PGA Tour Q-School - Stage 2
We arrived in Orlando on Thursday evening and made our
way to Lakeland to stay with some friends. Lakeland
is well positioned for us, as it is half way between
Tampa and Orlando. My caddie Davey arrived Saturday
night and we played on Sunday morning. It was nice to
see Davey playing for a change instead of carrying my
bag, saying that he didn't need to as we were in a
cart and wearing shorts. Playing golf in the sun is a
pleasure and doesn't feel like work! We made our way
to Lake Jovita on Monday morning checked into our
villa that was next to the practice area and played a
practice round with Per-Ulrik Johansson. Per-Ulrik
had played here before and was helpful with some lines
and advice about the course.
We had a lie in on Tuesday morning and played the back
nine, the weather was hot for this time of year and
the humidity was high, so I wanted to be fresh for the
event and not wear myself out on the practice days.
The course was nice, it was in good condition and the
greens were rolling fast. Tee to green it wasn't
overly challenging but the greens were tough as they
were grainy and it was hard to get the pace with the
slopes. The course has bermuda grass, which makes chip
shots around the green difficult as the ball sits
down.
My goal this week was to get through and I didn't want
to get bogged down with scores I just wanted to post
the best score I could each day. It's nice to be able
to play and know that I have my exemption in Europe
most of the guys out here don't have that peace of
mind and I'm thankful that my livelihood is not on the
line.
The weather was hot low 80's and I spent most of the
first round darting into the shade for some rest bite
between shots. I played solidly for a three under par
round of 69, I birdied all four par fives and a lone 3
putt bogey on the tricky par 3 fourth, a nice start to
the tournament.
Round two was another hot day, I got off to a quick
start and was three under after nine, I two putted the
par five eleventh for a birdie to go to 4 under. I
made bogey on 12 and 16 to finish the day at two
under. This was one of those days that really could
and should have been three or four shots better.
I woke up for my third round and the weather had
turned cold and it was like playing at the Dunhill in
October, the wind was howling and everyone was wrapped
up for winter, the temperature must have dropped 40'
from the day before. I didn't get off to a great start
and made the turn at 3 over, I had hit the ball well
but hadn't hit it that close and had a few three
putts. The back nine didn't start much better but
birdies on 14, 15, 17, and 18 helped me to a round of
level par and still gave me a chance to get through to
the final stage.
The weather was back to normal for the fourth round
and the mitts and waterproofs were back in the villa,
I hit the ball really well and close to the flags all
day, I just always seemed to be on the wrong side of
the hole with a slick putt. I had a number of really
good chances and didn't convert one until the 8th,
which matched my bogey on the 2nd to let me turn at
level par. I made a great birdie on the 10th I holed a
putt from across the green. I thought I needed to
shoot two under par to get through so was trying to
push for a birdie. I got to 16 still at one under and
this is the toughest hole on the back nine, I got a
good drive away and hit a nine iron to about 10 feet
and holed it across the slope for birdie. I made good
two good pars to finish and was relieved to find out
that I was safely through.
I will spend this week before final stage in Lakeland
practising and preparing for a long hard week in
Orlando. It's Thanksgiving here on Thursday a huge
holiday so we will enjoy a game of golf followed by a
turkey dinner and watch American football on tv.
Final stage is a six round marathon rather than the
usual four round tournament, so patience will be on
order again. Final stage will be held at Orlando
County National from the 28th of November until the
3rd of December. You can check for the results at
www.pgatour.com/qschool