Brrrrrrrr!

Wow was it cold today. And WINDY! It was a battle all the way around the course. one of the coldest tournament rounds I can remember. On a course with hazard/OB on every shot, that can make for a long day.

I got off to a decent start, and was in the lead after 11 holes. That's when the conditions cost me. I hit two shots over the green and out of bounds on 12. It's a blind shot. I thought the first shot would be okay, and I thought the second shot would be close to the hole. Ouch. Then I hit it in the water, dropped in a divot, hit it into a footprint in the bunker all on the next hole. Brutal.

I made a couple birdies coming in to end up with 79. Scores were insanely high, so it wasn't pathetic, but I played a lot better than that. I hit it pretty decent, and I putted great. I was a bit worried about how I'd putt, but the putter was in good shape. The conditions wore me out, but for my first competitive round in two months, my game was pretty good.

So, I'll still be in the final group tomorrow, even with some huge holes. There's an outside chance of a win, with a pretty good chance to take second. It was a terrible looking score today, but I came out of the round with a lot of things to be happy about. It'll take some time to work off the rust, but my game isn't that bad considering my lack of play.

Hopefully the weather will make tomorrow a little more bearable. Either way, I think the odds are pretty good that I'll lower my 08 scoring average tomorrow.

Luke Swilor