Friday, August 8, 2008

"Major" Disappointment

The round was a big disappointment not the adventure though...Wish I could describe this course to you but I couldn't do it justice on the toughness (bite) it has. For the golfers out there reading along you know how a bounce one way or another can make or break you. On this course both landing areas and the greens have humps and bumps to navigate. Not only are you trying to get the correct yardage to the pin or aim at a certain distant marker off the tee but you also need to take into account how the fairway slopes or how the green will receive your shot. Very humbling this game we play and it is just a game for us. I saw a lot of very good players struggle with the conditions today as you probably noticed on the Internet or even the tv.
I"ll try to sum this all up by saying this; golf as we know and play it is simply advancing the ball to the target or flag stick. Professional golf is played slightly different. In professional majors it's played even more differently in that the target is RARELY the flag. You are constantly aiming away from it almost literally on every shot. When you've played the game long enough you are brainwashed to take dead aim at the flag hoping to hole every shot! Ok I promised myself not to complain or make excuses only trying to vent a little.
I would like to say this about J.J. Henry, a Ryder Cup participant in '06 by the way, he's 10 days away from having a second child. Playing in a major is stressful enough but being on the bubble to make the cut while watching a playing partner struggle like me I think would put me on TILT. No, he takes time out to give me a little pep talk after the first nine today. I was coming off a horrendous 3-putt on #1 our 10th hole of the day. As we walked to our tee shots on #2 he saw my disappointment and let me know how different tournament golf will be for me in the future. To paraphrase a bit he described the difficulty of playing in his first major leading to his regular tour events success. Make sense? Kind of like learning to drive in a car without 3rd gear (hey it was my big sister's Mustang). every car after that was a piece of pie. Can't wait for my next tournament.
Hi lights would be the up and down on the 7th today in front of a good size crowd (sandie)for par. An up and down from 105 yards (playing almost 115) in front of another gallery for par. An up and down from very deep rough on the 2nd hole for par (putt was from 12 feet). An up and down on 16 from behind the green for par. Are you getting the gist of my round today? Nerves are shot, gonna rest up from an early tee time.
BTW- Len Shapiro's article in today's post was outstanding although I probably needed to keep my observation of V. Taylor to myself. Go Boys!

7 comments:

Lori said...

Dave -- we couldn't be prouder of you. There's nothing more to say. You da man, and we can't wait for you to come home. Thanks again for making us feel like we were there with you. You'll have to keep this blog going for next time!

kt said...

Dave,

I'm sure words just can't describe how incredible your week was...We are so proud of you! It has been great being able to follow you throughout the week and we can't wait for the next one :-) Have a safe trip back and we'll see ya soon!

Kelly and Steve

lisatee said...

Hi Dave,

We are just soooooooooo proud of you! This has been just great. Looking forward to seeing you soon and hearing even more about your "major" exciting time. Lisa and Scott

P.S. - My putter cover arrived today and your autograph will look great on it!

Mark Russo, PGA said...

Disappointment shouldn't even be used here - you were "in the arena" as the saying goes. So many would love to have that experience just once in their lives, and I have a sneaking suspicion that this won't be the last time you are in the PGA...
It's been said a lot this week, but everyone on the homefront is proud of how you played and even prouder of how you conducted yourself and kept your head up regardless of score. Can't wait to hear more about it - travel safe!
The HP

bossgra said...

dave, thanks for giving us the feel for being in a major. I really enjoyed your blog. Its not always about whether you win or lose.......gary a

Anonymous said...

What an amazing week Dave! Thanks for putting us inside the ropes with you all week long! We are so proud of how you have played all summer long! From the Nationwide Tour, to the Professional National Championship and now a Major! I can't wait to hear all the stories you didn't get a chance to blog!

GO LONG-

Brian and Emily

Anonymous said...

Dave,
Congrats from sunny St. Maarten! I'm actually getting ready to leave here for Barbados for 2 weeks. and won't be home until the 25th.

Dave .... you've done Woodmoore proud! I've been telling everyone within shouting distance that my club pro is currently playing in the PGA Championship! Talk about bragging rights ..... and free rum punch! Congrats again and I'm sure you can't wait for next year!