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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

Once the Canadian Tour season ended in early September I had only a little time to recharge my batteries. An extremely important part of the season was coming up and I was excited to compete at both European and PGA Tour qualifying schools.

European Q-School

I traveled to Bogogno, Italy and the Circolo Golf Bogogno to play first stage of European Tour qualifying. The course was in great shape and had a wide variety of holes that tested all aspects of my game. After taking a couple days to adjust to the jet lag and time change I felt confident and ready to have a good tournament.

I put myself in decent position on day one but slipped several shots back after a disappointing ending to round two. An hour long weather delay during our afternoon forced the last few groups to either try to finish or come back early the next morning for the remaining couple of holes. My group collectively decided to finish and after making a double bogey on the last hole by hitting my approach shot into a green-side water hazard I really wish we didn’t. My playing partners finished their rounds with a couple of routine pars so I have nothing or no one to blame but myself for finishing poorly. I needed to bare down and be more decisive on that last hole but unfortunately I was too casual.

That night I regrouped and was ready to get those shots back and play with an extra level of focus over the last two rounds. I felt I did a good job of that but could only make up a couple shots and in the end was one stroke off of moving on. The top 30 players and ties advanced to second stage and I finished the tournament in a tie for 33rd at even par with rounds of 71, 75, 70, 72.

Even though I was disappointed with result of the golf tournament, my trip as a whole was still a great experience. I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast just a few minutes from the course in the small town of Bogogno and had fun walking around and exploring places to have a great meal. By the way, the rumours about how good the food is in Italy are not rumours at all. Between the amazing buffet lunches at the golf course each day and the fine dining in town, meal time never failed to impress. Not to mention the pizza’s in Italy aren’t too bad either, I think my official pie count hit five in the short time I was there.

PGA Q-School

I chose Oak Valley in Beaumont, California to play first stage of PGA Q-School. Back in the spring of this year I was successful here during the Canadian Tour qualifying tournament and I was eager to pick up where I left off.

I felt sharp and well prepared heading into the opening round and shot a 5-under 67 to sit one shot back of the leader. I was excited to keep it rolling in the second round but a few less putts dropped and I finished with a 1-under 71, still in great position heading into the final two rounds. On day three the wind blew harder than I have ever experienced before. I got off to a rough started but knew the conditions were going to give everyone trouble so I kept patient and made a couple of birdies on the back nine. For the fourth round the wind wasn’t gusting as hard as the previous day but it still had a lot of strength to it. I birdied the 9th hole to turn in 1-over par but made a few tentative swings beginning on the back side which resulted in two bogeys and a double bogey. I made a long birdie putt on hole 14 and felt like I made good strokes on the remaining four holes but nothing fell. I finished the final round with a 77 and like European Tour Q-school, was one shot off of advancing. Only the top 19 and ties moved on and I finished T-20 at +3 with rounds of 67, 71, 76, 77.

I was obviously extremely disappointed with the end result but in the process I learned some things that I can lean on in the future.

Winter Golfing in the Sun

My plan for the next little while is to compete on the All-American Tour in Phoenix. While the weather has turned a little wet here in Victoria, it’s warm and sunny in Arizona with weekly events to play.

I’m excited to travel south at this time of year (as most people would be) and I will compete in events 4-7 from November 27th to December 20th. You can find the scores and all the tournament information on www.all-americantour.com. I had some good results playing these types of events at the beginning of 2012 and I’m ready to get back to competitive action and hopefully build on my prior success.

Thank you all very much for your support and I hope everyone has a great Christmas and holiday season.

Cory

*This blog post has been taken from www.coryrenfrew.com, with permission from Cory Renfrew.

 

Well it’s been a little while since my last entry so here’s a recap of the last month and conclusion to my first year on the Canadian Tour as well as my plans for the fall.

I had just finished competing in the RBC Canadian Open when I last blogged and since then I’ve played in the final three Canadian Tour events as well as the Vancouver Open.

The final leg of the season began in Windsor, Ontario at the Roseland Golf and Curling Club. The course had literally just undergone some substantial changes including completely redoing all the bunkers and the entire staff did an amazing job getting the course ready in the little time they had. I know all the players had nothing but great things to say about the course and hospitality all week.

I had a couple of really good practice rounds to begin the week in Windsor as I was hitting the ball well and making a number of putts. I was eager to keep it rolling during the tournament rounds but things just didn’t carry over like I had hoped. I think I tightened up a little due to tournament nerves and was too attached to the outcome of my shots instead of focusing just on the moment of the shot. Through the week I just didn’t hit the ball consistent enough to give myself the necessary birdie chances I needed to move near the top. I shot rounds of 68, 72, 70, 68 (-2) and finshed in a tie for 13th.

Tour Championship Week in Scarborough

The following week was our Tour Championship at the Scarboro Golf Club . Scarboro GC is an old A.W.Tillinghast design with very quick and undulating greens and it too was in amazing shape for our event.

I got off to a rough start on Thursday with a couple of bogeys and a double bogey on my opening 9 holes but hung in there and made a few birdies on the back 9 to finish with a 73.

I tried hard on day 2 to be more decisive and committed to the exact shot I wanted to hit. Things were a little better but not enough to move me to the good side of cut line for most of the day. As I approached the remaining few holes (no. 5, 6, & 7; we started on 8 ) I saw that I was 3 shots outside the cut line with only 3 holes left.

I faced a green-side chip on the fifth hole that I ran 6 or 7 feet by, but focused hard on the putt and made the come-backer for par. The 6th hole is a long but reachable par-5 with a creek running down the left. The day before I made a double bogey after pulling my tee shot into the creek and considering the position I was in my nerves were a little uneasy. Before hitting my tee shot I really tried to slow my breathing and visualize a good tempo and ball flight. I stood up and swung away, but pulled it slightly. My ball flirted with the creek but landed in the left side of the fairway. From there I had 260 yards to the center of the green with the pin cut in the middle-left. Again, I took several deep breaths and visualized the shot. I struck my 3 wood well and my ball took off toward the middle of the green, rolling to about 25 feet behind and to the right of the hole. I was now faced with a very slippery downhill right-to-left putt that broke about 6 feet. I hit the putt and right away it started on my intended line with the speed I wanted. As the ball neared the hole it looked as if it might miss on the high side but there was so much slope that gravity ripped it down and into the cup. That eagle-3 moved me to just one shot outside the cut line with the drivable par-4 7th hole remaining.

Playing only 270 yards, number 7 has a very small, two-tierd green that again slopes sharply from back-to-front and is guarded by bunkers on the left and right. Anywhere but on the green meant a very difficult up and down, but I had to give it a go. With the wind into me and off the left, I pulled out driver and set up for a cut (that would hopefully land somewhat softly and roll right next to the pin). Again, I went through my pre-shot routine and swung away. I hit it well and the ball landed near the front of the green and rolled about 15 feet off the back edge. I was faced with a delicate flop shot that I could very easily run 30 feet by if it carried a little too far or leave in the rough short if I didn’t carry it far enough.

I picked a spot to land the ball and took three practice swings, trying to feel the shot and calm my nerves as best I could. The ball landed about 1 foot from my intended spot and rolled a couple paces past the hole. I had an uphill 5-footer remaining that broke slightly to the right and I knocked it in for birdie.

I had made the cut on the number with an eagle, birdie finish and shot 70, 69 on the weekend to finish tied for 30th at 2-under. I took great pride in clutching up when it really mattered and one of my goals now is trying to figure out how to tap into that mind frame at the beginning of a tournament. I’ll keep you posted on my findings.

The Season Finale at The Great Waterway Classic

The Canadian Tour’s last event of the year was the inaugural playing of The Great Waterway Classic conducted in Gananoque, Ontario at Smugglers Glen Golf Course.

I was really looking forward to competing this week and capping off my rookie season with a high finish. I was paired with Matt Hill and Michael Gligic for the first two rounds as we were the top three money earners heading into the final event.

I played fairly consistent for rounds one and two but failed to convert several of my birdie chances and 3-putted five times over those rounds. I was 10 shots off the lead going into the weekend and needed a low round Saturday to get in the hunt for Sunday. Poor weather was in the forecast for our 3rd round but I don’t think anyone expected the winds we endured. At times it was hard to even stay on my feet and one instance my ball began rolling on a green as I was reading the putt. The entire day was a battle to stay focused and committed and I finished with a birdie to shoot 2-over par on the day, which moved me up about ten spots on the leader board.

Sunday I wanted to give it everything I had so I arrived a little earlier than usually for my warm-up. I took a bit more time chipping first, then hitting balls, and finished with putting. Before heading to the first tee I spent the last 5 minutes of my putting practice with just one hand. I wanted to keep my tension on the putter grip very light to achieve more feel and distance control consistency.

I played very solid tee to green all day, making 9 birdies along with 3 bogeys to shoot a final round 65 and move into tie for 18th. Even though I placed higher than both Hill and Gligic at this final event, I didn’t earn enough money to pass either of them on the order of merit.

All in all I am very pleased with my rookie season on the Canadian Tour as I am now looking forward to competing and succeeding in the European and PGA Tour Q-school’s this fall.

Years End Stats

The Canadian Tour season flew by (partially due to having only 8 events) but I had a blast and couldn’t have wished for much more during my first year.

Here are a few of my statistics for the year and how they rank compared to the top player in each category (Statistics can also be found on Cantour.com)

- 3rd on the Order of Merit with $41,436 in total earnings
- Made 7 of 8 cuts (only 3 players made all 8 cuts)
- 69.70 stroke average (12th best)
- 4th for birdies made over the year (127 birdies in 30 rounds)
– I donated $1 dollar for every birdie I made, which was matched by the “Birdies for Kids” program ($254 total) 

*This blog post has been taken from www.coryrenfrew.com, with permission from Cory Renfrew.

Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario; the site of this years’ RBC Canadian Open and my first PGA Tournament. I qualified for the Canadian Open by finishing second on the Canadian Tour Order of Merit at the season’s halfway point and I was proud and excited to say the least. It’s been my dream for years to compete on the PGA Tour and now I earned the opportunity.

Pre-Tournamnet Prep

I arrived in Hamilton on the Sunday before tournament week hoping to adjust to the time change, climate change, but mostly to get use to the course and its surroundings. As you can imagine, the PGA Tour goes “All Out” for their events and the Canadian Open was no exception as fences, signs, flags, and grandstands lined the property. I practiced and played 9 holes on both Sunday and Monday before the official pro-am and practice rounds over the next couple days.

The really cool stuff kicked off Tuesday morning when I joined Chad Campbell for a practice round. Chad had just played in the British Open at Royal Lytham so we chatted about that experience among many of other golf topics. I picked is brain a little about preparing for PGA tournaments but mostly just enjoyed playing and watching his game. He is a really nice guy and as you would expect, not a bad golfer either.

Wednesday was the official pro-am for a select group of PGA players and their amateur partners so the rest of the field took that day to fine tune and rest. Most of the “big name” players were on site Wednesday and I was able to sneak a qucik picture with the recently crowned British Open Champ Ernie Els. These guys probably don’t get asked by other pro’s for a picture but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Round 1 Begins

I tee’d off the 10th hole in the afternoon on Thursday with Will McGirt and Alex Rocha. I would be lying if I didn’t say I was nervous but I tried to treat it just like any other tournament. I went through my regular warm-up and just before leaving the driving range, I made sure to have a good visualization of that first shot by hitting my 3 wood (the club I was going to use off the tee) and went through my complete pre-shot routine. I’m sure most of the pro’s utilize this tactic or one similar to help feel comfortable and confident at the beginning of every tournament.

I started well with a good tee shot and approach but lipped out my 8-foot birdie attempt. A good up-and-down for par on the long 11th hole really settled my nerves. I continued to hit very solid tee shots but wasn’t accurate with my approach shots as I made eight straight pars to start. A slight miscue from the fairway on the difficult 18th resulted in a bogey and a 1-over par first 9 holes. The front nine (my back) was much more colourful as I birdied the first hole with a good 3-wood and 7 iron to about 3 feet. On hole 2 however I pushed my drive right into some trees and it deflected further right just inside the boundary fence. I had no shot from there and wound up making a double-bogey. I kept positive and patient and played the remaining seven holes well, making two birdies including one on the difficult 9th hole.

I shot even par 70 in my first PGA round and although I probably would have been quite happy with that score at the beginning of the day, I thought hard about how I could improve for the next day.

Day 2 of the Tournament

I tee’d off the first tee early Friday morning and was excited to pick up where I left off. I continued to hit the ball solid off the tee but struggled to dial in my irons and wedges, forcing myself to save par with a couple tricky up-and-downs. I 3-putted the 6th for bogey with pars on every other hole on the front and felt I could have been at least a couple strokes lower with a little more precision on my approach shots. I parred 10, 11, and 12 but again hit a poor iron on 13 and 3-putted from about 50 feet away and followed that hole with another bogey on 14. I didn’t feel like I was playing poorly at all and suddenly I was 3-over par and well outside the cut line with only four holes to go.

On the 15th tee I gathered myself and sharpened my focus as I knew I needed to make a few birdies to have any chance of making the cut. I hit a good drive and 9-iron to about 6 feet and rolled that in for birdie. On the par-3 16th I pulled my 7-iron and 2-putted from about 25 feet for par. The 17th is reachable par-5 and I felt an eagle was quite possible with two solid shots. I pushed my hybrid from the fairway into the right green-side rough but hit a great flop shot that almost went in, resulting in a tap-in birdie. Now just 1-over with the tough 18th hole left, I needed a birdie to have any chance of playing the weekend. All I could think about though was the shot in front of me; the tee shot. I chose my specific target, visualized the ball flight, and ripped my 3-wood down the middle. I had 187 yards to the hole and a lot of people watching. It can be extremely tough to block out these nerve-racking situations but I stuck with my routine and hit a solid 6-iron to about 6 feet pin high. As I approached the green I focused on my breathing and made sure it was consistent. The situation was stressful enough with all the spectators and camera’s, I didn’t need a jacked-up heart rate as well. Again, I stuck with my normal putting routine. Standing just behind the ball, I briefly closed my eyes and embraced the moment. I set up, took one look at my target, and stroked the ball right in the middle.

I finished with three birdies over my last four holes and shot another round of even par 70. I now had to wait and hope for the cut line to move to even par but unfortunately it never did and I missed playing the weekend by 1 shot. I was proud of myself for bearing down over those last four holes when I really needed to, but also disappointed that I couldn’t find that level of focus earlier in the round. None the less it was a good lesson and something I will keep in the memory bank for the future.

Watching the Weekend

I went back to the course on Saturday and Sunday to practice a little and watch the action. Obviously I would have been much happier still competing but I used these days to observe and learn as much as I could from all the guys still playing. A couple things really stood out and impressed me: The first thing I really noticed was the balance and tempo that nearly every player maintains whether they are hitting a driver, iron, or wedge. They are obviously swinging faster with a driver but are able to stay in control just like they do on a smooth wedge shot. The other thing that really stood out was the work all the everyone put in after their rounds. It wasn’t unusual to see the players hit balls, chip, and putt for several hours after their round.

My experience at the Canadian Open was amazing and something I will remember forever. I learned a lot of things each day through the week and will keep working hard to join those guys full time in the near future.

Thanks for reading

*This blog post has been taken from www.coryrenfrew.com, with permission by Cory Renfrew.

Leaving Victoria behind

The past few weeks have been really cool and something I will remember forever. Edmonton was the first stop on the trip and it was a strange golf week in a few different ways. My confidence was still fairly high after playing well in Victoria and I was eager to get another event under way.

I birdied my first hole of the day (no. 10) and was off and running, or so I thought. The 11th hole is a long dog-leg left par-5 with with O.B. left and right off the tee. I teed up driver and put a good swing on it, hugging the left side. My playing partners and I all assumed my ball was hit well enough to reach safe ground but we couldn’t find it after five-minutes of looking so I went back to the tee. I hit driver again but didn’t have a real solid focus and the ball drew left and out of bounds. I teed up my third ball and rushed as I just tried to hit it down the right. Still flustered I made a poor swing once again the ball snapped left. By now I was in complete shock and disbelief so I took an extra few moments to gather myself. I truly felt hitting driver was still the play so I stuck with it, chose my specific target and swung away; this time right down the middle. I then hit another good shot to the putting surface and 2-putted. I had made a birdie with my fourth ball off the tee but in the end it was a 10 on the scorecard. I tried hard to stay relaxed and calm as I moved on, tough as it was to do so. I made a few birdies and bogeys through the rest of the round and finished with a 3-over par 74.

I re-grouped for the second round and tried to be more decisive with my targets, knowing I needed to make a bunch of birdies to make the cut. It ended up being a great bounce-back round as I made eight birdies along with three bogeys to shoot 5-under and make the cut by two shots. I couldn’t get much going on the weekend and finished T-53 at 1-over par. I was disappointed with how I finished my fourth round but used that and the mishap from the first day as a good learning experience to move forward with.

Hello Northern Alberta

Fort McMurray was the next stop on the Canadian Tour’s venture across Canada. The Fort McMurray golf course is cut right out of dense forest and bush, where errant tee shots of any kind could easily result in a lost ball. I was excited because this type of course suits my game as I tend to hit lots of fairways and greens.

I opened the tournament with a 1-under 71 and was somewhat dejected having missed a few short putts for birdie and 3-putting three times. I had lots to be pleased with though, (including having three tap-in birdies from close wedge shots) so I kept a good attitude about the day and worked on the putting for a couple hours afterward.

Day two, on the other hand, was much different on the greens. My goal at the beginning of the day was to be more precise with my putting target and then just put a solid and committed stroke on the ball. Like the previous day, I continued to hit several close wedges for birdies and aside from a hiccup that resulted in bogey on the par-5 11th, I stayed positive and focused and birdied three of my final four holes to shoot an 8-under 64 and tie the course record set earlier in the day.

As all golfers know, Saturday is deemed “moving day” and is typically when many players post really good rounds to position themselves well for Sunday. I tried to keep the momentum I gathered from the previous day but for whatever reason things just didn’t unfold in the same way. I didn’t hit the ball close enough to the pins and when I did I struggled to convert the putts. My speed on the greens was off and I ended with a very disappointing 1-over par 73. On a day when most of the field shot under par and climbed up the leader board, I fell backwards. It was back to the drawing board (or in this case the putting green) for another couple hours and all the while I kept telling myself that I’m really close to everything clicking and posting a good fourth round.

While practicing my putting Saturday night, I began watching a good friend of mine doing his putting drills. Without interrupting or saying anything, I just observed from a distance for about five minutes. It was cool to see him roll in putt after putt and the one thing I noticed most was that his ball position was further up in his stance than mine. Naturally I became curious if moving the ball slightly up in my stance would change anything for me and immediately I saw the ball rolling more along my target line.

Gold in the Alberta Woods

Sunday morning’s round didn’t start on time, but after a four hour thunder and lightning delay I got off to a quick start by rolling in a 10-footer for birdie on the first hole. I hit solid shots for the next few holes and made 20-foot birdie putts on the third and fourth. I then got up and down from green-side on the par-5 5th hole for my third birdie in a row. A well struck 9-iron and a close wedge shot on the next two holes resulted in tap-in birdies and suddenly I had made five straight birdies and was 6-under through seven holes. Staying focused I parred eight and nine and made the turn in thirty, noticing a few more spectators following as we walked to the tenth tee.

My good friend Thomas (Canadian Tour player) was caddying for me and really helped me pick good targets and stay in the present for every shot. I birdied the 11th hole by making about a 30-footer and then hit great wedge shots and converted the birdie putts on holes twelve and fourteen to move to 9-under on the day with four holes to go. By now I figured I was either leading or really close to the lead but I didn’t want to let up. On the final four holes I felt like I hit really good shots but couldn’t manage any more birdies. I tapped in on eighteen for par, concluding a round with nine birdies and no bogeys, and setting a new course record in the process.

As good as that may seem, the tournament still was not over as I waited for the final few groups to finish. I kept loose on the range and was on the putting green when Thomas and I heard the roar from Matt Hill’s birdie on eighteen; it was playoff time. Matt and I were set to play the par-5 18th as many times as it would take to decide a winner. The eighteenth hole is just under 600 yards with a large hazard running across the front of the green. This made reaching the hole in two out of the question for both of us. Laying up to about 150 yards in two shots was the game plan, pretty much turning this playoff into a par-3 contest.

The first time through I missed a 25-footer for birdie from below the hole and Matt then missed a 15-foot slider. The next time around I was first up again and burned the right edge from 20 feet. Immediately after the ball left my putter face I knew it was going to be close, and just a few feet from the hole it looked to be right in the heart – t missed and Matt left his putt from about 18 feet just short. The third time around we both hit good tee shots and lay ups again. Matt hit first from the fairway and must have had a little extra adrenaline running as he air mailed the green into the grand stands. I was quite shocked to see (and hear) what just happened so I erred on the side of caution and hit my approach to about 25 feet below the hole. Matt received free relief from the grand stands and hit a great flop shot to about 10 feet below the hole. Once again I narrowly missed my putt (this time for the win) and tapped in for par. Everyone watched in complete silence as Matt stepped up to his putt and confidently rolled it in. I have to admit not only was I a little shocked from Matt’s great up and down, but disappointed that I played so conservatively from the fairway, almost banking on Matt making a six.

As we headed back to the eighteenth tee for the fourth time, the temperature was noticeably cooler and light began to fade. Once again we both hit two good shots and Matt was first up for his third. From a few yards behind me he hit a great shot to about 4 feet right below the hole, earning a huge cheer from the crowd. I knew I had to step up and hit one close too. I had 149 to the stick and a good 9-iron was the club. I remember not being too nervous as I approached one of the most important shots of my life. I went through my normal pre-shot routine and struck the shot just as I wanted to. It flew right at the pin, landing about five feet away. The crowd roared once again and I was fired up to have answered with a great shot of my own.

This was it. It was do or die time but I still wanted to treat this putt just like all the others I had throughout the day. My putting had been great so I focused to keep my routine (and breathing) the same. I calmly stepped up, took one good look at my target, and rolled the ball right in the middle with a confident speed. I was pumped and ready to go back to the tee for the fifth time. I walked over to the side of the green where Thomas stood and put my putter back in my bag, I remember watching Matt make his par putt the last time around, so I decided not to watch this time. There was an eery silence as Matt lined up and all I did was stare at my shoes. It felt like minutes had gone by as I waited, then I heard it; the crowed told me all I needed to know. Matt’s ball was still visible and I had won my first Canadian tour tournament. In disbelief I gave Thomas as quick hand-shake and hug and walked to congratulate Matt on a great week.

I started the final round at 8-under par, seven shots behind the leader. After a four hour morning weather delay, I shot a course record 9-under 63 and leaped to 17-under par, winning in a four hole playoff to cap off the day. I arrived at the golf course at 8am, teed off at 1pm and finished the playoff just after 8pm. It was the best twelve hours I had ever spent at a golf course.

*This blog post has been taken from www.coryrenfrew.com, with permission by Cory Renfrew.

*This blog post is taken from www.coryrenfrew.com, with permission from Cory Renfrew.

Last week I played in my first Canadian Tour tournament as a professional and what an experience it was. Not only was this my first event but it was in my hometown of Victoria, BC at the Uplands Golf Club.

Just over a month ago I earned my Canadian Tour card by finishing third at qualifying school held May 8-11 in San Jacinto, California. Prior to Q-school I spent four months in Arizona practicing and competing on the Gateway tour and All-American tour. I learned a lot about my game in Arizona and can’t help but attribute my success at the Q-school to my hard work over those four months.

Since earning my Canadian tour card, I looked forward to teeing it up in Victoria and playing in front of my family and friends. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous as well but I think that made me very focused and determined throughout the week. I didn’t get off to the best of starts on day one as I was 2-over par through six holes, but after making four straight birdies I got back on track. I added two more bogeys and two more birdies to finish my first round with a 2-under par 68. My second round was much of the same: a few more birdies than bogeys and some nerves to go along too. In the end, a 67 on Friday and tied for fourth going into the weekend.

At the beginning of the week my main goal was to make the cut, but after playing so well for the first two days my focus and goal changed to put myself in contention on Sunday with a chance to win. Saturday proved to be the most difficult of conditions as the wind blew and the course really firmed up. I maintained my solid ball-striking by accounting well for the wind and made a few more putts to shoot 66 and grab a three-shot lead heading into Sunday.

Saturday night I stuck with my routine and had a relaxing (and delicious as always) home-cooked meal with my family. I slept well and felt excited to get the final round underway. I wasn’t too nervous starting the final round and I settled in even more after a few stress-free par’s to start. I rolled in a left-to-right 12-footer on the fifth hole for birdie to reach 10-under par for the tournament. Pars followed on the next three holes before I pushed my five iron on the par-3 ninth to just off the edge of the green. Facing a very lengthy next shot, I left my approach putt about eight feet short and narrowly missed the par-saver to move back to 9-under and even on the day.

As I strolled to the tenth tee a few different emotions ran through me: disappointment from the recent bogey, confidence from still being a top the leader board, and a sense of shock from the growing hometown gallery. My next birdie came at the par-5 12th hole as I two-putted from just off the front edge after hitting a good hybrid from the tee and solid four-iron into the green. Two pars followed at holes thirteen and fourteen, and after a good 3-wood and wedge into fifteen, I faced a slightly downhill ten-footer for my third birdie of the day. At this point it wasn’t hard to notice the size of the gallery but I tried hard to stay present and just focus on my next shot. I distinctly remember a funny feeling come over me as I set up to this putt and I couldn’t help but give a putter raise and fist pump as my ball rolled into the cup.

One of my tendencies while I play golf is not to look at the leader boards. Golf is hard enough as it is worrying about your own game, that concerning yourself with how other golfers are playing is just too much to think about. With that being said there is a time and place to know where you stand, and as I briskly walked toward the sixteenth tee I felt the time had come. I won’t lie, before knowing exactly where I stood I would have guessed to be leading heading into the final three holes. To my surprise I wasn’t leading, instead I was trailing Andrew Roque by two and had some work to do. It was definitely a shock but all I could do was focus on my next shot. As Axel (my looper) and I approached my ball just off the sixteenth fairway, we heard a large roar from the eighteenth green. Fearing it was the product of another Roque birdie, I gathered myself but unfortunately bounced my wedge shot well past the front pin and could only manage a 2-putt par. Roque finished with seven straight birdies to shoot a course record tying 61 and post 14-under par. What seemed like in the blink of an eye, I went from leading the golf tournament to trailing by three strokes with only two holes to play.

On seventeen I hit a 7-iron about fifteen feet pin-high right. The putt broke more than Ax and I read coupled with being slightly slower than expected and I missed the putt to the right. Not converting that birdie made any chance of winning a forgone conclusion as I teed up on eighteen. I felt dejected and disappointed that winning was no longer a possibility, but hit a good drive and wedge into the final hole and narrowly missed the birdie putt. In front of family, friends, and countless spectators and supporters I tapped in for par and closed with a final round 2-under par 68.

All in all it was a great week and start to my Canadian Tour year. I shot rounds of 68, 67, 66, 68 (-11), finshed tied for second, and cashed my biggest cheque to date.

I hope you continue to follow my results this year on the Canadian tour by visiting Cantour.com

Thanks for reading.

Cory

Enjoy the game!

*This blog post has been taken from www.coryrenfrew.com, with permission from Cory Renfrew.