Gateway Desert Mountain

This week's tournament is at the Desert Mountain Geronimo and Outlaw courses. I have to say, they are my favorite courses I've seen so far this year on the Gateway Tour. I had to play each of them "blind" (busy at the Utah Open, so no practice rounds), but it didn't hurt me too badly. It was a bit of a struggle to play right after the 10 hour drive Monday, but I grinded, hard. So far, so okay. 72-71. Made the cut, but I have a bit of ground to make up.

The golf this summer hasn't been all that tough, but these courses were a good challenge. Tuesday at Outlaw was solid. The course, anyways. Pretty forgiving off the tee, but around the greens it really got tough. And on the greens, well, if you missed a putt it was your fault. You mis-hit it or mis-read it. By far the best greens I've played this year, and by far the fastest. Fun.

Geronimo is visually intimidating off the tee, especially coming home. The last few holes almost got me today. I stood on 18 (197 par 3) needing a par to make the cut (remember, according to ME, the pressure of making the cut is much tougher than that to win). It is a downhill shot, and ANY mis-hit is in jail. Impossible chip or hazard/desert. Luckily, I really bore down and hit a solid 7 iron shot to the middle of the green. Burned the edge, and I make the cut on the number.

I still have a chance to make a good check if I can get hot the next couple days. I'm putting so well that it seems a very real possibility. Let's go, eh?

I'm also pumped this week because I got my tour school entry sent in the mail...finally. The last couple of falls have been hard because I wasn't going. Well, I am this year. Let's make the best of it.

Fairways and Greens (and a couple 30 footers too, then Tiger fist-pump, but only if it matters, don't show off)

Luke Swilor

Oh yeah, hit the pin once today, hard (and low), made par. Hey, at least it wasn't bogey. Don't fret, the luck will even out. Learn that lesson now, makes it an easier game.

Grind it out. $

Utah Open Recap

It was good to be home and to have the chance to compete for the Utah Open title.  Unfortunately, I had trouble making birdies on a course that was made for birdies.  71-68-69--208  -8, good enough for a tie for 7th.  Not bad, not great.

For some reason, I just could not convert this week.  I was hitting good shots, hitting good putts, thinking well.  It just didn't happen.  A little more course knowledge might have helped (especially around the greens), but that didn't cost me much, if anything.  The one place I struggled this week was with some chip shots.  I haven't had a chance to play in really deep rough yet this year, and the rough this week was deep.  I wasn't swinging hard enough around the greens, especially early in the tournament.  By the time I had it all figured out, it was day 3 and already too late.  I would have loved a chance to be near the top on the last day, but it wasn't to be.  My good friend Pete Stone ended up getting his first win at -15.  Congrats.

I like where my game is right now.  Tour School is getting close, and I feel very confident in all aspects of my game.  Hopefully that will pay off.  Fall is almost here...

I drove back to Phoenix today.  I've got to get some rest, as the tournament starts tomorrow at Desert Mountain (Geronimo and Outlaw courses).  See ya on the other side.

Luke Swilor

Utah Open Preview

It's time for the Utah Open to get underway. I had to get in to the field the hard way with the Monday qualifier. I made it, barely. I hit the ball pretty good, but I had trouble around the greens. 75 was just good enough to get in.

I played in one of the pro-ams today, and I played really good. I didn't make a lot of the putts I would have liked, but I hit it so good that I still made a lot of birdies. 7 birdies (6 tap-ins), no bogies (I love these days), for a 65. Three more of those would be very nice.

The golf course (Talon's Cove) isn't all that tough. The par 5s (five of them) are all reachable, and there is a drivable (with 3 wood) par 4, so birdies abound. The tough part of the course can be found on the par 3s. 3 of the 5 play over 200, with one playing 262. Meaty.

I hope to continue my good ball-striking through the week. If I do, I shouldn't get into a lot of trouble, and as good as I am hitting putts, they will start to fall eventually. I should be able to put together a couple of really good scores.

Tournament starts Friday, with live scoring at www.utahopen.info

--Luke Swilor

Extra Holes at Pepsi, A Lot of Extra Holes

I had a little one day Pepsi Tour event yesterday. I played great, really stacking my irons in close all day. Eight birdies (6 of them tap-ins) left me with a little 64 at the end of the round. I thought that would be good enough to win, but I was far from done.

I got in and found out my round was only good enough for a tie. We go to sudden death.

Here's where the day really got interesting. Settle in, because I'm giving the rundown, and it could take awhile. Why? The playoff lasted 12 holes! Gotta be some kind of a record, especially for the Pepsi Tour.

#1: We both hit good drives. He hits it to 15 feet, I hit a bad wedge onto the fringe. I chip it close, he misses. PAR, PAR

#2: Two more good drives. He hits it to 10 feet, me 15. Two-putt, two-putt. PAR, PAR

#3: Long par three. I rip 3-iron to about 15 feet. He hits rescue to 25 feet. He two-putts, so I have a putt for the win. It stops about an inch left. PAR, PAR

#4: 327 yd. par 4. I'm pretty pumped, and I crush a drive that runs up on the green, 25 feet away. He hit a 40 yard pitch to 5 feet. I have the eagle putt for the win, but run it by 6 feet. Now I have to make to insure more holes. I make, he makes. BIRDIE, BIRDIE

#5: I hit a good drive. He hits it into a fairway bunker, a long way from the hole. He hits a great shot to about 20 feet. I pull my 8 iron, and am left with a very tough pitch over a bunker with no green to work with. I flop it straight up and end up two feet. He two-putts. PAR, PAR
NOTE: From here on in, my wedge is magical.

#6: Two good drives, both hit it to 15 feet. PAR, PAR

#7: Par 5. I pulled my drive just into the left desert. He doesn't hit a good drive, but hits a great fairway wood to about 30 feet from the hole. I get the ball down to about 40 short of the green. I have to get it up and down. Good pitch to 4 feet. I make the putt, he two putts. BIRDIE, BIRDIE.

#8: Two decent drives. He knocks it to 15 feet. I pull it in a bunker. I hit it tight, he misses. PAR, PAR.

#9: Par 3. I hit it long, left, leaving another very tough chip. He hits it to 15 feet. I hit another great flop, saving yet another par. He misses. PAR, PAR.

#10: Two good drives. He hits it to 15 feet, me to 25 feet in the fringe. PAR, PAR.

#11: Still with me? If you are, things are coming to a close. I hit my drive through the fairway onto a patch of hardpan. He hits a good drive, and his second shot to 20 feet. I found the front right bunker with a tough bunker shot to get close. Trying to get cute, I barely get out, still in the rough. Match over, right? Well, I had to chip in to have a chance to stay alive, so I did. By this point we are both dumbfounded. He just has his head in his hands. Who is this guy with the magic wedge? He slides it by. PAR, PAR.

#12: I hit a good drive. He hits it way right into the desert. He plays first, and knocks it to a foot. Great shot. Now I need birdie, and I hit one right at it, but it comes up 10 feet short. I hit a good putt, but it slid by. PAR, BIRDIE, playoff over.

So I gave it a good run. I hung, and hung, and hung in there, but he didn't make a mistake. One of us was going to birdie alone eventually, wish it was me.

Did you make it? One more thing. Not only did we tie 11 holes of a playoff, but as I was looking at the scoreboard afterwards, I noticed we tied every hole in regulation. Amazing.

Gateway starts Wednesday.

Luke

Back

I haven't made a post in a while. Sorry. Quite a hectic week.

I struggled through the last two rounds at Desert Highlands, and ended up tied for 39th. After the last round, I flew to Denver to pick up my car (had to leave it -- last weeks first round was the day after the Colorado last round -- couldn't think of a better way as driving all night didn't seem like much of an option). Drove back to Phoenix the next day. Crappy.

But I made it, and after a few things went wrong (don't lose your car keys on the road, it's a nightmare...maybe for another post), I played pretty good in the tournament. Not great, but pretty solid. 69-67-68-72, -12, T16th. I definitely had flashes of brilliance (30 on the back nine day 3), but there were some very loose shots as well. I'm working on it, and I seem to be getting better everyday. I know my confidence is going up. I seem to be on the right track. Keep getting better right up until Tour School, then play great and have a place to play next year.

This week is another Gateway event, followed by the Utah Open, one of my favorite tournaments. I'll try not to let so much time pass before the next post.

Luke Swilor

Gateway Desert Highlands

Last week was a bust. I made the cut (a tough field, so pretty good), but that was about all that was good. I hit the ball like I was in 6th grade, and my scores showed it. I ended up tied for 57th. I hit the ball everywhere, and was at a loss. After the tournament got over, I hopped a flight to Phoenix (I had to play the next day, a little rough, but I'm young).

Day 1 of the Gateway went surprisingly well. I hit the ball great. The problems disappeared overnight when I tried to keep the club in front of my body a bit more. It felt like it would make me come way over the top, but it worked. I hit 16 greens (one on the fringe), had no 3-putts, had no bogies, and I still managed to shoot only -2 69. Not bad, but after that good of a ball-striking round, I expected a bit more. Some days you just become illiterate, and no matter how good you hit the putts, they won't fall (all day it was "Nice read Luke, you dumb......). I stayed positive, though. Don't let it get you down. Putting is still fun.

Day 2 (today) was at Desert Highlands (Early Nicklaus, host of the first skins game). I'd never played the course, as I was busy being mediocre in Denver. It didn't cost me though. Aside from 4 bogies that really shouldn't have happened, I got it around just fine. I made quite a few more birdies (6 compared to 2 the day before), but I still only managed two under. Just like yesterday.

Just so you know what it's like on the Gateway Tour, these courses probably wouldn't be considered easy (maybe difficult) by most people, but they are on the Gateway. Just off the fairway of every hole is desert, bushes, and cacti. Greens are undulating, bunkers can be severe, fairways are typical early Jack Nicklaus resort (steep fall-offs from fairway to desert). Still, the cut came at a solid -3.

So I found something of a golf swing. Still waiting to get hot. I haven't been nearly as consistent this year as last, but I'm hitting more really good shots. I think the consistency will come back, but at a higher level. That's what it's about. Keep getting better, your results may show it, they may not. Eventually they will, and that's what counts.

Feeling good about tomorrow (literally and figuratively),

Luke