[golfgnome]

After a poor nights sleep, Chris and I got the course at 6:15 to find out the my second round time was to start at 9:00, only about 30 minutes after we completed round 1. I thought we would actually start around 10:00 but I was wrong. I got a quick bagel and fruit, some coffee (not enough) and began to prepare for the day.

At 7:30 we were on the 16th tee to finish our round. I hit a great 7 iron to within 10 feet and made birdie! I hit a really good 5 iron into 17 to about 20 feet and almost made it. After a good drive on 18 I made the worst of all mistakes, I layed up in the _______ water! After a drop I hit a gap wedge about 20 feet and curled the putt around the hole for a bogey 6. I was not happy. I feel like if I could have made birdie on 18 and gotten back to 3 over I would be able to post 69 or better and make the cut. That mental error really hurt.

Needless to say I was not much fun to be around between rounds. I took out my frustration on the range and pounded a few balls. While I did this I actually found some much needed pivot lag and I really started to crush it.

It was time for round 2 to begin and once again I was announced as the Georgia PGA PLayer of the Year. That is so cool!! The weather was perfect and there was a noticeably larger gallery. We started today on number 10 and I hit my 3rd to within 6 feet and missed it. DAMN! After par on 11 I hit another shot to about 8 feet and missed it as well. I finally made a birdie on 13 with a 4 footer.

I was now back on 16 tee where last night ended and today actually began. The hole was cut in the right corner just over the bunker and it was 162 downhill into a stiff breeze (check out the video of number 16 to see what it looks like). I ripped an 8 iron to 20 feet and made it for birdie. This is the Dave and Busters hole so there was already a gallery forming and I got a nice roar from the crowd! I had got it back to 3 over for the tournament and easily could have been even or 1 over.

On 17 I made one the only bad swings of the day, and it was actually more mental thean physical. I needed to play to the right side of the green and let the slope bring it to the hole but I pulled it a bit, the wind got it and it ended up in the bunker left of the hole and short sided. I hit a pretty good bunker shot and just missed the putt (a common theme for the day).

I successfully layed up on 18 and hit a decent wedge to about 15 feet. Once again I just missed that one. I ended up with a 1-under par 35 and really felt it should have been 3 or 4 better.

At this point the wind was starting to pick up and was really swirling. On number 1 I had 195 to the hole into the wind to a tucked hole location. Chris and I decided to hit 5 iron right of the hole to the center of the green. I hit a bullet that flew about 205 to the edge af the back fringe and stayed there. I was now faced with about a 40 foot severely downhill putt that breaks about 12 feet....3 putt bogey....DAMN! I had about 12-15 feet for birdie on#2 and missed. On number 3 I lost a little focus while my fellow competitor took about 5 minutes to hit a pitch shot. I had about 35 feet downhill, left it short and missed the nest one...bogey.

I went ahead and broke strategy on #4 and went for the green in 2. I had about 280 to the hole downwind with a slope near the green to help me. I hit it pin high just right of the green and manged to make a birdie.

After a poor tee shot on number 5 I was left with about 205 to an impossible hole location into the wind. I hit a 4 hybrid and the wind took it into the greenside bunker long and left of the hole. I actually hit one of the better bunker shots of my life (carried it 20 yards from a downslope to a green that breaks about 20 feet and runs down past the hole into a creek) to about 10 feet and once again just missed the putt.

By this point I was still grinding but knew that I was going to miss the cut. Because of all the friends and family that came out to support me I was going to try and finish strong. I made 2 good saves on 7 and 9 and once again almost birdied the 240 yard par 3 8th with another putt that just missed. I finished with a 74 that easily could have been 68.

I will post again with a summary of the event and details of the after round beerfest!