WRXers Scratch Amateur Tournaments Thread: Commitments, Results, etc....

[Obee]

Obee

 

I am 61 last year I only played 1 tournament Washington state Senior Open 3 rounds were 79, 72, 83.

Putting was atrocious inside 4 feet and I hit some bad shots. Made Quad from 130 yards hit 2 balls long over green OB.. 72 I had 5 birdies but missed 5 putts inside 4 feet. I plan on playing 4-6 events in 2019

I will post them once I have dates.

 

Come join us in the "Putting Improvement" thread! I switched to the claw about two years ago. Currently averaging UNDER 29 putts per round. That's not the greatest putting stat to determine putting prowess, but it's totally legit with every round counted. I used to miss 2 putts per round under four feet. Guaranteed. Not anymore. :-)

 

I have been following your thread and I have putted on and off with Claw past 5 years. I am going to practice with Phiil's grip and see how that feels. I need to start tracking putts I have a spreadsheet from Don Drake will enter it there.

 

I sent swing to Dan C I have issues with depth and width with my swing he gave me 2 drills starting to hit it better. Problem is too much right arm bend and not enough turn. The feeling he gave me was pulling a bow and arrow how it loads your right side.

 

Good luck your scoring is impressive averaging 29 putts a round is hard to comprehend.

 

Keep in mind, I am 51 years old. I have a full-time job with a five hour commute. I play 2 to 3 times a week. I carry driver 225 to 235 yards. As I have aged, my greens in regulation has gone down to 10 to 10.5 per round. Generally, I do not miss grreens by a lot. So I am able to get up and down fairly easily, if my short game and short putting are intact, which they are since I've switched to the claw. :-)

[bilbry57]

Obee

 

I am 61 last year I only played 1 tournament Washington state Senior Open 3 rounds were 79, 72, 83.

Putting was atrocious inside 4 feet and I hit some bad shots. Made Quad from 130 yards hit 2 balls long over green OB.. 72 I had 5 birdies but missed 5 putts inside 4 feet. I plan on playing 4-6 events in 2019

I will post them once I have dates.

 

 

Come join us in the "Putting Improvement" thread! I switched to the claw about two years ago. Currently averaging UNDER 29 putts per round. That's not the greatest putting stat to determine putting prowess, but it's totally legit with every round counted. I used to miss 2 putts per round under four feet. Guaranteed. Not anymore. :-)

 

I have been following your thread and I have putted on and off with Claw past 5 years. I am going to practice with Phiil's grip and see how that feels. I need to start tracking putts I have a spreadsheet from Don Drake will enter it there.

 

I sent swing to Dan C I have issues with depth and width with my swing he gave me 2 drills starting to hit it better. Problem is too much right arm bend and not enough turn. The feeling he gave me was pulling a bow and arrow how it loads your right side.

 

Good luck your scoring is impressive averaging 29 putts a round is hard to comprehend.

 

Keep in mind, I am 51 years old. I have a full-time job with a five hour commute. I play 2 to 3 times a week. I carry driver 225 to 235 yards. As I have aged, my greens in regulation has gone down to 10 to 10.5 per round. Generally, I do not miss grreens by a lot. So I am able to get up and down fairly easily, if my short game and short putting are intact, which they are since I've switched to the claw. :-)

 

I lived in So Cal for 25 years so I remember the 5 hour commutes and feel your pain. The fact you are a plus HC despite being a short hitter and only hit 10ish greens speaks volumes about your short game and putting. I work 60-70 hours a week and drive 3-4,000 miles a month so I only get to play 2-3 times a month. I am going to spend winter working on a couple swing drills and will definitely give the claw a full test. I will post my. Results on your putting thread.

[MattyO1984]

Just reading this thread has me itching to get back out and play some golf. It is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to being a Scottish golfer...how long until April and the golf season starts?

[br61]

I'll be honest, I haven't played in many state tournaments and locals as I would have liked because I've been focusing on paying for my son's college tuition which comes first before any golf tournaments.

 

I did play in couple state senior 4Ball tournaments, won the first one. But I sucked on 2nd day of 2nd Sr 4Ball so didn't finish well, the host club had free beers during a long rain delay on the 2nd day so you can guess the results, ha. I did win my club's Senior Club Championships this past July, my 22nd club championship victory. That's about it for this year. I did play in many fun scrambles that was paid for.

 

Next year, I will try to make an effort to play in more state senior tournaments along with USGA Senior Open and Senior Amateur qualifiers.

[KC13]

Obee

 

I am 61 last year I only played 1 tournament Washington state Senior Open 3 rounds were 79, 72, 83.

Putting was atrocious inside 4 feet and I hit some bad shots. Made Quad from 130 yards hit 2 balls long over green OB.. 72 I had 5 birdies but missed 5 putts inside 4 feet. I plan on playing 4-6 events in 2019

I will post them once I have dates.

 

Come join us in the "Putting Improvement" thread! I switched to the claw about two years ago. Currently averaging UNDER 29 putts per round. That's not the greatest putting stat to determine putting prowess, but it's totally legit with every round counted. I used to miss 2 putts per round under four feet. Guaranteed. Not anymore. :-)

 

I have been following your thread and I have putted on and off with Claw past 5 years. I am going to practice with Phiil's grip and see how that feels. I need to start tracking putts I have a spreadsheet from Don Drake will enter it there.

 

I sent swing to Dan C I have issues with depth and width with my swing he gave me 2 drills starting to hit it better. Problem is too much right arm bend and not enough turn. The feeling he gave me was pulling a bow and arrow how it loads your right side.

 

Good luck your scoring is impressive averaging 29 putts a round is hard to comprehend.

 

Keep in mind, I am 51 years old. I have a full-time job with a five hour commute. I play 2 to 3 times a week. I carry driver 225 to 235 yards. As I have aged, my greens in regulation has gone down to 10 to 10.5 per round. Generally, I do not miss grreens by a lot. So I am able to get up and down fairly easily, if my short game and short putting are intact, which they are since I've switched to the claw. :-)

 

5 hour commute, ouch! Gotta love the 91 Freeway... ( I am sure no one does)

 

- KC

[ebrasmus21]

Obee - 5 hour commute? Goodness. I.E. ---> Orange County?

[Obee]

I'll be honest, I haven't played in many state tournaments and locals as I would have liked because I've been focusing on paying for my son's college tuition which comes first before any golf tournaments.

 

I did play in couple state senior 4Ball tournaments, won the first one. But I sucked on 2nd day of 2nd Sr 4Ball so didn't finish well, the host club had free beers during a long rain delay on the 2nd day so you can guess the results, ha. I did win my club's Senior Club Championships this past July, my 22nd club championship victory. That's about it for this year. I did play in many fun scrambles that was paid for.

 

Next year, I will try to make an effort to play in more state senior tournaments along with USGA Senior Open and Senior Amateur qualifiers.

 

Excellent! I look forward to following your year. :-)

 

Obee - 5 hour commute? Goodness. I.E. ---> Orange County?

 

IE to DTLA.

[lhahn]

5 hour commute! I nearly moved to the IE two years ago but my dad got really sick and I couldn't leave. That's crazy!!

[vietnameeh]

this "off season" if you call it that in CA lol. I want to work more on my stamina in the gym. I usually lift heavy with little cardio. I will be switching it up to have more balance and start stretching more. Since I quit golf I put on a lot of muscle/fat in the 4-5 years, while I feel like a beast on the course.... I really don't see any gains from when I stopped playing I feel like I am just carrying more weight and I feel more fatigued at 18 LOL

 

I have already started focusing on swing changes and will continue to focus on short game

[Obee]

this "off season" if you call it that in CA lol. I want to work more on my stamina in the gym. I usually lift heavy with little cardio. I will be switching it up to have more balance and start stretching more. Since I quit golf I put on a lot of muscle/fat in the 4-5 years, while I feel like a beast on the course.... I really don't see any gains from when I stopped playing I feel like I am just carrying more weight and I feel more fatigued at 18 LOL

 

I have already started focusing on swing changes and will continue to focus on short game

 

Yeah, there really is no "off season" for me here. I find tournaments to play in pretty much every month, and January through March is "team play" season, though it's net golf. Keep you involved though. :-)

[Ty_Webb]

So I played in my two tournaments. The first one was not good at all. Cold and windy and I hadn't played in nearly a month. It showed. Didn't qualify.

 

The second one went much better. I was -3 after 17. 5 birdies and 2 bogeys. Haven't shot under par in something that mattered for about 4 years. 18 is a narrow par 4 with bunkers left and right and a fairway that slopes right to left. I tugged my drive about 5 yards left of center and wound up in the left hand fairway bunker. No lip and was 127 out, wind slightly hurting. Hit a little 9 iron and hit it pure. 6 feet from the hole. Now I was pumped. I looked at my putt and I thought it was going to break about a foot right to left and by pretty quick once it started turning (green is almost a joke how much it slopes). I was wrong. It was actually pretty much straight downhill. It broke maybe 2 inches and just kept going and going. Wound up with 6 feet back again and missed that too.

 

Still, that put me tied for the lead after round one. Shot 68 (-2) and it was not an easy course. Strong field and only 4 people under par (including YT). The second round, I got there a little bit earlier than ideal (had to really in case the traffic was bad). I was standing behind the first tee, in part because I wanted to watch the two guys who were tied 3rd tee off. They are both WAGR ranked. One is in the 500s and the other in the 100s. Playing behind guys like that was really cool, because it meant I had beaten them both in round 1. I did however feel quite out of place. Like a pretender who shouldn't have been there. That will be because I haven't been in that situation before. It was good to be there, but I wasn't a huge fan of not feeling like I should be. I want to put myself in that spot more often, so I don't feel like that anymore. Then my golf proceeded to put me back in my place. Shot 81 in round 2 and finished 8th. Not great considering where I was after round 1, but I'm pleased overall with the result. Top ten in any of these sorts of things is above my usual standard.

 

It's funny though - day one I just felt like it was easy. I aimed at a spot and I pretty much hit it there. I putted really well too (aside from the last). Then day two I felt like I had two left arms. I think in part because of the tension from feeling out of place. But also it was like everything just went against me. If I hit it fairly close, I had a putt that was uphill to the hole and then downhill past it. I think the club decided they didn't want more good scores, so they put the pins in some "interesting" spots. I went out in 40. Back nine made a good par on 10, bogeyed 11, great par on 12, bogeyed 13 after misclubbing, then 14 and 15 did me in. 14 uphill approach. 114 flag and 102 to clear the front trap. Downwind and uphill, so I figured they would cancel out and I didn't want to go by the hole, so I hit basically my 115 shot. Hit the lip of the bunker and rolled back underneath the back lip. The wind had switched on me. Went at it steep and hard and got it out, but it ran up a tier in the green and finished about a foot above it. I set my putt moving and nothing more and it went 15 feet by. Double. Then the next, 208 par 3, hit it in the front right bunker. Get in there, little bit of a back stop if I hit it too hard and the club bounced on the ground under the sand. Only bunker of several that I had been in that did that. Over the green. Now that backstop had become another impossible spot. Hit a basically perfect chip, but again ran 15 feet past. Double. Thanks.

 

Why is it that when you don't quite have your best stuff, those are the days when you catch the bad breaks too? I didn't play those two holes great by any stretch, but I didn't play them that badly and wound up +4 for them. Stupid game.

[vietnameeh]

Awesome story Ty_webb!

 

You will be back in the same position and be way more comfortable.

 

I had a similar situation in a local tournament years and years ago. I came in tied for medalist for the qualifying portion of a match play... carried the confidence into match play made to round of 8, then I got paired with one of the hot college players in the area... let it get to my head I felt like I didn't belong like I was lucky to get there.. then got worked

 

I hope to get into that position some day.

[MattyO1984]

I know what you mean Ty about feeling slightly out of place. I remember qualifying for the knock out section of a local matchplay competition. I qualified in 10th and 16 made it through. The next day I just didn't feel right at all. There were guys playing in it that had played for the Scottish national team, great county players and some up and coming youngsters and then there was me.

 

I was still relatively young at the time as well, maybe 19-20 but I just didn't feel like I belong. Played horrible the front 9 and then pretty good on the back 9 and eventually got beat 2&1.

 

The biggest thing that I took from it was not to concentrate on what the other guys were doing. Nothing that I did was really going to effect me. Hard to always remember that I admit but definitely learned a lot from it.

[Wardonation]

I shot a 63 last Monday in an ORPGA PRO AM at Eugene Country club, it was only fro 6400 yards but I also had a bogey and it tied my personal best.

 

Fantastic!! Are you a mid-am? Or college golfer?

I am 47 and feel it everyday lol....

[vietnameeh]

I shot a 63 last Monday in an ORPGA PRO AM at Eugene Country club, it was only fro 6400 yards but I also had a bogey and it tied my personal best.

 

Fantastic!! Are you a mid-am? Or college golfer?

I am 47 and feel it everyday lol....

HELL YA WARDONATION!

That's why is golf is great... I am a mid am and play with older mid-ams, seniors and superseniors every sunday in a skins game.

ALL + handicaps and can keep up with the young guys....if they use a cart LOL jk

[wmblake2000]

I shot a 63 last Monday in an ORPGA PRO AM at Eugene Country club, it was only fro 6400 yards but I also had a bogey and it tied my personal best.

 

Fantastic!! Are you a mid-am? Or college golfer?

I am 47 and feel it everyday lol....

 

47? Pffft. Try 66 on for size.

 

Nice round. Nice course. We were there visiting when the Senior am was playing.

[b.helts]

Obee. How’s the Sandpiper Invitational go?

 

One of my favorite courses, played it 100s of times, could be over 1000.

[Obee]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

[wmblake2000]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

 

Where? Those are some fast greens!

 

I just traded my beloved Apex Raw blades for some CBs. Can't score to my best with blades, even though I love to play them. Going to take a playing lesson with Monte to get his thoughts on getting tournament ready. I have worked really hard on my swing, short game and putting for past few years. Next summer is when the regional sr/super sr tournaments are. I have been in various men's clubs over the years, but not sure I will next year - I never found them to be compelling or to create much drama. But I need to do something where I am in competition that I take seriously before the major tournaments I want to play in.

 

I am open to suggestions....

[Obee]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

 

Where? Those are some fast greens!

 

I just traded my beloved Apex Raw blades for some CBs. Can't score to my best with blades, even though I love to play them. Going to take a playing lesson with Monte to get his thoughts on getting tournament ready. I have worked really hard on my swing, short game and putting for past few years. Next summer is when the regional sr/super sr tournaments are. I have been in various men's clubs over the years, but not sure I will next year - I never found them to be compelling or to create much drama. But I need to do something where I am in competition that I take seriously before the major tournaments I want to play in.

 

I am open to suggestions....

 

Sandpiper in Goleta, CA (just north of Santa Barbara).

[vietnameeh]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

 

Where? Those are some fast greens!

 

I just traded my beloved Apex Raw blades for some CBs. Can't score to my best with blades, even though I love to play them. Going to take a playing lesson with Monte to get his thoughts on getting tournament ready. I have worked really hard on my swing, short game and putting for past few years. Next summer is when the regional sr/super sr tournaments are. I have been in various men's clubs over the years, but not sure I will next year - I never found them to be compelling or to create much drama. But I need to do something where I am in competition that I take seriously before the major tournaments I want to play in.

 

I am open to suggestions....

 

See if you can link up with locals that also play in the same tournaments? Play some money matches

 

I don't know if this still applies but playing JR/College/Amateur, after a tournament round if someone was local and I felt like we got along, id exchange contacts (much easier now with instagram and facebook). But if you play a lot of tournaments, you tend to see the same faces anyways so why not play against each other in between tournaments. Also helps if you guys end up for qualifying for bigger stuff that's out of the area, can split hotel and travel costs

 

 

[b.helts]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

 

Several holes when the greens get fast can be dicey. Where’d they put the pins on 11?

[oregongolf]

I shot a 63 last Monday in an ORPGA PRO AM at Eugene Country club, it was only fro 6400 yards but I also had a bogey and it tied my personal best.

 

Fantastic!! Are you a mid-am? Or college golfer?

I am 47 and feel it everyday lol....

 

I played also and scored okay, but that round was crazy. Congrats!

[Obee]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

 

Several holes when the greens get fast can be dicey. Where'd they put the pins on 11?

 

First day was back-middle. 2nd day was back-left.

[bogeypro]

I played my absolute best this year... said I was going to play in all these tournaments..... wound up not playing in any of them. LOL

 

Maybe next year..

[exgolfpro]

Good idea for a thread, but our season is over until April/May. But like last year, I plan on playing in the Missouri MidAm and hopefully US Senior Open qualifying. It is tough for me because I have very little vacation time left by the time these roll around, but those are my hopes.

[burritos4breakfast]

played in my first 2 tournaments this year and had a blast. learned a lot and as a result have never played better. goal is to eventually start playing in the gross flights as i currently down around a 10 index

[b.helts]

Finished 3rd behind two buddies from my club. They shot 66, 67.

 

Partner and I shot 67, 71. I had back spasms the final round starting on the third hole and played one-legged with the Gary Player step-through swing. :-(

 

We did manage to make a skin on #2 where I made a 20-footer for $1110! :-)

 

Former Tour player Matt Gogel was in the field (they finished 4th, I think).

 

Tournament was a blast. Greens running 13 to 14. Just absurdly fast, but so fun.

 

Several holes when the greens get fast can be dicey. Where'd they put the pins on 11?

 

First day was back-middle. 2nd day was back-left.

 

Good! Smart. The only flattish part of that green.

 

I’d like to have played. Maybe next year.

[MoaningM]

Cool thread. I’m also Scottish and have played the amateur scene the last few years here with no great success. The best I did was reaching the third round of the Scottish amateur back in 2014. I’ve not played much Scottish stuff the last year or so, funnily enough I’ve played more down south. Last year I played scratch 36 hole opens at Formby, Southport and Ainsdale, Hillside and Royal Birkdale. All for a combined cost of about £200. This year I played the South East of England Links Championship which is 72 holes played over Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports. The highlight of my year was shooting 74 at Royal St George’s off the Open tees. That’s one hell of a golf course.

 

I love going away playing in these sort of things as you get to play great golf courses in tournament conditions for a fraction of the normal price! Last year I got 3 rounds at Royal Dornoch for £40 and in 2015 I got 4 at Cruden Bay for £45. Both were in 72 hole opens.

 

Next year I’m eyeing up the Walton Heath Trophy. Apart from that I’ll wait and see where the big Scottish events are and if they are at courses that appeal to me I’ll enter

 

I Played Hillside and royal St Georges, Cinque Ports, both fabulous events even though I played utter rubbish! Also played wallasey scratch and caldy quart couple of other really good events, but one I definately recommend is the St Georges Hill silver trophy! Great event, great venue great everything!

[Obee]

Just played in an SCGA event, the "Stableford Team Championship." Partner and I finished 2nd by one point. ONE POINT! Format was aggregate Stableford Points:

 

-3 Double-Bogey

-1 Bogey

0 Par

+2 Birdie

+5 Eagle

+8 Double-Eagle

 

I have developed a completely new move by necessity (back spasms that can send me to the ground). I use the "Gary Player Walk Through" technique, and it's been amazing. I'm hitting the ball even shorter than ever (8-iron is my 130 club. Driver carrying 210 - 215), but I'm scoring fine. I shot 76 on day 1 and had a "pretty amazing all things considered" 1-under 71 on day 2.

 

I hit 25/28 fairways "stepping through." The step through swing actually addresses one of my main swing flaws, which is a tendency to "hang back" and either block or flip. I will put up some video of the swing soon. Putted "meh" on day one, but absolutely great on day two.

 

My partner shot one of the most inconceivable 69's on day one you will ever see. He's a former college player, but he gets really nervous in tournaments now. He hit 7 GIR and the only one of the missed green was even close to the green. He was missing greens by 10 - 40 yards, topping tee shots, pull-hooking approaches. And then he'd step up to a pitch shot and stick it to a foot. Amazing. On day two, though, his ball striking caught up to him and he fired a 77.

 

In the final round, he stuffed a PW from 145 to six inches for birdie, but I couldn't convert my up-and-down to save par, and that was the difference. Course was only 6,512, 72.4/133, so I was able to bunt it around and play well. If the course was 7,000, I would have no chance to shoot par or better.

 

Some really, really solid players in the field, including the champions Corby Segal (one of the best mid-ams in the country) and his partner Torey Edwards (five? years as a pro, carries driver 320), Casey Boyns, Pat Burda and several others. Also of note: Dan Buchner, a 16-year professional who got his amateur status back a year ago, shot 72 on day one, then fired a beautiful 8-under 64 on day two with 7 birdies and an eagle. His only bogey was a 3-putt from 4-feet on a very suspect side-hill pin. Wow.

 

One point. ONE POINT!!! Still have yet to win an SCGA Event, but will keep trying! :-)

 

Results here: https://scga-2018scg...m/pages/1283796