Never Give Up

lutomrSC · June 23, 2017

I was recently at a qualifier for a State AM a couple days ago. I have been playing well recently and wasn't really concerned about making the cut and getting one of the 11 spots, however there's always a small seed of doubt that it just might not be your day. I was the first group out and playing as a twosome, so I knew I'd be done early and have to wait to see how the rest of the field did.

I started out great. Hit a great first tee shot, stuck a wedge to a few feet and made birdie to get the round started. I thought, hey this might be a good day. Hit a great tee shot on the 2nd hole, maybe too good, because I had already decided to layup when I tee'd off on the par 5 but after lasering the distance it was in my go range for a hybrid and decided to go for it. Didn't make a committed swing and hit it out of bounds left by a foot or so. Almost chipped in for 5, and still made 7. Brushed it off and stuck a 6 iron on a tough par 3 to 10ft and missed that. Still not too concerned, but the 4th hole tee shot always gets me and yet again I hit a snap hook left into the creek after watching my playing partner do the same thing. Took a drop hit it to 5 feet and missed the par putt. Made a birdie on the par 5 sixth to get back to 1 over and then got a plugged lie in a bunker on 7. Still hit a good shot to get it to about 6ft and again missed the putt for par, so back to two over. Hit another great iron shot to about 5ft on the par 3 8th and missed that one. Made a great up and down on 9 for par, so I turned at 2 over thru 9 holes. I knew that at best two over would be the cut most likely but the weather was so nice with no wind, the greens were rolling pure and the pins weren't all that challenging so I knew it could possibly be lower.

I turned to the back knowing I needed to get back to even as my goal. I hit a good tee shot on 10 and went to my ball after my partner hit, Almost hit it, and looked down at it and noticed it wasn't my ball. Ok, I thought, where am I? Back in the rough about 30 yards. Must have gotten a bad kick instead of a good kick. Hit a good PW but it knuckled out of the rough and went over the back of the green. Thought I hit the right chip shot but it rolled downhill to about 15ft. Missed that putt, so now I'm 3 over and starting to get frustrated. I hit another lousy tee shot on 11 to the left, and it hits the cart path and goes further left into an area where I see they just mowed the thicker rough. I'm blocked out by some really tall trees to go at the green directly, and as I'm standing there I'm just thinking to myself, "how am I going to make par here? I can't afford to lose another shot." I chose a risky play to go over the trees in front of me which meant trying to open the face on a PW and essentially try to hit a flop shot over them but still carry it 120yds. Not a shot I practice. I thought I pulled it off but of course it hits the top of the tree limbs and kicks out into the fairway 50yrds from the hole. Now for some reason this should have been the end of the round. The green is elevated and you can barely see the top of the flag from 50yrds, I figured if I had 10 balls from there I might get it up and down 2 or 3 times out of 10. I hit a good shot and got it to 6 or 7 feet. I stood over that putt and just thought, "don't give up, make this putt." I don't know why I thought those words "don't give up" because I was obviously trying to make the par but given i'd missed so many short putts already, I didn't have a lot of confidence I would make it. Well I made it and got par, and thought I kind of stole one I shouldn't have. Riding to the next tee I knew there were birdie opportunities in the final 7 holes and being outside what I figured was the cut line I re-uttered that phrase again on the tee, "I'm not giving up". I hit a great tee shot, hit it to about 15ft and made that for birdie. I felt good about getting back to 2 over, and still had 2 par 5's coming up so I kept thinking, "I'm not giving up". I lipped out for birdie on the next hole, a par 5, and was a little dejected. Got up on the next tee and yet again hit a great shot into a par 3 to about 10ft. I made that to get back to 1 over. Got up on the next tee and hit a great 3w and wedge to about 3ft. I made that to get back to even.

It was a weird feeling standing on the 16th having gotten back to even after struggling all day. I knew I still needed to finish out the day, but now I changed my goal to getting under par, which seemed improbable after the tenth hole. 16 is a par 5 and they had the tees up from where I thought they'd be.There is a creek up the left side waiting to eat up balls, and fighting the hook all day I was trying my best to hit this fairway. I hit an ok tee shot and kept it in the left side of the fairway. I didn't go after it hard enough to leave myself an iron in so I chose to lay up and trust my wedge game. I hit my third to about 15ft which wasn't my best effort and made par. 17 is a tricky, short, uphill par 3. Always tough to get the right club even though its PW-8ir. I chose an easy 8, and trying to hit it too perfect and hit it left of the green. I hit a great chip and got it to about 2-3ft, and nervously rolled in that putt. I've always liked the tee shot on 18 since it favors a draw and there's no real penalty for going way left (you'd be in 9 fairway). I finally committed to a swing and hit it right down the middle. I drew a great number in (130) to a back pin. I chose to hit my standard punch PW which is a 125yrd shot. I hit it perfect and thought it was coming down in the hole, only to see it take an unexpected bounce and go over the green. I couldn't believe it, after everything that went on and getting back to even, I just hit a perfect shot and yet again hit it over the green. The chip shot wasn't that hard but I under hit it and barely got it on the green giving myself about 12ft for par. I thought I hit a good putt but missed and made bogey to finish at 1 over.

I was really worried that bogey would put me out of it even though earlier I figured the cut would be around 2 over. I finished at 11:30ish and groups were still turning to the back so it was going to be a long wait to see if my 1 over was good enough. Well finally at about 3PM I was checking scores online and everything was finished. I made it in at 1 over as T9, and 2 over was the cut to get in. I felt great about not giving up in the middle of my round and pushing myself to keep hitting quality shots and giving myself chances. While I would have been really happy with fighting back for even par, I was even happier that a kept myself from thinking negatively and was able to make three birdies when I needed them to make it through the qualifier. Never give up!

Matt J · June 23, 2017

Agreed. One of the signs of a better player IMO. I doubled the 2nd hole yesterday and fought back to finish the round 2 over. That was my personal best on that golf course, so I was pleased. Actually had the thought, are you going to quit? Or fight back.