Massive Update

Well since I haven't updated since October, maybe it's time for an update. A lot has changed since my trip to Phoenix. I had the awesome opportunity of having my boyfriend, best friend and best caddy along to help. He helped immensely. Always does. I can't even remember what I shot, but I felt like it was going to be a good warm up for Qschool the next week.

My time in Florida was awful. I have never felt so betrayed by golf and so awful on a golf course. I started out poorly and finished my first 18 holes with a +6/-1. Ha. How's that for starters? Well I took it with a grain of salt and was ready for the next day. Similar day. WTF. I felt like golf was turning on me. No matter how much I let it go, at the end of the round I still felt like shit. After my third round, and a missed cut, I was done. So ready to not feel like I was on an emotional roller coaster. So ready to not be on a golf course. I haven't felt that in a verrrrry long time. Every chapter has an end, and it really felt like this was the end of it.

I spent some much needed time with my sister who works at Disney World and got to experience the parks with her which was an absolute blast. I also got to spend some days with my old teammate which was amazing. We had some pretty crazy adventures which included watching kittens thrown out the window of a car and rescuing them. Eventually she fostered the thrown kitten. Wow.

After golf was over, I started to really feel life again. I have prayed immensely over this and really feel it is not the direction God has for me in my life. My summer was unforgettable and so valuable but God's purpose in my life does not lie in traveling the country along feeling empty. I didn't and still don't feel like me playing golf is benefiting anyone but myself and that guilt seems insurmountable. You can think what you want, maybe I have too much talent to stop playing, I know my work ethic could get me anywhere in this game but without the desire to become better and healthy ways to deal with guilt, and the stress of touring, I can't continue.

This post hasn't even addressed the issue of funding a year. It is too tough in this economy to ask people to donate to my dream. I know my dream is valuable, maybe it's not my dream anymore, but I will not continue in massive debt that this past year has put me in. I will forever be so grateful for the people that did help me along my way, I even invested a lot of my own savings, but I am still in the red and I refuse to continue that pattern being a young adult trying to make it in this society.

I just feel betrayed by golf. I have worked my whole life at this, thought I could make it on tour which a lot of people can't do, but turns out I can't. I feel so incredibly lucky to be able to check that off my list. To be able to live that dream and find out it's not for me. In the long run, and even now a little bit, I have come to terms that that is not in my journey anymore. This, however, does not mean that golf can't be a vessel to give back to the community, and in my free time, I will be doing just that. I have had SO many amazing opportunities from playing golf. From the places I have been to, all across North America, to the friends I have met, all across North America. I have met some of the most amazing people and met them in their own journey and it has been so memorable.

A part of me feels like it's dying and it's sad. It's hard to tell people about this but it's just another step in the journey. I have tons of other interests people have no clue because to all of them I am known as a golfer. It is not my identity and it never defined me. The intangibles of hard work, determination, focus, discipline have always defined me. Whatever the vessel is to showcase those traits doesn't define a person and if you get anything from this post take that.

Since my trip to Florida, I have accepted a position at a preschool academy and have been teaching 2year olds. It has been a great transition and I love working with them everyday. I have also been training for 5ks and 10ks, and set my personal records in the month of November. In the month of December I have basically been sick the entire month and had a lot of time to think and deal with all of this. It's been a struggle. It hasn't been easy, but what in life is?

Heading South...

Well, the year isn't quite over yet. Headed down to Phoenix to play in the Arizona Women's Open this week. You can follow here. It will be a good warm up for Q-School in two weeks down in Florida.

Here's to lots of birdies and sunshine!

Tis The Season For Growth

It's tough to sum up an entire year. Hasn't seemed like a year to me. Overall, it was one of the best times of my life. To be on the road, and doing what I love and having some success was awesome. I met some amazing people, my host "parents" or the friends I made on tour. I have so many awesome memories of the year. And there were many moments of frustration that causes someone to wonder if it was the right decision. I matured as a golfer and a person, so judging by that, it was a great year. Whenever there is growth there has to be some tough times, and there were. There were moments when my back was up against the wall financially and I had to make a cut to send in a full check for the next series, and I made it happen. However, I didn't achieve my goals that I had wanted to. I know I am a great player and can do great things. I know I can win on the Duramed FUTURES Tour and I know it will be on God's watch, not mine. There were a lot of mistakes that I made this past year that were just evidence of my age as a golfer, they were rookie mistakes. The best thing about making mistakes is you know exactly what to work on to be better, and in a way I am thankful for that.

I stayed with families that I would never hesitate to claim as my own. They were so great and for someone who was a "homebody" in college grew into someone that could interact and bond with whoever came her way, and for that I am very thankful. It was a key ingredient in this year being a success.

I had given up my dream on playing professional golf in college. College golf does that to some people. You get so sick of being told what to do, where to go, what to wear. In a way its easier than professional golf but you have so much drama to deal with. When it goes on for four years I couldn't help but associate all those negative feelings about college golf with just golf. But after my senior year something happened and I fell in love again. That "newfound" independence after graduation made me feel like I could tackle anyone, anytime. It led to a stellar amateur summer and spring boarded me into Duramed Qualifying School.

As my off-season (sort of) starts, I will take those things, build off what I can and get ready for my next events and next season.

This Is What I Did This Summer....

View Larger Map

9,000 or so miles later I am home!

Greater Richmond Classic: Round 2

Dawn and I had a mid morning round again which was nice because it has been so bloody hot here all week. I struggled right away, three over after four then I turned it around. Those are always mental victories for me because it's tough to do that. If you wake up in a funk, or sleep poorly, there are so many factors that you could let ruin your day but you have to choose to fight, everyday, otherwise you can't survive out there. Plain and simple. I made the turn in +1 after making two straight tap in birdies. The back was going well but after a poor swing on #16 found an inch into the hazard but my ball had somehow gone into a hole the perfect diameter of a golf ball, I had to drop and made double. It's tough when it comes down to one swing, but that's how this level is. You either make a lot of birdies to offset your mistakes or you don't make mistakes. It's part of the thrill and it is part of the dissapointment. It sucks to miss a cut after a semi-streak of made cuts but that's how it goes. I think I come off that it doesn't bother me to miss a cut, but it really makes me angry, for about 5 minutes, then I get into pro-active mode to find out what to work on, change, get sharp for the next event. Life is to short to get mad over missed cuts. When that happens, there is always a lesson. Whether we want to learn the lesson or not, it is there and you can either learn it and get better or you can sulk in your pride and pity and be miserable. The latter sounds like torture to me!

I am playing in a pro-am in Raleigh, NC on Monday so I will be getting ready for that. It is benefiting breast cancer research, which hits close to home. My boyfriend's mother has breast cancer for a second time and just finished chemo [Insert prayer] and thought it was a perfect opportunity to be a part of such an incredible cause.

Greater Richmond Classic: Round 1

I played with Dawn Shockley, first of all. If you don't recognize the name, she played junior golf in CO with me and we've known each other forever. The last time we played together was in high school at her home course. Crazy! Needless to say, it was fun to catch up with her and see how she has developed as a golfer since high school. We teed off in the morning so it was good to get out there early. It was a tough day though. Up and down and had a chance of rain all day so we thought we were just gonna get poured on. Well, on our 17th hole, IT POURED! We weren't pulled off the course so we had to play those last two tough finishing holes in a downpour. I had a 6' for par on #17 and I could hear the rain coming down the cart path. Rain in the south is cool like that, it comes at you in a sheet but you can see the defined line. Anyway, we both struggled with pouring in the birdies and shot the same thing, 74.

We'll be playing again tomorrow!!

Richmond, VA

I stopped on the way down from PA at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. What a find that was! I spent about 2.5 hours grazing in facts and accounts of marines who fought in all different wars. How awesome. When I left, I was just totally overcome with emotion. What an honor it was to see all that and what an incredible sacrifice. That was probably the closest I have come to trying to grasp the concept of risking a life for freedom. It was very cool. Here are some awesome pictures I took.

 {the flag that was raised on Mount Suribachi made famous by Jon Rosenthal's photograph}

{pins mark the lives lost on Iwo Jima}

{hidden photograph of Iwo Jima when taken against the same wall, but with flash}

Pennsylvania

The week has gone by fast. I have [obviously] forgotten to blog but I'm sure it wasn't missed that much. I shot a ho-hum 72-73 to make the cut then didn't putt well the last day en route to a 77. I had a fantastic host family this past week, filled with bonding, great dinners, and unexpected gifts [shamwow] but that's the usual out here. So many great people to meet and parts of the country to get to know. I took a trip to Gettysburg which was AWESOME.

I was pretty happy that I could work that into my week. I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't, being so close and all. I could have spent a week there but settled for about an hour and a half.

The course was good, kinda hilly on the side of a "mountain" which was cool. We played lift, clean and place because the fairways were pretty patchy.

This next week will be my last out here, I will miss the Albany tournament in three weeks. I am looking forward to a good, solid push before my break. What a grind.

Harrisburg, PA

We got here after a treacherous 4 hour drive this morning. It felt like 20. Went to the golf course and hit/putted/chipped. Then I was off to chocolate world at Hershey Park! WOOT WOOT! My friend Carol is a PA native and felt it was appropriate. We had dinner in Hershey, a cute little town and had a great time catching up.

Harrisburg, PA

Population: 47,148

Elevation: 330ft.

State capital, birthplace of Newt Gingrich.

Alliance Bank Classic: Round 3

Had another great round today, -1, 70. Really, it was nothing spectacular. Just making putts when I needed to. I actually didn't putt that great number-wise, still had two three-putts but overall my putting is loads better than it was on Friday! I hit the ball great, and chipped pretty well. Conditions were so nice, overcast and cool. We played pretty fast and I moved up twenty places on the leaderboard which is awesome! It was a good ending to a good week.

On to the next. Sad to leave Wegman's behind. World's best grocery store!!

Alliance Bank Classic: Round 2

Sometimes life gets in the way. You can't expect everything to go right. Life isn't up to your plan. Last night a little bit of life got in the way. I woke up exhausted, and with a splitting headache. I had my awesome orange plaid shorts on so I chose it was gonna be a good day. I still had some work to do. I played some really steady, good golf. Made a lot of putts (thank you Eli!!) and hit some great shots. I had a ton of fun out there. Ended up shooting -1, 70 for the day. We sped around the course, having to wait for two groups at the turn.

If you were to ask what the difference was between yesterday and today, I would say: 6 inches. Between my ears. My mental attitude/confidence was so much better than yesterday. I knew the putts were going to drop, I knew I would hit it close, yadda yadda. It's a fantastic feeling! Sometimes, I get caught up in being technical, way too much than I would like, when I just need to feel the putt and trust my stroke and just let it go.

Went to the gym after I played and routinely kicked my own butt. I tend to take it out on myself when I play bad. Today's case was yesterday's poor performance that could lead to a missed cut.

Saw the movie Salt which was pretty good. I am such a sucker for a good action flick. It could be an average movie to others but I'd love it. I just like the adrenaline rush and trying to figure out the plot.

Just saw that I made the cut, so I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. Oops.

Alliance Bank Golf Classic: Round 1

Today didn't go as planned. I am hitting the ball so great, and all aspects of my game are so good right now, but it's been a challenge to fit them together efficiently. My putting hasn't been something I can rely on and in professional golf it needs to be. I have a great stroke, a great putter and I am a great putter but my attitude and confidence in putting need to be better. My practice for putting this week hasn't been on the green, it has been in my bed visualizing the ball going in from all lengths on the green.

I had a chat with my coach, Eli Haskell tonight and I am excited to get out there tomorrow. I better be, I'm the first tee time off, 7:50a. Should be able to whip around.

Syracuse, NY

Okay, not gonna lie, I'm kinda getting tired of the postcards. I have been taking way better pictures of the places I have been than those postcards portray and Tiffany Joh told me that they are stupid. Anyway, this picture made me laugh so I will share.

Population: 138,068

Elevation: 400ft.

Famous people from Syracuse: Tom Cruise, Richard Gere.

Other interesting facts: The Erie Canal ran through Syracuse.

They produced the majority of the salt in the US in the late 1700s to the early 1900s, and oddly enough I saw the movie Salt here.

The International at Concord: Round 2

The day didn't start out as planned, hitting out of some trees and trying to salvage par right out of the gates. However, I stayed patient and on my front nine, had five legit looks at birdie. On my back, I started off birdie, birdie, a good start to make up for a poor front, but struggled on some of the tough holes where all you need to walk away with is par.

It's so frustrating to miss another cut, just by a handful, and look back and think what a dope I was for missing that putt, or not chipping it closer etc. That will drive you nuts! Instead, just like every week I will focus on what needs to be better and continue to work on that until it is sufficient in tournament play.

It really does get old missing cuts, trying not to worry about the future. It's a good gut check. If you are worrying, and down on yourself you are obviously not cut out to be out here. You have to be tough skinned, and competitive, and you can't let up improving, because you better believe some other girl farther down on the list would KILL to be in your shoes.

I am blessed to be here, doing what I love, and seeing the country, in the case this week, the BEAUTIFUL country. It is a very unique situation and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world.


A few highlights before I go:

On Wednesday, I went to do some errands, clean my car, and see Inception. I stopped in a mall parking lot to wipe down the inside of my car (after nine weeks on the road, it's pretty disgusting!!) so I did the drivers side, then stepped out to get the passenger side. Well I was listening to NPR and working so the car was on. I stepped out, walked around, cleaned that side then shut the door. I walked over to the drivers side and realized I had just locked myself out of my car, while it was running. Yupp. Sure did. So I panicked for like 10 seconds, thinking how in the heck I was gonna get out of this one. I sat down to collect my thoughts and I figured I had to ask someone to use their phone to call my parents to get the AAA number. I was unfortunately without my purse, phone, anything. So I stopped a nice couple probably on their way home from the mall, and told them what I had done and asked to use their phone. They gave it to me without any hesitation. I tried, mom, dad, mom again, nothing. Then the woman said I should just call 411 and ask for Concord AAA. Genius! So I did that, they verified all my info and sent out a truck. I was standing there with mall security (haha) and the couple that stopped to help. They wished me luck in the tournament, I guess it was obvious I was a golfer, and they had housed players before so that was cool. Right when they took off, the AAA man came to save the day. It took about 10 min total and I was on my way. Only 10 min before, I was thinking man, this is going to take about 2 hours!! Funny how that works out. Glad I was in a small town. I even made it to my movie on time.

Yesterday, I went for like a four mile run from my host's house. It is in the country/mountains in NH so it's very beautiful. I was on my way back to the house, and I see this dog running straight at me. I didn't have the best feeling about this one so I stopped. Sure enough this dog was showing its teeth and barking. 'What the hell did I do to you?!' I was thinking. It started circling me and then jumped up trying to bite me. I kicked it. Yess. It jumped up again. Kicked it again. Meanwhile the owners are making their best efforts to come restrain the dog, all were unsuccessful when it jumped at me again. It got my shorts, but it was a small price to pay for not biting my leg! It seemed distracted as it ran off the other way, and I started to run on home. I passed the owners and they said, "This is why we don't usually let him out". Haha. Really? Your dog is freaking crazy. You should NEVER let him out! So I sprinted home, periodically looking back to see if Cujo was on my tail. Thankfully he wasn't.

Today, I am practicing until my hands bleed, then maybe another run. Tomorrow I am heading an hour north east to the coast of Maine for some "lobstah". I'm not a big lobster eater, but I guess if it's the best lobster in the country, I'll eat it. This place I am going to is right on the coast, by a sweet lighthouse. It will give me some good down time and relaxation before our next event in Syracuse, NY.

The International at Concord: Round 1

Today was fun! I love playing when it's overcast. It feels more quiet to me. Whatever that means...I started off great, hitting it 315 off the first tee! Made the turn in -1. The front and back nine on this course are so different. The front is kinda open with flat holes and the back is up and down and tree-lined. Very pretty though. We played in a pretty constant mist/rain. It was refreshing. The temp was pretty low too 78, wow was it perfect! The back was more of a scramble but without two three putt bogeys I played pretty well, +1, 73. Just need some birdies to drop and I'll be doing a bit better.

Tee off tomorrow with Caroline Larsson and Laura Crawford at 9:50 off #1. Excited. :)

Great Article

Here's a great article about the life of an up-and-coming professional golfer in the Denver area. Good stuff.

Greetings from Concord, NH

Population: 42,225

Elevation: 270ft.

Notables: Actress Keri Lynn Pratt, Steve Bernard Creator of Cape Cod potato chips.

ING New England Golf Classic: Round 2

I have had my fair share of experiences out on tour this summer. One week your putting is great and the next it's not. Meanwhile, your ball striking is crap then you start hitting it great. Well, that kind of stuff happens, but it's how your mistakes impact your mental game that will determine if the next week, both come together.

Today, I hit the ball well but late in the round on the back nine I had three three-putts for no apparent reason but missing the 3'. My playing partner took an extremely long time to putt her 6' before each of my 3' and I'm not sure if that weighed in on my error but all of a sudden I didn't feel comfortable over that putt.

This is why golf can be so tough. You have everything going well, then one little thing can tweak your mental state and everything else is effected. Being out here on tour, I'm trying to learn some kickers that will offset those errors that turn into ruined rounds. I feel that I'm well on my way because I am making the mistakes. When you make mistakes, you grow. There isn't any other explanation than that. That is exactly what this tour is designed to do, and it is delivering. When you make those mistakes, you think about it for a day or two then work to fix it.

You can't take a missed cut personally. You have to focus on what happened during the round to create some uncomfortable feelings or errors in judgment and combat those feelings or address them for the next week. There is always another week to play well.

It's a lot like life. If you make a mistake, try and fix it for next time. If it doesn't work, then try something else. The way to drive yourself insane and out here, become so far in a rut that your confidence couldn't pull you out if you begged for it to, is to keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

ING New England Golf Classic: Round 1

I have been playing well for probably the last month, month and a half, but my scores haven't really been showing it. For the two weeks, I have been pondering how to approach my game in a new way to help improve those little mistakes that keep occurring. Well, they aren't all gone but I have finally addressed putting. Yesterday, after skimming parts of Every Shot Must Have a Purpose by Pia Nilsson I came to the conclusion that my pre-shot routine for putting needs to change. Sometimes, you can be so focused looking down on the ball you forget to focus on the target and I believe this is what was happening. Now, I take my practice swings behind the ball my shoulders perpendicular to the hole, and staring straight down my line. Today was the first day in competition that I used it, and my pace was right on, and I even made some putts outside of 20'! Honestly, my birdies have been chip-ins, and tap-ins lately and it gets exhausting not making any long putts!

The course is very pretty we are playing this week, Wintonbury Hills Golf Course. Evidently it is a Pete Dye design and he charged $1 to play, ummm, like 6 years ago. Pretty cool! The greens have gotten faster everyday (YAY!) and they are finally putting pretty nice. The fairways are wide but the undulations in the green are tricky. It is a really fun track.

Today was nothing too crazy, 3 bogeys, 2 birdies on my front nine and just one birdie and a whole lotta pars on my back. It started gusting on the back nine so I'm glad I got in the clubhouse when I did. I could smell donuts with two holes left, some guy was making homemade donuts by the putting green. Haha. I'm not a big donut girl but they smelled AMAZING! I tried one, and they were pretty good, but I'd rather have a Sam Adams Summerale. Mmm I love summer.

My mom is coming tonight to watch the weekend (and for my birthday on Sunday)!! I am so excited, because no one has seen me play in one of these events and they are so fun. Bloomfield definitely has the best spectators thus far! There were a ton of people out there today which is fun to see. I heard it was senior day, so I'm sure they got a discount. Every senior loves a bargain, right?! Anyway, tomorrow is a new day, time for more birdies and fun times. I can't wait.

I'm Close To Hartford, Connecticut

Population: 124,462

Elevation: 56 feet above sea level

Nickname: The Insurance City

Home to Katherine Hepburn, J.P. Morgan

Falls Auto Classic: Round 2

There is really nothing exciting to write about today so I won't bore you with my mental lapses. It was hotter than hades, and after 5 weeks going strong, I snapped. Make a couple bad swings at the absolute wrong time and you are looking at making a number. I think that's what I like about the level I am playing at. You really can't fall asleep and just put it on cruise.

I did chip in on #5 which extends my streak to a chip in a week in the month of June and carried it into July! Pretty pumped about that stat. My awesome host family, the Hensleys', came out to watch which was awesome. Kristie Smith's gallery had about 20 people in it, then Laura's parents so it was nice to get a clap at the end from three people. Ha.

Now, onto the week off. It has been a go-go-go month so it will be nice to relax for a week and have some down time. I'll be working out a lot more, practicing enough and being a normal person the rest of the time.

The week after that, we head up to Hartford, Connecticut. My mom will be coming out for the weekend, and after the tournament we are going to the shore, south of Boston for my birthday. Pretty excited about that!!

"Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool.  Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at the last minute.  Sport, like all life, is about taking risks."
          - Sir Roger Bannister


What I am reading: Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent


What I am listening to: Listen Up! The Official 2010 World Cup Album

Falls Auto Classic: Round 1

Today I teed off with Laura Crawford and Mari Chun. We had a fun group. It was a pretty ho-hum day. I hit 16 greens in regulation and missed a lot of birdie attempts. On the front, I capitalized on my par-5 birdies, which I am happy about. On the back nine, I had an unnecessary bogey, but followed it up with a birdie. I missed some short putts for birdie on the last two holes, but overall, it was a solid day -- boring, if you will. I could have gone a lot lower, but it was a good start.

The greens are rolling about a 5 so they are SLOW. I feel bad for the girls playing in the US Open next week where they will be 13-14. It will be quite the contrast. 

Tomorrow I am with Laura again and Kristie Smith at 2pm.

Grinder

"I want to become a grinder. To us on tour, a grinder is a guy who doesn't give up, who keeps on keeping on, who plays hard and scratches for every par even when he doesn't have his A game. To us its a term of high respect. On the tour, its a badge of honor to be thought of as a grinder, as a guy who never, ever quits."
-John Daly

"Climbing Mountains"

"You know, high achievers are a lot like mountain climbers.

When you think about mountain climbing, maybe your stomach does a
little flip-flop, like mine. But, you know, people who are
successful in life are really a lot like mountain climbers. They
don't start out climbing Mount Everest. Instead, they train and
practice on smaller slopes until they build the skills and
confidence to move on to bigger challenges.

When they choose a goal, they map out a plan and, as much as
possible, they follow it. They equip themselves as well as they
possibly can and they learn from the competition. They fully expect
to run into problems, so when they do, it doesn't throw them. They
deal with them as best they can and move on.

They keep their fear and negative thinking under control because
they know that these things will defeat them more certainly than
any avalanche. They also understand the importance of persistence
and tenacity. And finally, every now and then they bite off a
little more than they are absolutely certain they can chew.

Like a mountain climber friend of mine once said, when there's no
place to go but up, you go up.

Now, you may not want to conquer Everest, but I'll bet there's a
mountain in your life just calling out to be climbed. And, you
know, I'll bet you can do it."


Brian Willis

CEO (Chief Excellence Officer), Winning Mind Training Inc.
www.winningmindtraining.com

Greetings from London, KY

Just got in to London! Wow, it's a small town!

Elevation: 1200ft

Population: 7,962

66 miles south of Lexington, KY home of the great John Calipari and his Kentucky Wildcats! :)

City of Hammond: Round 3

I got to the course, all warmed up, 10 min to go before my tee time and the horn blew. God forbid we go through a tournament without rain or wind! Well, we got both today! The rain came, just in time to watch Germany v. England in the clubhouse. England played horrible but Germany got it done!

We had a three hour delay, and it poured like no tomorrow! There was a water fall coming off #10's green! We were all a little skeptical on how this course would drain. Sadly, we know how many courses drain! This one was good though. Thank goodness because we wouldn't have been able to play lift-clean-and-place because players had already gotten through some holes. Well we got through about three holes, and the WIND KICKED UP! Holy cow was it windy! I was playing alright in it. We got to #18 and it was playing dead into the wind. Just to give you an idea of the wind, it always blows, we're in Chicago for cryin' out loud, but this hole, played down wind yesterday and I hit driver-gap wedge, and today I hit driver-5wood. Quite the difference! Anyway, things were going well until my fourteenth hole where I hit my layup shot on this par-5 slightly right, and I'm pretty positive the volunteer that was over there picked up the ball. I saw the guy over there react to something, and I almost yelled fore, but he looked like he saw it coming. I got over there and a caddy had us looking in a different place. I asked the volunteer if he saw a ball come in and he said no. Well five minutes go by and nothing so I had to go hit again, and I hit it very similar, straighter this time and the distance it went was right next to that volunteer, no where near the patch of native everyone was looking. I made my double and went onto the next tee. Hate to say that a volunteer might have picked it up but I looked all around where I thought it landed and it was no where to be found. I didn't hit it that far off line either. Anyway, stuff like that happens, so just kept playing. After some mistakes on the next two holes, and a dead into the wind #18, I was ready for bed.

It was a good first two days, and a hard last day. I hit the ball well today but just couldn't get anything to drop. I had a lot of chances and was really mentally strong, but sometimes things just don't go your way.

Headed to Cincinnati, OH tomorrow to stay with some friends and then onto London, KY for my fifth tournament in five weeks. Ready for a break, but still have some work to do! Glad to be goin to the south. No place like it!

City of Hammond Classic: Round 2

Teed off in the afternoon. Loved being able to sleep in and watch some World Cup! Played with one of my friends Laura. Started a little shaky. Had a bad three-putt right out of the gates and missed some birdies, but it was a little breezy and I was playing steady. There were tons of birdies out there so I stayed patient. My game-plan for the week was to attack the pins, not be so aggressive off the tee. So I hit 5wood around that course and played pretty well. I got to my seventh hole, #16, and had a great second shot (par-5) and was left with about seven yards to the green. I hit a great chip, even knew I was gonna make it just because it set up so well, and chipped in for eagle. Kept it steady until the back, missing some birdies but staying patient, and made another birdie on my thirteenth hole, #4. Overall it was a decent day, it could have been a lot better though. Some of my putts were burning edges but to have them close to the hole was at least positive.

I didn't even practice after my round, of course it was like 8pm, but I hustled home to watch the US game. What a waste though. I was so excited, I thought we were at least gonna give it a fight, and we did, but wow how many chances came and went. It was the longest two hours of my life. So bummed, but I gotta do some work tomorrow!! Can't wait to get after it. Tee it at 9:35pm off #10.

City of Hammond Classic: Round 1

I teed off this morning at 8:30a with my good friend Emma and new friend Hannah. We had an awesome group chatting all day and joking. I got off to a rough start, missing two birdies on the first two holes then having to chip from the right side of the fairway to the left for a shot to the green. Ha, yeah weird right? It was windy today and slightly deceiving. Some poor club selections led to some bogeys and nothing fell on the front.

Made the turn and played smart golf. Left driver in the bag almost the entire back nine, hit it on two holes. I played the wind in my favor and made some putts. The back nine here at Lost Marsh, is played around a huge lake. The front doesn't surround it quite like the back does so it's all about placement. Missed some birdies on the back, but had some awesome up and downs. Very pleased with that.

Got done and hit some putts. At that point it was 2:30p so I decided to leave. Headed to the gym after watching the Brasil v. Portugal game and hung out by my lonesome all night. Our hosts Rich and Lucy were cart drivers for the tournament and they rode 36 holes so I'm sure they were beat when they got home at 9pm!

I peg it tomorrow at 2:20 with my friend Laura. Always fun playing with her! Hope those nasty Illinois storms stay away!!

Busy Week!

Lots of traveling this week! We left Decatur, IL on Monday and drove up to Hammond, IN to drop off a car. Then my friend Jasi and I drove onto Angola, IN for a pro-am. We got there around 4pm and played five holes. It was an awesome golf course, so solid. Greens were amazing and fairways were flawless. We got all dolled up and went to the pairing party at the course. It was a blast! Needless to say there were some adult beverages consumed and dancing. Ha. It was so much fun. I met my group for the next day and felt like we were gonna have a great day. The next morning we started at 10a. We got off to a slow start but I had a great group so they were a lot of fun to play with! We finally got some birdies and got something going. Not enough tho! We missed some fair putts that could have easily gone our way. Came in at -5 but -16 won! We had a fantastic time in Angola, but headed back to Hammond after the round.

We went straight to our pro-am party for the FUTURES event then home to head to bed! The Angola pro-am was fun, but we were TIRED. Our practice round on Wednesday was at 7am. We played 4 holes, were called in then went home. There were some really thunder and lightning. Driving home, the highway was flooded and could barely see out the windshield, so we were happy to get home okay.

Practice round went well today. Our host family took us out for some Chicago-style deep dish pizza and it was awesome. Big fan. Of course I have had it before, but it's just better up here :).

Other than that, just been getting ready for the week and recording/watching a lot of World Cup futbol. It has been awesome. One of the best, if not the best, sporting events in the world. The passion and drive from the athletes is awesome. The US game was incredible. Just watching the Italy v. Slovakia game and it's pretty intense as well! Can't wait for the US game on Saturday to see if they can keep this run going. What they are doing is HUGE for US soccer so I'm very excited about it!

Anyway, I peg it tomorrow at 8:30a with my friends Hannah Yun from Florida, and Emma Calderone from Canada. Pumped to have a great group and excited to start and make some birdies!

Greetings from Chicago, IL

Well, close...Hammond, IN. Really close to Gary, IN.

Here are some stats on Hammond.

Elevation: 600ft

Population: 76,732

The total rate of violent crime is 1.9 X the national average (2008).

Median home price is $119,000

**Info found on WolframAlpha.com**

Happy Father's Day!

Here is my Father's Day shout-out on the Duramed website found here.

[Dad and me at Fox Hill after I won the 5A State Championship]

Dad, sorry I can't be with you on Father's Day. It's kind of your fault though. I am addicted to this game because of you. It very well could be the best gift of all because of all the lessons golf has taught me. I have learned: to be patient; the importance of a cool head; how to be a fiery competitor; and how to always stay positive despite how adverse the conditions may be. You taught me how to be tough no matter what, and your faith in me has propelled me to heights I couldn't dream of. I would not be here had you not lured me to the back nine with Snickers bars, and I'm sure you owe me thousands of dollars for all those times we had putting contests for $1,000 a hole! Thanks, Dad, for your unconditional support and love.

The Life of a Pro

I just read a fantastic article about professional golf. Take time to read it. It's worth it.

Tough Road to Being a Pro

Tate & Lyle Players Championship: Round 2

Today I teed off at 9:40am off #10 with the same group. My front nine was decent. Two birdies coupled with two bogeys. One a three-putt-bogey where I missed a short one. My birdies were solid. I made the exact same putt I had on #11 yesterday. Yesterday the hole was where my ball was today and yesterday my ball was the hole today! I knew the read just had to hit it with the right speed. Awesome. Dominated the hole I tripled yesterday. Love getting that revenge on a hole. Ha. Overall, a solid front. On the turn, my caddy disappeared and I had to run and find her! I got back to the tee- which had a little gallery and hit is sooo far right into the trees. I wasn't worried though, I am a certified escape artist! :) We got up to the ball, and it was a good lie just had to take it under this first tree and over the second. Had a pitching wedge in my hand and about 125 yards to the pin. Easy right? Haha. Well, the ball hit at the front of the green and rolled up to 2-feet. I think that made my caddy feel better!

Played my back nine very well until #4, 5, 6. Went bogey-bogey-bogey. Missed a short birdie, 6' that broke a foot left on the edge, one more rotation and it was in.

Overall, things were good again. Followed an okay round yesterday with a little better round today. If my mistakes are minimized, those birdies shine through and it turns into a pretty good day. I am frustrated to miss the cut, which was at +1, but I am improving every week. Can't ask for more than that?!

On another note, there was a heat index of 103* today! It was so hot. Pretty sure I lost some weight sweating! Glad my caddy made it too, she was a champion! It was fantastic to have her on the bag [also my host mom for the week].

These next two days I will be putting in a lot of time chipping and putting. My chipping needs work and they have some great greens here to get in some good time. I will also be spending ample amounts of time in the gym. I see it as punishment for missing the cut, however it just gets me in better shape! :) Hoping to prepare better than anyone for the next week.

Tate & Lyle Players Championship: Round 1

First of all, I teed off at 3:10pm. One might wonder what the heck we do until then. Well, thanks to eastern standard time, I woke up at 7a. Just in time to watch all of the World Cup games! This was exciting for me, as my boyfriend is obsessed and I love talking some footy with him. I picked Argentina or Brazil to win it all, he has England or Spain. Judging by the games, looks like my picks might hold till the elimination round! :)

I ate breakfast then went to run some errands. Expensive run to fed-ex to 2-day some entries then onto the gym. Got to watch the third game at the gym. Went home, had some lunch, packed up dinner for the round and went out to the course!

My first 12 holes I can't complain. I was -2 and feeling so good. I chipped in on my third hole after missing the green, the only green I missed on my front nine, and made a 30-footer on #11 after a poor chip on the par-5. I made an awesome par on #12, stepped up to #13 with honors and made a bad swing. It led me under a tree with a tricky shot, I really had nothing under there but chipped it with my hybrid and it went just to the edge of the tree. Tough walking off the green with a triple, but stuff like that happens. It doesn't bother me because I know I can get back in it with some birdies. The next hole, the par-5, I left my birdie putt on the edge. Tough one, it was goin' in. Next hole short, down-wind, par-4, had a great drive and put myself about 20 feet below the hole. Nestled it up there nicely and tapped in. Ended up finishing bogey-bogey. Two putts that weren't tough. Had my last putt in the bag, when it horseshoed. I wanted to vomit but had tap it in.

Overall, there were some good things happening. I was sitting very comfortably at -2, attacking the golf course and not letting up. That is a big positive. My putts were coming off the face like gold. Very pleased with that. With the exception of two putts I putted solid for hardly anything going in. Ball striking was great overall, hit some awesome shots and very consistent despite a temperamental driver.

Onto the next day...

H20

Well yesterday it rained for an hour. And today, the course looks like this!!

This is supposed to be #1 and #9 cart path. We might need a boat to get across. So far the tee times have already been pushed back 90 min. This puts me teeing off at 3:10pm. My host mom/caddy will pack dinner, don't worry!

Greetings From Decatur!

Last week just flew by! The tournament didn't go as I would have liked but there are lessons in those tournaments. I didn't hit the ball very well on Friday. I was all over the map, getting up and down from the craziest spots. I hit it right on a par-4 into a hazard, dropped in the 2nd cut and put my 4-iron to 6' for par. Another hole, I hit it right into the trees, punched out to 100 yards and hit it 5' to get up and down. After that shot, a rather excited volunteer said, "Wow what a shot! Thanks for being here! You're awesome!". A little boost to the confidence never hurt, right?! Didn't score like I felt I should have but overall, kept my numbers low (nothing above a bogey all week -- opposed to last week when I had doubles and triples!) and three putts to none. I was happy with that, just didn't roll in any birdies.

On Saturday, I teed off early, 7:50am, and we had 100% chance of rain. Sure enough on our 1st green it started POURING! We played five and a half holes in a downpour, getting absolutely soaked! I don't know what it is with this tour and where we go, but we have had some awful weather the last couple events. Lucky for anyone who didn't tee off before 9:30am, they didn't have to have this wonderful experience. My dad says that I am a mudder, I tend to play well when everyone is complaining about the weather. I don't really know why people complain, because when they do, half the field is beat already. I know girls were struggling in that rain but I wasn't! Personally, I was not objected to it pouring all day long. I was even par in the rain when the two girls in my group alone, were making some big numbers. My host dad even ventured out on his bike to come watch-- it was impressive.

After a four hour delay full of me returning home to dry my clothing and catch some World Cup, we started back out to finish the round. I played steady, but not making some close ones for birdie at the end. Didn't get great reads on the greens but overall my pace was SOO much better than last week. Finished again, without big numbers or three putts.

Missing the cut was frustrating but it just means I have to work harder. I know I am so close, and it's coming together. The aspect that I am most happy about is that my game is becoming more consistent, opposed to one thing being good one day and another the next. Someone once told me that's when you become good, when your high scores get lower and your lower scores take it deep. Both are essential elements to playing at this level.

I had so much fun off the golf course in Ohio as well! My friend Jasi's parents were in town and I got to meet them finally! It's always fun meeting the parents of a great person because you see how they became that great person! Her family had me over for some home cooked Indian food, which was FANTASTIC! I think they were all really surprised how much I liked it. My momma raised me right I guess. I'll usually try anything-- unless it has fire in the title.

I absolutely loved having the kids around. They were so much fun. The little boy was so excited [his parents said-- he acted pretty shy around me I think!] for me to stay. I went to a cookout with the family which was really fun. I love meeting other people. I don't know how all of a sudden, I became so outgoing, but I love it. I played some golf with my host fam last night and had to say bye to them today. :( It's sad to leave because they really do feel like family while you're there. The in between period sometimes can be nerve wracking to see if the next one will be as fun. Luckily, she is awesome. I don't know how I am getting so lucky! I love it!


We are in Decatur, IL this week for the Tate & Lyle Championship, our only major on the FUTURES Tour. Tournament is Thursday-Sunday. Look for live scoring here.

Heading East

Man, it was a loooong two days in the car from Colorado. I covered 1,280 miles in 20ish hours. Stopped in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to stay with Bob, Terri, and Kimmy, my friend Jasi's host family! It was amazing to meet them and have them open up their home for a night.

Jasi and I took off for Mason on Monday. The drive was incredibly boring [my drive on Sunday through Nebraska was worse though, haha] and we really struggled getting to Mason without a stop for a nap. We made our lunch stop extra long for a break!

I met my family for this week and they are awesome! I have been incredibly lucky - and I say lucky because some girls have very bad experiences with host families - this year. They have two cute kids, ages 5 and 2. I have played some games of Memory and Guess Who. It has been really fun, and I have realized my Memory skills have definitely deteriorated over the years. I'm not happy about this! Maybe this week will help keep them sharper.

I have already played two days of practice rounds, 36 holes, and will most likely just practice tomorrow. The course is nothing really special. It's very straight forward. Some tee shots have to be placed in one exact spot. The greens aren't too fast, but they are rolling nicely. I'm hitting my irons well just like I did last week so I expect that will lead to a lot of birdies!

So far, my week has been awesome. I've found your week will be what you make it. I am just trying to live everyday like my dreams are coming true and basically that is what everyday is to me.

Tomorrow I am just practicing. Going to work on getting better feel on the greens, maybe some putting games, then work on my driving accuracy a little bit. Possibly go out for some holes on the back nine.

I off to bed now, gotta get used to waking up early! I am teeing it at 7:30a off #10 on Friday. You can follow here and the live scoring link is in the top right corner of the home page.

Mason, Ohio

Population: 29,682

Elevation: 810 feet

-18 miles Northeast of Cincinnati

-Notables from Cincinnati: Steven Spielberg, William Howard Taft, Charles Manson, Pete Rose, Roy Rogers

[Thanks to Bryce for his blog about wolframalpha.com -- it makes these posts so much easier!!]

Colorado Women's Open: Round 3

I don't know if anyone saw the live scoring yesterday, but needless to say I started out HOT. -3 through 5 holes. I could have realistically been -5 through 5, but lipped two putts. After that, the fun began. I hit the pin on my chip on my 6th hole and it went off the green. A couple bad breaks later I am standing on the 18th tee at +2. That corner of holes, 15, 16, 17, and 18 can be brutal if you don't put it in the exact right spot. For some reason this year, I had a lot of trouble with them. In the past two years, I have played them very well. I even got a free beer last year for being -2 through them.

Anyway, my putting pace didn't feel right again like I had mentioned during my first round too. Made some good shots on my back-nine, the real front nine, and ended well. Had some short putts on #7 and #9 to get back to +2, but they slid by.

Overall, I was pretty disappointing in my putting. The first day I had 34 putts, then 31, then 29. The day I had 31 putts was the day I felt most confident over the ball on the green. Yesterday was a little bi-polar glimpse like the first day was. I have to get used to other greens next week so I am not worried about how it will be next week. Just gotta spend some extra time on the green, more than usual, and really feel the putts.

I was really happy with my ball striking this week. Especially my long game. I was hitting my long irons and woods very well. Yesterday my wedges were right on and if I had gotten at least two more putts to fall, it would have been a better day. 

But in hindsight, I got paid this week putting extremely mediocre. That is always a positive, but I could have been lot higher on that leaderboard if my putter stayed hot.

Sunday I am headed to Cincinnati, Ohio! I am so excited to get back on the road with the FUTURES Tour. I miss all my buddies out there and the staff. Can't wait to get there and get settled.

After Ohio, I am heading to Decatur, Illinois. Three days ago, I was the third alternate for that tournament, it's a big tournament on the DFT, and yesterday I looked and I got in! That was probably the only tournament I would have a hard time getting into and I'm stoked I got into it. Never fun to have an off week when you don't want it!

I'll be checking back in in a couple days or so. Now, I have an exciting drive through Nebraska and Iowa to look forward to...NOT. Just kidding. Always excited for a new adventure!

Colorado Women's Open: Round 2

I felt so good all day. Had a nice, late tee time, love those. Eli caddied today so it was awesome to have him on the bag because he knows the quirks of Green Valley Ranch. We started off good, trying to get some pace and confidence built up on those greens. Made some clutch pars on #4 and #5. Nice little birdie on #7. Made the turn in -1. Always a good score out there.

Kept it steady until #14 when an errant drive forced a punch out and a tricky putt led to bogey. No big deal. Had a great 60' 2-putt on #15. 16, 17 and 18 didn't treat me too well. Wind was really kicking up on #16 and had a tough approach. Unfortunately, I didn't get up and down, but stayed positive. We got to the tee on #17 and the wind was slightly with us but not too much. I swung my 170 club and it should have been perfect but it hit the back of the green on the down slope and kicked into the hazard. Whatever. Stuff happens. Walked away with triple. Finished out with a solid par on #18 an walked off with a 76. It's funny how you can play 14 solid holes, then shoot more than the day before when I was scrambling all over the golf course.

I still hit it well but need to pick out better aiming spots tomorrow. Putting was so much better today. Really happy that it improved. Sometimes it's all mental or just lack of repetition. Thank god for practice!

Eli really helped on the bag. Really got me thinking through every variable. Sometimes one is left out and leads to a missed green or poorly placed but I felt like we did a really good job of that today. I did what I had to do in those first 14 holes, -1, and that was a huge confidence booster.

Really looking forward to tomorrow and having this all come together. :)

Colorado Women's Open: Round 1

Man, what a day! I started out pretty good, was even until #14, my 5th hole. #14 and 15 were both 3 putt bogeys, something I hardly ever do. I birdied #16, nice little 15-footer rolled right in the heart of the cup. #17 and #18 were both 3-putt-bogeys. At this point, I'm ready to throw my putter in the marsh, but I would never, but I usually putt well and today was a unfortunate exception.

Thank god, I made the turn because things took a turn for the better. I birdied #1 and #3 with a chip-in and a really short putt. Kept it steady until my 17th hole, #8. Made a bad swing and short-sided myself. Had a great chip but unfortunately had too many putts.

Overall though, I feel good about it, I mean a couple missed putts but hit the ball very well. Ended up with a +3, 75. I worked on my pace for awhile after the round and made sure I made a bunch of little putts before I left. Feel really good about tomorrow. My swing is right where it needs to be. Plus, my coach Eli is caddying tomorrow!!

Rocky Mountain High

[Sunset a block from my house]

Things at home have been good! I got back to Colorado after a long 9 hours back from Kansas City. Since then, I have been enjoying the benefits of home: own bed, home cooked meals, my favorite people, etc.! I have been practicing a ton. Yesterday I played 27 holes. I have been giving some lessons, which is so much fun. I love it.

On Sunday, I leave for Colorado Springs for the US Open Sectional at the Broadmoor East Course - Site of the 2011 US Women's Open. I have a practice round on Sunday then the tournament starts Monday. I'm really excited for this because it is a marathon 36-hole qualifier. Only the tough survive! I tee off at 7:10a and 1:10p. If you are in the area feel free to come out and watch!!

After that, I will be heading back home that night and resting up for the HealthONE Colorado Women's Open which starts on Wednesday, June 2. I am teeing off at 8:40a on Wednesday and 1:40p on Thursday. Come out and support!! It's one of two tournaments I will be in Colorado for so it's always nice to have local support!

Soggy Weekend & What Is Ahead

This weekend wasn't the most favorable. We played on Friday without any weather. I can't say that it went very well. I had a great start after 8 holes but had some trouble on holes 9-11. After that I battled back but got some bad breaks. After the round I was pretty frustrated so I identified the mistakes and worked on them a bit. That's all you can do.

On Saturday, we woke up to a mist. Warmed up in the mist and started in the mist. For two holes we had no rain but it started back up on our third. I pride myself in playing well in tough conditions because everyone just complains about the weather. It's kind of amazing to me in tournaments when people do complain. It's something we can't control and you just have to fight harder to get those birdies. We played eight holes in a steady borderline downpour until they called us off the golf course. Some girls withdrew during the rain delay. I was standing on #9 tee box and really wondering if I was going to have to tee off in casual water. There was no place to take relief on the highest thing around! The fairways were underwater as well as the bunkers.

Saturday's round was eventually cancelled and we were sent home to dry off. I didn't realize just how wet I was until I got home. My socks, shoes, rainsuit, three towels were just soaked. In that weather, you are trying to keep everything dry but sometimes you just can't. Thank goodness for FootJoy rain gloves. They work only when they are soaking wet so if a player didn't have those, I don't know how they hung on to the club!

We were scheduled to resume play on Sunday at 7:30am. I got out there and warmed up and it was supposed to rain again that day so I was prepared. No rain during the warm up but it started misting as we were getting ready to go out. Another delay. This time they came back at 7:45 and said they were going to cut after 18 holes, meaning top-70 and ties advance to the second and final round. Not me. That is always frustrating when you are playing well and so many people are going down the leader board but that's the way it goes! Every round needs to be everything you have just in case something like this happens.

I left for Colorado shortly after the news of the cut. Enjoyed a nice 9 hour drive home. In the middle of Kansas on I-70, I saw three of my good friends from home; IN THE CAR. It was so crazy and so we stopped to get gas and chat.

The traveling aspect of the tour is so much fun. I have never had such a long adventure by myself but loved every second.

For the next two weeks I will be doing some tuning up and re-focusing. It will be nice to have mom cook some meals and hang out with the family in addition to really working hard on my game. This isn't a hard game, just have to go out there and play. Working off some of the rust has helped and I am excited for my "Colorado-swing". I will be playing in the US Open Sectional Qualifier at the Broadmoor to get to Oakmont CC in Pennsylvania. That is May 31st teeing it at 7:10am and 1:10 [36 hole qualifier]. After that I will have a "day-off" probably practicing at Green Valley Ranch to get ready for the HealthONE Colorado Open, June 2-4 one of my favorite events of the year!

A Day Off

Another storm rolled in last night around the time I was going to bed. I had probably been asleep for thirty minutes and in came the winds, thunder and lightning! Not gonna lie, it was so scary. It was dead quite when I went to sleep then all of a sudden it felt like we were in the middle of a tornado. After about forty minutes of that madness it quieted down and I fell back asleep.

Unfortunately, that storm had dumped 1-2" of rain on the golf course and it has left us with an untimely day off. The course/practice facilities are closed all day today. I will probably head to the gym and get in a good stretch and stay loose. Perhaps Julie and I will see a movie or head to a nearby golf course that isn't closed. Whatever we do, it sucks to have a day off when we are ready to fine-tune for tomorrow's round. That's part of the job! And always a possibility when you play in Tornado Alley!

Just gotta roll with it...

What I am reading: Swinging From My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star by Christina Kim and Alan Shipnuk

The Perfect Storm

I am alive and well in Leawood, Kansas! It was quite the journey to get here though. I left Ft. Worth, TX around 10am on Monday. Good thing I left early, because I was driving through Oklahoma and the south eastern corner of Kansas where a huge super cell was coming in that night. My dad helped me with the weather while I was in the car. We originally thought it would be better if I stayed in Norman, OK with a friend over night and let the storm pass. It looked to be a bad one. Instead, I continued on not hitting any weather at all until about 30min outside my destination. As I was leaving the Tulsa area, the radio said there were tornadoes all over the place touching down. Little did I know that Norman, OK was getting a beast of a storm as well. My friend said a tornado went right down the street flipping cars. Thank goodness I didn't end up staying there! I should have picked her up and taken her with me! 

I arrived safely and the storm came in later that night. All we got were heavy rains and high winds. Nothing too bad. The course was very soggy yesterday; cart path only. 

The golf course is beautiful. Mature trees and lush, dense, US Open rough compliment every hole. The greens are rolling nicely but have a lot of sneaky breaks in them. They are very undulating with swails on every inch of them.

I played yesterday with Miriam Nagl from Germany who had been on the LPGA tour for the last 5 years. We had fun playing 9 then I played the back by myself. The back nine is quite a test. It will be key this week to keep focused, hydrated and dry to play those last holes well. 

We had another big storm come in last night around 3am. I woke up to strobe lights lighting up the room with very loud thunder. Gotta love being in Tornado Alley!! The course was even more soggy than yesterday. We aren't getting any roll out there which some girls really need. I played 18 today with my good friend Julie Wells and Sydney Cox. We played in about 4 hours staying dry, thank goodness. It has been chilly and overcast all day and hoping for storms only at night, if at all. 

Tomorrow I am practicing in the mid-morning and playing a late practice round with some girls from Florida. I won't be playing too many holes just gonna get some more practice on that back nine. 

I tee it at 1pm on Friday for the first round.

Kansas City

-Population: 2 million

-Elevation: 910ft.

-BBQ capital of the world.

-Big Irish presence in the culture.

-A scene in the movie Bruno was filmed in the historic Hotel Phillips downtown.

-Lewis & Clark surveyed the land in hopes of settling a fort by the Missouri river running between Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS. [Independence, MO was a supply town for people traveling the Oregon Trail, which is on the east side of Kansas City, MO].

My Mom in the News!

Look at my mom making it big!! The tour did a really cool thing for Mother's Day since not many of us will actually see our mother's on their big day. Here is the link to the website. It is a fabulous idea!
Don't worry dad, Father's Day is right around the corner!!

"Mom, here's to you! For driving me home through the night from golf tournaments. For learning the ins and outs of my passion. For yelling on the 18th hole at Loveland Golf Course, "Nice eagle!" even though it was a birdie. For being my biggest cheerleader and greatest motivator. For keeping me centered and balanced. For consoling me through tough rounds and sharing the joy and excitement through my greatest triumphs. Mom, it's you who has helped me get here more than anyone. You are the reason I succeed. You are a big reason why I will continue to succeed. You are priceless in every way to me and there is no one who could possibly fill your shoes. Thank you for everything. I love you so much!"

Ft. Worth , TX

I have been here during my 'off' week. We wrapped up in San Antonio and I drove up to Ft. Worth on Sunday. I have been staying with an old friend and we have had a blast together!

I have had the chance to play some awesome courses here: Shady Oaks Country Club--  home course of the legend Ben Hogan; Mira Vista Country Club-- home to the 2004 US Girls Junior Amateur Championship and Fossil Creek Golf Club-- where Tiger Woods evidentally filmed a Nike commerical trying to hit it on the green in one on a par four with a lake on the right. Members tell me he took six takes to get it on. I played Fossil Creek with comedian Carl LaBove, who is hilarious by the way. We are probably going to play there tomorrow too. There is nothing better than a great golf course with great company!

I have been catching some workouts here and there. The other day I ran some mileage down the Trinity River which is to the north of Colonial CC so I tried to sneak a peak. Looks awesome. The PGA tournament is there in two weeks.

Other than that, its been pretty relaxing. However, my golf excursions usually take all day so by that time I'm tired anyway! Ft. Worth has been a really cool place to explore and hang out. It is really laid back but still has a little Texas twang. :)

I'll be packing up here on Monday and moving on up to Kansas City where our tournament week will start on Tuesday. Tournament is Friday - Sunday. After that, its a 10 hour trek back home for some regrouping and more touranments.

Thanks for checking in!

Texas Hill Country Classic: Day 2

Today didn't start off the best. My front nine I was battling a little bit of nerves and trying to get comfortable out there. I missed some putts early and did my best to stay patient. It is really a thinkers golf course and you have to execute the right shot at the right time. If not, you could be left with a tall order for par. I finally shook whatever was buggin me on #11 and started playing some golf! I made some pars, but struggled to come back with some birdies. I had a lot of chances like I did yesterday on my back, the real front, nine but they just weren't dropping. I made some clutch up and downs coming down the stretch. Overall, I played 27 good holes. I was only +1 in those 27 holes. I am happy about that. Last week, I had only 9 good holes to really look at and say I played well. Golf is all about consistency and I find myself improving every week. It's important to keep perspective and realize this is only my second professional tournament on a new tour. Things are different but I find myself adapting quite well and overall it has been great. It's just another baby step in the right direction. Can't ask for more than that. Baby steps are usually the start to a great leap.

I have a week off then back at it in Leawood, Kansas.

{Laura Bavaird and I before our 2nd round}

Texas Hill Country Classic: Day 1

Today went pretty well! I got off to a great start with a birdie. We played through a mist the entire front 9 which was refreshing...sort of. It stopped after about 12 holes, then the sun came out and the steam room started! It was humid. My back 9 went really well. I played so solid until our 16th hole where I nuked a pitching wedge over the green into the hazard. I had to drop with the grain going away from me, about a 30 yard pitch from the back of the green. All I could see was the flagstick and I put it to 1'! I tapped it in and continued on my way. I had so many looks at birdie on the back 9 which is a way you make more birdies! I bogeyed my 17th hole; had some sand trouble but then came back strong with a birdie [tap in :)] on #18! Great way to end a really solid day.

Can't wait to get back out there tomorrow. I tee off at 12:40 off #10. This golf course is so solid.

Texas Was Cold...Today

Playing tomorrow at 8:50am off #10 with the one and only Julie Wells! What are the odds that I am playing with like one of my five friends [ha]. It was SO cold [70*] today. Randomly cold. The humidity is supposed to be back up tomorrow with highs in the 90s again. Looking forward to a great day in the office. Still getting used to some things out here but it is comforting to be on a great golf course and playing with friends. Nothing is better really!!

On a side note, the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday and I am a fan! I have always been kind of a race horse fan, but I really got hooked last year after Rachel Alexandra went on a tear with the boys [colts]. Rachel Alexandra is a stud and I now have a picture of her in my yardage book. (We share the same first and middle name if you didn't catch that... ;-) )

Texas Hill Country Classic: San Antonio, TX

So far, my impression of San Antonio has been verrry positive! I am staying with a great host family with a friend Jasi Archarya. We are only about three minutes away from the course. We are playing this week at The Dominion Country Club just west of San Antonio. It was home to a Senior PGA event for a number of years. The course is in amazing shape. The front nine reminds me of Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis where I played in the US Amateur. Very old, mature trees, fast greens, well-placed bunkers and very green! The greens today were running at a 12. If you were above the hole, down grain, forget about getting it anywhere close. You had to barely touch it and it would take off rollin'! The area we are in is pretty hilly [shocking for TX, I know]. I went for a run this morning around the neighborhood and my quads burned the rest of the day becuase all I was running up and down were hills! Registration was today so I practiced in the morning then headed out for 18 with Jasi in the afternoon. There was very little wind and the temperature was fantastic. There was very little humidity becuase my yardage that I play in CO was the same down here. That rarely happens.

Tonight we had the 'Meet the Pro' party at the golf course. It was formal so we had to get all dressed up which isn't what you want to do after spending all day on the course but it was a lot of fun to try and guess people's names in formal attire. We usually only see each other in golf clothes. So it made for a fun evening. They put on a great party here in TX. We had live music, a dance floor, great food. It was a lot of fun.

Tomorrow will be the same kind of day. Going to workout in the morning, then head out to the course about 10:30 after the pro-am tees off. Practice all day then get in 9 tomorrow evening with Julie. I am ecstatic to be here this week and really looking forward to playing.

Aint nothin' like a little competition!

San Antonio, Texas

-Population: 1.3 million

-Elevation: 650ft.

-2nd largest city in Texas and 7th in the US

-Named for the Portuguese St. Anthony

-Home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Brooks-City Base, with Camp Bullis [I am staying just west of it] and Camp Stanley outside the city.

-Home to Lara Flynn Boyle, Carol Burnett, TOMMY LEE JONES [I love him], Eva Longoria, David Robinson [who is a member at the course we are playing this week] as well as other Spurs players. Manu Ginobili and Greg Popovich live in the neighborhood as well as George Strait.

Featured In Golfweek's Fashion Blog

Here is the link to a story about Sandbaggers featured in Golfweek's fashion blog by Ashleigh Korzack.

Pretty cool!!

Galloping Armadillos?! Yeah....Galloping Armadillos

Besides missing the cut this week in Brownsville, my week has been pretty eventful. I met a lot of new people, learned a thing or two about my golf game and travel abilities. I drove down from Ft. Worth on Monday and met my house mom for the week, Kathy. She is an avid tennis player and was heading out for a match with her friend when I got there. I hung out and watched some tv and got settled then headed to bed.

Tuesday, I woke up and headed to registration. I registered early then out for some practice. We usually have a 'player area' where we register, have water, and there is even a chiropractor that you can see during the week. They have fruit and internet access up there so it's a common area for everyone. It's really cool that is available. I saw my friend Julie Wells from the Hawaii Big Break and we headed out to play 9. The course is really straight forward like I had said before. Well today, I made up a new name for the crispy, dried out greens/surrounding fringe -- Texas Toast. Ha. I thought it was brilliant. Anyway, later that night we had the 'Meet the Pro' party at a local restaurant. All the players are invited and there is usually food and drinks and some sort of entertainment. On Wednesday we had a shotgun practice round in the AM. I played with two girls that played for Florida Southern where the Hodgkinson sisters attend! So they knew them and that was fun! I practiced in the afternoon for a little while then got dinner and went home.

It was so warm this week. Very humid and steamy but we are in a desert, very arid climate. Doesn't make much sense to me, but that's okay. Brownsville seems like a nice city. I am a fan.

Thursday, I practiced in the morning then played 9 holes with Sydney Cox, a Oklahoma City University grad and NAIA National Champion! We had played together my 2nd round at Qschool in November so it was fun to get to know her a little better. It was a bit more windy out so it was nice to see the course when the winds from the south east kick up. Their wind patterns are pretty reliable. They come from Mexico.

The day of the first round was pretty relaxed. I had a 1:30pm tee time so I set my alarm for 8am. I had no trouble waking up then so I read the paper and did some things around the house for awhile. Before I play, I try to get a good warm up workout in. I do some stretching and a little cardio. Just to get the blood moving. I feel better when I get to the course and warming up on the driving range doesn't take as long. I played with Kim Augusta and Angela Oh. I played decent on my first 9, coming in at even par. My back nine got a little ridiculous. I had some trouble with yardages. Seemed like I never had the right club in my hand on my approach. The greens are very small so if you missed the green sometimes you had a tricky chip. Overall, mentally I was great despite the numbers. Kathy took me to Carino's for dinner the night before so after a long day on the course [I got home at 7pm] it was nice to just reheat my leftovers!

The second day round came quickly. I teed off at 8am, first group off #1. I played with Kirby Dreher and Carolina Llano. They were friendly but we were all business on the course. We had a crazy lady for a cart driver. She tried driving away as we got things out of our coolers and such. On #11 she tried to run me over. Ha. She had me a bit worried that she could really operate a moving vehicle. It's things like this that I think about between shots that make me laugh. Haha. On #4, I was lining up my putt and all of a sudden I hear Peggy say, "watch out! Here he comes!" Having no idea what in the world she was talking about, I looked up to see a galloping armadillo. Yes. Galloping. His shell was hitting the green with every step and it sounded like a faint horse's gallop. It was hysterical. Scared the @#$* out of me but we all had a good laugh then got back to business. Besides that the final round was VERY uneventful. I turned at +3, knowing I had to get something going on the back. Turns out, it backfired, which sometimes happen, but it can also go the other way and you can make a lot of birdies. Just accepting it wasn't my week and moving on is the key. On #18, I hit it left on my approach behind the stands. I got to take relief, immovable obstruction [YES!]. I took relief on the right side of the bleachers so that a palm tree was in the line of my shot to the pin. I had about 20yards [yeah, great shot Rach haha] but it was pin high. No big deal. I had to flop it over the tree, from a downhill lie in front of some fans. Well I kept the same attitude I did all of the back nine, go for it. The shot came off perfectly, bounced twice and rolled out to about 12feet. I putted last, and rolled it right in. I was rather proud that my day ended with SOMETHING positive. It was nice to end with some applause.

Kathy took me to South Padre Island [aka SPRING-BREAK-WOO!-destination] and we had some fried oysters at Pier 19. It was right on the bay so we could watch the boats and the fisherman. South Padre is essentially a sand bar so there were guys fishing 100 yards from shore in not even waist high water. Kinda weird. The island is very narrow. It only had two streets north to south but it is very long. We headed home at the perfect time. We had front row tickets to a beautiful sunset over the bay.

If you miss the cut, you have the choice of heading to our next destination or staying and practicing. I opted for staying becuase my host family isn't expecting me until tomorrow. So I played on the range a bit trying different shots, trying to simulate competition. Moved on to some short game which I spent a great deal of time on and some putting. Not much putting though becuase I heard next week's greens are awesome and there is no sense getting used to crappy ones!

I will head to San Antonio tomorrow staying with a different family and a girl that is also on the tour. I am excited to stay with her.

I am excited for a new week. Knocking off that rust baby.

Historic Brownsville Open

Key this week: The Big Picture

Coming off a disappointing finish in Brownsville, it is easy to focus on the negatives. I didn't chip well, and putts didn't fall but instead, focusing on the positives makes me feel better. Knowing this is my first professional tournament and that there are so many different dynamics that I have never dealt with and the beginning of a new career eases my frustration a bit. It's like any first week on the job. You are a little tentative. There are new people, new protocol. Also keeping a grinders mentality. No matter what you have done during they day to keep grinding for pars and birdies is the goal. Sometimes it works in your favor and sometimes it doesn't. Attitude is huge. When you are on the cut line and you gotta put a good round together you have to know when to play aggressively and when to play a little smarter. That got me into some trouble today but out here, you have to make something happen to make some money! Many different aspects play into a week on the Duramed Futures Tour and I think a lot of girls in college have no idea what to expect. At least I didn't. Just another mile marker on this journey called life.

After the second round, I sat in the scorers tent tallying up and recalled a story I heard from Vision54. Annika Sorenstam was playing in a PGA Tour event at Colonial CC and she was walking to the 1st tee and told her sports psychologist that she was so nervous she couldn't even speak. Her SP turned to her and said think of yourself floating in space like a satellite. Look at Earth. It makes this moment feel very small. And it did. That helped her stripe it down the middle.

Perspective is everything.

When I thought I couldn't go on, I forced myself to keep going. My success is based on persistence, not luck. -Estee Lauder

I move onward, the only direction. Can't be scared to fail, searchin' for perfection... I'm onto the next one, onto the next one. -Jay Z

Love This

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world that to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:15

So Far...

So far the week has been really good. We have already had two practice round days. I practiced in the morning yesterday then played 9 holes with my buddy Julie Wells. We had our meet the pro party last night at a local restaurant and I met some other players there. Trouble was, the band was playing so loud we couldn't hear each other speak so we were pretty much just playing charades.

Today was our shotgun practice round. We were off the golf course by noon which is always nice to get it an early morning. This afternoon looks to be a pretty relaxing one, probably squeeze in a workout and a nap and have dinner with my mom for the week.

The course is very straight forward. There aren't a whole lot of memorable holes out there. Greens are a little bumpy but that just means you really have to commit to your line. The weather is awesome, high-70s with some wind. Thursday it is supposed to get warmer then on Friday we hit 90.

I tee off of #1 at 1:30pm on Friday.