End of 2014

Hi everyone,

I just got back home after playing the final round of the Egolf Tour Championship earlier today. Had a while to reflect so I thought I would post my final blog entry of 2014.

The week was a really fun week, I stayed with the same host family I have for my previous 2 visits to Palmetto Hall, on Hilton Head Island. I had 3 of my good friend from the tour also staying with me so the vibe for the week was good. Other than fog delays on the first 3 days the weather was great, 15-20 Celsius with very little breeze....scoring was going to be lower than usual on two very demanding courses.

I got off to a slow start in round 1, bogeys at my opening hole (10^th) and the short par 3 13^th left me 2 over through 4 holes. I bounced back well with back to back birdies at 15 & 16 to get back to level par. My short game saved me at the 1^st and 2^nd before two sloppy bogeys at the 4^th and 5^th – back to +2. I hit my wedge close at the last hole for a tap in birdie and a 73 (+1) to leave me way down the leaderboard.

Round 2 was better, I got off to a steady start level for the front 9, so I knew I needed to make a move on the back 9 to have a chance of making the cut. My first move came at the par 5 10^th. After finding the fairway bunker off the tee, I decided to take a risk and hit my hybrid over the water from 220 yards. The gamble paid off, 2 putts and I moved to -1 for the day.

After a bogey at 12, and only managing pars on holes 13-15, I knew I needed something special over the final 3 (very tough) holes. Somehow I was able to birdie 16 & 17 and save a really important par on 18 to shoot 70 (-2). Luckily enough I made the cut on the number and so I had a chance to make a move over the weekend.

Round 3 was looking really good, -3 through 6 holes and I think I was inside the top 20 at one point. However a double at the 18^th (my 9^th) left me -1 at the turn. I played my back 9 solidly but was unable to add to my birdie tally. 71 (-1)

The final round was an extremely disappointing way to end my 2014 season. I did not have the best warm up session and a series of tee shots to the right on my front 9 left me struggling for par all too often. I made a real mess of holes 18, 2 and 3 and was never able to find my rhythm throughout the round. I finished strong but all in all a 77 (+5) left a sour taste in the mouth after what was 3 positive days.

Stats for the 4 rounds:

Fairways: 68%

Greens in reg: 63%

Putts per round: 28

Up and Downs: 76%

There are again many positives I can take away from this season. I have shown signs of playing to the level I want to be at and come close to making a breakthrough. I have time to assess what areas I need to improve and my plan to get to the next level. I feel a lot closer than I was last year and have definitely made a lot of progress.

I’d like to thank everyone for their continued support. It’s great to have so many people rooting for you to do well and checking the scores from back home. Thank you all

Looking forward to a great 2015.

Lee

November Update

Hello everyone,

I thought I would post a quick update on my progress in the last month, since Q School.

Obviously I haven't played a tournament in a while, so there isn't too much to report on but I am progressing well in practice after taking a short break in October.

I am hitting the ball great at the moment, so I hope to carry that in to December. I have been working on my swing trying to get a little bit less laid off at the top, and activating the left side in the downswing a little sooner. My ball striking has improved quite a bit.

As I move into the last couple of weeks preparation before I leave for the tournament in Hilton Head, my focus will be less 'technical based' and more scoring based. I will focus my practice more on the scoring areas (wedges and putting) and play more holes out on the course.

The Egolf Tour Championship will take place at Palmetto Hall Plantation, Hilton Head Island on the 3-6 December, It will be a great chance to jump up in the money list rankings with the biggest prize money of the year available.

Check in soon for a pre-tournament update.

Cheers

Q School First Stage - Johns Creek, Georgia

I don't like blogging when I haven't achieved what I set out to do, I feel like the bearer of bad news but it is all part of the learning process. I believe that we need failure to better prepare us for success and also this is a good way to reflect.

So with that being said, although this week didn't go well for me from a scoring standpoint, (in fact very badly) I do feel like there are some positives to take from the week and the areas I need to work on are very clear.

First, I'll start with how the week went:

I was able to stay at my psychologist/friends house for the week just north of Atlanta, so that was great and definitely an advantage from a mindset standpoint. He walked with me in the practice round, although I wasn't striking the ball great I did a good job mapping the course and could see myself doing well.

In summary for the 4 rounds, there were glimpses of good play. Little 6-9 hole stretches where I was putting something together. But all 4 rounds were littered with mistakes, mostly off the tee. I was halting any momentum I had built with destructive shots. I was prone to a real big miss (both directions). The causes of these misses were mostly down to swing flaws, which I won't go into (I will address in the off season). I have been struggling with the swing in terms of consistency with my long game for a while, not just this week. I have been able to manage it mostly and let my short game score for me. If I am being honest with myself I am going to have to improve this. My short game is clearly good enough to make the jump up, but I have learned my long game has to improve. And it will.

I was proud of the way I didn't let adversity ruin my belief. The last 3 days I was +3, +5, and +5 in the middle of my rounds and got it back to +1, +3, +3. Although these scores are nothing to be proud of and it was a real struggle, I think it shows my character how I didn't give up and kept plugging away.

Now I have quite a lot of time off to practice, improve my game and be ready for the final event of my season in Hilton Head, in December. I intend on finishing with a bang to end on a high note. I have made a lot of progress this season and will continue on the upward ascent.

Thank you very much for all you support.

I will update on my practice soon.

September update

Hi all,

Been back in the States for a couple of days now so I've had time to re-adjust.

I had a lovely 2 week break back home, was great to see family and friends. Could have maybe done with another week, but with 1st stage of Q School around the corner I had to get back into my routine and be fully focused on the task in hand.

I was assigned my first choice for the next stage so I will be playing at The Standard Club, Johns Creek, Georgia. (just outside of Atlanta) on the 7-10 October. Really looking forward to getting underway and kicking off the last portion of the year.

All that is left for me this year is Q School and the final Million Dollar Series event in Hilton Head (December 3-6). Some big opportunities await....

Plenty of work to be done between now and the 7th October.

Will update in a couple of weeks.

Thanks again for following.

Lee

Web.com tour Pre Qualifying - Sacramento CA

I have an hour or so to kill at the airport here in Sacramento, so I thought I would post a summary of the event this week.

This week was the beginning of Qualifying School for me. Because of a slight mix up with dates I had to come all the way to Sacramento, California for the preliminary stage of Q School. With a small field (73) the top 36 players would advance to the First Stage.

Yolo Fliers Club was the host of the 3 rounds. A nice course just outside Sacramento. Tight with quite a few doglegs and nice smooth greens. The rough this week was pretty penal so a premium on straightness off the tee.

Round 1 included 4 birdies and 3 bogeys. I stumbled a bit on the back 9 (3 bogeys in my last 5 holes) but nevertheless was in decent position heading into round 2. I had only 27 putts in round 1, I seem to thrive on 'bentgrass' greens and I made the most of it. 71 (-1)

Round 2 was very steady indeed. I made 15 pars, 2 birdies and a bogey at the last. I didn't hit many fairways, but again relied on my creativity from tough spots and short game when I needed. After 2 rounds I was t12 on the leaderboard. 71 again

Round 3 was all about staying in the present moment. It's easy to start thinking 'Ok I have a bit of a cushion inside the qualifying mark'...but that can easily lead to defensive golf and you cannot ever score well with that mindset. I started with a birdie at the first but then 2 bogeys and a double in my next 4 holes and I found myself over-par for the tournament, a bit out of the blue. After having a little word with myself 'stay in the present, one shot at a time etc etc' I managed to hit 2 great shots into the 6th which would lead to a birdie. A nice wedge into the 9th set up a birdie and I felt like I was back on track again. The back 9 was more solid stuff. 7 pars and birdies at 11 & 15 added up to another 71! I was very pleased at the way I salvaged the round, playing my last 13 in -4.

I ended the week t13th and earned my spot into the next round. Sites will be announced toward the end of the month. Very excited to get to the next stage.

Thanks for following. Will update in a couple of weeks.

River Hills

This week was the first Million Dollar Championship series event at River Hills, just 20 mins up the road from where I live.

A very tricky course, which puts a premium on accuracy and sharpness around the greens. Unfortunately I had neither this week..

I started off with a very strange shot; a hook out of bounds with my tee shot. I have hit hundreds of good opening tee shots so it was nothing to do with nerves. Anyway, I tried to regroup quickly but my for the first 3 holes I couldn't stop the lefts. Somehow I managed to straighten it out, and with a couple of birdie/bogey exchanges I turned at 2 over par (not disastrous).

Then on the 1st (my 10th) I got to the green with a 10 footer for par, when I addressed the ball, the ball moved in to a tiny indentation. I immediately called the penalty on myself, and without making a stroke I was all of a sudden putting for bogey. I missed that and walked to the next tee scratching my head.

The rest of the 9 was steady, until I got to the 8th and hit another tee shot left and out of bounds. I ended up with a 77 with 4 sixes on the card.

Today, for the second round I started off poorly again. I missed both par 3 greens and played them in +3. I then bogeyed the 8th from the fairway bunker. It wasn't until I got to the back 9 before I started to play some decent golf. 9 straight pars ensued, with holing a single putt.

Overall a very disappointing week. This was the start of a big 2-week stretch for me and it's not the start I wanted. It's the poorest I have played in a while but, I am confident I can get back on track right away. I'll have a rest from golf tomorrow and then be ready to get back into practice this weekend.

I head to Sacramento, California on Monday for pre-qualifying. Really looking forward to it.

Lee

update

Hello everyone, thought I would send an update even though I haven't had a tournament since my last post.

My wrist seems to be fine at the moment, I have been able to play for about a week pain-free. Not sure what caused it but I'll continue to treat with caution.

The first Million Dollar Championship series starts next Wednesday at River Hills Country Club, Lake Wylie, SC. I actually popped over there this morning to get an early practice round under my belt. The course is not long but tricky, pretty much all about keeping it in play from the tee and having good short game. I will probably only hit 3 or 4 drivers per round which is very unusual for courses in the U.S!

For Q School I will be travelling to Sacramento, CA for pre-stage. There was a slight mess up with the dates hence having to travel but it has been resolved now. Looking forward to getting out there for a change in scenery and to advance to first stage.

For those who didn't know I will be in England from 7-21 September for a short break to see friends and family. It has been a hectic summer and this will be a welcome break. Before I look ahead to the conclusion of my season.

Stay tuned for an update after the River Hills championship.

Cheers

Wyndham Monday Qualifier and weekend

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately this blog post does not have any good news!

This Saturday, I 'tweaked' my left wrist during practice. Not sure how, but I hit a lot of bunker shots before I got to the range and either that, wear and tear, or my workout sessions have had something to do with it. I have felt similar pain before so I'm hoping this will pass and be nothing too serious. I have iced it frequently since then, along with some pills to prevent inflammation.

Iron shots hurt more than anything else, or little flop shots around the green when the wrist is hinged up after impact.

I was debating whether to withdraw from my Monday qualifier but after feeling just discomfort and no pain on Sunday afternoon I decided I would have a go. I strapped my wrist with tape, but after the first couple of iron shots went right, I took it off. All day I felt like I just couldn't square the clubface through impact, and although I made seemingly every putt I looked at, I struggled to hit the fairways and greens.

I fought the whole day and after being +5 through 13, I managed to finish up +2 (73) for the day thanks to some great putting. 26 putts in total.

So, I have contacted the Egolf tour and they have let me withdraw from this weeks event. I don't feel I can compete with such discomfort in my left wrist/hand this week. I will take a week to rest and ice it everyday and just hope that it's nothing too serious.

I have some big events coming up at the end of the month and early September. I will do everything I can to assure I am ready to go for those.

This is a real blow because I have been hitting a good patch of form and really fancied getting into the Wyndham this week. I'll remain positive and use this time to recoup and make sure I am ready for the rest of the season and keep the momentum going.

I will update at the end of the week.

Thanks for following

Wyndham Championship pre - qualifier

Just a short blog update to summarise the Wyndham Pre-Qualifier yesterday at Bermuda Run Country Club, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

I shot 68 (-3) and finished tied for 7th out of 153 competitors.

I played very nicely all day, mostly making 'stress-free' pars and the occasional birdie. My only bogey came at the par 4 2nd hole after a poor drive but hit the ball great otherwise. Finishing with a birdie was a nice touch and a big boost going into the final qualifier on Monday.

Stats for the day:

8/14 fairways (couple just off though, so not a fair reflection)
14/18 greens in regulation
29 putts
2/5 up and downs

Feeling confident going into Monday. One round for a chance to play in the Wyndham Championship, exciting! For those who don't know, Sergio won the event 2 years ago. Great tournament, in Greensboro at Sedgefield Country Club.

Not getting ahead of myself, one shot at a time and we will see where it puts me. I have a good feeling at the moment, so why not?!

Stay tuned for updates.

Cheers,
Lee

Spring Creek Classic

Hello followers!

Last week I played The Spring Creek Classic, just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Lovely part of the state. Beautiful golf course with past bent-grass greens (my cup of tea). The weather was fine for the first 2 days and then just like England for the final day (steady rain all day)!

I shot 71, 70, 75. I played pretty well for the week, still slightly struggling to find my A-game off the tee but overall encouraged by my showing, especially short game and wedges.

Some highlights of the week;

• 1st round, 2nd hole of the tournament, 563 yard par 5 - holed out a sand wedge from 95 yards for eagle!
• 1st round, 5th hole of the tournament, holed out from greenside bunker!
• 2nd round, 18th hole (9th of the day) 561 yard par 5 - holed out a sand wedge from 83 yards for another eagle!

I couldn't miss with my wedges! 3 hole-outs very enjoyable indeed..

The week didn't end the way I wanted to, 2 errant tee shots cost me double-bogeys, so +4 on the back 9 dropped me all the way back to level par for the championship and a tie for 30th position. Disappointing end but an encouraging week and another cheque made. I will have to improve my long game slightly if I want to have a chance at competing to win one of these events. The short game is right there.

Stats for the week:

Fairways: 62%
Greens in regulation: 65%
Up and down: 65%
Putts per round: 29.3

Next event will be the Wyndham Championship Pre-Qualifier this Thursday. If I make it through that I will play again on Monday for a chance to get in to the tournament. Exciting week.

Thanks for following, below is a pic from the golf course in Virginia. Spring Creek

Cabarrus Classic

Hi all, I completed my final round at the Cabarrus Classic yesterday so I thought it would be time for an update.

I finished t29th after rounds of 72, 69, 70. (-5) for the week including 12 birdies.

The 69 was a good round, -5 through 12 I really had it going. I let it slip a little over the closing holes but used good course management to limit the damage to ensure making the cut.

To summarise, I had a decent week but nothing special. I wasn't quite sharp enough on the greens, averaging 30.6 putts for the rounds which is a couple higher than in recent weeks. I had some difficulty adjusting to the Bermuda greens, which I found tricky to read consistently.

Nonetheless my confidence is growing, I am definitely more comfortable on the golf course. I hit the ball better, hitting 80% of the greens in regulation - a big improvement from last week, especially with a sore neck in round 3 (dodgy pillows!). I know I keep mentioning a breakthrough, but with the way I'm feeling, I have to believe it will be sooner rather than later.

So again, an encouraging week overall. I am moving in the right direction for qualification into the Million Dollar Championship Series (A 4 event series totalling $1M in prize money). How many events I will be able to play is yet to be determined, but probably the first and the last of the 4. First place in the final event is $50,000. That would be nice, but ultimately the goal is to stay in the process of what is controllable by me and let other things work themselves out.

My next event will be the Spring Creek Classic, Virginia. 30 July- 1 August.

Thanks for following.

Irish Creek

Just finished my second round at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, NC. Thought I would update the blog while it's still fresh in the mind.

Overall a slight feeling of flatness but at the same time optimism coming off a 73 (+2) & 71 (E) this week for the Southern Open. I played well in parts but 3 double-bogeys over the course of the 2 rounds halted my progress.

Again, conditions were pretty favourable, apart from some rain in the second round. Soft greens and little wind made for relatively good scoring.

Teeing off the 10th, I started round 1 with a couple of nice swings and 3 pars on the first 3 holes. I made a mistake on the par 5 13th hitting my 3 wood 2nd shot into the trees left, punched out from there but couldn't save par. I bounced back well with a birdie at the next (30 yard bunker shot to 5ft). But then, my first double of the day came at the par 3 - 15th. After finding the bunker from the tee, I caught too much ball (yes a bit thin!) and found myself in a tricky position putting severely downhill. I left the first short, and missed the next one to walk off with an ugly 5.

I started to fight back on the back 9. I birdied the first after a nice wedge shot, and same again on 4. But then the round came unravelled for the second time at the nearly-driveable par 4 - 5th. I didn't hit the best of tee shots, a little left (blind from the tee) but I thought, along with the members of my group it would be fine. We got down there and unfortunately never found it. I had to go back to the tee and play another and ended up with another damn double! Anyway, I finished with 4 pars and posted a 73. Just a couple of errant shots and costly mistakes at the wrong time. I sat a long way down the leaderboard so I knew I needed something low in round 2 to make the cut.

I was first off at 7:30am this morning which was nice, no wind and fresh greens. I started pretty solid. I birdied the 2nd and the 5th (got revenge!), but bogeyed the par 3 4th. I added a birdie at 7 after a good approach shot and putt to move to -2. Unfortunately this round was to lose momentum on the 9th tee. My tee shot was slightly pulled down the left, actually heading for the left edge of the fairway but caught a tree that overhangs and kicked left down into the water hazard! To be quite honest, not sure how that happened but I had to accept it and move on. Which I did pretty well, but couldn't prevent the double that ensued. After that, I birdied the 10th which I think is a sign of good character and then a string of pars followed for the rest of the back 9, including one bogey at the dreaded 15th!

So all in all this week was a bit of a disappointment but I'm still not far away. +2 for the week with 3 doubles isn't disastrous. I have some more work to do on the long game and if I can keep my putting up to the level it has been, I will get ever closer to that breakthrough that we are all anticipating.

Cheers for reading

Lee

The breakthrough is coming..

Hi all...

Since my last post, I have played in the pre-Qualifier for the Greenbrier Classic (PGA Tour event) and the Monday qualifier (2nd stage if you will) in West Virginia. Course: Resort at Glade Springs - Robert Cobb design, par 71. All bent grass, with a mix of po annua grass on the greens.

The first 18 I played well. I birdied my first hole, after a good wedge to 5 feet. I then birdied the par 5 5th hole, chipping it close on my third shot. A little run of alternating bogeys and birdies left me at -2 through 13 holes. Wedges were the key to my scoring in the pre qualifier, setting myself up with pretty short birdie opportunities all day. I saved a great par at 14 after I pulled my 3 wood in to the trees off the tee. A great wedge to 2 feet at the next hole set up a birdie to move to -3, and then a 15 foot putt at 16 dropped to put me at -4. I made 2 solid pars at the last 2 holes to finish off a 67 (-4). I finished t4th out of 105 competitors and was happy with my days work. So, onto Monday (the final qualifier).

I had a great feeling going into the Monday qualifier. There were only 75 players, and 4 spots available for a place in the Greenbrier Classic. Although a strong field, with a mix of a US Open champion, and several former PGA tour players I fancied my chances given my latest form.

I got off to a slow start, not hitting my best shots. I bogeyed the second after finding trouble right off the tee. But, soon found my rhythm and birdied 4, 5 and 6 to get my round on track. I then hit a great 9 iron to 4 feet at the 9th and was -3 at the turn. In Monday qualifier, you have to remain aggressive. I knew that there were going to be some low scores but I did a good job of staying in the present and not thinking too much about the end result - something everybody has a tendency to do.

I hit a really poor tee shot on 10, but got lucky....could have gone out of bounds but instead I was able to hit a hooked-round-the-trees recovery to the green and made a par. I made another par saver to remain at -3 at the 11th after my wedge went a little too far. Over the last 7 holes, my putter eluded me. I missed great opportunities at 12 & 14 and failed to save par at 15 which put me back to -2. The last 3 holes, I was trying to birdie all of them and post as low as possible but couldn't quite do it. I 3 putted the last for par after hitting the green in 2 on the uphill 550 yard par 5 which put a bit of a dampener on the round.

I finished in a tie for 11th place, 3 shots off the qualifying number at -5. Not the finish I wanted but nonetheless a really good effort and I am happy the way I went about my business. I have now shot 6 consecutive rounds in the 60's in tournament play so I am definitely on the right track.

My next event is next week, back on the egolf tour for the Southern Open. Top 60 on the money list at the end of the season will qualify for the 'Million Dollar Championship Series' I currently sit in 56th position and will look to improve upon that next week.

Thanks for following.

Lee

moving in the right direction..

Since my last post, I have played in 2 tournaments. Both had really low scoring. This is going to be a lengthy post, hope it won't be a boring read!

In between my last event and these current 2, I was invited to play in a charity pro am. 15 professionals were asked to play in the pro am benefitting the 'Green Beret' US Special Forces. There are several organisations which allow veterans of the Special Forces to get together for events like the pro am, share stories and meet people. It was a really great couple of days, I got to hear some interesting things! I shot -1 individually, my team came 10th out of 25 teams, so not too bad. All good fun.

This time of year the 'Bent Grass' greens are struggling because of the heat. Most head green keepers have to keep them kind of slow and soft. If they didn't treat them with air and water, they would lose the greens. Augusta National stays closed throughout the summer to maintain their Bent greens. Bermuda greens, which are more common here in the southern states (and more economical), thrive in the more humid conditions but lately we haven't played any tournaments on those.

Anyway, that agronomy lesson was a long way of saying - the greens are soft, the conditions are benign, combine that with a strong group of professionals and you can guarantee low scoring.

In the first tournament at Forest Oaks, I played ok but not good enough. I didn't take advantage of my birdie opportunities when I had them and a couple of loose swings cost me badly. I shot +1 for the first round and +2 for the second. I actually played better in the second round but scored worse, that's golf! I did some hard work on my swing and had a phone conversation with my psychology coach before I headed to the next event. I am using my mental capacity better and better, a definite improvement and although I haven't had my best tee-to-green....I have been able to put some good rounds together.

My second event since my last blog entry, was this week at Mimosa Hills - another early 20th Century Donald Ross design (same designer as Pinehurst no#2 for those who didn't know...as well as many others in the Carolinas).

Round 1, I got off to a bit of a shaky start with a couple of errant tee shots. However, I got fortunate and was able to hit some good recovery shots. I birdied a couple of the easy-ish holes, so -2 for 9 steady golf. Then I bogeyed 11&12 to fall back to level. I bounced back well after those 2 bogeys and birdies 13&14, which was important for my round. I bogeyed the par 3 17th after finding a bad lie in the bunker and ended up -1 only 4 off the lead at that point.

Round 2 was better...I started on the 10th and didn't do much wrong on my front 9...I was plodding along, getting up and down when I had to save par and rolled in a couple of birdie putts to again make the turn in -2 (by which time the clouds were getting dark) I birdied the first, after a nice wedge shot, shortly before the horn sounded for suspension of play due to lightning in the area. At that point, knowing the time, I found a TV in the clubhouse and watched the England vs Uruguay nightmare. After 3 hours of watching that and waiting, we got called back on to the course to finish up. I was a little anxious to get my round finished off strong but stuck to my routine and took one shot at a time. I was able to make a birdie on the par 3 6th and finished with a slightly disappointing bogey at the last, but again bad lie in the bunker so couldn't complain. I was -4 for the 2 round and made the cut.

Round 3 was the tale of two different 9's. Teeing off on the 10th I made 2 poor bogeys on 11&13 and a triple on that bloody par 3 17th! That happened without me hitting too bad of a shot. I messed around in the bunker after getting ANOTHER terrible lie, and ended up tapping in for 6! Anyway, I didn't let it rattle me too much and kept telling myself to take each shot at a time.

The front 9 (my back 9) is where the fun started. I hit a wedge to 4 feet at the 1st, led to a birdie. A wedge to 3 feet at the 2nd, birdie. A wedge to 2 feet at the 4th, birdie. A wedge to 7 feet at the 5th, birdie. An up and down on the par 5 7th, birdie. A 6 iron to 5 feet at the par 3 9th, birdie!! So after all that, +5 after 9....I ended up shooting 29 (-6) on the back 9 and -1 for the day - a rollercoaster ride!

Round 4, I was hoping to build on the second 9 from round 3 and unfortunately couldn't quite do it. I was only -1 on my front 9 and to be honest....could have been worse if it wasn't for the short game. I made 3 more birdies on my back 9 but coupled with 2 bogeys I shot 68 (-2). A decent finish.

So this week was a couple of firsts for me; First time I've ever broken 30 for 9 holes in a tournament. First time I've ever shot 4 rounds in the 60's. Although I was a fair way off the lead in the end, I was proud of myself for that and feel this is going to be the springboard for the rest of the year. I ended up t26th on the week and made another pay cheque.

I still have a lot of work to do, mainly in the long game. I am not content with my play tee to green, it has to be better, especially on more demanding courses. I am up to the task.

My next event is a pre qualifier for the Greenbrier Classic (PGA Tour event) in West Virginia, this Thursday.

My girlfriend who has been here for the last 3 weeks sadly leaves today to go back to New Zealand for the rest of the summer. It's been great having her here and an advantage being on the bag at the last 3 events. For those wondering, I will be fine!!!

Sorry it's been such a long post. I had a lot to write.

All best,

Lee

end of may

Hi all

I had a decent week this week in Greensboro. I was finally able to put a couple of solid rounds back-to-back in order to make the cut.

I shot 3 straight rounds of 70 (E) on a tricky Pete Dye (same designer as Sawgrass) designed course. I ended up t24th so definitely making progress.

Overall, I kept the ball in play...minimised my errors and relied on my short game when I missed the greens. I didn't have my ball striking A game but my wedge and putter kept my score going. I was pleased with the way I remained in the present moment without thinking too far ahead.

Some highlights of the week:

Birdies on the par 3 2nd in both round 1&2
Holing a flop shot for birdie on 15 in final round
Driving on the front edge of the par 4 3rd (300 yards)
6/7 up and downs in the first round and 70% total for the week is pretty handy

Although this week was a step in the right direction, and I must take positives from every week. My goals are still as lofty as ever. Scraping around the cut line doesn't qualify as meeting my targets. I will continue to improve and use this as a launching pad for the summer but I am by no means satisfied or complacent.

I have a week off this week and then I will be playing back in Greensboro, NC at Forest Oaks Country Club the following week for which my girlfriend will be on the bag!

I have added a couple of pictures from this past week, to brighten up the blog a little bit.

Will update soon..

Cheers

update

Hi all,

I thought I'd better update the blog. Its been a couple of weeks so here we go;

In summary, my game has not been great of late. My short game has been decent and I have shown signs of positive play but overall my ball striking has been way off the mark in the last 3 weeks.

1. I made an error with the course selection for my US Open local qualifier. I didn't play my best golf, but I just couldn't get the greens, after a while the bumpy but quick surfaces got the better of my putting stroke which filtered into my long game. I started well and was dealing with it alright.... -2 through 8 holes.... but faded and played some poor stuff on the back 9. I didn't qualify unfortunately.

2. Next was the Web.com Monday qualifier in Rocky Mount, NC - a Donald Ross designed golf course. I was starting on the 10th hole, hit my tee shot to the right, chipped out to the fairway and then pulled a 4 iron, onto the cart path next to the green and out of bounds... A re-load after that, ended up with a triple bogey on my first hole. With these qualifiers requiring such a low score to qualify, I was already snookered. I hit my second shot over the back of the next and all of a sudden +4 through 2 holes :/ I actually played pretty good golf after that, level par for the remaining 16 but constantly fighting my swing..6/9 up and down saves helped but I wasn't going to qualify putting for par all day after that start.

3. Third update to report: Willow Creek Open. Nice course, got some good notes from my pal Tommy Everest who has played the course several times in his time in High Point, NC. If my swing would have accompanied me, I could well have challenged for the title. Unfortunately, a serious case of the lefts replaced my normal swing. I have been working on thinking less about the swing and more externally but was struggling with that. I bogeyed my last 2 holes in round 1 to shoot +5. In the second round I was just trying to find something on the range before hand and go with it. Luckily I did find something, I birdied all the par 5's and ground out a 70 (-2) to remind myself that I can still play this game. I holed some putts which was nice including a 40-foot par saver on the 5th.

I am going to take a day off from golf  tomorrow and possibly on Saturday. I have played nearly 300 holes this month so far and feel a break would help. I am going to speak with my swing coach soon and see if we can iron out a few of these swing issues.

I have an E-golf tournament in Greensboro next week. I am planning a more positive blog post after that! I will get to spend some time with my girlfriend starting next week...maybe she'll give me the kick up the arse I need!!! It'll come soon.

Cheers for following.

Lee

No Wells Fargo but heading in the right direction...

I played today in my first ever PGA Tour Monday Qualifier.

I got off to a slowish start, not hitting the ball that great but made 6 straight pars to begin with. On the 7th, I got a little bit of a flyer from the semi rough and went long - unable to save par. Then I didn't make birdie on the par 5 8th. So +1 through the first 8....not really the quick start I was after.

I saved par from the bunker on the 235 yard par 3 9th and then really started to play some good golf on the back 9 where I hit every fairway and every green in regulation. I was only able to get 2 birdies including one on the 18th. I ended up 69 (-1) - more like the scoring I am used to!

There were only 4 qualifying spots available from ~100 players and the mark was at -6 or better...a pretty tall order, but I'll make it with a great round sooner or later.

I'm happy with the work I have been doing and I'm definitely heading in the right direction. I'm thinking better and swinging better so good things will come..

I tee it up again on Wednesday in the Columbia Open, South Carolina.

Follow www.egolfprofessionaltour.com for scoring, I will also be updating my blog at the conclusion.

Next up after that will be U.S Open qualifying...Vamos!

A glimmer..

OK, first of all... I am sorry I haven't posted in about 3 or so weeks. It isn't really difficult to post regular updates, I just wasn't sure what I could say that you all didn't already know.

St James tournament was not very good. I was getting pretty down on myself both on the course and off it. My scoring was way off in the tournament and to be honest it seems like a long time ago. You have to use failure as fuel, you can't let it affect you negatively and that's what I've been working on. I have got over that now and begun moving forward.

In the past couple of weeks I've covered quite a lot of ground. I read a book called 'elite minds' by Dr Stan Beecham which was introduced to me by my girlfriend. Stan is a psychologist based in Atlanta, Georgia. After reading his book I decided to contact him and to see if it was at all possible to work with him.... after speaking on Monday, I travelled down 4 hours to Atlanta on Tuesday and spent the afternoon working with him. I learned so much and addressed a lot of the issues I have. Every golfer has a team around them and I finally establishing one of my own. I am looking forward to working with him in the future.

I got to put some of the work we have done into practice at the Wells Fargo pre-qualifier today. I shot 71 (+1) and was just enough to qualify for the Monday qualifier. I am now one quality round away from making my PGA Tour debut. It will be tough as there are only 4 spots up for grabs in a ~150 player field but my best golf is good enough so I will be trusting it. Today I made a 20 foot putt to birdie the 18th and qualify by 1 shot so I think that is a very good sign.

My schedule is set to get very busy so I will be updating my blog soon.

Cheers

Lee

Cowans Ford Open

I was hitting the ball very nicely in the lead up to the event at Cowans Ford. For the most part, I was driving the ball well and flagging my irons. My putting has been a little off, the greens at Raintree have been holo-tined so it has been difficult to do much constructive practice. However, I know that I am a great putter with a nice stroke so it will come back around, I just need to get the confidence up.

My practice round was hampered by a hail storm so I only managed to play 12 holes and walk the rest which wasn't ideal but better than nothing, I wasn't going to freeze to death! 

I got off to a decent start in round 1. I birdied the par 5 first and then threatened birdie at the next 5 holes without getting anything to drop (perfect Bent Grass greens by the way)....a par at 6 was followed by a slight misjudgement of the wind at the 8th which led to a bogey (missing a straight 5 footer). I made par at the 9th and turned at a respectable level par. Hitting all but 1 of the greens in regulation.

I got up and down for par at 10 (one of my few up and downs of the tournament)...and then made what turned out to be a good bogey at 11 after pulling my 4 iron into a bad spot on the 220 yard par 3. My first real poor swing of the day came at 13, where I missed the fairway left and went into a ditch....a bogey followed and +2 through 13. 2 great shots into the par 5 15 but only a par to show for it. Then a bogey on 17...hitting 6 iron straight into the sun I came out of it, and another failed attempt at an up and down. I finished the round at 75 (+3) not too bad on a windy day but really felt like I got nothing from my round.

Round 2 was a story of 2 sides to my game. Great off the tee, crap everywhere else! I hit 12/14 fairways and the 2 that missed were by 2 yards. I really was not able to get anything to drop, my short game was vacant and I really scored badly. I was level par thru the 16th (my 7th)....misjudged the wind on 17 and my normally terrific bunker game couldn't save me...so +1. The par 5 18th (my 9th) was where my round really came apart. I had 270 yards to the green for my second, and thought with a really hard 3 wood, I could get home...I suppose I was a little too aggressive because I made a bad swing and blocked it right and ended up out of bounds, 20 or so yards right of the green. I made par with the second ball but that cost me a double and +3 for the round.

The back 9 was mostly packed with great driving, and bad short game. I couldn't get anything in the hole for love nor money. I was again happy with my patience...I didn't let anything get the better of me but in the end I finished up +7 for the round. Very surprising, especially given how I drove it.

Like every event I try to take positives away, and I will. I haven't driven the ball this well in ages so I am happy about that. I have always had a good short game so I am not too concerned. I will continue to put in the hours at practice to get better. You can't really score if your short game is somewhere else. I plan to practice that a lot in the coming week.

Since the event ended, I have got new clubs. I have jumped ship to PING. I went to get fit for my new clubs in Atlanta a few weeks ago and finally they arrived last week after having them made in Phoenix, Arizona. I have got a G25 driver, i25 3 wood and G25 20 degree hybrid. I have gone for the s55 irons. They feel great and I now know that the clubs fit me 100% so I can gain optimum performance.

I am leaving next Sunday to go to St James Plantation. I will be playing a Pro-Am on Monday and then the tournament will begin Wednesday.

Stay tuned for more details and thanks again for following.

Sorry it's a lengthy post (will try to condense in future)!!

Lee

End of a very tough couple of weeks

I got back home yesterday from my first trip on the road this year, and a very below par performance.

In conditions that should have been in my favour, I wasn't anywhere near up to the standard required to be successful at this level. There were glimpses of good play and I will take what positives I can from the 2 events but there is a lot of work to be done.

My 2nd round was split into 2 parts. 11 holes and 7 holes......The 11 holes were in wind and rain and in all honesty some really poor errors...soon enough I had reached +9! So anyway, after that...I came back the next day after suspension of play and played some decent stuff. Hit the last 7 greens in regulation and shot level par for those holes with a 3-putt on 17. So as I said, every cloud! I did get a positive from the round.

I am not sure I was quite prepared as well as I could be, playing no competitive golf since October. I certainly did put in hours over the break but rust was obvious these 2 weeks.

Mentally I did feel more relaxed than I remember being last year. I am definitely more focused on the process than the 'what if's' and nerves from last year. Something I would like to improve is being quick to curse a bad break or a silly mistake. I have to remain more level headed which has always been an advantage I have over others. I know that hard work accompanied with a good temperament (not too high on the highs and not too low on the lows) will lead to success.

With all that being said....it wasn't just the times I was caught napping this week....I didn't execute the shots I wanted to. My ball flight was too inconsistent and no matter your mental condition you have to be able to keep the ball on the golf course!

I am actually going to have a revamp in my equipment. I won't say which company I am going with yet until it goes through but I am going to get fully fitted through my bag. I am due for this and think I will benefit from it hugely.

In order to give myself time to adjust to the new equipment and ready myself to compete again I will be missing the NorthStone Open and my next event will be the Cowans Ford Open starting on the 26th March. That will give me a good 2 weeks preparation and be ready to go again. I have approximately 24 tournaments on the schedule and I feel that a little time will do me the world of good.

Thanks all for following. I will update you soon.

Lee

Not the first round I wanted at Callawassie

Pretty poor conditions for most of round 1 at Callawassie. The morning wave got the worst of the weather, luckily I missed the bad stuff teeing off in the afternoon but I was unable to capitalise on the opportunity.

Beginning on the 10th, I started off pretty well. I made 3 good 2-putts on the first 3 holes to stay at level. Was good to get the speed of the greens early in the round. I birdied the 13th (my 4th) holing from the fringe after a good second shot. I gave myself mid-range birdie opportunities at the next 3 holes but couldn't be too aggressive with the putts and was satisfied with my pars. The 17th doesn't fit my eye, I hit a good tee shot but a bit of an unconvincing lay up, and left myself 180 for my 3rd shot. (I did not have a great lie in the semi rough and therefore couldn't have gone for the carry) I then hit my first poor shot of the round, in the bunker short right with no green to work with. I took my medicine and ended up with a bogey. No problem. On 18 (my 9th) I pulled my iron fractionally and instead of catching the ridge and feeding to the pin, it hung up in the fringe and I was left with a stance impeded by the bunker. I wasn't able to get down in 2, so 1 over through 9. Not a bad score but definitely felt like I had left a couple out there.

On the front 9 (my back) I started off ok again. 3 pars at 1, 2, & 3. I was sticking to my routine and trying to play within myself. Kept telling myself to remain patient as I knew the scoring would not be very low. Unfortunately I did not manage to keep the steady play going. I left a 7 iron right on the 4th from a slightly awkward stance in the left rough, couldn't really get the pitch close and made a bogey. Then on the 6th I hit my only slightly wayward tee shot of the day. I guess it would be easy to say I didn't commit that well to the shot, but I did, I just didn't execute. A block to the right, a terrible bounce off the tree and path and a re-load after it rolled a yard out of bounds. I regrouped and made a par with the second ball but a 7 and two shots gone.

My last 3 holes I again didn't get up and down from short of the green on 7 and carelessly 3 putted the 9th hole (my last) to leave a very sour taste.

I feel like I threw away a pretty solid round today. I have to be more professional than that. I was happy with the way I stuck to my process, I picked my target and swung to that every shot and didn't get too wrapped up in the outcome. I did get a little rattled toward the end of my round, I felt like my nice calm ball flight had deserted me. I have to do a better job of that next time. I will learn from it.

Now I will have to shoot a good score tomorrow to get back in the tournament. I know I can do it. I just have to play clever, trust my swing and trust my putting.

I am sure I will get back to scoring properly soon.

8.30 tee time tomorrow.

Lee

Early exit from Palmetto Hall, time to get back on the straight and narrow

I thought Round 2 at Palmetto was going to be a good one. I had showed signs at the conclusion of round 1 that I was getting back on track with some consistent play. I had a really good warm up before the round and was positive in my mind set. I started off on the back 9 decently, I just missed a five footer at my first hole (the 10th) for birdie and then birdied the tough par 3 12th. to go -1 through 3. My goal was to keep pressing to try and get as close to level for the tournament as possible. On the next hole I hit a quick left tee shot that didn't clear the hazard and had to re-tee, I made a good par with the second ball but 1 poor swing and 2 shots gone. I stuck to my game plan though and was playing pretty good but not capitalising on my chances. I then missed the green with an 8 iron from the middle of the fairway at the 17th which led to a bogey. 2 poor swings and I was 2 over through 8 holes. A little harsh, but it can happen with a lack of tournament sharpness and a demanding course.

I did keep patient so I am pleased about that, however my score did not improve on the back 9. A par at the 1st was followed with what I can only say was bad fortune at the 2nd hole. I did not feel comfortable all week with this tee shot but hit an ok one down the right. I found myself in the 'ground under repair' section of the fairway with my nearest point of relief being blocked out for my second with a really tight 2nd shot. Faced with this I had 2 options, go for a mega slice 4 iron round the trees or a chip out sideways. With my position in the tournament, I decided to go with the former, it didn't come off and in the end I made a 'good' bogey after finding the hazard. The next tee shot was also a tough one, I pulled it a bit and with the wind and a bounce left that went out of bounds. Par with the second ball and another couple gone. The next few holes were littered with more mistakes, mostly from the tee. I did finish with a birdie which I think does show a lot for my character. I closed with a second round 79 which equates to an early exit from my first event back.

So what did I learn from this week? I got to play with Peter Malnati this week who is a member of PGA tour, taking a short break to get some more competitive golf under his belt. I don't like to directly compare myself to other golfers because in order to be successful you must find what suits you best. But it was pretty evident this week that there was a gap between him and I when it comes to finding fairways. I am longer, arguably strike the ball more flush but I have to find a way, particularly with the challenging tee shots to find the fairway somehow, even if I need to take 15-20 yards off. This week I was unable to do that. My poor shots were costing me more than they should. I am not going to press the panic button or anything and I am going to continue to trust the process of what I am doing. I haven't played an event in over 5 months so I will only get better from here.

Next week I am playing at Callawassie Island, a great course so I am itching to get back out there and set the record straight.

Play begins Wednesday the 5th. I will have a practice round Tuesday afternoon.

Thanks again for following. Stay tuned for some good news.

Lee

Round 1 Palmetto Hall

Alright, that's over! Just got back from the conclusion of round 1 which was split into 8 and 10 holes over the last 2 days because of the weather.

Yesterday was pretty crazy with the conditions and unfortunately my game was somewhere else! I was really struggling to find my 'go to' shot and found myself in some undesirable places off the tee. All this accumulated to +6 through the first 7 holes! I then birdied the short par 3 8th after my 8 iron had skipped toward the hole, by which time all grip between hands and club was gone.

We had just teed up on the 9th and the horn sounded for suspension of play - after further delays the tour decided to suspend play for the day. So, overnight I was +5 and really not feeling great about the swing but I have to say the conditions did not help. I did birdie the last hole my day so there were some positives to take. I was happy with the way I conducted myself, I didn't get too rattled or angry or anything I kept my patience well.

I did feel a little better in my warm up this morning and got off to a pretty good start in completely different weather. I made a par on the tough 9th and a birdie at 10. I misjudged my wedge shot into 11 and made bogey. 7 solid pars followed on the back 9 and although I would've liked to have picked a couple up it was nice to get some consistency back into the game.

Now my target for the tournament is to try and get back close to level par. I am not worried about the lead or anything like that. I just have to stick to my own game, one shot - one hole at a time. Today showed me that my game can be there so I'll try to get back in the mix. After the start I had yesterday, I am satisfied to still be in the event.

Stay tuned for an update on round 2. Not sure what my tee time is yet. Will be notified later.

Egolf Tour

www.egolfprofessionaltour.com

This is the website to look at for results/stats/tee times/money lists and everything else you might want.

Driving to Hilton Head tomorrow.

Cheers,

Lee

3 days before I head to Hilton Head

Hi everyone, the weather has picked up here in Charlotte. I have finally been able to do some good work on and off the course.

My on course play has been a bit of a mix, feeling a little uncomfortable with the swing but by now it is easy for me to understand my misses. I have been working on the same kinds of things with Steve now for at least the last 2 years so making adjustments becomes more natural. Understanding your ball flight is one of the main keys to playing well in golf. The worst feeling is not knowing why the ball went in the direction it did - something we can all relate to unfortunately!

Today was the best range session I have had since coming back. One of the main points in my swing is to retain the loft on the club on the way down rather than slightly turned in and under plain. My stock shot is a nice little fade, a shot I can rely on when I am in an 'accuracy first' situation (most of the time unless you are playing a wide open course).

I will leave for Hilton Head on Monday. The tournament format changed slightly; The Egolf tour have made it just over the Robert Cupp course at Palmetto Hall Plantation rather than both Cupp and Hills courses. The Cupp is the harder of the two venues so scoring might be a little bit higher. I just have to remember par is never a bad score and to be patient especially if the conditions are not favourable.

The conditions here over the last 3 days have been really nice. Back in shorts today and yesterday! How long it will last is yet to be seen...

Thanks for staying tuned. I'll leave you with a pic of the top of my backswing from today. Pretty good position to attack the ball from.

Cheers,

Lee

Update

It has been a very frustrating last 7 days here in Charlotte. The weather has been causing problems and the golf course has been closed since last Tuesday. The worst of it seems to have passed now and we should see the courses at Raintree re-opening this Wednesday.

Obviously my preparation has not been as thorough as I would like, but you have to do the best with what you are given. Most of the members of the E-golf tour are based in the area so at least others will have suffered too (slightly cynical!).

I have been to the driving range the last 3 days and I'm happy to report my swing is feeling pretty close. All you can do when you are not playing is do a lot of 'mirror work' at home checking positions, stretch and do a little indoor putting. My workout routine is in full flow, it hasn't too long to get the body firing on all cylinders again so I am happy with that.

I will leave for Hilton Head on Monday morning, two days before the tournament. I played there last year but want to familiarise myself with both courses again. Plus it is good prep to play the course the day before even if you know it well. From last year, they are two course where accuracy is a premium. They are not the longest courses out there but the Robert Cupp course in particular is quick to punish a slightly wayward shot. Looking forward to getting down there.

I will leave with a picture of the conditions here in the middle of last week. Hoping for some warmer weather around the corner!

Lastly, for the record; this blog won't be generic in content. I will post specific detail and give insight into my activities and thoughts. I have read a lot of blogs that become tedious and very samey.

Anyway, thanks for following.

All the best,

Lee

February

I arrived in Charlotte yesterday afternoon, to lovely warm and dry temperatures after a long but luckily very comfortable flight.

This year I have the same living situation as last. I have a car. I have a driving permit. Insurance. Membership of golf club and gym. A lot of the admin stuff I did for the first week last year is already in place. Fortunately, this year I have been able to hit the ground running.

I have 3 weeks until I leave for my first tournament of the year - The Palmetto Hall Championship, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Last year I missed the cut by 1, after playing a very solid first 27 holes. I like the two courses so I hope to improve on that.

These 3 weeks will be used to practice as much as I can and get back into playing more out on the course. After learning from last year, I am going to put more emphasis on playing over practicing so much on the range. Last year I probably practice 60% and played 40% while at practice. This year closer to 55% playing, 45% practice.

I was able to do some great work with my swing coach Steve Blacklee in the off season so all is looking good and I am ready.

A little summary of practice today:

Putting was nice to get the feel of smooth greens again, the bent-grass greens at Raintree GC love the cooler temps so they were nice. I feel as though I have a little too much face rotation with the putter head at the moment, spent a little time putting with just my right hand holding face squarer after impact.

Range- felt good, timing just a smidge out but to be expected having not played for a few days. Just hit about 100 to loosen up and practice feelings I've been working on.

Course- 9 holes, hit every fairway today 7/7 which was the main positive and as I have said before, the main area I needed to improve from last year.

Putting, chipping and bunker play. Same kind of things just loosening up and getting the fundamentals down.

Today was to get the feeling back. Pleased to say it all went well and I achieved what I wanted to. I usually set a plan and goals to meet every day at practice, this will begin tomorrow.

Getting back into the gym today was brilliant, I have missed it. I have mainly been just running and stretching at home. My workouts are not just cardio or strength based, I incorporate every aspect to be a professional golfer - strong in all areas. I will be going to the gym 6 days a week. Tournament weeks on the road are difficult as they don't always have the facilities I need but you have to do the best you can, stay loose and not spend too much time inactive. Having a years experience is great, I know what to expect at various tournaments and how I can maximise my time.

Thanks for stopping by for the updates. Feel free to post anything you want to on here. Happy to answer questions. I will be posting the occasional video and photo to keep the viewers entertained! Likely to post updates every week or two....stay tuned! I'm really blown away by the support I have received, I'll continue to give 100% as always.

Cheers all,

Lee

Test

Hello Everyone,

This is just a test to see if the blog entry system is working.

Lee