Sierra Vista Recap

I struggled yesterday in tough conditions. 79 had me missing the cut. I didn't play good, not taking advantage of my good shots, and making a few too many mistakes. Scores were super high, and the cut ended up being +4. I was thinking it would come at +1 or +2, but the hard, fast greens took their toll. A LOT of very good players ended up missing this cut, showing just how tough it got.

I worked really hard on my game while I was down here. Although my scores didn't show it, there was some definite improvement. There are still some areas that really need some work, but progress is being made.

I played today in a "second chance" event for those who missed the cut. I played pretty solid, finally. Without a couple of mistakes I could have easily won, but my 69 was still good enough for T3rd. A step in the right direction, I guess.

My car is still in trouble. I was hoping to make it home before getting any more work. My mechanic down here still can't find the problem, which is leading me to believe it's going to be a tough fix. A little better finish in the tournament would have made all this car trouble much easier to take, but my swing wouldn't cooperate. Hopefully we can get me on the road sooner than later, and inexpensively. That last part is pretty key, especially when I haven't had any good finishes recently.

Life on the mini-tours. Not always as glamorous as it might seem. I still love it though (most of the time :)).

Luke

Sierra Vista Open Round 1

The course played tough yesterday. Even though I played I the morning, the greens were already hard and fast. I got off to a good start, but bad iron play caught up to me on the back nine. I finished with a +1 73, in a tie for 26th.

Today's round will be a little bit more of a challenge, but I've always liked playing golf when the course is hard and fast. A good score today would leave me in position for a good finish.

Luke

Ahhhhggghhh

Clutch is going bad again this morning. Must be something more serious than we thought.

Off to play.

Luke

Back in Gear

I got down here to Sierra Vista Tuesday. Along the way, my clutch pedal got a little soft. By Wednesday night, it was all the way to the floor, and it wasn't coming up.

The transmission wasn't going bad, it had to be something in the hydraulics. Bad cylinder, a leak, something. But I was worried because I'm not exactly flush with money right now.

I got a mechanic recommendation, but I still had to get the car to the shop. I made it, but it wasn't without a lot of effort. It was the hardest 5 mile drive of my life so far. I was pumping the pedal like mad, pulling over every few miles when I couldn't get it in gear. Somehow I got to the shop.

The mechanic (John at Honey Bares) was great. He got me in on short notice, and I got a call a while later. The car was shifting again, nothing but an air bubble in the slave cylinder. How it got there is a mystery, but it has now been bled out. Relief set in when I drove home, and I'm now VERY ready to shoot a good score.

Whenever I've had car trouble, I've always been on the road and short on cash. Why does it always happen that way? Getting off easy makes me excited to play this week. It's pretty much a free roll now.

I've been the guest this week of Bob and Nora, and I'd have been in some trouble without them. They're great people, and they've shuttled me to the shop, to and from the course, and made sure I am completely comfortable. They're going to make this week work out when it could have been a nightmare.

Now it's time to play some golf.

Luke Swilor

Catching Up

My dad played today for the 3rd time this year. He was on business in Georgia. Shot a little 63, 10 birdies, 1 bogey. WOW. Pretty good.

I'm down on the border. I haven't been posting much, but I'll kick it into gear now. Looking forward to playing, and I'll give a few more updates.

Pro am tomorrow. Tournament info at sierravistaopen.com

Luke Swilor

Silly Mistakes

I've made more mistakes on the golf course this year than I ever have, especially recently. My overall game is in pretty good shape. I'm starting to hit it decent again, and I'm hitting good shots around the greens. BUT, for some reason, I'm really compounding every error I make. I'm bound to make some bad swings now and then, but instead of making 4 or 5 when I do, I'm making 6 or 7. That is not how you play golf.

I haven't been grinding out decent scores when I make bad swings. It's not from lack of effort, but silly mistakes are showing up. I've always been able to grind out good scores, saving shots wherever I can. I haven't been doing that lately.

The qualifier in Eugene was a good example of all this. The course was tough, so I knew anything under par had a chance. I hit enough good shots to do this, but when I did hit a bad shot, I made a big score. On holes where I should have had a chance at par (at worse bogey), I ended up fighting for bogey and making double (or triple). Like I said, and it's obvious, this isn't how you play good golf.

I ended up with a 77, and 70 got into the tournament. 70 is a very high score to get into a Nationwide, and I really like my chances in that type of qualifier. I messed up too many things, though, and didn't have a chance coming in.

I don't think I've been playing enough golf when I'm home. I've been working very hard on my swing and short game, but not getting out on the course very much. I think that is where these mistakes come from. I haven't worked out my other muscle (probably the most important one), my brain.

It's a balancing act, for sure. Not enough work on technique (done on the range, chipping green) can lead to swing faults that will not allow great play. At the same time, not enough time on the course will lead to a diminished ability to score. At times this year I've spent to much time playing, and it showed as my swing wore down a bit. I've overcompensated, so I need to balance the practice and play a little better.

So, I'm learning. Finding the right way to spend my time practicing is as important as finding the right way to swing the club. I'm looking forward to it all coming together just in time for the end of October. Tour School.

Luke Swilor

Preparation

I'm always worrying about something. Always. Right now, I'm ready to smell some roses. I've got a little less than two months until tour school. I'm going to make sure that's my only goal.

In between, I've got a couple of Nationwide qualifiers and a few smaller events. I need to make sure I have fun right now, and not let the little things involved weigh too much on my mind. Fun is very helpful, worry not so much. I'm going to go big the next couple of weeks. As long as I am getting in shape for October, the results don't really matter.

A little less focus on the little things should do me good. I look back on some hard times with some pretty good memories. Nothing terrible came out of the bad days, and the journey has always been very fun to look back on.

I've got some hard work to do the next little bit, but I want to end the worry. I've got a nice place to play next year, so things can only go up. Really, that's all there is.

Here's to enjoying it all.

Luke Swilor

07 Tour School

I just sent in my application for PGA Tour Qualifying, and WOW does that give some extra motivation. I'm pumped.

Back in the States

Back home for a few days. My aunt is selling her house, but she hasn't sold the old one yet. So I get to move into the old one until it sells. And it is nice, and big. So I moved this weekend, and had a birthday, too.

Woke up early on Saturday in Canada. My flight wasn't until 1. I had a 2 1/2 hour drive, so I had time, but I wanted to get a good look at Niagara Falls. I had only driven by it the first time. I was pretty much the first person at the park, and it was amazing.

I managed to get someone to snap a pic, so here's proof I was there:

Few days off now. Nationwide qualifier in Oregon next week.

Luke Swilor