This Game is Hard

I played pretty good most of the round today. I was off to a very good start, 3 under after 7 holes. Some loose shots led to three bogies, but I was still in good shape with 4 holes left. A weak par on the par 5 16th hurt, but the 7 on 17 hurt much worse. Silly, but I guess it happens. 75, quite a ways back in the pack.

I magnified all mistakes today, and I hit a lot of good putts that didn't fall. I still feel good, though, and I think I can put together a good one tomorrow. I'm hitting it good, putting it good. I just need to minimize the mistakes. For some reason that is always harder this time of year. I'm still very confident, always a good thing.

Oh, and it was bitterly cold today. That moisture in the air really puts a deep chill on you.

Luke Swilor

In Between Golden State Events

The little one day tourney yesterday was pretty fun. Dove Canyon CC is a cool course in the hills of Rancho Santa Margarita. Jack Nicklaus design, which I have always liked. I definitely could have used a practice round, but most of the players were in the same boat as me. The course was tricky, but I am pretty good at figuring a course out, especially of the tee. Around the greens, though, practice rounds are a huge help. The greens were tough, and there were some VERY tough pins out there.

So I went in blind, without much practice since last week's event. The little swing thought I figured out last week was still working, so I was still pretty confident. I three-putted the first hole for par. Yuck. But I continued to hit good shots, and got it to three under after nine. I continued to hit it good the whole round, but my mind kind of shut down around the 15th hole. I made a couple stupid bogies, but I was hanging in there.

I hit two good shots into 18, and left a ten foot putt on the lip. Always costly on the last hole. I knew that would hurt. But a good round. I got in and saw I was tied for first, that held up, so I'm counting it as a win. If they don't play it off, there's not much else you can do. I'm counting it.

The fields in these little tournments are much bigger than the Pepsi events, and much tougher competition. So it was a good little "win." Two in a row, nice.

Tomorrow starts a two day event at Oak Valley. I checked the course out today, and it is very good as well. Here's a pic (it's a bit of a dark sky...rain today and tomorrow):


So here's to keeping the streak alive. Either way, I feel like it's going to be a great year.


Luke Swilor
lukeswilor.com

Rollin'

I finished first for the second tournament in a row today, although it
was a tie for first (no playoff).

Getting on a roll. Details when I get some internet.

--Luke

On the Road Again

I got home from my win in Northern California, and promptly lost a chunk of a molar. Always fun. I was getting ready for a nice dinner with family, when the peanuts I was eating cracked off a huge piece of tooth. Doesn't hurt...yet, but I'm afraid to eat. I don't want to aggravate it. I need it fixed or out, and me and the dentist don't meld too well. So I'm looking forward to that meeting like getting a tooth pulled (wow, ironic).

This week I've got a couple of mini events on the Golden State Tour. One-dayer tomorrow at Dove Canyon, and a two-dayer Wednesday at Oak Valley (2nd stage of tour school is here). In a purely profit state, I might not travel this far for small tournaments. Right now, though, I'm trying to stay in some sort of form, and some important events are on the horizon. I need to stay competitive by playing as much as possible, hopefully leading to more profit on the near horizon. Wins are still profitable, though.

I've never been to this area (Santa Margarita/San Juan Capistrano) of LA before, and I have to say it is very nice. Tomorrow's course looks pretty cool. I didn't get to play because of a fairly large junior tournament today, so hopefully I can figure it out. I practiced today at a pretty cool driving range at Saddleback college. It had two tees and was surrounded by a huge net. Kinda like a range you might see on TV. I hit it pretty good, so we shall see. After I got done, I made a turn down the road and ran into a nice golf course (can't remember the name) that I wish I had found first. All is good though.

So I'll play these two quickies (hopefully get on some sort of Tiger run), head home, have a tooth either fixed or pulled, then head back to LA. I'm hoping I'll get into the Pearl Open on Oahu, and I'll fly out from down here. Then I'll fly back, drive down to San Diego, qualify for the USPGT, and head home. Busy next couple weeks, but most of it should be fun (except for the whole tooth thing, and the driving).

Keep it straight.

--Luke Swilor

Good Start to 07

Got me a little win today. 72 was enough to win by 3. More when I stop driving.
--Luke

That night:

This wasn't a very big tournament, but that doesn't mean I didn't really want to win. I need the money this time of year, and any time you can finish off a tournament is a plus. I came into today with a two shot lead (I told you it was windy yesterday). I got off to a decent start with a couple pars, widening my lead in the process.

The next three holes saw me making three bogies, due to some bad shots and poor putts. After 5 my lead was one. The course this week wasn't easy. It was calm today, but there were some tough driving holes. Plus, it was very tricky around the greens. Everybody was making their share of bogies.

So I was leaking a bit of oil after 5 holes. Time to bear down. I birdied four of the next 5 to get my lead back to a comfortable margin. After that it was a comfy little finish to the round. I hit some good shots coming in, and a couple of bad ones. Ended up with a solid 72 for the win.

The rust on my game showed more today than yesterday. Yesterday I had all I could handle in the heavy winds, but my long game was pretty solid. Today I just hung in there. I didn't hit it great, but it felt good to finish it off with a solid score.

Great start to the year. I feel good.

Luke Swilor

Pepsi Fairfield Round 1

Wind makes golf hard. For me, it's not so much the full shots, I'm a good ball-striker in the wind. It makes it hard for me to make putts.

The wind was a solid 15-20 for the front nine. I played very good on the front, holing a few putts to get to -2 after 8. Very good start considering the conditions. The wind kicked up a lot on the back, and I stopped making putts. The wind was really affecting the line, making it very difficult to read.

I ended up with a 74, which is better than it sounds. I was in the first group, so I don't know exactly where I stand. I was low in my group by around 3 shots, so I might just have a chance tomorrow.

After the round I went on a little drive to decompress. Downtown San Francisco is only about 40 minutes away, so I got some nice shots of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Bridge (click for full size):


Luke Swilor
lukeswilor.com

Pepsi Tour Fairfield - Preview

I got in town late yesterday afternoon. I hit some balls, and it felt like I found a little something. After working on some things today, it feels really good. I haven't played enough lately to be sure, but I think I found one of the reasons my ball striking has been so poor of late.

We'll see, but I have a little extra shot of confidence heading into tomorrow. Still pretty much untested, but that won't last much longer.

Luke Swilor

Get Me Out of the Cold

I'm very ready to hit the road again. Hasn't been above freezing here in a week. Get me some warmth. I've got a little Pepsi Tour event this weekend in Fairfield, CA, where it is actually supposed to be quite nice.

I've got a couple of tune-up events, then possibly the Pearl Open in Hawaii [ought to be warm enough there :)], before the US Pro Golf Tour ranking school. The posts should be coming a lot more often now, as I'll be playing a lot of golf from now on. Exciting (can't ya tell?).

I put up a little "main" website today. Very minimal (don't have a lot of time), but it will be a nice home for schedules, results and such. I'll work on it, we'll see how it comes along. There is almost nothing there right now, but you can find it at:

lukeswilor.com

Luke

Coral Canyon Open Recap

I got off to a good start yesterday. I was only one back of the lead, so I had a real chance to win. Birdie on one got me right up there. I missed a shorty for birdie on 2, then hit a bad iron on 3 to make bogie. Had another good chance on 6, but didn't convert. I had a lot of tough putts from inside 6 feet that I didn't make. They all had some big break, and I didn't put the right speed on them.

I made a good save with a 15 foot putt on 9, then made another 15 footer for birdie on ten. I was in good shape until the 14th hole. I hit my second shot just off the fairway under a bush. Unplayable, drop in the dirt, nice double. Bad hole, not well-played. I didn't make birdie on the par 5 16th. Not good. I finished with a good save on the last hole to shoot 73. Tied for 4th or 5th, 4 back.

I've got some work to do, mainly on the full shots. I didn't have much control over my ball. I had to grind too hard for only decent scores. But I'm not too worried. This time of the year, I really need the money, so it was good to see I could finish relatively high when I needed to.

The year is about to hit full throttle, going to be fun.

Luke Swilor

07 Round 1

This year's scoring average stands at 70.00. Can ya guess what I shot today?

I really got away with one today. I didn't play very good, but I was able to hang in to shoot a decent score. The new year started with a birdie. It was a good birdie, too. The greens were frozen for the first 7-8 holes, so it was very hard to get it close. After that first birdie, I didn't have many chances. I made three bogies, missing shortish putts for par on my 4th, 7th, and 14th holes. But I was able to birdie four of my last six to get it to two under for the day.

I played with some very good players today, and the low score of the group was 69. I left the course with about 10 players yet to come in, but the leader in the clubhouse was still at 69, so I should be in decent shape heading into tomorrow.

I need to hit some better irons. I made it through today, but to have a real chance I need to get it closer to the hole.

And if the "frozen greens" comment wasn't enough of a hint, it was COLD today.

Luke

Coral Canyon Open- My New Year

The tournament starts tomorrow. I've been down in St. George for the last four days getting ready, and I feel like I'm as ready as I could be. I've hit a lot of balls, worked on the short game, and played a few practice rounds. My game isn't great, but I've been scoring very well. Birdies have been coming easy, and if that holds up I'll be in very good shape.

Southern Utah is supposed to be warm, even in the Winter. For some reason, it is always cold during this tournament. It was around 43 F today, with a very cold wind. It is supposed to be a bit better tomorrow, but I shall again don the thermals. If I play good, I'll be plenty warm. You really feel the cold, though, when you struggle. So I guess I'm going to have to play good.

For a guy from a cold climate, golf can be tough this time of year. The swing doesn't feel quite "right." But everybody this week is pretty much in the same boat, so a good grind of a round should put me near the top. Patience will be key.

Patience, birdie the par 5s, make a few putts...sounds good to me.

More on the other side.

Luke Swilor

Fun

I'm sitting in my hotel room, with an aweful cold, alone, bored, but this is fun. I haven't been all that excited about golf since Tour School. That is now over. It is three days until the first tournament of 07. Expectations are high, and I am very ready to play. I've got the full backing of friends, family, and a few key "others" who truly want me to reach the highest level. I couldn't ask for more. Their help is going to be enough to get me to where I want to be.

I can't wait to get to the course tomorrow. It isn't all that glamorous right now, but I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. Big things are on the way, I "feel" it.

NCAA note: Great game Boise St. Bring on the playoffs, PLEASE. "Unknowns" now 2-0, Utah and Boise St. Two undefeated teams who had no chance at the title, but beat the "big" BCS teams. How is there any argument for the current system?

Quotes are done for now,

Luke Swilor

Happy New Year

It's been cold around here, but the snow melted a couple days ago. That means I've been able to practice without leaving town. I'm hitting the ball better than I have in a couple months, but the game is definitely "untested." Here's the swing from yesterday, a little rusty, a little laid off, but not bad:



I had the thermals on and it was still COLD.

The Coral Canyon Open is this weekend. It is a local PGA section event, so it isn't all that big, but the first tournament of the year always means a lot. I'm heading down today to get ready, pretty excited.

Got to see one of the 48 cars yesterday at the local Lowe's. Pretty cool.






And this ends the most media filled post to date.

Luke Swilor