Losing my mind

Lately my mental game has been slipping. All year, I've been focusing (successfully) on staying in the present moment.  I shot a 74 in a tournament this summer and I had no idea until I added my score up at the end.  I was just focusing on the shot in front of me and forgot about the past (good and bad) and didn't think too much about the future (the result of the hole or the round). 

My ability to stay in the present moment has dropped off a cliff in recent weeks.  I spend too much time thinking about what my score will be on the hole and for the round.

The sad case in point: OGA Tour Championship @ Bandon Trails on October 22nd (more on Bandon, the American golf mecca, in a later post).  It is the toughest of all four courses at Bandon Dunes.  The layout is challenging, the greens are slick, bunkers are everywhere.  Doubles and triples are good scores on some holes if you don't hit it perfectly.  Last month I played in the OGA Tour Championship tournament there.  The field was competitive.  There were a couple scratch players and a handful of other competitors in the 2-3 handicap range.  Despite the field, I knew I had a shot at winning a pretty trophy.  The course is short from the ladies tees.  When I played there in September, I shot a 75.  The weather was good.  I knew if I could shoot in the 70s I had a good shot. 

I made several pars early and only a few bogeys.  At the turn I was 3-over and feeling good.  I was striking the ball well and my putter and I were getting along.  I made bogey on 10 and hit my tee shot on #11 into a fairway bunker about 140 yards from the green.  I hit my next shot on the green to 40 feet. The putt had a nasty break, but my caddie Jim gave me a good read, and it dropped in the side of the cup for a sandie birdie! "I'm back baby!!"

This hole was the turning point in the round.  After 11 holes, I was only 3-over I knew I had a shot to win this thing if I could keep it together.  I began to focus on my score and I began to worry.  I was excited and started thinking about the results and that trophy I could put in my office. I started to play tight and careful.  I flinched at missed putts, and the tempo on my drives quickened.  The wind picked up, I caught a few bad breaks, and carded a couple doubles.  I began to panic.  I got angry and upset about why this was happening.  Unfortunately, it got worse...a fuc*-this!-I'm-going-home-to-cry-now-quad-bogey on #18. When it was all over, I played the last 7 holes at 13-over par.  My 87 was in the bottom half of my flight, and I spent the 5-hour drive home sulking and wondering how I could let that happen. 

The worst part: 79 was the winning score.  If I could have held it together mentally I could have had a chance.  Today I was inspired to write about losing my mind because I finally realized why I screwed up so bad in the OGA tournament.  I lost my swing because I lost my mind.  I now realize that a strong mental game - with a present moment focus - is something I need to constantly work on and not take for granted.  I think the ability to stay focused on the present is not something you can ever master.  It may come easier but I always need to keep that focus in the front of my mind if I want to play well and win.

I defeated 46 men to take the title!

On June 24th, I competed in my 2nd OGA tournament of the year at Forest Hills in Cornelius, OR.  I played a practice round the day before with 2 regulars. This helped me trememndously as I had never played the course before.  I knew which clubs to select off the tee, where to aim my tee shots, and when to stay below the hole, which helped me develop a solid game plan for the tournament. 

On tournament day, I started strong, with 2 birdies on the first 4 holes. I threw in a couple bogeys, but I remained even par through the first 14 holes.  After that I followed a bogey with a double bogey.  Then a birdie and another bogey and a finale par.  3-over 74 on a par 71. 

I didn't add up my score until the end and I was shocked that I went that low.  I tied my lowest score ever.  The question was: Is that good enough for first place?! I never expected to contend for first place.  My only goal was to play my best.
Our group was one of the last to turn in scorecards.  I turned in my scorecard, looked at the board and saw a lot of scores in the 70s but nothing below a 75.  As the last scores were written on the board and I saw that mine was the lowest, I was in shock.  Complete shock.  "Really, I just beat 46 other people - all men and several who are sub-5 handicaps - to win?!"

I've never won a golf tournament before, and I would have to say the highlight was beating 46 dudes.  "Sorry guys, I know your ego is brusied."  ;)

Check out the results here:
http://www.ghintpp.com/OREGONGA/TPPOnlineScoring/Results.aspx?id=90&archive=None&type=players

Low Net 68 @ Emerald Valley

Usually under competive pressure in golf, I crack and shoot much higher scores than normal.  On April 30th at the OGA Tour event at Emerald Valley, something unusual and surprising happened.  I was able to stay focused, keep my composure, putt well, and shoot an 80.  I had one triple bogey, 1 birdie, several pars, and a few bogeys which resulted in a consistent round.  1 tournament down, 4 more to go this year.  I now see that I really can play well under competitive pressure, so hopefully that will carry over into future tournaments...

Creswell, Ore. (April 30, 2011) -- A full field enjoyed the second OGA Tour Individual Series event at Emerald Valley on Saturday, April 30 with nice weather and a course in great condition.  The conditions were perfect to see some low scores!

Flight 1 saw Brett Taylor of Camas, Wash. take the Low Gross prize with an even par 72, while Ethan Glaser of Salem, Ore. grabbed the Low Net title with a round of 68.  Taylor’s even par round was the low gross round for the event.

Dean McKinney of Grants Pass, Ore. earned the low gross award in a card-off against Ivan Mombert of Eugene, Ore., both with rounds of 79 in Flight 2, with Ashley Wilson of Happy Valley, Ore. taking the Low Net title with a round of 68.

In Flight 3, the Low Gross went to Dan Matthews of Portland, Ore. with an 82, while Corey Fhuere of Coos Bay, Ore. was awarded the Low Net prize with a round of 68.

In addition to gross and net prizes in each of the three flights, the Wells Fargo Skills Contests including Longest Putt, Longest Drive and Closest to the Hole also had a number of winners. 

Longest Putt

Flight 1, Ethan Galser 36’9”
Flight 2, Taylor Luzier 6’0”
Flight 3, Andy Merrill 18’11”

Longest Drive

Flight 1, Brett Taylor
Flight 2, Ashley Wilson

Flight 3, Michael Johnson

Closest to the Hole

Flight 1, Ryan Patterson 10’9”
Flight 2, Ivan Mombert 9’1”
Flight 3, Michael Smith 7’6”