2020 Tournament Golf Season Recap (part 1)
I would never compare myself (and my own game) to that of the professions on the PGA and LPGA Tours. What they are able to do is remarkable. This year proved to be completely different, fun (from a golf and professional sense), as well as informative. Being a competitive golfer, I was frustrated when tournaments were being canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic I’ll be the first to say I was disappointed. I was able to pivot mentally and change my thought process from “Oh no!” to “Great, I’ve got more time to prepare” mentality.
My first tournament, the Massachusetts Open Qualifier was scheduled for May 7, 2020 but the tournament was canceled because of the pandemic. My next tournament wasn’t until June 11, 2020 for the N.E. Amateur Qualifier at Greathorse Golf Club. Though I didn’t qualify, my letdown was my putter once again and it was beating me up mentally to hit the ball well and not putt well. I turned around quickly because my next tournament was a week later for the Massachusetts Amateur Qualifier on June 18, 2020 at Green Hill Golf Course (Worcester, MA) and had to get ready for that one so I practiced my putting (short-coming in my previous tournament). Unfortunately, the putter (and my mental focus, as well as physical fitness, let me down in the qualifier as I faltered coming down the stretch of the qualifier and did not make it.
Next up was the Mass. Public Links Qualifier at Blackstone (7/7/2020) so I prepared as best I could; I worked on my mobility, proper movement patterns, and neuromotor control of these movements. This, in addition to the work I put in on the range (and practice greens) enabled me to be prepare for the qualifier. I opened my round steadily but parring the first 4 holes (routinely) and then birdied the 5th. Routines pars on 6 and 7 brought me to a short Par 5 8th hole, but I BLOCKED MY DRIVER WELL RIGHT. Punching out I was able to secure a par. On the 9th tee, I felt good and striped a drive down the fairway to about 50 yards and chipped up to about 2-feet to make my birdie. I closed the front 9 in 34 (2-under). Holes 10-14 proved to be a mental lapse and I went 5-over for those holes! I buckled down and told my playing partner, “enough of this s***…time to turn this around”. On a 480-yard par 4 (downhill so it plays a lot shorter) I hit a 2-iron to the middle of the fairway, then a 6-iron (200 yards out) to the middle of the green. I 2-putted for my par. Now with 3 holes left, I told myself that +2 is the number so I needed 2 birdies to close for a chance. I stepped up to the tee on the Par-5 16th and hit a good drive. Thank goodness I didn’t know the trouble that was near the green because I hit a 3-wood from about 270 to the front of the green and chipped up to about 6’ which I was able to drain for a birdie. The next hole I ripped a 2-iron down to about 90 yards on a short par 4 (~ 340 yards) and stuck a 58° wedge to about 1-foot. Tap in par and I was sitting at +1 for the tournament. With a short Par 5 finishing hole, I figured why not make a birdie to finish and end up at Even par. Unfortunately, after two great shots, I was about 6” from a perfect pitch to the back pin location and missed the ridge. I was able to safely 2-putt for a par and shot an +1 (73) to qualify for the pub links championship. I didn’t fair well at the Championship as I couldn’t get into a rhythm and shot an opening round 81 at Gannon Municipal to miss the cut but it was a great experience.
TO BE CONTINUED . . .