UPDATED 10 JANUARY 2024
Pretty Good First Day with My First Hole In One! And… My Mom is OK!
It’s taken me a while to get this one “on the board,” because I’m not sure how to feel about it – even still…
It Was Supposed To Be Awesome, and almost was… I guess the only thing for me to do is just tell you how it all played out.
TJGT:
The Traditions Fall Invitational, December 18-19, 2023.
Bryan, TX
First, let me say The Traditions golf course is amazing. It wasn’t in the best shape when we played it (Winter, and working on the fairways and sprinklers), but I absolutely loved it – even though hole 13 may be Satan and hole definitely 18 hates me.
Day 1:
Started off a little cold (Dec 18, 840AM, 40-ish Degrees) and I did not get off to the start I wanted.
During the tournament, they actually started us on hole 8, then 9, then you turn back and play holes 1-7…
Hole 8 (Tournament 1) is this little 400 yard, dogleg right par 4, that goes up and over a slight hill with two bunkers protecting the corner, and then a fairly shallow green. Great hole, but it was too cold and too early to take on going over the bunkers, so instead, I went through the fairway left. Hit a great shot to about 15′ but just slid the putt by.
Hole 9 (Tournament 2) is 180 yard par three, up a little hill to a green that leans from back to front and left to right. Trying to play the percentages on how cold it (Temp, Body, Ball, etc.) was, I opted to punch a 6-iron. Ended up about 5′ over the green, straight down hill, down grain and down wind. I could not stop the ball close, and missed about a 6-footer, back up the hill for par. (1-Over)
Hole 1 (Tournament 3) is a great hole. It’s slightly down hill, trouble left (closer than you like) and bunkers protecting the right side. I opted to take the bunkers out of play and hit a 1-iron to about 160 out. Chipped an 8-iron down to about 20′ and left the putt about a foot short.
Hole 2 (Tournament 4) is another great hole. Again, down a little hill off the tee, but all you’re really doing is just trying to get a good position for your second, which is basically a straight left turn, over a creek to an elevated green. I hit a 3-iron off the tee and was about 135 yards out. Which was kind of a “weird” number with it being cold. Instead of “chipping” a Pitching Wedge, I opted to hit a fuller Gap Wedge. I’d guess I landed about 15 feet from the hole, but grabbed the slope and spun back to about 30 feet up and over a ridge. I didn’t want to get too aggressive, so instead, I left it about 6 feet short and missed the putt. (2-Over)
The rest of the front nine consisted of a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, and a lot of two putts. I finished the front 2-Over.
Hole 10 is a Lay-Up-Off-The-Tee Par 5. I hit a 1-iron down the left side, chipped a 7-iron across to the second fairway and was about 115 out. Threw a 55-degree Wedge to about 10-foot but missed another putt.
Then there’s the Par 3, Hole 11…
We were playing it from about 165 Yards, and the pin was back left over a bunker. The green has a pretty severe ridge in the middle, so depending on the bounce, you could go left or right. The wind was hurting (in our face) but helping the ball fall left, so I hit an 8-iron at the center of the green with some left turn.
I saw the ball hit the ridge and bounce left, so I knew it was going to be in pretty good shape, but (from the tee) you can’t see the green where the flag was positioned.
When we started walking to the green, one of the parents was pointing down over and over again, and we were trying to figure out if he was telling his son that his ball went in the bunker…
But what he was really saying was:
My Ball Went In The Hole!
MY FIRST HOLE IN ONE!!!
(And I’m back to Even for the day.)
That was a pretty good feeling. I wish I would’ve seen it go in… That probably would’ve been more exciting.
But the fact that I did it, and in a tournament, that’s pretty cool.
I couldn’t stop smiling. On the next hole (12), it’s about a 400 yard par 4 that plays a little tight, so I striped a 3-Wood straight down the middle (about 300 yards) and flipped a little wedge in to about a foot for a tap-in birdie. (1-Under)
And then there’s 13. A nasty little hole with a green that just wants you to suffer. I hit another great 3-Wood (about 300 Yards) dead-center of the fairway, about 90 yards from the flag – which is sitting right between a severe back-to-front hill and a severe false front.
There Cannot Be 10′ Of Flat Green Between Those Two!
All I wanted to do was land on the flat, but I couldn’t risk coming up short on the false front. I did all my calculations, (said my prayers) and chipped a choke-down 55 right at the flag. When the ball was in the air, I honestly thought I’d made another one.
But, instead, I landed about 10′ past the hole, took one big bounce and went over the back of the green. Are You Kidding Me??!!
The next shot is impossible to keep on the green… Phil Mickleson couldn’t have kept the ball on the green. I was literally contemplating chipping 60 feet right just to maybe have a putt, but then I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep the putt on the green.
So… my options are to try and flop a shot *perfectly* to the top of the hill and land it like a butterfly with sore feet and hope (by the grace of God) it doesn’t roll off… or I can flop it to the 6′ of flat behind the hole and hope it has enough spin to somehow not roll off… or, I could do what I did, try to flop it right of the flag and hope that I could get it stop within 10 feet of landing on the green (and praying for 25-foot par putt)…
But that didn’t work either. I rolled off the front and down the hill. Chipped it up to about 8′ left (where the green was flat) and missed the putt. Double. (back to 1-Over)
While the “wind was certainly knocked out of my sails,” I still played the next four holes pretty solid. No birdies, but a lot of tap-ins for pars.
Then you get to Hole 18. which I am certain hates me, btw.
It is another great hole. I don’t think you can find a hole on this golf course that doesn’t make you earn it. It’s a great course.
But, back to my nemesis:
18 is 420-ish yard par 4. From the back tee it plays like a dogleg left because of the offset of the tee box. The tee shot has to go up and over a hill, then you have a downhill shot to a green set just across a creek.
You have options off the tee. But I felt like the 1-iron and 3-wood would bring more trouble into play than just taking my driver over the bunker on the left and maybe getting down to about 100 yards out.
I was hitting the ball solid all day, and still feeling pretty good, despite the devil that is hole 13.
I ripped my driver, about 4-feet too far left, caught a branch on a tree about 200 yards out and dropped straight down left into the bushes. Had to chip out (backwards) and had 230 yards down the hill to a pin about 30 feet over the creek.
I striped a 5-iron right at the flag, landed about 10 left of the flag and rolled all the way to the back of the green, 100+ feet away. After a “fun” little 3-putt double, I posted 3-Over, but…
At the end of the day, I was tied for 5th (and 4-strokes back).
B U T . . .
When we got back to the hotel, we found out my mom was in the Emergency Room. She ended up needing to be transferred to a different hospital (with an appropriate surgical team) at like 330 in the morning.
DAY 2:
We couldn’t decide if I should play, or if we should go back, but mom convinced us that I should stay and play…
Hindsight has me thinking a WD would’ve looked better now, but…
With such little sleep, and not knowing whether I was going to stay and play until I was literally dropped off at the course – AS TO BE EXPECTED – my game was slightly off.
Nothing bad, so to speak, just slightly off, BUT…
The Traditions course is so penalizing. All of my small misses were turning into really tough up and downs – which I did not do often. I posted my worst tournament score in over two years (84) and fell all the way back to 22nd.
My mom had emergency surgery, and everything seems to be ok now.
But, maybe I should’ve withdrew?
UPDATED 13 NOVEMBER 2023
Not The Best End To The Fall High School Tournaments, But… I Did Win Two Of The Four!.
So, Wednesday, November 8th, was my last “Fall” High School tournament at Lion’s Park in Austin. It was a pretty good day of ball-striking: only had three “bad” shots, but one of those was a flier that sent me well over the back of the green into some serious trouble and cost me a double.
And, unfortunately, it was not a good day with the putter. Not only did I have three 3-putts, I also missed three other short putts (inside of 5-feet) to save the up-and-downs.
I hit 14 greens, but ended up with three birdies, four bogies and a double… or, as the scorecard so painfully shows, a 74 (+3). That put me in 7th place.
While this tournament was disappointing, I really feel pretty good about my starts this year: First, First, Third, Seventh. That’s a 50% Winning Streak this Fall season, with a 75% Top Five and 100% Top 10.
It’s pretty hard to feel bad about that.
There’s a couple of other events I’m hoping to play before the end of the year, but (despite this last event) I know I’m really moving in the right direction.
UPDATED 31 OCTOBER 2023
A Very Cold, Tough and Windy Day… Lost By One.
We had a cold front push through late Sunday night. It was a very cold and very windy day. It was almost freezing (38 degrees) when I teed off at 8AM. If that wasn’t bad enough, they started me on one of the hardest holes on the course (#7), especially on day like today. I couldn’t even feel my hands for like 9-holes.
So my first hole of the day (#7) is a 190 yard Par 3, straight into the wind over water. I pulled a 4-iron left of the green, down a steep slope. I had to splash it out of a mossy hazard (on the edge of the water) and get up and down to save the bogey. 1-Over after one.
I made two good pars (into the cold, hard wind) on #8 and #9. On #10, a long Par 4, and after a pretty good drive, I had a 5-iron into a small green. The wind gusted on me, and I came up a little short left, in a really bad spot, and couldn’t get up and down to save the par. Now 2-Over.
The next hole (#11) was playing really long into the wind, I hit a good drive and still had 195 yards to the green. I hit a 4-iron just short and made a great chip for an easy up and down par. #12 is another long Par 3, with a gusting cross-wind. I did not make solid contact and ended up left, in ankle-deep, wet rough, and could not get the ball close. A two-putt bogey puts me 3-Over in my first six holes.
By this time, my body had started to adjust to the temperature, and I could start to feel my fingers. I made (pretty routine) pars on holes 13, 14, and 15. Then, for the first time of the day, I finally had a couple of down wind holes.
On #16, I hit a smooth drive right down the middle, and a wedge to six-feet. My first birdie of the day got me back to 2-Over.
On #17, I ripped a drive up the left center, and only had 140 yards to a back-right flag. I hit my approach shot, just as a big gust came through. My ball landed about 20-feet long right of the flag, but bounced down the hill into the water. I hit a great pitch-shot and made a good putt to save the bogey, but back to 3-Over I went.
After hitting another great drive on #18, a Par 5 up the hill, I was only about 200 yards out. The wind was pushing pretty hard from left-to-right. I lined up at the left side of the green (thinking I would get the wind-fade to the hole), but hit a little double-cross into the left bunker. I hit a decent shot to about 8-feet, but lipped-out for the birdie. Still 3-Over.
I hit one of my best drives of the day on #1, and flipped a little wedge into about 15-feet, but missed the birdie. On #2, a 460 Yard hole up the hill, I hit another good drive, and threw a 7-iron to inside 20-feet and missed that birdie, as well.
On #3, I hit another good drive, right down the middle, and put an 8-iron to about 15-feet and (finally) made the putt. That’s only my second birdie of the day, and I’m back to 2-Over with three to go.
#4 is a 180 yard Par 3, up the hill. I was on the green, but about 30-feet away. A two-putt kept me 2-Over, now with just two to play… And I really wanted to get back to Even, maybe even 1-Under.
#5 is a 590 yard Par 5, but luckily it was down wind. I smoked a drive and only had 240 in. I hit a 4-iron about 25-feet right of the flag, but was in a green side bunker… and on the down slope. I tried a “miracle” flop, but couldn’t get it to stop close. Two putts from 20-feet for a very frustrating par.
2-Over, now with only one to play.
My last hole, #6, is a short Par 4 with water protecting the left side, all the way to and around the green. This is usually a lay-up/lay-back hole, but I decided to send the driver at the green. I laid-off a little, making sure I didn’t pull it, and pushed it down the right side. I was about 70 yards away, but in the right rough to a front flag.
I tried to land it short and bounce it on because I knew I didn’t want to have anything to do with water long. I hit it almost perfect, and it landed almost exactly where I wanted it to. But it was really soft and wet, and didn’t bounce up and on to the green.
The ball was sitting nicely on the fringe, so I decided to putt. Unfortunately the putt got a weird little bounce into the edge of the fringe, which gave it a bit of top-spin and rolled past the hole about six-feet. My par-saving putt lipped out, and I bogeyed my last hole to lose by one shot.
UPDATED 24 OCTOBER 2023
TJGT Lonestar Boys Invitational… Slow Start…
Nice Finish…
I didn’t find out I was in the tournament until the week before, and I wasn’t able to get up for a practice round. I had played the same course back in January, so I knew how the course laid out, but was not certain what to expect on the greens, regarding firmness, grain, smoothness and speed.
DAY ONE
I had a late tee time. I started with some solid pars. The greens were firm – couple of big bounces where I thought a good wedge would be able to bite – but they were rolling fairly smooth and the pace was good.
I’d burned a couple of lips for birdies, and was feeling pretty good about the day until I got to hole #6. It’s a 205 yard par 3 where they had the pin tucked up against the front bunker. It’s a demanding hole, requiring a pretty good shot to get into that front area and stay on the green.
But that wasn’t the problem. The problem was there were 3 other groups waiting on the tee. I had to wait over 30 minutes before I could hit. I figured with the wind it was playing around 195-200 yards. I would normally throw a 7-iron at it, but I figured, with that wait, it may be smarter to cut an easy 6-iron in there. I made solid contact, but didn’t get the fade I was looking for. I ended up left of the green, in a bad spot, and didn’t get up and down. My first bogey of the day.
From that point forward in the round, every shot was hit and wait (too long) before getting to hit again. Its like the whole course was backed up. Any way, a few holes later I pulled a tee ball into the trees and had to punch out, resulting in my second bogey.
For the most part, I was playing decent golf, I just couldn’t get any of my birdie putts to fall. I hit some good putts, but just kept barely missing. I missed one other green on the back nine and short sided myself which led to another bogey.
I was coming into the last hole 3 over par. I was trying to cut my drive off of a left bunker, and again didn’t get the cut. I ended in the lip of the fairway bunker, and had to splash out. That shot ended up on a side hill lie in the rough. Unfortunately, I missed the green and didn’t get up and down.
Finishing with a double certainly hurt. My opening round of 77 had me tied 50th.
DAY TWO
I knew if I could get a couple under on Day Two, I would climb up the leader board quite a bit. I really wanted to be in the Top 20, but was hoping to find my way into the Top 10.
On Day Two they split tees and went off in threesomes to help the pace of play. I started with a solid shot up the left side, and a wedge to about 8 feet. I burned the edge for birdie, but tapped in for an easy par on my first hole, #10.
Despite yesterday with no birdies, and while I missed the birdie putt on #10, I felt really confident with my putter. I knew I couldn’t go another whole day with out making putts… and to prove that to myself, I just went ahead and dropped three 3 birdies in a row, #11, #12 and #13.
On #14, a 460 yard par 4, they had the pin front left, just this side of a little rise. The adrenalin from three birdies in row must of been flowing because I hit a 9-iron about 180 yards (10-15 yards past the pin) and over the hump, but was able to get the up and down to save par.
#15 is a 560 yard par 5. I hit a 1-iron off the tee to avoid going through the fairway and laid-up to a perfect little number for my 60-degree. I pitched up to about four feet and put another birdie on the board… 4-under!
#16 has one of the tightest landing areas on the course. It’s a slight dog-leg left, but the fairway gets pretty narrow just past the turn. Again, I hit a 1-iron off the tee, but with a slight pull, I didn’t make it past the corner of the trees. I was unable to go at the green and (thanks to a huge lip-out) didn’t convert the up and down. I parred #17 and #18 to make the turn at 3-under.
#1 is a 560 yard par 5. I put a 4-iron to about 20 feet and two-putted for the birdie. Then I went on a steady run of pars. Hit some decent shots, had to get up and down once but parred holes #2 through #5.
They had the pin back center on hole #6 (where things all started going wrong on Day One). It’s the 200 yard par 3, and I came up about 20-feet short. I didn’t judge the speed and slope very well and was left with a 5-footer that lipped out for the par. My first three-putt of the tournament put me back to 3-Under.
I made an easy par on #7. I made a great putt (about 15-feet) to save par on number #8, and actually got away with a par on #9. #9 is a 500 yard par 5 and I really wanted to give myself an eagle chance. Instead, I pull-hooked my drive over into the trees, had to punch out and left myself with about 140 yards for eagle. After my two-putt par, I finished with a 3-under 69.
I didn’t feel like I was hitting the ball all that well, either day. I was just making solid shots that we’re good-enough. I really wish I could’ve seen the greens before Day One. I think I would’ve been more comfortable and probably dropped a few more (especially on Day One).
All in all, a Tie for 19th is not that bad. I’m really looking forward to my next TJGT opportunity.
UPDATED 17 OCTOBER 2023
Second Straight High School Tournament Win… Kind of…
This was some of the hardest conditions I’ve ever played in. It was cold, and very windy, on an extremely unforgiving golf course, Crystal Falls, in Leander, TX.
I made a good birdie on my first hole, then a bogey just a few holes later to give it back.
It was playing very tough, and every par felt like a good score.
It was challenging, to say the least, and the wind was punishing. I made a few more bogeys and got all the way up to four over par. But I wasn’t giving up, and I wasn’t giving in to the tough conditions.
On my last six holes I was able to make two birdies and an eagle to get back to even with one to play.
Then on my last hole, a little bit of drama:
I had a lost ball situation. (I think a parent picked up my ball, but by the time I got down where my ball should’ve been they were already gone.) I was able to save the bogey, but ended up one over.
Just a par would’ve sealed the victory, but that bogey left me in a tie at one over for First Place. I lost the scorecard playoff with some kind of weird “points-based” system. Somehow, his 73 got him 31 “Points” but my 73 only got me 30 “points.” I’m still taking the Tie/Win by Score.
UPDATED 27 SEPTEMBER 2023
I Just Won Again… That’s Twice In 10 Days!!
Today was my first Senior Year High School Varsity Tournament at Stonetree Golf Club. I posted a Bogey-Free, 68 (4-Under) for the Win!
After round thoughts on my 68 and 4 shot win.
I got off to a hot start with a tap in birdie on my first hole. Then made two solid pars and another birdie. My game was feeling very sharp, and it felt like I was playing offence, and could play aggressive.
I had a few short birdie putts that slipped by. The pace of play was very slow, and I think I lost concentration for a stretch in the middle. I was able to keep the bogeys off the card, but I was playing sloppy.
I realized that’s what was happening and started to get refocused. I made two more solid birdies on my back nine and a few good pars on the way in.
I was able to post my First Ever Bogey-Free Round and get my high school season off to a great start.
That now makes 23 Wins in 60 Events…
a 38% Winning Percentage!
I’m looking forward to the next two tournaments… coming up soon:
- Junior 2-Day Event, Crystal Falls Golf Club, Leander, TX
- High School Tournament, Crystal Falls Golf Club, Leander, TX
UPDATED 25 SEPTEMBER 2023
Since my previous update, I’ve played in AND WON! another Junior Event. This last Sunday – September 17 – I was at The West Texas Junior Champions Tour: Fall Kickoff at The Hideout in Brownwood, TX.
I’d never seen the golf course before, and the practice round got rained out the day before… they wouldn’t even let me take a cart out to just go drive around.
It was a sloppy, muddy 73 (+1), but enough for a 2-stroke victory!
That’s now 22 Wins in 59 Events… a 37% Winning Percentage!
I’ve got three more tournaments coming up soon:
- High School Varsity Tournament, Stonetree, Killeen, TX
- Junior 2-Day Event, Crystal Falls Golf Club, Leander, TX
- High School Tournament, Crystal Falls Golf Club, Leander, TX
There’s also five or six more tournaments I should be playing before the end of the year.
I’ll keep this page updated as I learn the specifics.
Last Updated 21 AUGUST 2023
I’ve only been playing just over three years – literally 38 months – and have come a long way fast. My current GHIN is +1.2.
I’ve played in a Total of 58* Junior Golf Tournaments. I’ve Won 21 of them; I’ve placed Second 10 times; Third 2 times, and have a total of 41 Top Fives.
While the US KIDS wins may be skewed by smaller fields, you cannot deny my ability to win. I’ve been on a steady path to lower scores, better shot-making, and have much more confidence in my game… even since last year’s High School tournament wins (my Junior year).
Yes. I am saying I’m better today than I was just a few months ago. In reality, I know I am much more consistent (and better) in Ball-Striking, Minimizing 3-Putts and Proximity-To-The-Hole.
2022-2023 (My Junior Year) High School Tournaments
Harker Heights High School is a 6A Conference (in Texas UIL District 12). I played in a Total of Eight (8) Varsity Events:
- 1st Place = 4
- 2nd Place = 0
- 3rd Place = 2
- Top Fives = 7
My only real disappointment was the second day at District. I was sick (posted a big number – 84), but still finished with T-5, which made me First Team All-District, and I was First Alternate for Medalist.
Even with that 84 (the day I was sick), my High School (Junior Year) Tournament Scoring Average was 74.4.
As you review the Beltway tournaments (coming up next) please be sure to pay attention to the year: “202X TOURNAMENTS.” And remember, my first ever Junior Tournament was June 3, 2020.
With those Beltway events, I became more and more familiar with the players and was able to be more confident – and win more – because I knew I could beat those guys.
BUT…
It was during the Texas Junior Golf Tour Tournaments, that I felt the most pressure. In the first few events, I was more nervous on First Tees than ever before. Every 4-foot putt felt like 10-feet. My heart was seemingly racing with each shot.
I’ve since calmed WAY down – by implementing a simple mental trick to help me realize that (A) these are just golf tournaments; and (B) that each tournament is really only practice for the next tournament.
As I’ve learned to relax and remove (most of) the pressure, I’ve started to perform much better – especially ball-striking-wise. I just need to drop a few more putts.
I’m pretty certain if I would’ve made just 50% of the putts I had between 4-feet and 10-feet at the Horseshoe Bay tournament, I would’ve been 7-under (instead of 2-over).
I had my head on straight and was ready for the Notah Begay Local Qualifier in San Antonio. It was a (very) windy, but not too cold of a day in February. The greens were lightning fast, and I had three 3-putts on my way to a 1-under 71 winning score.
But, again, I let the pressure get to me at the Regional Qualifier… Just something about knowing that if I qualified and got through to the National Championship, I would likely be seen playing on the Golf Channel.
I just tried way to hard, and put too much pressure on myself to hit good shots. But, thanks to that event, that’s really where I came up with the idea (and simple mindset trick) to just let every tournament be a “Practice Tournament.”
When it comes to the Jr. Am Qualifier, all I can say is:
We signed up late. I wasn’t familiar with the course. I drove through a lot of doglegs. I had to chip-out a lot. I didn’t know I could have a caddy. I got a late tee time, and the heat index was 119-degrees.
All in all, a fairly miserable day with a little bit of heat-stroke mixed in.
I saved the U.S. Kids Golf Tournaments for last because I want you to know that (A) these are all from 2022; (B) the results are slightly skewed by the size of the fields – always less than 10 players in the 15-18 Boys group; and (C) these tournaments actually did help me learn how to win.
Looking back at these events, I take two things away:
- I know that I did everything I could to make sure no one beat me… and I only failed twice.
- But the flip-side of that, is I only did just enough to win, and was only really ever “pushed” that one-time at Morris Williams.
My tournament mindset was still forming, and I was very happy to take the “easy” wins.
