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}