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PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying School will take place at three separate sites next spring, heading to Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, California April 7-11, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort and Club in Kissimmee, Florida April 14-18 and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia May 5-9.

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the three sites, with fields of 132 players maximum. The top 18 players at each site will earn exempt status for 2014, with players finishing 19th through 40th plus ties earning conditional status.

“With these three qualifying sites, the access and opportunity for players to earn status on PGA TOUR Canada has greatly increased,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “These qualifying tournaments should be extremely competitive and will enhance the level of competition in our second season. We look forward to seeing the next generation of players to make an impact on this Tour.”

Oak Valley, a 7,003-yard layout designed by Lee Schmidt, has hosted qualifying school for the PGA TOUR and will host the first week of qualifying April 7-11, while the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Reunion Resort and Club, a Salamander Resort, is a 6,916-yard Jack Nicklaus design and will host qualifying the following week in Kissimmee, just outside Orlando.

The spring’s final qualifying tournament will take place at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, British Columbia, part of a two-year deal that will see PGA TOUR Canada qualifying take place at Crown Isle in 2014 and at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, British Columbia in 2015. Crown Isle, a 7,025-yard Graham Cooke design, is located just minutes from Comox Valley Airport.

The application to enter PGA TOUR Canada qualifying will be posted to PGATOUR.com/Canada in the new year.

The full 2014 PGA TOUR Canada schedule will be announced at a future date.

Its that time of the year when weather throws a curve at golfers. There are many times of the year when a golf course superintendent has to make the tough decision and call a frost delay, or even worse, close the course!

Frost delays can be difficult logistically for the pro shop, how to get all that play out with limited daylight? If a superintendent does not call a frost delay then long-term permanent damage can occur on greens, tees, and fairways. When turf is temporarily frozen due to frost, the cells become rigid, similar to a water balloon freezing. If we let play on the turf with frozen cells, permanent damage will occur. Much like our frozen water balloon, the balloon itself serves as a membrane that holds the water. If we damage the balloon, it will loose the contents once it thaws and will no longer be able to hold water. The same is true for a plant cell. Traffic will damage the cell wall and cell constituents are released and the cell will no longer be able to function. This is why you get blackening on the leaf, or in severe cases, the plant will die back completely. There are times when we also get freezing temperatures for many days, even though the turf may not look as there is frost, the same damage will occur when play is allowed on frozen turf.

Be patient during frost delays, we are the only place in Canada that we can truly play year round golf. Superintendents are protecting your long-term investment that will ensure good conditions through out the year.

Happy Golfing!

With my rookie season as a professional golfer coming to an end, I thought I’d take a minute to update you all on how my season went and what my plans are for the upcoming offseason.

My rookie season began in mid September of 2012 following the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur. The first event on the pro schedule was the Vancouver Island Pro Tour (VIPT) event at the Olympic View Golf club. I had a tough time on the greens but managed to come away with a round of even par and a tie for 5Th earning my first pro cheque.

I played 3 more events on the VIPT before heading south to Phoenix, AZ where I played a few All American Gateway Tour events as well as a few Championship Players Tour events. I had a third place finish at my first Championship Players Tour event. Playing in Arizona was a great experience and gave me the opportunity make some great connections as well as getting my game ready for PGA Tour Canada Q-School in Beaumont, Ca.

My week at PGA Tour Q-school was a great experience. My game felt solid leading up to qualifying and I was very excited to get the tournament started. Conditions were pretty benign for the first two round, the wind picked up close to 40mph and the temperature was very cool. I finished the first round at even par and was sitting 20th. Although I played pretty solid all week, I had one bad hole making a quintuple bogey during the second round on a par 5 that basically eliminated my chances of gaining status for the 2013 season.

I returned home to Victoria at the beginning of May and registered to play on the Vancouver Professional Golf Tour’s Major Series (VGT). This was the first year that the VGT implemented the Major Series to the schedule to prep pro’s for the upcoming PGA Tour Canada Season. The VGT Major series consisted of 6 events and was played through out the lower mainland. Each field consisted of many of the top PGA Tour Canada players included 4 event winners from 2012. I finished the series with 3 Top 15’s and 1 top 20 finish.

With the VIPT Winter Tour Season underway I plan to play all of the events up until January. I am currently seeking both cooperate and individual investments for the 2014 season with hopes of playing more mini tour events in Arizona this new year, before heading to PGA Tour Canada Qualifying for the second time. I have also picked up a part-time serving/bartending job to start saving for the upcoming season.

You can follow my progress at www.bryanscottgolf.com or via twitter at @bsco84

What a season! We saw new champions in the Amateur, Senior, and Junior Championships with Brock Holland, Marty Holman, and Leif Skogland winning their respective championships. The 109th Canadian Men's Amateur was hosted inside the Zone as well as the Regional Qualifier for the RBC Canadian Open.

Kevin Carrigan and Jarred Callbeck, both of their respective club’s first choice exemptions, finished inside the top 10 ensuring their place in the 110th Canadian Men’s Amateur to be held in Winnipeg. Kevin Carrigan also won his second consecutive Canadian Mid-Amateur in record setting fashion, thereby securing another invitation to the RBC Canadian Open.

The Willie Park Interclub Driver Division was once again won by Victoria GC, and the Putter Division was won by Cordova Bay GC. Gorge Vale GC repeated as the Champions of the Harry Young Memorial. Gorge Vale GC also won the Senior Buttons interclub and Cordova Bay GC won the Senior Interclub and the Feathery trophy.
The tournament schedule for 2014 is now set starting with the Vancouver Island Open on Saturday, 26 April and Sunday, 27 April at Gorge Vale and Victoria GC respectively.

The Zone Amateur will be held on Saturday, 24 May and Sunday, 25 May at Royal Colwood GC. The Zone Senior Men and Junior Boys Championships will be held simultaneously on Saturday, 21 June and Sunday, 22 June at Cordova Bay GC.

Bye for now, and see you out on the golf course!

As a mental training consultant, I work with athletes participating in all sorts of sports and at different levels of competition. We work together to build, train and improve their mental game with the goal of enhancing their performances. One common challenge I see is around the practice of goal setting. Goal setting is one of those strategies that we all hear about, maybe we learn about it in school or work and it seems so simple. Yet, many of us don’t really know how to use it effectively.

Does the example of the New Years’ resolution come to mind? Yes, I think we are all guilty of setting a goal December 31st - only to be a distant memory and disappointments come February (or is it mid-January?).
For this blog I wanted to cover some of the basic “how to’s” for goal setting and common challenges that can often derail your progress and motivation. To start, goal setting is the process in which we identify a desired outcome and specific actions that will give us the best chance to achieve it. There is an abundance of research supporting the practice of goal setting demonstrating a positive effect on improving performance in golf. The most important goals identified included improving performance overall and increasing the enjoyment of playing.

There are three types of goals that golfers can use to help direct focus, change behavior and improve performance:

OUTCOME GOALS: These focus on a result of an event. Beating another competitor or finishing in a certain spot in competition. This type of goal is also dependant on the ability of your competition which is often not within your control.

EX: “I want to win my match play round today.”

PERFORMANCE GOALS: These are focused on achieving standards in performance for you. Competitors’ performances are not considered so these types of goals are within your control.

EX: “I want to par this hole today since I got a bogey last time out.”

PROCESS GOALS: These focus on the actions that a golfer would take to help improve performance and achieve their goal.

EX: “I want to execute my pre-shot routine for each shot.”

Identifying an outcome goal is a good place to start. Think if it as a tiered system where it acts as the foundation of your plan; however, once it is set, move on and put your energy and focus on the performance and process goals. Many golfers get too focused on the outcome which can make them anxious and thus forgetting to attend to the actions that will help them reach that goal. An example might be to break 100. This is a great goal to have but then shift your focus to the little steps you can do to help you get as close to or achieving this result. You will notice that it helps keep you in the moment with your focus rather than thinking ahead too much or in the past. Do the work and the results will take care of themselves.

There are many tips to help guide this process. The acronym “SMARTER” is one way to remember to consider some important points in goal getting:

Let’s say your goal is to break 100/90/80/70.
State your goal in a positive way: “I want to/will break 100/90/80/70” We want to keep a positive light rather than a negative one like “don’t three putt”.

Specific. Be specific when you identify your goal.

EX: “I want to increase my level of confidence at the first tee-box when I’m in a tournament. I’d like to feel about an 8 out of 10”

Measurable: You want your goals to be something you can quantify and actually see a difference.

EX: “I want to two-putt or less for 90% of my round.”

Actions: What are the actual tasks you can do to help reach your goal?

EX: “I will video tape my chipping and share it to my coach.”

Realistic: You want your goals to be achievable with some work. This is where you want to identify your current level of ability on the task you are working to improve. This will allow you to set goals that will stretch you to grow and not discourage you in defeat by an impossible mission.

EX: “I can reach the green from here 5 out of 10 times, so I would like to reach it 7 out of 10 times”

Timely: Goals can be set for short term or long term timelines. A golfers’ long term goals are supported by a series of short term progressive goals.

EX: “I want to work my putting for next weeks’ tournament. So I will practice this Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 30 minutes.”

Evaluate: This is often where goal setting gets forgotten. Make the decision on when to revisit your goal and the action steps you are taking to determine if they are working for you. If they are, then pat yourself on the back, notice the small steps of success you are making! Allow yourself to feel the motivation and confidence and keep working at it! If the action steps are not working, then what can you learn and make appropriate adjustments. Take time to re-evaluate and determine if there are some new challenges that have come up. Find a way to work around them or work with them and create new action steps to keep you going towards your goal.

Record: Writing down your goal doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Creating a goal journal is helpful in keeping track of your progress, challenges and plans. Deciding on a routine of recording your experiences after range time or rounds can be a valuable tool to increase your learning. Share your goals with others to help increase your accountability and support to stick with the challenge!

Some common mistakes that golfers do with goal setting are:
Setting too many goals. Set one to two goals at a time and short term to keep you fresh and focused.
Failing to adjust goals. As in the SMARTER acronym, Evaluate. Short term goals can include a goal at each practice round. Evaluate after the round to see if you there is a desire to adjust the goal. This is especially handy when you get injured and want to set new goals for recovery.

Setting goals based on someone else’s desires. Set your own goals based on your needs and abilities and the ownership you have will help your motivation. Share them with a coach or friend to see if they agree and have other insights.

Not setting goals at all. It is difficult sometimes to start goal setting when it isn’t your habit. Many people have had little success in the past doing it, felt too pressured with results or feel too spontaneous for goal setting so they abandon the practice. Goal setting actually saves time and provides the clarity around your purpose, your planning and discipline to stay on task.

Goal setting helps golfers direct their attention to specific performance elements to achieve their targets and fosters motivation and perseverance through preparation and planning. Remember goal setting is something to be practiced just like any other mental or physical skill. It isn’t a perfect system but it sure gives you a better chance at experiencing success.

I was in a conversation the other day about the best golf courses on Vancouver Island. Everyone will have there opinion obviously, and what someone thinks is amazing another could disagree. I’;m sure I’ll get a lot of e-mail's disagreeing with my top five, but to each their own. So with that said, I’ve compiled my list of the top 5 best courses on Vancouver Island.

5) Pheasant Glen- What I like about this course is that it pays to be in play. It’s easy to get into a lot trouble, or even lose a ball if you don’t have accuracy off the tee. The front nine can beat you up pretty bad if you’re not straight. The fescue on the front nine is long and thick, and if you hit your ball into it, it’s almost a guarantee you’re not finding it. I like that this course has a lot of elements of a links style course, but also aspects of a traditional course all in one. The front nine is almost an all links style set up that has opportunities to get birdies, but can also give you some big numbers if you’re not swinging well. The back nine is more of a traditional layout in respects to being surround by trees, and dog legs moving in both directions. There is an island green on 13 that can appear to be intimidating if you’re a high handi-capped player, but as I was playing with a member the last time I played there he showed me a way to make it friendly for the less skilled player…That's something you’ll have to figure out when you get to it. But a side from that I really had a lot of fun playing there, and...trying to keep my ball in play.

4) Morningstar- I’ve always been a fan of this golf course. It’s a championship golf course that plays to the tune 6983 yards. It’s a great track for being able to go low if you really focus and play solid, but it can also leave you on the verge of quitting golf…which if you’ve seen my golf game it’s a recurring thing. But on a serious note, it really challenges every aspect of your game. It’s long enough that you’ll need to pull driver consistently, the greens roll fast and pure in the summer, and you can get your self into interested situations off the tee which you’ll need to rely on a solid short game. I love the course set up and design, and I found myself getting pretty strategic in regards to playing the holes which tested my course management skills.

3) Victoria Golf Club- I made the VGC number three because you can’t beat the scenery, and any course that is cut along side the coast is a golf course that can’t go under the radar. As a whole, the golf course doesn’t play that hard, and the set up isn’t overly tough, however, there are usually other elements that come into play as is expected with being built on the pacific ocean. It can get windy, I mean really windy. I onced played with a guy who had his hat blow into the water from the 7th tee box just as he was about to pull the trigger. It can get fairly wet there as well. Make no mistake though, there are also a lot of perfect conditions. Playing the VGC with perfect conditions, makes the golf course like a some tropical resort. At least that's the feeling I get when I’m there and the sun is beating down, the weather is hot, and there is no wind. It’s hard to explain but there is something about the golf course that really attracts me to it. The only issue I have with it, is the length of the course. It’s a lot shorter than your typical course, and I mean understandably if you see the land and how the course had to be designed it all makes sense. That is just a small complaint, and everything else really sets up well for my game.

2) Royal Colwood- I almost made this number one, but when you read about my number one pick you’ll see why I decided to make Royal Colwood number two. What can you say about this track? It has everything you could ever want out of a golf course. The care and attention the maintenance crew puts into this gem will make you not want to play anywhere else. Every time I’ve played there, it’s been in perfect condition. The course layout in my opinion isn’t as tough as some golf courses on the islands, but what makes up for it, and can make this golf course nasty is the greens. You really have to have a feel for these greens. Royal Colwood I would say has  the best greens on Vancouver Island. It’s a bold statement I know, but there are a number of different reasons for me to back up that argument. The first one, the greens are impeccable. They have one of the truest rolls I’ve ever experienced. Number two, they’re naturally undulating which I find makes the greens tough to read at times, but at the same time it teaches you to get better at reading greens. I could continue, but you’ll have to experience them yourself. There is a lot of history at this course, and you a feeling of pride every time you walk through this piece of land.

1) Storey Creek- As I mentioned as I was having a hard time deciding which course deserved to be number one, but after a lengthy debate I’ve made it clear. Story Creek which is located in Campbell River, is a tree lined beauty that really tests your golf game to the max. It’s either hit it straight or play your approach shot from the trees. Every hole is lined with tall Evergreens that are densely woven together so you can’t see the hole beside you. In the true sense you’re part of nature when you play the Story Creek Golf Club. I think Story Creek boasts some of the best dog legs on the island. In my opinion It’s not a course where you pull out driver and rip it. It’s more of a course where you’re thinking "where do I want to place this so that I can set myself up for the next shot and give myself a good angle to the green". The golf course makes you think and break down what the best plan of attack is for your next shot. Unlike some courses where you can hit driver, and it doesn’t matter where the ball goes you can hit from anywhere. Story Creek is the complete opposite. You can hit driver a lot if you want to, but don’t expect great things if you’re having an off day. The course is also in great condition, and I always have a blast playing there. The biggest thing that really attracts me to this golf course is the nature, the serenity, and the quietness to be on the course. The tree lined holes make you feel like you’re in the middle of the forest.

The Five PGA TOUR Canada players graduate up to the 2014 Web.com Tour 
 
Five PGA TOUR Canada players earned Web.com Tour cards for 2014 on Sunday, with Mackenzie Hughes, Riley Wheeldon, Mark Hubbard, Hugo Leon and Wil Collins all finishing in The Five. 
 
Hughes, a native of Dundas, Ontario finished atop the Order of Merit with $52,114.29 and earned fully exempt status, while Wheeldon, Hubbard, Leon and Collins will have highly placed status on the path to the PGA TOUR next season. 
 
“I’m delighted to see Mackenzie Hughes and the rest of The Five get rewarded for their excellent play this inaugural season,” said PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday. “We look forward to seeing these players follow the footsteps of the many PGA TOUR Canada alumni who have made their way to the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR.” 
 
Hughes was the leading money winner in PGA TOUR Canada’s inaugural season and was named PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year thanks to a win at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial as well as two other top three finishes. Hughes finished with a $6,791.79 lead over Wheeldon. 

“It’s been an incredible season and it’s a huge honour to be moving on to the Web.com Tour next year,” said Hughes, who started the season with no status on PGA TOUR Canada but played all nine events thanks to some solid finishes while playing on sponsor’s exemptions. “At the start of the season I was just hoping to retain my card for this Tour next year, so this is like a dream come true.” 

Joe Panzeri, Nick Taylor, Chris Epperson, Carlos Sainz, Jr. and Kyle Stough finished in spots 6-10 on the Order of Merit and earned an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying School, set for December 12-17 in LaQuinta, California. Players finishing 11th through 20th – Stephen Gangluff, Nathan Tyler, Max Gilbert, John Ellis, Cory Renfrew, Lucas Lee, David Skinns, Tyler Aldridge, Brady Schnell and Trevor Murphy – earned an exemption into second stage of Qualifying School. 

It’s something we think and dream about, yet for many, to be in the middle of the competition fray can be daunting with the uncontrolled physiology of your body doing things you wish it wouldn’t. That clutch tee shot on the last hole, that needed two-putt from 35 feet, or that five-footer for the win. Can you pull it off? Do we really need all that stress? Let’s keep it in perspective.

There’s good stress and bad stress. The bad stuff is worrying about something you have no control over. It can eat at you. The good stress is where you drive yourself and have a say in the ending. Nothing feels better than coming through when it counts. A swing back and through the ball with authority. To win a beer or a few quarters off your Sunday foursome, to win your own Club championship, or a win at a prestigious tournament. Clutch shots at the right time. It also feels good, though granted not as much, to come through down the last stretch of holes but to tip your hat to the player who outplayed you.

However, I think it’s fair to say that most have suffered the thinking of “I’m not going right and into that pond” at the top of the swing and have the ball fly way left into the trees only to make double-bogey. Or the slight jerk or body twitch as the putter blade is about to strike the ball for that key 4-footer. A common one is coming up short on a pressure putt. These are the reasons why we won’t be quitting our day jobs.

This blog is not about breathing and stress relief techniques – volumes of books are on that topic! But why work five days a week, then play a golf event over the weekend, and have a continuance that ongoing stress level? Why not take two days off and just stare at the walls? Because when we do come through it feels great.

I recall being kind of mentally exhausted after working five-days, then playing a weekend competitive tournament, only to go back to work. But that has changed over the past five years or so. Now I just go out and try to enjoy the round. Work, family and life just seems so busy and complicated these days. It’s a nice walk with some good shots here and there, along with friendly banter with your playing partners. If you end up being in that position to win or beat a playing partner, great, that’s a bonus. You know what, the sun will come up the next day if things don’t go well on the golf course.

So try to have fun out there and take things in perspective. That loose feeling may translate into easier and smoother golf swings. You might also have a good and successful story to tell come Monday. Just don’t think about formulating that story in the middle of the 18th fairway. Enjoy the golf season.

Hi everyone I hope you’re doing great and enjoying the golf weather. I want to start by saying a big thank you to everyone who supported me last year and are doing so again this year. Your verbal encouragement as well as financial assistance is helping me pursue my dream to make it to the PGA tour and I can’t thank you all enough for that.

I also want to say that I’m going to try harder to send updates more often and let you know where I’m playing and how to see the scores. It’s more time consuming than I anticipated writing code to update my website so my plan is to send tournament links and updates via twitter (C_Renfrew). I’m also working on a Facebook page related to my golf that will be quicker and easier for me to update with news and pictures. Stay tuned!

Winter in the Arizona Sun

As many of you know I spent this past winter in Arizona competing on the All-American and Gateway tours (now joined to become the All-American Gateway Tour). I enjoyed more success this go around in part mostly to having a full year of professional golf under my belt. With each event I played in I kept pushing myself to work harder and improve as much as I could.

I played in 12 events in Arizona this winter and finished 12th on the money list earning $21,000. I had 3 top ten finishes with my best being T-2 at Legacy Golf Resort where I fired a course record 59 (-12) in the first round. Here’s how it happened.

I began on the 10th hole and rolled in an uphill 10 ft. birdie putt. A two-putt par on 11, a good up and down on the 12th hole, and a 12 ft. downhill birdie putt on hole 13 kept my early momentum going. On the par-5 14th I pulled my tee shot a little into the left-side rough and was forced to layup to 100 yards out. I hit a good sand wedge that flew past the hole and spun back. It seemed as if the ball was never going to stop rolling backward and then all of a sudden it disappeared into the cup for an eagle 3. I then two-putted the 15th followed by another solid wedge shot into the 16th too about 8 feet which I rolled in for birdie. Now five under par through seven holes I had a feeling it was going to be a good day if I kept myself focused on each shot and didn’t look ahead or behind.

On the 17th hole I hit a really solid 6 iron that started just left and cut into the middle-right hole location. From there I rolled in the 10 footer for birdie to jump to -6 as I marched to the 18th tee. I hit a good drive and fired for the green in two shots but slightly pushed the ball into the green side bunker. I was left with a 30 yard bunker shot and couldn’t manage an up-and-down for another birdie. I drove to the front nine at 6 under par and excited to keep things rolling along. To be honest I wasn’t sure exactly how many under I was at this point and I decided not to write down any of my scores for the next nine holes. I obviously knew I was playing well and I didn’t want the distraction of the scorecard get in the way of me staying present and focused over every shot.

Two more solid wedge shots from about 90 yards on hole one and 120 yards on hole two left me with a couple of 10-footers for birdie and I rolled both right in the middle. The hole location the 3rd was tucked tight to the left side and protected by a bunker. Having just made two good birdies I didn’t want to get too greedy by having to hit a nearly perfect shot to get close. I bailed out slightly to the right and left myself with about a 25 ft. putt from the right side. I stuck with my normal routine and just told myself to roll it with confidence. The ball started on my intended line right off the putter face and toppled in side of the cup for a third straight birdie. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh a little after that one.

The 4th hole is a long par-3 and was playing slightly into the wind. With deep bunkers surrounding the green and a back-right pin I knew this would test my swing and commitment level. Again I stuck with my pre-shot routine and hit one of the best 4-irons I can remember; high and starting at the middle of the green with a little cut. I made a good stroke but wasn’t able to convert another birdie as the 15 ft. putt just slid by the edge. After a routine par on the next hole I hit a strong drive down the par-5 6th and was left with only 220 yards to the green. The middle of the green was my target and I hit another solid 4-iron to the middle of the green and 2-putted for birdie to reach -10 (I didn’t know that though).

I 2-putted for par on the 7th hole and then hit a good drive and 3-wood just short of the par-5 8th green. I was left with about a 30 yard pitch to a pin cut just over a small ridge. I grabbed my lob wedge and for some reason could just feel the shot. I had no hesitations at all, I just zoned in on my landing spot and hit the shot. It came off almost exactly how I hoped, finishing 4 feet away which I rolled in.

There’s no doubt I was nervous heading to the 9th hole so I focused on keeping my breathing consistent. Thinking about something like this serves two purposes: 1- consistent breathing helps slow the heart rate and calm the nerves. 2- Thinking about something other than my great round helped steer my mind clear of distracting thoughts.

The 9th hole is a long par-4 but fortunately it was slightly down wind. The fairway was pretty wide and I had been hitting my driver long and straight all day. I still didn’t know my exact score, all I knew is that I wanted one more birdie. I picked out a target and ripped my drive down the middle. I had a good lie in the fairway and 140 yards to the front-right pin, a perfect 9-iron distance. I went through my full pre-shot routine for the last time and swung away. As I approached the final green with my putter in hand I could see just 10 feet separated my ball from the hole and one more birdie. The other two players in the group hit closer shots into the green so it was my turn first. Looking back this was probably a really good thing because I didn’t have to wait long for my turn. I marked and cleaned my ball and followed the same routine I had done 17 times previously that day. It was a right edge putt slightly up the hill. I took one last breath, zoned in on the edge of the cup and rolled the putt perfectly online. The ball tracked right into the middle as I gave it a little putter raise.

Just then my playing competitor said “That’s it! That’s 59”, and I laughed in disbelief. It was made official at the scoring tent; I shot a 12 under par 59 which included ten birdies and an eagle.

As good as I played in that opening round I wasn’t able to keep the birdies coming. I shot 69 and 71 in the last two rounds to finish at 14-under par, just one shot behind the eventual winner. I learned a lot about myself and my golf game over those three days. From staying present and not thinking about my score, to playing with the lead and trying to win the tournament. I experienced an array of emotions and feelings that I will draw on in the future. 
 
PGA Qualifiers 

The past few months I have also competed in a number of single day qualifiers for both the PGA and Web.com tours.

I traveled to California twice in February to try to qualify for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines as well as the Northern Trust Open at Riviera. PGA tour events first hold a “pre-qualifier” on the Thursday preceding the Monday qualifier as a way to collect the best players possible. I shot 65 (-7) and 68 (-4) at both pre-qualifiers, earning spots in the Monday Q’s along side past PGA winners and major champions like Lee Janzen and David Duval.

I played well at both of the Monday qualifiers shooting 67 (-5) at the Farmers Insurance and 70 (-2) at the Northern Trust, but fell short by 1 and 3 shots. I’m seeing more and more how much of a difference one or two shots mean at the highest level of professional golf and hopefully I’ll work my way to the better side of those shots in the future. 
 
Curacao and Web.com Monday Qualifiers

I am just returning from a three week journey down to the island of Curacao and then up to Georgia for two Web.com Monday qualifiers.

I was invited to Curacao (an island just north of Venezuela) to play in the MCB Pro-Am as the professional for the Canadian Junior Golf Association. The three junior golfers and I played well but because our handicaps were all 0 we were in tough against the other teams with higher handicaps. I shot rounds of 70, 74, 75 (+3) and finished in 3rd place. Not only was the golf fun but the white sand beaches and warm ocean water was a big bonus too.

Unlike the PGA tour, the Web.com tour does not hold a pre-qualifer and awards 7 spots instead of 4. Anyone with a scratch handicap can play in the Monday qualifier and is one really good round away from getting in the tournament.

The first week I was in Thomasville, Georgia and I played in the afternoon wave at Glen Arven Country Club. There’s good and bad that come with playing in the morning and afternoon pairings. Mornings come with smooth greens and often less wind, but are also cooler so the golf ball won’t go as far, all factors that tend to swap for the afternoon players. When the afternoon tee times begin, most of the morning scores will be recorded so these players can get a sense of what score they need to shoot to make the top 7.

I began my round on the back nine and made 9 straight pars, missing a couple good birdie opportunities but also making some good par-saving putts. Knowing I needed to get things going I focused more on the greens to get the right line and make sure my pace was good. I made 4 birdies in the first 6 holes but still knew I needed to reach -5 to get into a playoff and -6 to be safe. I pressed a little too hard and cut the corner too much on the par 5 7th hole. After punching out sideways and missing the green with my third shot I failed to get up and down and made bogey. I narrowly missed birdies putts on the final two holes and finished at 69 (-3). No dice!

The next qualifier was in Athens, Georgia so Mitch Evanecz and I took a small detour to a place every golfer dreams of visiting; The Augusta National Golf Club. Magnolia Lane is literally right off the main street with only a small gatehouse and guard turning away intrigued visitors. Mitch and I u-turned about three times on the main street before finding a spot in a nearby parking lot. We were like kids in a candy store as we got out of our car and stood directly across the road looking right down Magnolia Lane to the Augusta National crest of yellow flowers in front of the clubhouse.

I played this Monday qualifier at the Georgia Club and again had an afternoon tee time starting on the back nine. Before teeing off we were informed that 8 players from the morning wave shot 66 (-6) or better so I knew right then that -7 would most likely be in and -6 would be a playoff. I started really well with birdies on holes 10, 12, 14, 16 for a 32 (-4) to begin. I then birdied the first hole on the next nine to get to -5. I parred holes 2, 3 and 4 and then rolled in a 10 foot birdie on number 5 and holed out from the bunker for another birdie on number 6. I was now -7 with three hole to go. I knew my score and I was definitely feeling some nerves as I 2-putted for par on the 7th. On the par-3 8th hole I slightly pulled my tee shot but hit a good bunker shot to about 4 feet. I had been putting great all day but a slight misread along with the nerves caused the putt to slide by the edge.

I stepped on the final tee now back at -6 but I remained positive and knew I could birdie the last hole to qualify. I hit a good 3-wood down the left side to the 150 yard marker. The pin was tucked on the front left and I hit my 9 iron a little long due to some extra adrenaline. I visualized making my chip but it too ran by the edge to about 4 feet. I stuck with my routine as I always do and took several deep breaths. Again however, I misread and pulled the putt and it rolled by the edge.

I slipped to -5 with the two late bogeys and out of the playoff…it sucked. I was really focused and confident all day and everything on those last two holes seemed to happen so fast. I was so attached to the outcome and result that it kept me from feeling loose and comfortable to just swing and putt freely. It’s obviously hard to get to that state of mind where we aren’t worried about the outcome of a golf shot (especially if we know the certain score needed to qualify in this case) but that’s the ultimate goal. If we could approach every shot or putt without any attachment to the outcome our natural instincts and abilities will take over and most likely give you the best result.

As much as it stings to miss by one shot it still means I’m close. I’d rather miss qualifying by just one shot than play poorly and miss by several and I know if I keep knocking at the door it’s bound to open soon.

That’s all for now. Have fun on the course and enjoy the challenge.

Cory

Golf is a sport that requires many fitness components. Strength, power, swing speed, agility, stability, range of motion and balance are but a few that come to mind.
I thought I would start the first article off with 4 key exercises that are going to target both core and trunk stability in addition to balance. Your ability to maintain control using the hips, leg strength and trunk muscles are paramount to making good consistent shots off the tee or on the green.
The following exercises are easy to incorporate into a general fitness regimen or do alone either at the beginning of the day or as a break from your work. If you don’t have a half BOSU ball, the ground is fine. Most gyms have this piece of equipment as part of the gym arsenal.

Bosu

Static Novice
Upper Body Exercises
Elbow Plank
Place your elbows on the soft dome of the Bosu.
Raise your hips off the floor until your body is straight as a plank and feet shoulder width apart.
Contract your abdominals to maintain this plank position.
Hold this plank position as long as you can without forfeiting technique.
Do not let your hips drop or upper body sag into your shoulder.

Side Plank

Lie sideways with one elbow on the soft dome of the Bosu; bend your knees behind your body.
Raise your hips off the floor until your body is straight as a plank.
Contract abdominals to maintain this plank position.
Hold this plank position as long as you can without forfeiting technique.
Do not let the upper body sag into your shoulder. 

Lower Body Exercises

¼ Squat

Stand on the platform side of the Bosu with your feet hip width apart.
Using a wall for support, squat down about six inches and hold there.
Let go of the wall and work to maintain your balance.
Your goal is to maintain your balance for one minute without holding onto the wall. 

Split Squat – ¼ Squat

Stand with one foot on the platform side of the Bosu.
Bend your back leg slightly..
Using a wall for support, squat down about six inches and hold there.
Let go of the wall and work to maintain your balance.
Switch legs.
Your goal is to maintain your balance for one minute without holding onto the wall.
Perform each exercise 2-3 sets.
Frequency: 2 x per week, 2-3 days in between each session.

Good luck. Regularly incorporating these into your fitness regimen will go a long way to establish a great base of support and ultimately better performance on the course.

For more information and detailed programming for sport, fitness and health in general please visit Dave Smit at www.320fit.com or via email at [email protected]