June 30, 2013: Soccer Championship, Baseball, and a little practice

A family sports day today: two soccer games for Julia and baseball for Connor. 

Julia and her team, Washington Timbers GU14 Reds, won the 2013 Clash at the Border tournament winning there two games, their 4th and 5th games in three days.  Julia plays goalkeeper.  Only one goal scored against her team in the five games, on a free kick.  Her team's defense is very good, and she really hasn't been tested much, but she has been good when they have needed her.

Connor had two baseball games against a Senior Babe Ruth team from Hoquiam.  We were watching Julia's championship game during the first game, where Connor's team got killed 18-7.  In the second game Hoquiam jumped out to a lead, Connor's team took the lead, and the game was tied at 11.  Earlier Connor had driven in the go ahead run, only to have the game tied again.  In the bottom of the 7th, the winning run was on second with Connor at the plate and he delivered the game winner on an ground ball between the 1st and 2nd baseman.

After returning home from the baseball game, went to GMGC to hit a few balls, mostly with the driver.  It seems like good swings are always hitting the ball right.  I think it is because I want a higher trajectory than my 10.5 degree driver gives me with a good swing.  So I hang back, or play the ball too far forward to get my desired trajectory.  This, plus information from a Bridgestone Ball Fitting, leads me to believe I need a higher lofted driver.  When I played in the PNWPGA Senior Players Championship back in April, I drove the ball very well. But really haven't done so since.

I also think that I am closing my shoulders at address, also in attempts to get the ball in the air.  So during this practice session I don't adjust my shoulders after squaring my feet and it seems to help me hit the driver at or near the target.  That will work for the Chapter Championships tomorrow.

June 29, 2013: Helping a Friend

Today, GMGC held a benefit golf tournament for long time friend, staff member, and Green Mountain Golf Club Board Member Ron McGlohn.  64 players participated, Ron had said no one would come out, and we will raise well over $2,000.  Ron has esophageal cancer and completed chemo and radiation last month.  Surgery later this summer when his weight increases.

I played with Dan Frosh, we won, and I gave Dan the entire prize.  He chose four rounds at Orchard Hills.  I played ok, scrambles tend to create bad swings, particularly with the driver.  Putted well, but not much went in.  I think I made three putts, and hit a few irons close.

Didn't sleep well again last night.  Had a couple drinks with caffeine, need to stop that.

June 28, 2013: Confident I will play

The final qualifying produced 4 additional qualifiers, leaving 3 spots still available, based on my calculations.

Called the USGA today and finally spoke with someone in Championships.  Oregon’s alternate was fourth on the alternate list to get in.  The USGA has gone through two alternates, leaving me currently as the 2^nd alternate nationally.  I was told the USGA is still holding spots for otherwise unqualified players who win a Champions Tour event.  There are two Champion Tour events left before the Open. So it seems I will play, but may not officially know until the Sunday before championship week.  A very last minute deal, and expensive for flights.

I was told to call Tuesday for an update.  But conversations this afternoon have me leaning to booking airfare and hotel now.  If I am first alternate once tournament week rolls around, can I show up on Monday of tournament week, play practice rounds in the event someone drops out?  Then I am there and ready to play.

With the Chapter Championships on Monday, I really don’t want any kind of answer, especially yes.  If I was told I was going, it would be difficult to concentrate on the task at hand.

I have asked Minda to call the USGA on Monday and ask them my first alternate scenario.

Did some more pitching practice today.  After a 11 hour day and the heat, there is no way I could hit balls, so pitching keeps me swinging and is something that could show improvement with just a little practice.

June 27, 2013: No news is no news

Last of the qualifying today.  No results as of 9 pm on the website.

Called Tom Carey at Meriwether this afternoon.  He gave me some insights – should hear Friday or Monday, courtesy cars, free food, family passes and pavilions, giving lots autographs, and just how great the whole experience is.  He is a Nike staff member, so Nike gave him a bonus when he qualified.  Maybe Tour Edge will do the same for me.  All I hope is that they could get me a 2 and 3 hybrid and a 12 degree driver head fast.

Need to go work on my signature.

June 26, 2013: Practice!?

Another call to the USGA today, and no return call.  So I will stop calling, don’t want to be a pest.

One more qualifying tomorrow, so any call will come after that.  I think there are 78 spots for qualifying, and through completed qualifying, 71 spaces have been taken.  So it seems that there may be additional spots for alternates after tomorrow’s qualifying.  One can only hope.

I actually “practiced” some pitch and lob shots.  Of all the things that I could improve on the fastest, and what might be key is 40 to 60 yard pitch shots.  I assume that missing fairways in Omaha will cause me to miss greens well short thus requiring good shots from this distance to do well.

June 25, 2103: No Sleep

Hardly slept last night too excited and nervous, thinking about all that I would do while there and what would be needed to prepare.  Down to getting clothes that would be better in 90 degrees and 90% humidity.

Called the USGA to find out the procedure on how they notify the alternates, left a message but no return call.

Chuck Milne called me today to congratulate me, saying that I will get in.

Howie Smith, who was the starter and who once worked for me at GMGC, sent a congratulatory e-mail and told all our mutual friends.

I looked at the qualifiers, and I recognized 11 of them: Jeff Wilson and Jeff Brehaut from UOP, Steve Pate (played with him at Mission Viejo in a Golden State Tour Event when I shot 32 on the back nine), his brother John who I played with in some Southern California amateur events, Vic Wilk ( I remember staying at the same house for a junior tournament at Los Coyotes and he had root beer and donuts for breakfast and I think went on to win the event), Jeff Hart and Bruce Nakamura from San Diego, Greg Bruckner and Jim Carter from college competition.

When I qualified for the Jr. Am and US Am I felt I belonged.  I was practicing and playing all the time, and doing well.  I was striving for a career playing golf and felt comfortable playing with that competition and confident in my abilities to play well.  But now, not so much.  I don’t practice, play only local events, never win local senior pro-ams on easy short golf courses.  And occasionally I put a good round together and win a few dollars, but nothing significant.

One of the things I learned on Monday was the meaning of being “in the moment”.  What I concerned myself with on Monday was focusing on making a good swing and a good shot regardless of possible consequences.  That particularly worked with putting. It allowed me to commit to the stroke without worrying about the consequences.  I took the attitude that my life didn’t depend upon it, which it doesn’t.

June 24, 2013: Qualifying Day

What an amazing day.  I have suddenly been hitting the ball much better in the past week, but unable to make putts.  A 71 at Club GreenMeadows the previous Friday, but had the opportunity for a 66.  Yesterday morning at GMGC a 70 leaving two strokes on short putts.

So heading into today’s qualifying at Willamette Valley CC for the US Senior Open I just wanted to hit tee shots in the fairway and putt well.  I really had no serious expectations of qualifying.  This was to be practice for the Chapter Championship and the Section Senior Championship.  I did think the course length with the undulating greens, it wouldn’t take too much under par to qualifying.

I was nervous to start, missing the first two fairways and first three greens making one par.  A par on the fourth from the trees, an easy up and down on the fifth calmed me down.  A birdie on the long, 615, par-5 sixth let me know I would play well.  Birdies on 8, 3-iron par-3 and a 25 foot putt, and 9, a 60 foot putt that nearly slam dunks are encouraging. At one under par making the turn, I am still focused on hitting each shot and putt the best I can without concern for positive or negative consequences

A terrible tee shot on 10 to the right trees and I still make par with a 10’ putt.  Tee shot on 11 barely misses the trees, I have never liked that tee shot, but I miss a short L-R birdie putt.  Still having problems with those.  A lucky break on 12 and another 10 footer made for par. 

Beginning with 13, the pin locations got tough.  A poor tee shot on this par-3 lead to a difficult two putt that I executed.  A birdie on the short par-5 14^th was nice, but I still didn’t think I could make enough birdies on the remaining holes to qualify.  Finally a three putt on the long par-3 15^th, a missed short L-R.  16 was playing 50 yards longer than I usually play it, so a 3-iron to a back left pin hooked too much but made a 6’ for par. 17 was a routine two putt par.  Another bad tee shot on 18, right in the trees well over 200 yards away with no chance to reach the green.  But a made 12’ putt kept me under par for the day, equaling my lowest round at Willamette Valley CC.

As I left the scores tent, I saw Bruce Stewart on the putting green, and he said he was waiting around to see what happens.  Then he told me he shot 70.  I just shook my head in disbelief and the irony of missing out on qualifying by one shot.  Neil Bartlett and all my college friends would laugh as well.  I can’t tell you how many times in missed qualifying (1983 US Amateur is the biggest), or cashing a check by only one shot.

Around the scoreboard, some players say that the first alternate from this qualifying should get it the championship.  The USGA reserves spots for “unlikely winners” on the Senior Tour.   An unlikely winner is someone who wins in the last few weeks before the championship that isn’t already qualified.

Three of us head to the first tee for the playoff to determine the first and second alternates.  Tom Carey, Meriwether National, misses a 6-7’ birdie putt on #1 while Randy Mahar and I both make pars.  On the par-5 second, both Randy and Tom hit good drives and I hook one into the left rough and I squirt a 2 hybrid to the right rough while Tom and Randy are side by side about 90 yards from the pin.  I have 130 out of the rough and need to keep the shot under the trees.  I first pull and 8-iron to play it back in my stance to keep it under the trees, but I determine that it is too risky feeling the ball would fly too high and hit the trees.  So I pull a 7-rion and make a smooth  130 yard shot perfectly under the trees to about 15 feet from the pin.  Tom hits his wedge to 20 feet and Randy misses the green.  Randy chips to a foot and Tom’s putt is too hard and misses high.  My putt is downhill with a slight double break.  I put no pressure on myself to make an exceptional putt, but I have seen the lines well all day, and this was no exception as the ball dropped for a birdie.  Now I have played this golf course at least a dozen times, and have never birdied this hole until today!

This is unbelievable.  Again after returning to the clubhouse afterwards, a player tells me that I will get in and what a great experience I will have.  I am having difficulty at this time keeping it together.  One of my goals I set 30 years ago was to play in every USGA event available to me – Jr. Amatuer, 1980, US Amateur, 1983, US Open, not going to happen, and the US Senior Open, 2013?.  To be able to play in the Senior Open will just be incredible.

What to do?  If I get in I am calling everyone I know that has played in a tour event or USGA Championship – Jeff Wilson, Jeff Coston, Tom Carey – to learn how to prepare and what to expect.

I asked Connor to caddie.  At first he was unenthusiastic, but when he found out it is an actual championship he is all over it.

I will need to adjust my work schedule to provide more opportunity to practice and play.  I will need a 12 degree driver and a couple hybrids, I expect I need more loft into greens.

But I am already nervous about the first tee.  If I get the first tee shot off, I would be fine.

If I go I want to learn – tour vans, fitness center, watch the tour guys prepare.  Play practice rounds with old friends – Duffy, Brehaut.  Ask the USGA if they have replica player medallions from the 1980 Jr. and 1983 Amateur that I could acquire.