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.
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Sunday, 23 February 2014
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
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
Friday, 21 February 2014
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
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
Monday, 17 February 2014
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
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
Monday, 3 February 2014
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
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
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