Colorado Open Wrap Up

After a pathetic 74 in the third round Saturday, I came back to fire a solid 69 today to get back into the top ten. I ended up in a tie for 7th, not bad. I don't know how much money I made yet, but I do know it is my biggest check as a professional. I am playing some very good golf right now, and if a couple putts would have fallen, along with a few better breaks, I would have been in contention to win this week. Still, the future of my golf game is looking bright, so I hope I can continue to play well and get a win in the near future. Next Stop: Yankton, SD.

Colorado Open Day 2

FRUSTRATION. That's the word that best describes what I felt today during and after my round. I played as well today as I did yesterday, but my score was six shots higher. I made birdie on four of the first seven holes (with a couple of missed putts), but I ended up with a 71. I am now in seventh place, just three shots off the lead. I'm still in this thing, especially if today was my high round of the tournament. I am putting so well, but I can't get anything to fall. The one bad shot I hit in the last two days led to a triple bogey. I feel a low number is coming tomorrow. I play at 11:00 am, so stay tuned to the live scoring at coloradoopen.com.

Colorado Open Round 1

The Colorado Open is a big tournament to win for two reasons: 1) The winner receives $22,500, and 2) The winner gets to play in the PGA Tour event at Castle Pines, The International. After the first round, I have put myself in a good position to have a chance to win. My 7-under 65 left me tied for first after everyone got in, so hopefully I will be able to keep up the good play. The course was much softer than it was last year due to quite a bit of rain earlier in the week. Scores were low today, so I still have a lot of work ahead to have a good finish. Today's round was one of the better ball-striking rounds of my life, which is weird because I haven't been hitting it very well the last couple of days. I missed three shortish (4-5 feet) putts today, but I made a couple of 15 footers. Although the course is playing fairly easy, my 8 birdies still felt very good. Any time you can make eight birdies in a round you can't complain too much. Oh, I also made three deuces today for the second time in the last two weeks (first round SD Open). All in all, I feel very good about the way things are going, and with the state of my game.

Denver Open Recap

The Denver Open just finished up, and I played very good...for two days. The last round didn't go so well, but a tie for 11th is not too bad. I played solid in the first round and shot 69. In the second round, which was lengthened due to a lightening delay, I played great. My 66 left me in a tie for fourth with a very real chance to win the tournament. Round three started off with me making three bogies in the first five holes. After 13 more holes of lipping out I finished with a 2-over 74 to finish 11th. I missed the cut here last year, so this is definitely an improvement. Hopefully I'll be able to continue my good play this week at the Colorado Open (a win here also gets an exemption into the PGA Tour event at Castle Pines, the International). The course for the CO Open is a bit tougher, which means anything under par is a good round. I think I have four under par rounds in me this week, so we'll see what happens.

South Dakota Open Wrap-Up (Also 2 pro ams)

I played another good round today, but I wasn't able to get the win. My 68 gave me a three round total of 203 (13-under par). I didn't make a lot of birdies, but I played solid and came up just short. I tell you this: if I continue to play the way I am playing, I will get a win in the near future. Today my ball-striking wasn't as good as usual, but my great putting kept me in the game. I had an eagle, three birdies, and a bogey today. I needed about seven more birdies to win (the winner was around 20-under; I don't know for sure, I left early). Know more later

LATER:
19-under won, and I ended up alone in fifth. Not a bad start to the Dakotas Tour season (I'm in 6th on the money list).

WESTWARD HO PRO AM
I wasn't planning on playing in this tournament, but I got in because of a last minute cancellation. I got to the course 15 minutes before I played, so I didn't get a very good warm-up. The course played pretty tough, with the wind creating most of the challenge. I played one of my most solid rounds ever, going bogey-free for a 3-under par 69. I thought that would have a chance to win, but I ended up tied for second. I think this finish moved me up to 4th or 5th on the money list, so I'm off to a good start.

PEPSI/Min-Dak PRO AM
In one of the hardest winds I have ever played in, I struggled with this tricked up course. The newcomers had a very tough challenge figuring the course out if they didn't get a practice round (LUKE SWILOR = Newcomer without practice round). I made a few early birdies, but the course beat me in the end. My 75 was able to eke out a tie for 9th and the last money spot. All in all, I can't be too displeased with my start on the 2005 Dakotas Tour. I'll rejoin the tour in two weeks in Yankton, SD after I play in the Denver and Colorado Opens. ON TO DENVER.

South Dakota Open Day 2

Today's round was a lot like yesterday's, but my 67 was much better because of the wind. Like yesterday, I suffered through lip-out city. I played very good today, and if a few more putts would have went down I would be in the lead. As it stands, I'm three shots back. I play at 2:20 (very late) tomorrow in the 2nd to last group. Today's round felt like it went on forever. Five hours and forty minutes in the heat and humidity will drain your energy. Add in the wind and you've got an 18 hole pressure cooker. I didn't get off to a great start today, but three straight birdies got me going. I am hitting such good putts, it feels like I can make anything. Your whole game changes when you are putting well; The pressure comes off the driver, you don't worry about getting the ball close on second shots (which automatically makes you hit it closer), and the lip-outs don't stay in your head as long. I am at 9-under after the second round, and if I can get it to 15 I think I can win (thanks dad). If I get off to a better start tomorrow I WILL be a force to be reckoned with. It would be nice to be atop the Dakotas Tour money list, and I KNOW I can do it.

South Dakota Open Day 1

Today was a day of burned edges. I had at least five putts that I thought were going in,but didn't. I started the day off badly, missing a 5-foot putt for par on 1. I then made par on the easy par-5 second. On 3, I hit my drive into a ravine, but I made a great par after taking an unplayable lie drop. I made the first of three 2s on the par-3 fifth, but I made another par on the easy par-5 sixth. Making the turn at even par, I knew I needed to make up some ground because the course was playing so easy. I made birdie at 10 and 11 to get to 2-under. More pars got me to the short, but tricky, par 5 15th. After a good drive and a seven-iron to twenty feet, I three putted to make yet another par on an easy par-5. My second putt was from about 3 feet on a severe side-hill. I hit a great putt, but it caught the high side of the hole and power-lipped down the hill. After a nice par save on 16, I made a twenty footer for my third deuce on 17. Four solid shots on the par-5 18th gave me an easy birdie for a 68. Not bad, especially considering my shaky start, but I feel like I lost three shots to the field on the par-5s. I probably made those shots up on the par-3s, but I need to take advantage of the par-5s to have a chance to win. I'll know where I stand on the leaderboard later tonight.

South Dakota Open Preview

Just got done playing my practice round, and I feel pretty good about my game. I played really well today, and that is amazing after the 15 hour drive it took to get here. I saw more silos in a 60 mile stretch yesterday than I've ever seen in my life. The side roads of Nebraska are pretty cool to drive through. It seemed like every town was a carbon copy of the last town. Right now I'm in the thriving metropolis of Vermillion, South Dakota. The course we're playing, The Bluffs, is in great shape. It's a pretty easy course, but there are three tricky holes on the back 9. The greens are very steep, so I'm sure the pins will be pretty tough. If you can hole some putts, you will be able to shoot some very low numbers. I felt really good with the putter today. My tee time tomorrow is 7:30, so I better hit the sack.

Wyoming Open Round 3

The last round of the Wyoming Open didn't go so well. I started out okay, but a few mis-clubs at the end of the round led to a 72, a 15th place finish, and only a $683.oo check. I didn't feel like I played that badly this week, but things didn't end up like expected. I think Jeff Klein won at 11-under, so I ended up ten shots back. After getting home at 3:00 am, I've had two days to get ready to go on the road for 7 weeks. I'll be playing 4 weeks on the Dakotas Tour along with the Denver Open, the Colorado Open, and the Rocky Mountain open. This week is the South Dakota Open in Vermillion, SD, and I am not looking forward to the 15 hour drive I am making tomorrow. I have never been on the road for this long a stretch, but I think I will be able to make a good chunk of cash.

Wyoming Open Rounds 1 & 2

Through two rounds, the Wyoming Open has been a bit of a struggle. In the first round, I had a hard time with the putter early on, three-putting two of the first four holes. Then the wind began to blow, but I started to play better. I made four birdies in a row (holes 10-13) and ended up with a 1-under par 69. Like I said, conditions were tough, and the low score in round 1 was 65. My 69 left me in 13th place. I had five birdies and four bogies in the round.

The second round conditions were much easier. The hole locations were away from the severe slopes and the wind was down. My results, though, were not much better. I played very solid golf all around, but I couldn't make any birdies. I'm having a hard time reading the greens, and I just didn't hole a lot of putts. This is tough because I'm hitting a lot of good putts. Anyways, I made three birdies and one bogey (on the 2nd to last hole) to shoot 68. I was the 2nd group off, so I don't know exactly where I stand, but I think I'll be a ways from the lead. It's going to take a great round tomorrow to have a chance to win.

Wyoming Open Pro-Am

Well, I shot the lowest score of my professional career today. My 63 was good, but not good enough. Somebody shot 61 this afternoon. All is well, though, because winning a pro-am only gets you about $200, and winning the tournament gets you $7,000. Today was a very good round of golf that could have been better. I didn't make a bogey, hit 16 greens in regulation, and had 28 putts. With those kind of stats every day I would be the leading money winner on tour. That being said, I had a hard time reading the greens today. I had 5 or 6 putts within 10 feet that I hit well but didn't go in. Hopefully I'm saving my good reads for the tournament, which starts tomorrow. Three more rounds like today and I'll have my first win as a professional.

The Stars Align

Well, I just got done playing in the Denver Open Qualifier. I was very lucky to even get a chance to play today. I was on the waiting list, so I decided to hang around the course to see if anyone no-showed. Nobody did, but tournament organizer Tom Krause decided to let me in at the last second. I got to the golf course at 5:50 am and left the course after 3, so I'm pretty worn out. The good news is, Luke Swilor is playing in the Denver Open. I didn't play great today, but I putted good and my 73 (1-over par) qualified easily. The course (Buffalo Run) played pretty tough, mostly because of the fast greens, but also due to some late round wind. The low round of the day was a 2-under 70.

I was 1-under par most of the day, but a couple of bogeys in the middle of the back nine made the last couple of holes a grind. I knew 2 or 3-over would qualify, so I couldn't make any mistakes. I made a great save on 16, holing a ten foot putt after a pretty good chip. 17 is a downhill par 3 with water on all sides, and I hit a good shot with an 8-iron for an easy par. The last hole is a par 5 with weeds on both sides of the fairways and water guarding the green. Last year in the Denver Open I lost a ball in the left side rough, which cost me making the cut. Today I was able to exercise some demons by crushing a drive down the right side. I had 239 yards to the hole for my second shot, but my ball was in the first cut of rough. I knew the only way to blow the qualifier was to go for the green, so I hit 9-iron, lob wedge to 10 feet. I really wanted to make the putt because getting "old man par" is one of my main goals every time I play, but the putt hung on the lip for 73. Off to Cheyenne for the WY Open Pro-am tomorrow.

FYI: Ben Hogan won the Denver Open in 1948.

Leaving Town

My prediction didn't work out, although it looked like it would until Tiger made a few late bogies. I still think he's going to run away with the Open at St. Andrews. Well, I'm heading to Denver either tonight or tomorrow for the qualifier before heading to Cheyenne for the Wyoming Open. Leaving town is always exciting, especially when you haven't played in a few weeks. There's always the chance that you are going to have a great tournament. Coming home can be fun too, but only if you play good. If you play bad, the drive back home is terrible. I'm always antsy to get on the road before a tournament. I had a great practice session last night, so I feel like this is going to be a good week.

Wyoming Open Preview

Less than a week away now from the Wyoming Open, my first tournament in over a month. Not counting the winter months, I haven't gone this long between tournaments since I was about 14. But before the Wyoming Open, I am on the waiting list for the Denver Open qualifier on Wednesday the 6th. I've never heard of a waiting list for a qualifier, so I hope I get in. If I don't, I'll have to find another tournament for the third week of July. My game seems to be pretty good right now, but it can be hard to tell when you've gone this long without a tournament round.

The Wyoming Open is played over 54 holes at the Airport GC in Cheyenne. The course is really pretty easy, but by Sunday the hole locations make it a pretty decent test. The yardage only comes to about 6,000 yards, and at 6,000 feet above sea level it plays really short. Three of the par 4's are drivable, but there are only 2 par 5's. If you make some putts there are a lot of low numbers available, so I plan on grabbing three of them. A win there will put me in a very good state of mind going into the meat of the season. It would be nice to see LUKE SWILOR on one of thos big fake checks, but it would be much nicer to see the $7,000 in my bank account.

PREDICTION: Tiger Woods is lurking. Tim Herron, Ben Curtis and Jim Furyk will fade and Tiger will get a win at the Western before heading to the British. I know, I'm really going out on a limb.

The Fine Line

I was thinking today about what it takes to be successful on the tour. A lot of guys on the mini-tour circuit have the stuff to play with the best. Its getting there that’s the hard part.

Most golf fans don't realize how fine the line is between Tour Players and mini-tour players. While the mini-tour player isn't going to go out and beat Tiger and Vijay with any regularity (at least right off the bat), many mini-tour pros would be able to keep their tour card and make a damn good living if they could just get to the big stage. To see proof of this just look at how well Hogan/Nike/buy.com/Nationwide Tour players do when they make it to the big stage. The list of great players who were tooling around the mini-tours before they made it big is huge and growing every day. Ernie Els, David Duval, Tom Lehman, Chris DiMarco, and David Toms, all huge names in golf who played on the PGA Tour's "minor league" style tour. Chad Cambell was one of the best players on the Hooter's Tour before he became one of the best players on the PGA Tour. Come on, from the HOOTER'S TOUR to the PGA Tour! How great is that?!!

I've got a great story that helps to illustrate the fine line. In the early 90’s, before he was one of the best players in the world, Ernie Els was playing in some Hogan (now Nationwide) tour events. My dad, Milan, had played with Ernie in his first try at Tour School (Ernie didn't make it that year, my dad says he was hitting a big hook), so they knew each other a little bit. In 1991 my dad was also playing on the Hogan Tour, but in ’91 he had qualified to play in the PGA Championship at Crooked Stick. At a Hogan event the week before the PGA Ernie comes to our table at dinner and asks my dad if he was going to the next Hogan tournament. My dad told him “No, I'm going to the PGA next week.” Ernie shook his head and said “Man, I wish I were in your shoes.” My dad never really made it on the tour (he still has the senior tour in a couple years), but Ernie Els at one point would have traded places with him. Now Ernie has three majors and is part of the “big four“ (“big five,” sorry Retief). TRUE STORY. Fine Line.