Day 2: Q-school

Lake Region Yacht and Country Club:

Today was windy! The cold front moved in last night and it was a little chilly this morning, about 75 degrees. Tough eh? The front nine was not so good. I started out well getting up and down my first two holes and a close birdie opportunity on my third. After the front I was +5 and not happy about it. I lipped out for birdie on #10 and made birdie on the par-5, 12th from 3'. I had a great up and down on the next hole and lipped for birdie again on #13 and #17. Threw in some solid pars and a bogey and birdied #18 to shoot 76. One under on the back really saved me. That is something I have worked endlessly on; my attitude. Before college, I would get really angry if the front wasn't going so well and kind of give up, but in college you have to grind for ALL eighteen holes. I think I even referenced this in the summer at the Colorado Open to the Times Call. Grinding is about not giving up and always thinking you can get that ball in the hole, NOW. If you asked me what the biggest difference between amateurs, college players and professionals are, attitude would be a big reason why amateurs are amateurs and not becoming decent professional golfers. Of course, there are many other reasons why they might not be, but to grind out five tournament days like I am this week, you need a good head on your shoulders!

The girls that are on my course rotation are sparse at the top of the leaderboard. Hopefully they left some low scores for us at the next two courses. I will play Ridgewood Country Club tomorrow at 9am EST.

Currently, I am in T118th and two shots out of T83rd. It's been hard not to get frustrated at some of the mistakes that I have made over the last couple days due to swing change growing pains but I am taking them in stride and know that they are temporary. Aside from that, I am very pleased with my short game and mental game. I really didn't know what to expect coming down here and have met a lot of really nice, helpful people who are also on the road traveling solo. Overall, I am still having an absolute blast. I feel very blessed to be where I am right now. It feels like I belong here.

Day 1: Duramed FUTURES Tour Qualifying School

Huntington Hills Golf Course and Country Club:

Things went pretty well today. Shot 75 with 31 putts. Not the most ideal amount of putts. The greens were a bit slow but smooth. I hit the ball well today with the exception of a few drives. Had two birdies, on two par-3's. We played in about five and a half hours and the weather was cooler than it has been this week, 80. I played with fun girls and we had some camaraderie going.

Low score from my course was 70. Not scary low, but it was definitely doable. I left about five putts heading right to the heart of the cup but stopped short. It was hard to get the speed, becuase you had to hit it so hard!

Had a blast and enjoying this to the maximum. I mean...I get to play here tomorrow [Lake Region Yacht and Country Club].
[Photo by Kathryn O'Rourke]

Hot, Hot, Hot!!

It's been pretty hot down here in central Florida! So far, been grinding away learning the tricks and breaks of these courses. They are pretty average as tournament venues go, but the two country club's greens are very true. All the girls I have met have been very nice and fun to play with. I am staying with two of my old teammates in Orlando before the tournament starts so it has been a blast catching up with them and having them show me around their stomping grounds!

Everyday has consisted of playing a golf course, getting a little practice in, then heading back to the crib to get a little R&R in to recharge for the next day! It has been a blast just playing at different courses and being in the warm weather!

I am really excited to start playing tomorrow. I played solid in the practice rounds now it's time to let go of expectations go out there and have fun! My old teammate Kathryn and I were chatting on the range today saying, "Now is the time you either have it or your don't!" True statement. We are ready to go and put up some numbers.

You guys who aren't enjoying the 90 degree weather (a cold front is coming through don't worry, it'll be 80) can follow the tournament here. We are playing in foursomes and in carts, so the rounds will be long and a mental test!

Here's a video Kathryn and I watched tonight. Some last minute motivation.

Countdown...

3 days till wheels up to Orlando!

Preparation

I published this two and a half years ago. I remember writing it in a hotel in Hattisburg, Mississippi. I had a decent amount of mental training through Marylin Norcross, a sports psychologist out of Greeley, CO. What she taught me will forever be pertinent in my life whether it is in the workplace, in relationships or on the golf course competing. This is something that fits nicely into to this week as I get ready to leave for Florida.

<30+15


A champion gets up even when they can’t.

When I am on my game, I am unstoppable. I spend so much of my time reaching for perfection, when perfection can never be reached. I choose to work hard. I exert a considerable amount of energy in weights and run so many miles to build a dominating force. My focus is intense and abundant. I wait patiently for my time to come when all the variables will be in place to crush the field. I have already won. The countless hours poured into my game have gotten me where I am and that in itself is a victory. I want to be able to come off the course knowing I put it all out there; I used my tools in the best way I know how. I am not looking for acceptance from other people but only from myself. I am playing for me and only me. I am trying to prove that all the sweat, hours, sacrifices, aches and pains were worth it. I aim to please my God in Heaven with the gift he has instilled in me for eternity. Everything I have been through, has prepared me for this moment. The obstacles and victories I have been through possessing the appropriate characteristics to allow me to execute this next shot with everything I have. I loose myself in the moment. Everything goes quiet; I know I am in the zone. I have one opportunity. I will not let it go, no matter how hard the conditions. I only see where I will hit my shot, how far, how hard; I have extremely good touch. I own the qualities to become the best this world has ever seen. I have a dream. I have determination. I have the will power to overcome anything. I have a support system people would dream to have. I have it all. Most of all, I know how to win.

Less than thirty; by fifteen.

When I won state my senior year of highschool, four and a half years ago, I had a saying; <30+15. It meant, less than 30 putts (you will usually play well if this goal is reached) and by 15 shots I will win it. Well, I did have less than 30 putts at state but I only won by 1. If one proves true, good things will happen.

What I've Been Up To...

In the past two weeks many things have evolved. I have come closer to presenting a proposal to potential investors or partners to help me with my professional career; Some of my leads for endorsements have come back positive, some negative; But probably the most important is I have started working with a new swing coach, Eli Haskell at the Colorado Golf Academy. In two weeks, my swing has slowly evolved into a more efficient motion. Trying to break old habits is hard work. I have been working at it everyday for those two weeks, sunshine or snow, to get it grooved for Q-School. Sitting at about two weeks till Q-School, I have stopped working so much on the mechanics and finding something to lock and load. I have been playing a lot, played 29 holes yesterday, and grinding with my wedge game and putting.

Most importantly, I have been doing some mental practice. I believe this is the most vital part to the game and it has certainly proved true this past summer. I stepped out of college with a very positive, can-do attitude, and with total belief in myself. If I don't believe I can do it, I'm wasting my time out there.

Members of the community in Longmont have been so encouraging with their words and their actions to get my FUTURES Tour dream off and running. I have been so thankful to and proud to say I am from such a solid community where the members within do whatever they can to help others. It is something, not just for my professional aspirations but an incredible example of how a citizen should conduct their behavior. This has been very encouraging and such a positive thing to talk to people about. It has shown me people who love to see others pursue their dreams as well as the dream crushers out there that must have given up on a dream of theirs along the way. It is amazing how, talking to some people who have pursued their own dreams, confidence just radiates off of them and its contagious! This is an amazing quality to have. I am working on that myself.

FUTURES Tour Qualifying School is November 2-6, 2009. I leave on October 27th. I am very excited because I will be staying with two former teammates that I haven't seen in awhile. It will be great to get to some warmer weather and play some awesome golf with some amazing company!!

After Q-School, I will be working extremely hard on my iron accuracy to improve my Greens In Regulation, or GIRs. This is a stat I have always had trouble in, and when I am swinging it well and my putter is on, low numbers will come. I will also be working hard on my short game to ensure if a green is missed I make par or better. Needless to say, this winter, snow or not, I will be swinging a club every day.

I can't wait!

Played bad??....

...There is no such thing as a bad day on the golf course.

State Team Pictures

The Sycamore Hills clubhouse

The locker room

#5 tee box. Tough dog-leg right par-4. There is water before the green as well.

#8 green. One of the best shots of the course. This was the toughest hole on the course.

#18 green from the fairway. An challenging finishing hole. It was where my 2-under round was turned into an even round. Ha.

#9 green late in the day. Tough hole with that blaring sun in your eyes!

Scoreboard after the 3rd day.

I am posting US Amateur pics here.

Final Day

Played great today! Had it at even par making the turn, missed a 10', and lipped a 45' on #10 and #11. Made birdie on #12, 13 and 17. I was heading into #18 at two under and my drive clipped a tree and fell into the hazard. Almost made my 12' for bogey in front of a big crowd but it skimmed the edge. Had a blast though. Finished at even par, 72, for the day and T6th in the tournament. Colorado finished a first ever top-10 at T6th! We were really excited about that!! There were about double the fans out there today which made it really fun.

I played with a girl from Maryland, who I will spare her name, but she said, "How did you guys get in this group?" I said, "Excuse me, what?!" and she replied with, "well you just don't expect Colorado to be up there. I mean, it's not like you guys are Florida (which we beat) or Georgia or Alabama or something". All I could do was laugh at the high school senior and think, wow, get out more! We have two CO Golf Hall of Famers on our team! I told our captain that at dinner and she said too bad you didn't tell me earlier because I would have gave her a piece of my mind. Ha. I wish I would have told her earlier because I would have loved to watch her rip into the 17-year-old. Haha. Priceless.

It was sad to say goodbye to the Sycamore Hills staff and their beautiful layout, as it always is. They were great to us and couldn't have done a better job. When I arrive at a golf course, it's like meeting someone for the first time. You are trying to get a feel of what they are like, how they respond to you, and get a feel of their personality. As the days go by, you learn new things about your new friend and have things you like and things you don't like, but by the time you leave, you are old friends. It is sad to leave but the memory will always be there. That is the thing about USGA Championships, they grow on you like friends.

Fort Wayne continued to hand out surprises this week and it will be a place I hold in high esteem. I throughly enjoyed myself and will reccomend it to whoever will be passing through!

Day 2

What a grind! I played decent except for that "snow bastard" as my playing partner from Montana calls "snowmen" (8). Other than that quadruple bogey and a double, I was even par for the day. One of my teammates from CO was disqualified because she signed a wrong scorecard but my other teammate shot only one more than her so the impact wasn't bad. We had some fans out on the course which was nice! People seemed to be excited that we were in Fort Wayne and happy to see us play. Gotta go get 'em tomorrow and make a move up the leader board! We are in T8th with Maryland, and Cali and I'm in 9th all alone again.

Made the News!

Day 1

Mornings at Sycamore Hills must come from heaven. It is the most beautiful place. On the first hole, I could not hear a thing except our group rustling around the greens. It is just incredible. Played very steady today missing some 10-15' putts, I hit all but two fairways and thirteen greens. Made three birdies, three bogeys en route to a even-par 72. No complaints there. Comfortably sitting in 4th all by my lonesome. CO is tied for third. Colorado has never finished in the top-10. We hope to bring home a trophy this week.

Spent the afternoon at the pool and had a brilliant dinner at O'Charlies.

Gotta go, the tv awaits.

C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O

Fort Wayne, Indiana. Home to 251,591 people (wow) and the 73rd largest city in the US (what?!). Surrounded by mature trees and corn fields, this oasis is home to a fantastic golf course. That course would be Sycamore Hills Golf Club. It is amazing, check it out. I thought I played a great golf course in St. Louis, this course about matches it! The USGA knows how to put on a tournament. They've had 109 years of experience, they better know! Fort Wayne has seemed to have a surprise for me around every corner, hopefully on that list is the Judy Bell trophy, named in honor of the 1996-1997 USGA President. That would top off a week in corn country!

GO C-O!

Side note: Carol Semple Thompson (Pennsylvania) is here...check out her credentials – 1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur; 1990 and 1997 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur; 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur; 1974, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002 Curtis Cup team; 2006 and 2008 Curtis Cup captain.

During our formal dinner tonight, people clapped after the Curtis Cup team years and thought the announcer was done. Carol sat down after about half of it. Wow...

USGA State Teams

On Saturday, I am headed to Fort Wayne, Indiana for the USGA State Teams tournament. I will be representing Colorado along with two other amateurs. We earned these spots from play throughout the year. It is an honor to represent your state against every other state including Puerto Rico. Here is a preview for the tournament:

Sycamore Hills Golf Club

Yardage: 6,095 yards

Par: 36-36—72

Defending champion: Arizona

Opened: 1989

Designer: Jack Nicklaus

USGA championships: This will be the first USGA championship for the club, but Sycamore Hills has hosted numerous state events, including three Indiana State Amateurs.

Designer notes: The course meanders through property first deeded by Andrew Jackson in 1835 that consists of mature trees, gentle hills and the Aboite River.

Nicklaus on Sycamore Hills: "Sycamore is one of the finest sites we’ve ever had the opportunity on which to design a golf course. [Owner] Jim Kelley says I tell all the owners that, but Sycamore Hills truly is a very, very fine site. It has gorgeous trees, great movement of property, and it had some existing lakes that really functioned quite well. The site had a little river moving through the property which really afforded a lot of opportunities to create different shots."

Indiana and USGA: This will be the 17th USGA event held in Indiana and the second of 2009, following the U.S. Senior Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel. In seven previous Women’s State Team Championships, Indiana’s best finish was a tie for ninth in 2003 at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley Hills, Mass.

Elite company: When Golf Digest named its top new private courses for 1990, Sycamore Hills fell just behind Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, Nev.

WEBSITE FOR WOMEN'S USGA STATE TEAMS.

Colorado has never come in the top 10. With the team that we are taking, we hope to bring home a National Championship. We have a hall of famer - Kim Eaton and another decorated amateur in Janet Moore. I will be in great company on our team as well as our tournament. Many past US Amateur champions will be there as well as other accomplished amateurs.

I am excited.

Tea Time

"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do."
-Jerome K. Jerome

"Tiger at the Tee"

By: DJ Gallo

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Hazeltine crowd that day;
Tiger led by two, with but one more round to play,
And then when Padraig took an eight, and more did much the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

While a struggling few got up to go in deep, intense despair,
Some others stayed right in their seats, sensing something in the air.
They thought, "If only one could make a move, I probably would not flee
I'd like to see them challenge Woods -- however unlikely."

But Westwood preceded Tiger, as did also McIlroy,
And the former was a loser, while the latter was a boy.
So upon that stricken multitude came thoughts of boring play,
For there seemed but little chance of catching Tiger on that day.

Then Yang uncorked a booming drive to the wonderment of all,
And next up was his eagle, a perfect chipping of the ball.
And when the pin was lifted, and they saw what had occurred,
There was Y.E. safe in first ... and Tiger nearing third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
How would Tiger come right back? They couldn't quite yet tell.
They clapped their hands together and yelled with utter glee.
For Tiger, mighty Tiger, was coming to the tee.

There was ease in Tiger's manner as he took his usual stance;
There was pride in Tiger's bearing and a swoosh upon his pants.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly touched his cap,
No fan there in the crowd could doubt that he would close the gap.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he put his tee into the dirt.
Five thousand tongues applauded when he adjusted his red shirt.
While Yang hit his drive a ways, to a place where he could score,
Tiger hit his all that way -- and some twenty yards or more.

And now again the small, white sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Tiger stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
But close by the sturdy flag, the stubborn ball it sped --
"$@!%&*^ @%^&," said Tiger. "Get down!" his caddy said.

From the bleachers full of people, there went up a muffled roar,
They were waiting for the comeback, and they could hardly wait much more.
"Catch him! Catch that Yang!" shouted someone on the stand;
(Although he soon piped down, lest he get beat by Stevie's hand.)

With a bit of golfing charity, Yang left his next putt short;
But Tiger did not capitalize with his usual deft retort.
And so one hole was left to play and Tiger swung with might,
But Yang erased away all hope: His approach went nice and tight.

"Yang!" cried the surprised thousands, and then they yelled out "Y.E.!"
There walked a disappointed Tiger, a sight few hardly ever see.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain.
And they knew that Tiger wouldn't let one get away again.

So the match was all but finished, it had slipped from Tiger's grip.
You couldn't help excuse him if he let some curse words slip.
And now Yang confirmed it as his putt fell out of sight.
And the gathered crowd was shocked to see Woods fall without a fight.

Oh, somewhere in South Korea the sun is shining bright,
A band is playing somewhere, and there the hearts are light,
And in Seoul the men are laughing, and little children shout;
But there was no joy for Tiger as he meekly putted out.

Wow.

US Amateur Pics

The clubhouse.

From #13 tee box. Beautiful par-3. The picture doesn't do it justice.

From #11 tee box. Great view of the St. Louis skyline the entire hole on a clear day!

From #17 tee box.

The Cox Cup was presented in 1896 by Robert Cox, of Gorgie, Edinburgh, Scotland, a member of Britain’s Parliament. It is the only USGA trophy donated by a person from another country and is the oldest survivor among trophies for USGA championships.

The backside of the clubhouse where our banquets were and we ate breakfast/lunch. The scoreboard is on the right side of the picture.

#18 green. Fantastic finishing hole.

One Great Week

July 31, 2009

TRAVEL

Man, what a long day! I woke up at 4am just exhausted. I made breakfast, packed up the car and left at around 4:50am. I drove four hours and was pulled over. 86 in a 70. Dammit. I continued to drive through extreme tiredness artificially covered up by Starbucks. Arrived at my host family’s home around 6:30pm. It felt good to be there! Met her for 5 minutes and she left for some plans she already had and I had her entire house to myself for the night! It was weird being in a strangers house without them there but very inviting and encouraging that someone would trust a complete stranger in her home!

August 1, 2009

1^st PRACTICE ROUND

I arrived for registration to a room full of smiley volunteers. They were very nice in showing me the clubhouse and our locker, and dining room. I got my gift, a backpack and a local boutique’s necklace and signed two autographs (Ha. I was excited.)!! I went to breakfast and was just taking it all in. Meanwhile I was being waited on by some of the best waiters I have ever interacted with! Everything in the clubhouse was soo fancy and nice. I felt like I was in a Victorian mansion or something. I saw the trophy and it is one of the most beautiful trophies I’ve ever seen. I met my caddie, Tim, while I was warming up. He seemed nervous but I eased him by trying to make him laugh. We got out on the course and it started pouring. It rained for 7 holes just non stop and got everything wet. After hole 8, it cleared up a bit and was a nice afternoon! I played with a girl who was on the National Championship USC team of last year, Morgan Pressel (LPGA Pro)’s sister, and the girl who beat me by 1 at our qualifier in Denver! It was really fun meeting some new friends. Interesting getting to know their personalities behind the cutthroat competitors that they are on the golf course. My friend Alison and I practiced a bit after our round and headed to the fancy dinner they had for us at the course put on by the USGA. They had all kinds of yummy stuff there! Sushi, roast beef, pasta and bite size desserts!! They introduced all the past USGA Champions the president of the club spoke as well as the USGA president. It was a short program. Alison and I sat by a girl from England and a girl from Scotland. It was fun to meet them and hear about their stories of coming across the pond for the 18-hole qualifier. Wow. I only drove an hour to mine and they spent $1500 just for the qualifier!! I was so tuckered out so I headed home to get some much needed rest!

August 2, 2009

2^nd PRACTICE ROUND

Alison and I played together today and went off early. We played with a junior golfer from California and a girl from I don’t even remember where who only spoke Korean, but then when I said nice to play with you, she said, yeah it was fun thanks. She spoke English. Ha. We had fun playing and my caddy and I had good report. I played well and made some birdies on this tough course. The ball was flying a little better due to less humidity. We finished our round and headed to lunch where we had a hot thanksgiving dinner! They had pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes (I hate mashed potatoes but these were heaven -- that's how good this food was), chicken, peas, carrots, and rolls! It was great!! Alison left me so I went down to the locker room to watch some golf on the big flat-screen they have. Tiger was especially inspiring and I made some new friends. Possibly with the oldest competitor this week (54 years old)! She is from Jamaica and has won three USGA Senior Women’s Amateur titles (2005, 2006 and 2008). I chatted with her about USGA State Teams which is another championships that the USGA puts on that I will be going to in a month. We watched Tiger and rooted him on for about 2 hours. I decided I had rested enough so I went out to practice in the St. Louis heat. Our BBQ was at 5pm so I practiced some 6' putts and hit some drivers. Alison came back to get me and we sat together. They, once again, had amazing food topped off by an incredible ice cream sundae w/ peaches and blueberries! SO yummy! After dinner I did some lag putting then headed back to my home for the week for some chatting with my host mom and a shower!

August 3, 2009

1^st ROUND

I woke up around 8am for my 1pm tee time. I went to the club for breakfast and went to see the hole locations on #9 and #18. Moseyed on back to my family’s house and wrote some emails, checked the weather. When I came back to warm up, I was hitting it awesome, putting okay, and I was SO excited to play. Got up to the first tee and they do equipment checks. They look at the brands of your clubs, bag, ball, clothes, shoes, hat, glove etc. If you have ever watched golf, commercials come on that say, “Titleist. The #1 ball in golf.” It’s true and that is how they can say that. I saw on twitter that Titleist was the #1 ball at the Am 129 and the nearest competitor was 7. Ha. I teed off first and just ripped one down the middle. It was so exciting. Lots of people were on the tee watching so it was awesome. After my round, I had felt a little bittersweet about it. I had a great group of girls that I played with, but missing some short putts really killed my score. I didn't see a shot that I didn't have or have ever hit, it was just a matter of executing the right shot at that particular time. I had a double, which really frustrates me because I have had 3 in the past month and a half, which for me, has been a huge part of shooting consistently under 78 for the summer. I figured, even with the double, it was an OK first round but we gotta come back and do work tomorrow morning to make match play. I putted for a while and hit some balls until about 7pm then headed home. On tap for the night was a BBQ at my host mom’s brother’s (host uncle if you will) house with some other girls from the tournament. It was great chilling outside with some great company, great food at an incredible house. The conversation was fun and making new friends is always enjoyable for me! I was exhausted and the only one there who didn’t get to shower so I requested to head home about 9pm. Had to talk to the paparazzi (haha) and then the parents then headed to bed after watching some Golf Channel.

August 4, 2009

2^nd ROUND

Morning came too soon, but I woke up excited as ever to get back out there. Had an amazing breakfast at the club and headed out to warm up. This week I made a great warm up mix with a little Britney Spears- Radar and Break the Ice and some Miike Snow- Cult Logic. Can't forget the MGMT- Kids and Electric Feel and Newpoint's cover of In The Air Tonight. Needless to say it was a sick mix. Like the previous day, I was hitting the ball very solid but I was putting a lot better. Got up to #10 tee and ripped it down the middle again. I was thinking, "man, this is fun, I could do this for a living!" I got off to a rocky start, double bogeying the par-5 that I had birdied the day before. Anytime I bogey a par-5 it feels like a double so it was a hole where I lost a lot of ground. With my length and short game I should birdie them all! This golf course was demanding on every shot and I pushed my drive a little too far right so

it was out of position. Finished that nine well with a birdie on #16 (made a 12’), birdie on #17 (drained my 3’ – par 3 185 yards hit 5 iron to 3’) and made a great up and down out of the trees for a par on #18 (made an 18’). I was heading to the back nine at 2-over and beaming with confidence. Made a 45’ on #2 for birdie and had so many chances on my back nine to make a charge and get under that cut line but nothing fell.

I limped into the clubhouse with a bogey-bogey finish and had to wait to see if I made the cut. Never a good place to be. I knew that those last two holes were going to make a difference but I dwelled on the fact that I missed some putts on those last two I should have made and that is the only difference. I also gave credit to the fact that I had a great time playing, possibly the most fun ever and of all the friendships that I had made. Around 7:30pm is when I found out I would miss a 6-for-1 playoff (6 girls for 1 spot). I was pretty devastated. I came into the week very confident. I had spent the previous week buckling down and working very hard to fine tune the scoring parts of my game – putting, wedges and long irons (because of the course’s length) not to mention the previous month working hard on my game as well. It was a good first USGA event and Alison’s dad made it a little better by saying he’d buy me a drink if I missed it. Ha. We spent the night watching the playoff and heading to Fleming’s Steakhouse for a celebration dinner. Good way to end the week.

August 5th, 2009

TRAVEL HOME

After eating at the club, paying my caddy and taking some pictures, I started home around 9:45am. At approximately 10am I was pulled over again. Ridiculous. The speed limit on the highway was 60mph. Who woulda thought?! After that I was drove 5 below, in my cruise-control-less car all the way home. It was a good drive home and I even maxed out at 490 miles for a tank of gas! My car is awesome. Got home around 10pm and my bed felt great, although the whole day I was playing the course in my head. When I passed Denver International Airport, there was a huge storm hitting Denver and I was on the outside of it. I snapped some pictures. I have never photographed lightning before. It is one of my favorite things to photograph now because you don't know what the picture is going to look like until it comes out. This was one of the better ones I got. Pretty sick.

I told the paper it was a dagger to the heart that I didn’t make it. I didn’t cry (many girls did) but I couldn’t have been more disappointed. On the same level, I was competing at the top level of amateurs. The best 150 girls in the country were here and I was T76th. It was a great accent to my amateur career. I made note yesterday that I wasn’t nervous. I believe a person gets nervous because they don't believe they should be playing at that certain level. I know I have felt like that in previous national competitions. This past week, I didn’t feel that. I felt like I belonged and that I was at the right level. The highest. It was a monumental week for my game (I have kept it below 78 all summer, which I have never done…ever) and my mental game. I am home with so much learned in St. Louis. I couldn’t have spent the week better if I tried.....well, yeah I could have won but I guess this will suffice. :)

Thanks for following! The support is forever appreciated!!!

Hilarious.

Sergio hit 36% of dudes and 64% of fairways yesterday at Firestone in Akron.

Haha.

Day 2

Yesterday went alright. I teed off late and didn't really know what to do with myself. I started off great. I was a little nervous but thrived off of it. I had an awesome group of girls I was playing with, one from Australia and one from Michigan. I had a rough patch about 5 holes in but on the back I grinded it out to shoot 1-over. There are some damn long holes out there! If you are in the rough you can forget about getting to the green! I made a couple up and downs from about 100 out and was really pumped.

Today was a little better. My front nine (the back nine) where I played well yesterday, wasn't as good, but finished birdie-birdie-par. Made three 1-putts to stay 2-over for that nine. I chipped it to 10' on #16, then hit a 5 iron 185 on #17 to 3' and made an 18' on #18 to get some momentum into the back (the real front). Made a 45' on #2 to stay at 2 over then played pretty steady until the last two holes. On my 18th, I hit into the opposite fairway and had a clear shot to the green. It came to rest in the sand and I had a brilliant shot out of it to about 4' but I missed the putt. Overall it was good. If I would have not bogeyed those last two, 74 would have been pretty solid and I wouldn't really have to worry about staying at the course to avoid any playoffs. But I'm chillin with my Australian "mate" and we're about to watch Across the Universe. Gotta keep an eye on the scoreboard. I am T110th right now but there are about 50 people that still have to tee off, or have but just don't have scores updated.

I believe some weather is coming in, at least some wind (hopefully). Still having a blast though! I hung out with Tiger Wood's niece and an LPGA pro's sister last night so I am in great company and enjoying myself to the max!

Update from St. Louis

Greetings from one of the oldest golf championships in the country! 109th US Women's Amateur is the most prestigious amateur tournament in the United States for women and I have the honor to play in it!

The last three days have been incredible! Filled with amazing food from Old Warson Country Club to meeting USGA officials who have officiated numerous US Opens, both men and women and being in the presence of past USGA Champions. It has been awesome!! I have met people from all over the world and made some new friends!

I am just killing time now, waiting for my tee time at 1:25pm. I believe they are doing live scoring on the US Women's Amateur website. I still have an hour before I leave for the course.

I am staying with a host family about 10 minutes away from the course and it is such a great experience. A lot better than staying in a hotel!

Anyway, pray the weather holds off (it poured our first practice round and they are calling for 70% chance at 1pm) and the putts fall! It is a great course!! I have been blogging on my computer in my room (my family doesn't have wireless) so I will post all of that when I'm home. Thanks for following and I hope you get to all week long!

These Guys Are Good

Lately, golfers around North America have been makin' it rain. Makin' it rain with their putters no doubt. Mark Calcavecchia made a PGA record 9 birdies in a row, turning in a 7-under 65 in the 3rd round of the RBC Canadian Open this past weekend. Nine birdies in a row is just ridiculous but it is becoming more common for players to perform at such a high level.

Also over the weekend, John Douma from Arizona, competing in the Health One Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in Denver, birdied holes 9-11 and 13-18. He carded one double on the 12th hole (not that hard of a hole and usually birdie-able) and finished the day with a 64. Despite his back-nine charge, he still fell short of Derek Tolan, a recent CU Buff grad and rookie professional, with an un-rookie like second win this summer.

Last week, I was lucky enough to play in the Pro-Am for the Colorado Open and made 9 birdies and no bogeys. I missed a 6-footer for the 10th one too! Although they were not consecutive, it was my lowest non-competitive score, a 63.

10th Time Is a Charm!

On Tuesday I qualified for the US Women's Amateur. This is biggest amateur tournament in the country! I have tried qualifying for this tournament, the US Girl's Junior Amateur and the US Open a combined 10 times and have missed by a stroke 5 of those times. I advanced to the US Women's Open Sectional qualifier in 2006 but didn't qualify for the national tournament. This is very exciting. It is probably my last amateur tournament, but definitely the last time I will be qualifying for USGA events as an amateur.

I was scheduled to tee off at 7:40am but was delayed 3 hours due to the rather large hail storm and tornado winds wreaked havoc on Green Gables CC in Denver. Nevertheless, the maintenance crew came through and cleared the course enough for the 23 qualifiers to compete. There were 3 spots available, I took 2nd, and shot a 5 over, 76.

Anyway, here's a closer look at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, MO where the national championship will be held next week.

Yardage: 6,468 yards (match play)/6,441 yards (stroke play)
Par: 36-35—71
Defending champion: Amanda Blumenherst (turned pro in June)
Opened: 1954
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Sr.

USGA championships: This will be the second USGA event contested at the club, the first since the 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur won by Danny Green. Old Warson also hosted the 1971 Ryder Cup Matches.

Design notes: Jones made use of a feature that he called the “heroic” school of architecture in which he designed alternate routes around formidable looking hazards.

Missouri and the Women’s Amateur: This is the third time the Show Me State has hosted the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Both previous championships were held at St. Louis Country Club in 1925 and ’72. Glenna Collett beat Alexa Stirling in 1925, while Mary Budke beat Cynthia Hill in ‘72. Budke would later captain the victorious 2002 USA Curtis Cup team. Collett won a record six Women’s Amateur titles.

Set-up notes: The par-3 17th hole will play at 184 yards during stroke-play qualifying and 211 yards once match play begins. Depending on the location of the tee markers, the par-4 14th hole will play either 300 or 324 yards.

Port Place: St. Louis native Ellen Port is one of Missouri’s most decorated amateur players, having won three U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles and representing the USA on the 1994 and ’96 Curtis Cup teams. Port has played in several U.S. Women’s Amateurs, reaching the quarterfinals in 1992.

Hopefully I'll be blogging about my experience. This is kind of a big deal and I'm so pumped to play with the best amateurs in the country!

Stewart Cink

Ladies and gentleman, your 2009 British Open Champion presenting his own Top 10 list on Letterman.

Number six is my favorite one. Ha.

Sexy Golfers...Good for the Game?

This girl is a golfer? Haha, yeah. More and more over the last decade or so, women's golf has become sexy. Natalie Gulbis was one of the modern day trailblazers who glamorized golf. Her swimsuit calendars and short skirts on tour was marketed, and still is, toward the middle-aged-Miller-Lite-public golfer who doesn't give a rats ass about what goes on on the LPGA yet they buy the calendars and watch her reality shows. Now, seven women known as the Wilhelmina 7 or the W7, sponsored by the Wilhelmina modeling agency have created a new kind of gossip on tour: Who's going to be Miss January, because its not just Natalie Gulbis making calendars now! Before the likes of Gulbis, female golfers wore knee length shorts, shirts down to their elbows and lacked any kind of fashion on the golf course. Now, the women's golf industry has incorporated fashion icons to model their clothing and created en vogue clothing to sport on the course.

The other day I was approached by my employer because my golf shirt was not "fit to the dress code". My shirt was a sleeveless polo but the back was cut out like a sports bra and apparently wasn't acceptable. In somewhat of a shock, I started pondering about this whole subject. Does she not know that women's golf is trying to make ground on this subject? Women athletes, especially golfers, have been known to be "masculine" if they possess elite athletic skills. They are butch. These girls posing in their swimsuits are proving they have the beauty and the skill. For example, Anna Grzebien, pictured above, won three national championships at Duke and is now playing on the LPGA. I remember when I saw her at a tournament and I would have never thought that she would be part of the W7, but its getting people's attention toward golf.

The obvious argument is that this is degrading to women's character, making a mockery of their actual athletic skill and just using their bodies to give the sport notice. For Gulbis, the argument is that she hadn't won a tournament for the first 6 years she was a professional. She had the beauty but not the game to win. She was noticed for her good looks before her game. That kinda gets at me because being a girl playing a male dominated sport, it seems like I'm always swimming against the current. People don't want to play with me because I'm a girl, or they doubt my talent or skill just because I am female. This all really pisses me off but after I hit one, they shut up. Ha.

However, these girls are bringing that temporary glance at golf. They are showing people that female athletes, like I said before, have the skill and the good looks. However they arrive at the conclusion that they play professional golf for a living, golf is being noticed so I would think that is good for the game. In every aspect of a females life, they are more noticeable when wearing a short skirt and if that gets people's attention, maybe, and hopefully they will notice what great athletes they are as well.

Any thoughts??

The Best Time of the Year

Le Tour de France!!

What an epic event. I am so excited to watch this year's tour not only because Lance is back, but because it has been 365 days since the last one!

Greatest test in sports....

And the coolest tv spots!


What an inspiration.

Quality TV

Last night I had the honor of seeing probably one of the greatest television shows created. Allow me to explain. Tiger Woods' swing coach Hank Haney is taking on the challenge of teaching Charles Barkley. If you have never seen him swing a golf club, entertain yourself and look him up here. He is terrible. Hank Haney is easily one of the nation's best swing coaches, so this is quite a project for him.

On the show last night, Haney talks about Charles completing a Tiger day. A Tiger day consists of 6am wake up, run, lift, breakfast, on the practice tee at 9am-11am, putt for 30 min, lunch, play 9 holes, back to the practice tee at 2pm-4pm, short game practice till 5pm, putt till 5:30, play another 9 holes. Charles Barkley is by no means in any sort of shape to complete this agenda. However, he spends a solid 8 hours on the practice tee, completing over 1000 swings. Towards the end of the day Charles says, "No one can have fun working like this".

The show is brilliant. Tiger even made a cameo appearance. Here is he imitating Charles' swing.....

Haha

Snowed Out

I am currently in a quaint little Inn, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you might know that I looooove Pinehurst. I have posted pictures of Payne Stewart's statue and written in adoration for this holy ground. Well folks, my luck here has run out. I am a senior and my last chance to play Pinehurst is gone. Two inches of snow fell last night and temperatures hoovering around freezing will keep us from teeing it up this week.

As for the remainder of our trip, it will be filled with good food, staring at books, typing, and studying till I fall asleep. Midterms this week.

Great Views

Memphis welcomed me back on January 11th with this beautiful view.

Basketball Season

College basketball has been outstanding lately, at least the games I have seen. I attended Memphis v Houston a couple weekends ago. Houston had a player that earlier that week stepped on some guys face, intentionally. Every time he was shooting free throws by our band, the kids would take off their shoes, place them by their face and scream. It was hilarious. Houston's jersey tops were bigger than their shorts and Memphis', being the hood team that they are, shorts look more like man-pri's than shorts. Kept me laughing the whole game.

Memphis played Gonzaga last Saturday. This game had a lot of hype because Memphis and Gonzaga were similar in rankings, and matched up pretty well on the floor. I was nervous because we have been throwing the ball away on stupid turnovers lately. The usual scenario played out. Memphis runs the crap out of the other team and they are just standing there spinning in circles wondering which goal is theirs. We killed them. Coach Cal says the boys are starting to come together and play like they know what they're doing. I would have to agree. Couldn't be at a better time either, its getting closer to March.

Last night Duke played UNC. The first 30 minutes of this basketball game was probably the best 30 minutes I've ever seen. Scoring a combined 50+ in the first 10 minutes left me speechless. Every possession was a field goal and the pace was very quick. It's always impressive when a college team gets to 100 especially in this rivalry so needless to say when UNC scored 101, at Cameron Indoor Arena (Duke's home), I was very impressed. That is not easy to do!

This year's NCAA tournament will be a good one I suspect with all of the upsets already and the teams inching closer to the top 10, like Memphis. March can't get here fast enough.

**Here is Memphis' intro video for this year. It's a little blurry but a fan recorded it. This is an awesome way to get the fans hyped up. Just imagine standing in a pitch black bball arena and this bad a video comes on the screen.

US and A

The hallowed Ryder Cup matches conclude today. The US has a 9 to 7 lead over the Europeans. The US hasn't brought the cup home since their monumental run in 1999 at Brookline CC. If you aren't familiar, Justin Leonard made like a 45' putt to win his match and lead the US to victory. This year, the US is competing without Tiger Woods. Having struggled the past two Ryder Cups with Tiger, commentators said the US wouldn't have a chance to beat the Euros especially with Padraig Harrington, a hot player in 2008, playing for the Euro team. Currently, if they win the matches they are leading, the cup will return to the US.

This is golf's most exciting tournament. It's not about money. It's all about bragging rights, national pride and raw competition. I would recommend tuning in (NBC) if you think golf is a boring sport.

7 Years Ago....

Currently, I am watching a show on the History channel taking witness, home video accounts of 9/11. After traveling to NYC, seeing what used to be the grounds for the Two Towers leaves me in utter shock after seeing it when it actually happened. Being able to gauge the scale of how widespread the effect was throughout the city is unexplainable. Seeing the huge buildings on either side of you walking down the street and imagining one of them, well two of them could possibly collapse. What are you going to do? Seeing the people frantically running throughout the streets is shocking and sickening. Imagining a rushing wave of thick, heavy dust, about to wrap itself around you and through you would be utterly frightening. Thinking about the families of people that died that day is devastating. Trying to grasp the amount of courage and commitment to service the firefighters, police officers, and other aid teams demonstrated is beyond words. Realizing the ripple effect that disaster caused is unfathomable. Seeing it year after year I understand more about the world, and more about the effects this day, September 11, 2001 had on the rest of the world.

And I am left speechless.


**This is a shot I took looking through a blocked fence at ground zero. Construction for the memorial and the new tower are underway.

No Studying Going On...

I was studying, for finals, and a friend made this video known to me. Check it out.

Feed that warrior. Get some.

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

The time has come.

The green jackets are dusted off.

The Masters starts this week.



As most of you know, I'm pretty obsessed with this golf tournament. I'm pretty sure I've devoted a blog post to it, or maybe a couple, to it every year. This is the tournament you skip class for. Instead of practice you watch the Masters. Augusta's lush fairways, super slick greens, and beautiful azaleas, have me hypnotized for a week every April.

My prediction this year hasn't been totally solidified, but my tentative pick is Tiger. After breaking his 7 tournament winning streak last week, he's probably ed (you could have thought that after his threats to the camera man, for footage go to youtube). Tiger is always hungry and Augusta is his Thanksgiving Day feast. Not to mention, most of the world is scared less of the man on those greens. Ha.

I think the Masters is the best remedy after the heartbreaking loss last night in the National Championship. Sad day in Memphis for sure...

The Curse Is Broken

After losing the past two years in the Elite 8, we finally made it.

The Final Four.

I have high hopes for this team. After watching the game against Michigan State, jumping at the tv reenacting Derek Rose and Joey Dorsey slam-down-your-throat dunks, I stand firm in my belief that we have the best team in the nation this year.

Next opponent: UCLA Bruins.

Just a reminder: Tigers are at the top of the food chain.

YouTube Find

Check that tackle.
T. Woods that was solid.

I'm Back.....From Hawaii

It's funny, I feel the sudden urge to blog when I am at 30,000 feet. After a solid 10 hours in the air coming back from Hawaii, I am exhausted. I have been up since 4:45am yesterday, played a round of golf in 40mph gusts, and about ready to really loose it. The computer screen is blurry, at times I am seeing double. My stomach is in knots and my feet hurt. But missing a week of school for the paradise known as Hawaii was well worth it. The ocean never ceases to amaze the crap out of me. That part of the world is incredibly beautiful.

I leave you with a shot from Paradise Cove, in Ko Olina.

1 vs. 2

Memphis vs. Tennessee



Tomorrow the state's elite basketball teams face off in Tiger country. The city is like, totally, so excited. I have never seen so much hype for a regular season game. There are a lot of UT fans that live in Memphis and I'll see an occasional vomit orange flag flapping in the wind, but today the flags were out in force. Random banks are hanging up signs saying, "Go Tigers!" or "Go Vols!" The energy is raw, it's exciting, it's got everyone talking. Tickets are going for thousands on ebay. The UofM team is just calling it another game, and that...is...exactly...what...it...is. People say UT is our rival, but we play them once a year.

Tomorrow's 8pm tip-off will be exciting for the state of Tennessee. I am excited to watch it. I wish I was going, the atmosphere would be amazing. We are flying to Raleigh, North Carolina for our first tournament of the season. As always, I am pumped up and ready to rock it.

I'm hoping for two University of Memphis wins this week.

Go Tigers.

Numba 1 in da Nation

Buh Bye

OUT


I'M


BACK TO


See you there?

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

The Playlist

Apoligize Remix- OneRepublic feat. Timbaland
Fidelity- Regina Spektor
Faded from the Winter- Iron and Wine
Here at the Right Time- Josh Ritter
Bubbly- Colbie Caillat
World Away- Emery
Searchlights- Falling Up from Exit>Lights album
Luven Me- Nelly
I'm For You- Toby Mac
Doe Boy Fresh- 36 Mofia
A Little More- Skillet
Soul Meets Body- Death Cab
More Than A Feelin'- Boston
Take Me Away- Lifehouse
California Dreamin'- The Mamas & the Papas
Tusk- Fleetwood Mac

Ba Ba Back It Up

Here's some sweet old school Anberlin. This music video is just down right funny. Nate, the drummer, is about 15 here. Yikes. Enjoy.

Please welcome to the #1 tee.....

Tomorrow is begins.

A 5am wake up call. Put on our uniform. Breakfast soon to follow. Eggs, toast, yogurt, tea. Grab my clubs, cart bag and iPod and get in the van to head to the golf course. Organization. Depart for the range. Hit 10 balls with every other club starting at pitching wedge ending with sand wedge. Anberlin blasting into my head and me thinking of amazing shots I have hit in the past. I gather confidence as I warm up to get ready for a nice, long day of 36 holes. After the range, head over to the chipping green. 3 balls. Scatter, and hit a variety of shots. They're close. I'm pumped. I catch a teammate, and head up to putt. 2 balls. Putter. 3 footers around the hole, make them all. After a full rotation, move to the 6 feet. Go around twice. Move to 8 feet. Once. 10 feet. Once. Lag some putts from around 30 feet. Time to get it goin'. Head to the tee and let the magic happen.


This is a typical day going to the course. Tomorrow is when our season starts. We are in Louisville, KY. I have never been here and its beautiful. Rolling hills of lush, green grass and full oak trees. Crisp mornings and blazing afternoons. Golf season is starting. Yes.

Anticipation

I am stoked. Emery's third cd comes out on October 2. I've heard all the hype so I hope it lives up to its reputation. I have been in a musical rut lately so something new is going to be great. Don't worry, I pre-ordered a copy. Yess....



Hilarious.

Love It

This picture was taken on my bike ride to school. This is one of the main streets around the University, Central Ave.

My Favorite Spanish Song