Back in the USA

The course won the battle this week.  It played extremely tough, and I wasn't able to overcome a couple of bad breaks the first round.  My putter let me down in the second round, and I ended up missing the cut by 1.

I've said it before, but it is hard missing cuts.  I've missed a lot in a row now, and need to break out of this rut.  I really started to hit the ball well this week, now I need to start scoring.

I gave my mind a bit of a reset during this two week trip in Mexico.  I haven't been thinking in the proper way to play great golf.  I wasn't even thinking of cut lines my first year as a pro, and I rarely missed one.  The cut has become way too big a part of my thought process, and my scores tend to be right around the cut number every week as a result.  Not anymore.

So I'm making my way back to Salt Lake for a couple weeks of work on the game.  The second week of June is the beginning of the Canadian portion of the Canadian Tour schedule.  I'm looking forward to preparing for it.

Luke

WILD

It's been a wild trip in Mexico. I struggled off the tee last week, and it wasn't the type of course you could get away with that. I ended up missing the cut by 3.

We then had a charter flight from Cancun to San Luis Potosi. Over 100 people, all with the Canadian Tour. As we began our taxi down the runway, we saw 4 full baggage carts that didn't make it. I brought out the positive thinking, and I was one of maybe 15-20 guys who got both bags. I felt bad for the guys without luggage, but hey (the bags didn't arrive 'til late Tuesday night).

I got in two practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday. The course is very steep, and the ball goes a long ways. We're somewhere above 6000 feet, so that's high. I have a bit of an advantage having grown up playing at elevation. I feel really comfortable with the elevation, the grass, and the elevation changes on the course.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to round 1 today. Well, it didn't quite go off. The wind was blowing a little bit too hard for golf to happen. Balls wouldn't stay on the greens. So, after 30 minute delays for more than 3 hours, the round was postponed until tomorrow.

During the delay, a guy named Jack Nicklaus made an appearance. THAT was cool. He came out, no warm up, and ripped a tee shot off the tenth tee. I can't believe I didn't have my camera.

It really has been a crazy trip. I got sick, too, on Tuesday. No fun at all. I really don't know if I'm better or not, I'm just trying to get by. I'm just looking forward to playing tomorrow. We can't get out there too soon!

Luke

Riviera Maya

I'll tell you the thing about being on the coast near Cancun. The days are wonderful, but the nights get you hooked.

I'm not talking about parties or anything like that. I'm too far away from the city for that nonsense. I was just down on the beach at my hotel, the only person there. It was like a movie. No sounds except the natural. No light. It was the most peaceful hour I've spent in a long time, maybe my life.

The travel today was rough. The festivities at the Cancun airport alone took 2 hours. Now that I'm here, it seems like a breeze.

I'm really looking forward to this trip. . I felt a switch flip last week, and I'm expecting some really good scores. Either way, I'm living the dream.

Luke

Qualifiers are Hard

Not just the playing part, but the gigantic loss you feel every time you miss.  It's tough.  It's like losing a playoff when you don't make it.  Crushing.

I played really solid today.  I didn't get anything going until making birdie on 15 and 16.  That put me at -2 with a par 5 remaining.  Pretty good shape.  Disaster struck on 17.

17 is an island green par three, 170 yards.  The pin was in the back (178), so I pulled an 8 iron, trying to hit it in the middle of the green.  I hit it right at the pin, landing pin high, bouncing over the green into the water.  That hurt.  Really bad.  I had to drop at 103 yards, didn't get it up and down, made double.  I ended up with a 72, while 70 was going to advance.

It was a weird feeling at the end of the round.  I was pissed off at the near miss.  It's really frustrating not getting through qualifiers.  But my game was better today than it has been all year.  I made a confident, aggressive swing on every shot.  A few bad breaks cost me, but I really played well.

I think I've been trying to guide the ball around.  I made it a point to make a really confident swing on every shot, and it paid off today.  I didn't have anything resembling a "big miss."  That is a very good sign, as the "big miss" has been a major drain on my game lately.

Mixed feelings today.  Major downer, but there are some positives.

Luke

Casa Grande and Me

I got in a practice round this morning. The course is good. There's a whole lot of room, which is a bit different from most of the desert courses down here. The fairways are perfect, but the greens are a bit on the slow side. Scores will probably be pretty low, depending on the wind.

My game feels pretty solid. I hit a few loose shots today, but nothing severe. I drove the ball better than I have been, and I don't feel like there is a big miss lurking on every shot. I feel better about the game this week, so I'm looking forward to getting hot again.

On the way home from the course I stopped by the Casa Grande National monument and saw me some 14th century ruins. Pretty cool.

(I don't think the big structure covering the ruins has been around since the 1300's. Too much steel, but I may be wrong :)

Luke

Qualifier

This Wednesday is the "local" qualifier for the US Open. I'll be in Mexico for Utah's real "local" qualifier, so I'm down south of Phoenix this week. Big plus ---- WEATHER. I haven't had a chance to check the forecast, but it was in the low 90s today. Much better than it has been in Salt Lake, and I love the heat. It just feels more like golf in the heat. Not sure why that is, but that's how I feel.

The drive down here didn't seem too bad. It's been a couple months since I made a 10+ hour drive, but it didn't seem hard or long. I've got two satellite radios going these days, so there was no lack of entertainment.

I've really been getting pumped the last week or so to play golf. I hit the heat this afternoon, and I got really pumped. I can't wait to get to the course tomorrow.

We're playing in a small town I didn't even know about. I basically lived in Phoenix in 2006, but I never ran across this course or town. Poston Butte GC in Florence, AZ. 84 players for 7 spots. The successful qualifiers move on to one of the sectional qualifiers in a couple weeks.

Practice round early tomorrow.

Luke Swilor