Grinding, Pain, and Swallowing Your Pride

Hi everyone,

This week has been a strange one. On Saturday night, I began to notice some stiffness in my back. Thinking I had probably just slept on it wrong, I went to sleep expecting it to feel a little better on Sunday. Sunday was not any better. I spent the day stretching and resting, and avoided playing any golf, as I had my tournament to look out for. On Monday, with the aid of some back pain relief aspirin I bought at the grocery store, and a heat wrap, I was able to play my practice round without any real bother, and I was looking forward to this week's tournament.

Yesterday was a different story. As the round progressed, I had less and less confidence that I could swing through the golf ball, as I was worried about the pain in my back. While I grinded very well, I hit some pretty strange shots out there, and ended up shooting 77. It was a tough day, and I was fairly happy with how I kept working hard until the round was finished. There were some swings that I did not finish in fear of pain, but I was able to limit my mistakes fairly well. Aside from two double bogies on the front nine after two terrible drives, I played a fairly solid round of golf. I was also very happy that I found a way to get the golf ball into play off the tee, when I was not at my best. I saw a Chiropractor after the round, and while I had an adjustment, it did not make enough of a difference to really feel well.

Today, I only was able to play nine holes before having to withdraw from the tournament. I was in a lot of pain, and I knew that continuing to play only would increase the chance of hurting myself greater. While I wanted to finish, I knew that it was time to call it a tournament. This is the first time I have ever withdrawn from a tournament, and while it bothers me that I had to do it, I know it was the best decision. I have tried to play through pain before, and only ended up making the injury worse, and I did not want to do that again. I will take a little time off, identify what the problem is, and make sure that I give myself the best chance of not having it happen again!

It is upsetting because I was really feeling good about my game heading into this event. Even yesterday, playing through the pain I was in, I was quite happy in how I managed my game. I did learn that I do have a shot I can rely on to get the golf ball into play, as well. There have been many times that I was uncomfortable on the tee box, and I have found out a way to make sure I get the ball in play now. This will be very valuable in the future of my golf career!

I hope everyone is having a great day, and is in good health!!!

Stew

One Step Closer!

Hi Everyone!

Just got home from round two of the event, and I can happily report that the score was much better today. I finished with an even-par 72 on a tough day at Bentwater, which I was pleased with. I putted the ball beautifully, and the work that I did with Cory over the holidays really started to show.

I spent about an hour working on my speed after the round yesterday, and that made all the difference today. The putts that I was leaving short yesterday were finding their way to the bottom of the hole today. I did not strike the ball as solidly as yesterday, and it was quite windy out there. This meant that the putter needed to be working, and I had seven less putts than yesterday, which was great. I am very excited to continue to work on my game, and to keep working towards my goals.

This week's event is only a two-day event, so that means that there is no cut. The Tour also announced a new method of determining the cut line. The change to the rule now means that only the top thirty percent of the field makes the cut. In the past, no matter the field size, the top fifteen players made the cut, and if the top thirty percent was more than fifteen, the cut was increased. The fields have been small this year, so that means that if I want to get paid, I am going to have to keep playing good rounds! This Tour has been a wonderful experience for me so far, and I am looking forward to the upcoming events. There are five more events on the schedule, and I am looking at playing three to four more.

Thanks for reading everyone, hit it straight!
Stew

Shaking the Rust Off!

Hello Everyone!

Over a month since the last entry, and there really hasn't been much going on. I had a great time home for Christmas, but with the snow and cold, it sure has been nice to be back! The weather has been a little spotty here in Texas, but as long as I can get out and play golf, I certainly cannot complain.

We have started our fifth tournament, and I struggled to a 77 today. It is very frustrating to continuously show potential and not see the results. I did not control the ball as well as I did at Cypresswood, in the last event, but I did not play as poorly as my score indicated. I felt good out there, but made some mental errors that I shouldn't have made. It took me about nine holes to really feel comfortable with my alignment, and pre-shot routine. These are things I should have spent a little more time working on while warming up today, and I do not think I will make tomorrow. I hit a poor tee shot off the 7th hole, which ended up out of bounds, that I feel was directly a result of poor alignment. Once I addressed these issues, I really felt good on the back nine, and hit the ball quite well. I am looking forward to tomorrow!

While I made a few errors that I could chalk up to being rusty, after a week of practice, that is not a very good excuse! My short game was not sharp. I did hit one fantastic bunker shot on the 3rd hole, and some pretty nice bump and run chips. That was very positive. I struggled specifically with my 58 degree wedge around the greens, and that just means I need to focus a little more on that club during practice! The game ultimately comes down to getting the ball in the hole, and today I just did not do that. I had 33 putts, and you cannot be competitive at this level doing that.

I spent a good amount of time working on my putting with my coach, Cory Kartusch, while back in Winnipeg. We changed my putting posture, and it has freed me up to stroke the putts better, and see the line much better. I really stroked the ball well, but I was not hitting the putts with enough speed to go in the hole on the lines I chose. This is easy to fix, I just need to hit them a little firmer!!!

Tomorrow is round two, and I am looking forward to building on today's round. I am going to be a little harder on myself, as I expect more than what I am currently displaying. I am happy with my effort, and the work I am putting in, but it is time to start seeing better scores! We have a great schedule of tournaments coming up over the next couple months, and I cannot wait to play them!

All the best!
Stew