting some great scores constantly.  I have had a lot of great rounds with a high percent being under par.  Although I have been playing well my rounds have still been a little sloppy.  It has usually been 2 or 3 swing that is costing me shots but the good thing is they haven’t been major mistakes.  For example I would have 75 yards into a par 4 and miss the green, or three putt a par 5 for a par.  If I could eliminate those little mistakes I could turn a 2 under round into 5 under very quickly, which is what I am looking for out of my game.

I am working hard on my putting stroke and pre-shot routine which is very important to me putting well.  I find that the best way for me to practice my putting is in the house using my eye line training aid just focusing on my stroke and pace of stroke.  This allows me not to focus on results as much as the fundamentals of the stroke.  When I practice on the greens I focus only on 10 feet and in, using 1 ball and going through my full routine with every putt.   This allows me to simulate playing situations and build confidence one putt at a time.  If you are wondering why I don’t practice longer putts or lag putting, it’s because I feel that all putting should be a reaction to what you see not a physical thought.  For example a though like “this putt is 25 feet and uphill “, are the last things you want to think about before you are about to hit a putt.  A drill to practice reaction putting, is to line up to the putt then turn your head to look at the hole, staying focused on the hole and stroke the ball, if you putt without thought the putt should be the perfect distance.  If the putt is poor hit 10 or 15 doing this drill, just reacting to what you see and you will become a better putter.

Everything has been going well in all aspects during this trip, so I plan on playing in a tournament in the upcoming weeks.  I will be playing a Hooters Tour, Carolina Winter Series event.  I like forward to getting my feet wet for the season and winning some money J

Until next time…

Hello all!!  I has been awhile seen I have last updated everyone on my golf schedule and planned events.

Well here I go… I last left you with a blog from the 2010 Canadian Tour Qualifying School which was a great success and the end of a successful season.  Since that last update I have been doing many things from golfing in Florida to helping my parents build a house, and it seems like this winter will never end!

I will start by telling you about my time spent in Kissimmee and Melbourne Beach, Florida.  I planned this trip with a good friend and local Golf Professional Kevin Carter from Wolf Run Golf Course.  We ended up leaving Ontario in November and headed for Kissimmee a small town just outside of Orlando.  It turned out we were very luck with the weather up until our last week, when the temperature fell below zero at night and the highs for the days hovered around 7 degrees.  Not to mention the wind that is notorious for Florida, unfortunately this weather cut our trip short by a week or so. 

We ended up meeting some amazing people during our stay.  One man in particular named Bob.  We met Bob at the course we were playing most of our golf at called Harmony Preserve.  He invited us to play some golf with him and a group of his friends, all of them are from Chicago.  We ended up playing one of the Disney Courses which the PGA Tour played their final event of the year at which was very cool… I shot 2 under which was great!  It turned out that Bob owned 2 condos in Melbourne Beach located on the east coast of Florida and his family was coming to visit him the following day.  Bob must have taken a liking to us because he invited Kevin and I to stay in his 2500 square foot condo.  It was perfect!!  His family was amazing and so much fun!  They were only able to stay for a week, but Bob allowed us to use the condos for the remainder of our trip… we were absolutely amazed that this man we just met was so trusting and generous.

My golf game in Florida was very good!  I was hitting the ball great and putting above average… that’s a great combination!  The only thing I wasn’t extremely happy with was my driver, it never seemed to get me in a lot of trouble but it, but it’s usually my strongest club.  Over 50 percent of my rounds were under par which I am very happy, shooting a 66 for my low round.  My next trip with be to South Carolina with Will Mitchell in March.  Until this trip begins I will be working for my Father’s company building our new Cottage, saving every penny earned!

Until next time…

I just finished another Great Lakes Tour event. This event was at Copetown Woods Golf Club in Copetown, just north of Hamilton.   I went down a day early to play a practice round with Will Mitchell and his friend Mattis.  The practice round went well, nothing too special, just getting reacquainted with the course as I have played it a few times in the past.  We ended up staying in a Courtyard Marriot which we booked on-line through price line.  If you have never book a hotel through price line, I suggest you try it! You simply bid on the hotel you want.  We ended up getting a $170 room for only $55… what a steal! 

            I teed off at 10:10 and was more then ready to go with an easy par 5 to start.  The day turned out to be rather tough with wind blowing 40 km/h with stronger gusts.  I had one of the best ball striking rounds in a long time but had other parts of my game fail me.  I finished the round at 1 over 73, and wasn’t very happy with the final result.  I had two par 5’s that I was over the green, in the rough with rather easy chips, and ended up making par on both. That was a little disappointing.  I also managed to miss a 2 foot putt some how… first time in a while that has happened.  I could have easily turned that into a respectable score. I will take what I can from this round and move onward and upward!

Till next time!!

Well it was another long week at Canadian Tour qualifying school.  I started my week by hauling my Campkins RV Centre sponsored trailer to Hidden Lakes Golf Course were I would be staying for the week.  I didn’t have any power hook ups this week so I had to rely on the battery to provide me with power.

I played a practice round Tuesday night with Will Mitchell and his caddy Matis, who had participated in a Great Lakes Tour event earlier that day.  After my practice round I really wasn’t feeling the greatest about my game but stayed positive and focused on the task at hand, my fully exempt tour card.

I started the first round shaky and was behind the 8 ball right from the start being 3 over par through 3 holes.  I kept the attitude as if nothing had happened and just hit the ball forward, found it and hit it again.  I birdied holes 5, 10, 11, 14 and bogeyed 9 and 12.  It was an interesting round.  I managed 2 under for the last 15 holes and wasn’t out of the tournament. 

The second round was steady throughout and the only difference between this round and the first one was my short game.  I was 5 for 7 with my up and downs which allowed me to finish the round at 1 under and put me back to even par and right in the tournament.

The third round was the turning point in the tournament for me.  I played well and felt like I couldn’t do wrong.  I started quickly with a birdie on my opening hole, and followed it with a birdie on 4, 6, 7 and an eagle on 14.  I slipped a little with a three putt on 17 for my first bogey of the day.  I signed my card for a 5 under par, 66 and my best competitive round of the year. 

The final round was truly interesting 6 and a half hour’s in the worst weather of the year. Cold, windy and rainy all day, but at least it didn’t snow (for those of you who played in my Royal Ashburn Tournament)! I played solid with only 2 or 3 bad swings all day, but cost me in the wind.  I finish the round with a terrible 3 putt to think I missed a full card by one shot.  To my surprise, I received the last full card on the number.

All and all it was a great experience and I was happy how I grinded right to the end and I am looking forward to a great season next year!!!

I just finished up another Great Lakes Tour event at Otter Creek Golf Course in Otterville, Ontario.  The trip started with my caddie, Matt Roth, and I rising early to head to Otterville for a practice round on the Monday.   We were almost there when the passenger rear tire blew on the truck only 1 kilometre away from the course. So close, yet so far away. You would think this would be an easy fix but, it wasn’t.  The spare tire was not cooperating at all. Thankfully, we had some local farmers come by and help us out.  After an hour went by we had the spare tire on and we were on our way to the course again. We made it just in time to walk to the tee for our practice round with Will Mitchell and his Caddie, Matiss.  Although we were rushing to get to the practice round, I ended up playing well and I really enjoyed the course.  I had a good feel for the course and the way the greens were reacting, as they are 2 year old greens (This generally means large first bounces).

Matt and I ended up staying at the Motel 8 in Woodstock, which was located 25 minutes straight north of Otterville.  After a much needed good night sleep, we set our alarms for 5:30 am as I teed off at 7:48 on the 10^th tee.  My round started well with a good save at ten and a short 4 foot birdie putt missed on the 11^th.  I made par on the 12^th then went on a run. I birdied 13 and 14 and made par on the 15^th and 16^th. Followed by birdie on 17 and pared 18.  I turned at 3 under par and in the lead.  I truly felt that I should have been 5 under through 9 holes, easily, but I couldn’t focus on that. I needed to focus on the next 9 holes.  I par 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 and then birdied the 6^th which is a long par 5.  I came to the tough 177 yard, par 3 with a mini goal of hitting the green in regulation because I missed the green in the practice round.  I had wind coming from the left and was looking to hold the ball against the wind with a little draw. I ended up turning it more then I had wanted and landed in some long fescue.  2 chips and 2 putts later, I made a double bogey. I bad swing had cost me the tournament basically.  I finished strong with 2 pars and was in the club house with the lead… for now.   It turned out that I was beat with a 4 under 68.  I was very happy with my round as I hit 13 of 14 fairways, had 25 putts, and got up and down 8 out of 9 times… some very solid numbers.  I was not happy with my irons from the fairway but it was nice to see the rest of my game kick in when I really needed it!  I ended up in second place alone earning a good pay cheque.

Till next time….

I just finished my first platinum event on the Great Lakes Tour in Niagara Region.  The platinum events are 2 days as opposed to 1 day and the purse is much greater.  The event was at Grand Niagara Resort just off the QEW.  The course was in great shape but extremely wet due to the large amount of rain they received on Saturday.  We played lift clean and place through the green the first day and lift clean and place in your own fairway the second day.

I had another great tournament and was in contention for the lead the final day.  The first day I played very solid.  I hit 9 fairways, 14 greens and had 29 putts… with no 3 putts either day, which I am happy with that because all the greens have multiple tiers and were extremely large and challenging.  I finished the first day in great shape with a solid 2 under par 70.  I felt some nerves on day 2. This was a great feeling because it meant I was in a position to win.  I was happy with the way I played minus 3 swings, 2 drivers in jail and 1 fairway bunker shot that all cost me bogey’s.  I was in great shape to finish in 2^nd with 4 holes left to play.  I birdied the tough 210 yard, par 3, 15^th… now I was looking to make a move.  I had a terrible lip out from 5 feet on 16 for par followed by another terrible lip out on 17 for birdie.  I ended up making birdie on 18 which got me back to 1 under par for the tournament.  If I had made those 2 putts I would’ve been in second place… frustrating!  All and all I had a great tournament finishing in 5^th and pulling another good pay cheque.

Till next time…

Today I teed it up at 7 am for a Great Lakes Tour event at Angus Glen Golf Course in Markham.  It was an early morning, with the alarm set for 4 am and arriving at the course for quarter to 6.  I started my warm up immediately after checking in, which went as planned.  I got off to a good start with a birdie at the first and third holes. My day continued to roll along nicely with 5 more birdies off-set by only 2 bogies.  I was happy with my play throughout the day feeling I would be close to competing for my first Great Lakes Tour win.  I was also very happy with my attitude and commitment to my pre-shot routine.  It turned out that Alan Mclean, a European Tour player, was 8 under par. This meant I finished 3 back in 2^nd place.  I was excited to receive my largest pay check of the season and looking to build off this great play. 

Till next time….

It’s nice to be home sleeping in my own bed.  Whenever I return home from an extended period of time on the road, I always think that so much will have changed while I am away, but everything is the same as usual at home and in the community.  Since I have been home, I have planned most of my summer and am exited to get some tournaments underway.  I have also been busy with the Tyler Martin Classic, being held at Royal Ashburn Golf Course. Despite the gale force winds, rain, and even snow, it was a great success. Thank you to all who participated.

            This summer I am planning on playing the Great Lakes Tour, which is a local professional tour.  This tour is full of 1 and 2 events throughout the summer and has members which include local CPGA Professionals, Canadian Tour and Nationwide Tour players.  Last week, I played an event at Heron Point Golf Course which is a Clublink course in Hamilton.  I was very excited to play and was well prepared until the unexpected happened.  The day before the tournament, I could not eat or drink a single thing which I have come to diagnose as food poisoning.  I woke up the day of the tournament after 15 hours of sleep feeling better but with very little energy.  I made a decision to play and to just take my time and do my best.  It was a tough day with the wind blowing hard. I played well on the front shooting even par and sitting in 5^th.  Happy with my play on the front I just wanted to stay patient and hit one shot at a time. Little did I know, my tanks were running on empty.  I started to make a few bad swings and a few bad decisions.  All things considered I couldn’t get to upset, just take the day for what it was. 

Till next time…

California Dreamin…

Florida ended in a rather terrible fashion as far as the weather was concerned.  We received 6 inches of rain in 2 days, so the course was completely unplayable.  Other then the weather for those 2 days the trip was excellent and very productive.  It was great to be able to see where my game was after the long winter.

I spent the week in Ontario hitting golf balls at Devil’s Den in Brooklin and planning the Tyler Martin Classic.  I have taken on more responsibility regarding the tournament planning and preparation this year.  I was able to get a lot accomplished this week and will have to do a lot of the remaining work while I’m on the road.

I arrived in California to my buddy Mike holding a sign saying “Gaylord”. I started laughing immediately, knowing this trip was going to be great.  The flight into Sacramento was rather interesting as I was sitting 2 seats from MMA fighter Urijah “The California Kid” Faber.  He turned out to be a really nice guy, and it turned out Urijah was just as interested in my golf career as I was in his MMA career.  I have been really lucky with the weather here in Northern California as it has been sunny and in the 70’s almost everyday!  However, this week isn’t looking as promising as rain is forecasted for 3 days straight.  Since the weather has been so nice, I have been able to get some great practice in as well as play a lot of golf.  My game has been coming around and my confidence is growing with every round of golf.  I have had many rounds of 1 or 2 over with absolutly NO putts going in.  I truly feel I am on the verg of shooting some great scores very soon.  I have also had a tougher time then I had imagined ajusting to the new grooves in my wedges.  They have caused me partcular trouble when I’m chipping and pitching the ball. The spin rates are completely different.  The last 2 times I have played I have been under par which is a step in the right direction! 

 Till next time…